Please join us for the lively Oaktown launch of Pieces of Eight: A Harper Family Mixtape! The YA novella (20 years in the making) is a captivating narrative that takes you on a journey through the eyes of eight-year-old Jazzy. Set in 70s Chicago, it's a tale of secrets, dilemmas, and life-changing experiences. This literary mixtape, filled with a unique blend of drama, humor, and music, explores the resilience of the human spirit and the power of family. It's a story that will resonate with you, long after the last page is turned.
The author, Katrina "Kat" Antoinette Croswell, an Oakland transplant with deep Chicago roots, is a multifaceted artist and writer. Earning her MFA from California College of the Arts, Kat has an impressive portfolio of fiction, non- fiction, poetry, short stories, and songs. Her abstract art is as captivating as her written works. Kat's debut novella, Pieces of Eight: A Harper Family Mixtape, is the first in a promising series. Residing in Oakland, California with her life partner and their Golden Doodle, Kat's diverse experiences and creative prowess make her a relatable author for readers of all walks of life.
Our fabulous moderator for the day, Kelechi Ubozoh, Co-editor of We've Been Too Patient: Voices from Radical Mental Health has this to say:
"Time travel through a weathered boombox to the south side of Chicago in the 1970s and hear the exhilarating music and lives showcased in Kat Croswell's debut novella: Pieces of Eight: A Harper Family Mixtape. Join our heroine, eight-year-old Jasmine (Jazzy) Piccolo Harper, as she and her family experience joy, grief, and good trouble in this tender, tragic, and dramatic coming of age story. Kat dreams up sweet, powerful images juxtaposed with the major and minor chords of life in an innovative writing genre she has named a literary mixtape. Prepare your heart to burst, to break, and to be on beat to a perfectly timed 8 count."
free admission.