Blerds and Black creatives are invited to an evening of expression to center and celebrate the many experiences of being cool, awkward and Black.

This event coincides with the January 10th release of Cool. Awkward. Black., a YA anthology of short stories. Karen Strong, the anthology’s editor, and Tracy Deonn, a contributor to the anthology, will be joining us as special guests.

There will also be light refreshments, spoken word, swag, and more! Friends, family, and all ages are welcome. This event will be held at the historic Varsity Theatre on Franklin St.

Karen Strong is a lifelong technology and science geek and the author of the critically acclaimed middle grade novels Just South of Home and Eden’s Everdark. She has also written short fiction for Star Wars and other award-winning anthologies. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Karen lives in Atlanta. You can visit Karen Strong online at Karen-Strong.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram @KarenMusings.

Tracy Deonn is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of Legendborn and its sequel Bloodmarked. A second-generation fangirl, after earning her master’s degrees in communication from UNC-Chapel Hill, she worked in live theater, video games, and K–12 education. When she’s not writing, Tracy speaks on panels at SFF conventions, reads fanfic, and keeps an eye out for ginger-flavored everything.