1.20 Interview with Khodi Dill / Spoken Word Poetry and “Grey,” Picture Books, and Education

Teachin' Books is back with an exciting interview with Khodi Dill, who is author of the picture book Welcome to the Cypher (available for pre-order now!) and a Bahamian-Canadian writer, spoken word artist, and anti-racist educator living and working on Treaty 6 territory in Saskatoon. Check it out, y'all! :)

Khodi and I chat about spoken word poetry (& its role in education and social justice); his poem "Grey" and how I've taught it in my undergraduate English classes; the publication of "Grey" in Karina Vernon's fantastic The Black Prairie Archives (published by the also fantastic WLU Press); and the behind-the-scenes process of writing Welcome to the Cypher, including a discussion of "children's literature" versus "picture books," the instructive qualities of writing a book, and connections between spoken word and the new picture book.

Check out Khodi's performance of "Grey" posted by the Vancouver Poetry House. You can also find "Grey" in Karina Vernon's (ed.) The Black Prairie Archives, published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.Find out more about Khodi at his website, The Grey Griot, or on Twitter @KhodiDill.Pre-order Khodi's new picture book Welcome to the Cypher from your local bookstore, e.g. at Turning the Tide in Saskatoon.Learn more about the Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre’s new mental health program Sītoskawātowin and read this CBS news piece on it or listen to this interview with Charleen Cote.

The podcast music is by Dyalla Swain and the graphics are by @muskrathands.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @TeachinBooksPod. You can also get in touch at [email protected].  Tell me what you're thinking, y'all!

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 **The transcript for this episode, once available, will be here.**