the deja vu: black dreams & black time

Gabrielle Civil's déjà vu is a vibrant archive of black feminist creative expressions that activates new and ancestral forms, drawing movement, speech, and lyric essay into a performance memoir. It reflects on personal losses and desires, speculates on black time, and dreams of expansive black life, blurring boundaries between memory, grief, and love.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 18 March 2022
Publisher: Coffee House Press

Gabrielle Civil delves into the depths of black dreams and black time, uncovering a rich tapestry of black feminist creative expressions. Emerging from the convergence of the pandemic and uprising, the déjà vu evokes a sense of familiarity, blending new and ancestral forms to create a captivating performance memoir. As Civil explores Haitian tourist paintings, dance rituals, cinematic representations of race, black feminist legacies, and various other themes, she reflects on her personal experiences, ponders the concept of black time, and imagines a vibrant and expansive black life. Through her intimate, humorous, and vibrant writing, the déjà vu blurs the boundaries between memory, grief, and love, offering a profound exploration of the human condition. Spanning across time, the present, and the future, this work invites readers to contemplate the complexities of identity, history, and the enduring power of creativity.

Dimension: 209 x 139 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781566896221