Ancestors

Ancestors brings together writers who ask what it means to be made and shaped by other people. Few people today stay where they grew up, and when we meet one another, in person or increasingly online, the settings often blur or hide our personal histories. Yet even when we reinvent ourselves, the past still has a hand in who we are.

The contributors explore several kinds of influence: grandparents and family, the deep past, political forebears, and inherited social and economic circumstances. They ask whether we can choose our family or whether blood always counts for more. Looking ahead, they also wonder what it will mean to become ancestors ourselves and how our descendants will remember us.

The contributors are Bennet Bergman, Sam Bett, Tyree Daye, Diamond Forde, Duana Fullwiley, José B. González, Racquel Goodison, Terrance Hayes, Day Heisinger-Nixon, Tyehimba Jess, Christina Knight, Emily Lordi, Vuyelwa Maluleke, Reginald McKnight, Cheswayo Mphanza, Achal Prabhala, Domenica Ruta, Metta Sáma, Sonia Sanchez, Izumi Suzuki, Deborah Taffa, Kyoko Uchida, Ocean Vuong, Binyavanga Wainaina, Yeoh Jo-Ann and Felicia Zamora.