The Fantasies of Future Things: Doug Jones with Craig Washington

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged

Charis, the Auburn Avenue Research Library, and The Counter Narrative Project welcome author Doug Jones in conversation with activist Craig Washington for a celebration of
In this powerful debut reminiscent of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, two men in Atlanta reconcile their human dignity against the price of their professional ambitions working for a real estate development company displacing Black residents in preparation for the 1996 Olympics.

Daily interactions between Jacob and Daniel are a powder keg of sexual tension and uncertainty. A recent Morehouse graduate and Brooklyn transplant, Jacob fears that accepting the truth of his sexuality will disappoint the hopes his parents have for him to lead a respectable life. Grieving the death of his mother while searching for answers about a father he has never known, Daniel, an Atlanta native, has resigned himself to the reality that men who love men don't have happy endings.

About the author:

Doug Jones was born in Brooklyn, NY. An alumnus of Morehouse College, he received his
MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. His work has been included in the
anthologies Black Love Letters (Zando Projects / Get Lifted Books), Role Call: A Generational Anthology of Social and Political Black Literature & Art (Third World Press) and Sojourner: Black Gay Voices in the Age of AIDS (Other Countries Press). He has also written for Black Issues Book Review and Venus Magazine. An inaugural fellow of the Lambda Literary Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, the Hurston/Wright Foundation recognized Doug’s early work. An avid art collector who enjoys swimming and traveling, Doug is a proud pet dad to a lovable mixed bred German Shepherd, Baldwin. Doug lives in Atlanta, GA. The Fantasies of Future Things is his debut novel.

About the interviewer:

Craig Washington was born and raised by Anna and Leon Washington in Queens, New York and has lived in Atlanta since 1992. He is a writer who has written extensively on essential matters for The Advocate, Atlanta Magazine, TheBody.com, Georgia Voice, Huffington Post, POZ.com, and various anthologies including Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call. He is an HIV+ long-term survivor who incorporates this experience in much of his work. As a community organizer, he co-founded the Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast. He has led and/or created several organizations and initiatives for Black gay men including Second Sunday and The Deeper Love Project. Craig is a licensed social worker who provides individual and group counseling and can be reached at innervisionsatl.com. He can also be reached at @craigwashingtonwriter. He gets joy from writing, reading, dancing, listening to classic R&B and brunch.

About the venue:
Masks are encouraged but not required.
AARL has a free parking lot accessible via Courtland street. Please park and enter the library to get a guest pass for your dashboard before having a seat in the auditorium.

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