Michael Kevane

How did you become interested in the CAH project you are working on this year?

I've been working to support small community libraries in Burkina Faso and Ghana for almost 25 years, through a non-profit, Friends of African Village Libraries. I've worked with partner organizations. Together we've collaborated with village residents to write and illustrate books. I've also worked on a variety of programs to engage SCU students (and other student volunteers) with reading in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Some of these programs have been about producing photo books. I read a lot of African fiction, and a new wave of Afrofuturism art and fiction has been very inspiring. For many years, I've wanted to promote children's reading of science-fiction themes, so this is a chance to bring SCU students and West African illustrators together to publish some books for distribution in Ghana and Burkina Faso.

What kind of an impact do you hope your project will have–whether on your field, the community, our campus, etc.?

I'm hoping that maybe a couple of students will be encouraged and inspired to continue to be creators... to collaborate with others to bring stories to life, in print. I'm hoping that the stories produced will be widely read by students in primary and middle school in Burkina Faso and Ghana, and inspire some of them to become authors or illustrators, or to become more interested in reading science fiction. 

Why do you think the arts and/or humanities are important?

Our human technology is advancing so rapidly that thinking about that change is almost an obligation of every human, and science fiction is an excellent way to think about the implications of change.  And that goes exponentially for the arts and humanities!  I'm a passionate existentialist. We humans create our meaning as we journey through our small corner of the universe, and using our imagination (where a cardboard box becomes a submarine exploring the deep seas) is such a thrilling way to create and experience meaningfulness.

<p="h4">What does (re) imagining futures mean to you?

Haha same answer as above.... and I want to live in a world where nobody in a uniform can bully you.