Hi Everyone: I am headed to Texas to present a paper at the American Studies Association National Conference. This should be a very exciting year at ASA. My panel is entitled Pro Forma: Balancing Vested Interests of Blackness in Performance and includes papers by Anne Dotter (KU), Deborah Najor (USC) and myself. My paper,entitled "Chitlin and Caviar Binaries: Tyler Perry and the Building of a Folk Play Empire," discusses the impact Tyler Perry has had on African American theater and performance. My friend Imani K. Johnson from NYU is chairing the panel and should have some great commentary for us all.

The panel and paper titles are listed below. I will post commentary and papers after the conference. Have a great weekend-NHP


Pro Forma: Balancing Vested Interests of Blackness in Performance
San Antonio Convention Center: Room 206A

CHAIR:
Imani K. Johnson, New York University (NY)
PARTICIPANTS:
Deborah Najor Alkamano, University of Southern California (CA)
Iraq Is Not the New Black: Racial Acrobatics and Ethnic Narcissism
Anne Dotter, University of Kansas (KS)
America Pro Forma: Performing America in Translation
Nicole Hodges Persley, University of Kansas (KS)
Chitlin' and Caviar Binaries: Tyler Perry's Remixing of a Folk Play Empire