Our deeply stirring December 16th memorial for bell hooks, featuring short clips of bell, spoken tributes by bell hooks Center Director Shadee Makalou, bell's Berea colleague and AEPL Past Chair Libby Jones, and words of bell's personal assistant Paige Billman read by AEPL Chair Geri DeLuca is now available--FREE for a limited time--at aepl.org. Find the archive at the bottom of the Conference page, and use the password AEPL2022. We wanted to stage this event near the anniversary of bell's passing. But what that meant was that it conflicted with many people's plans for the holiday season. So we decided that the best way to make up for that was with another event allowing everyone to share fully about how bell has touched your life, and your students' lives. We invite you to share short pieces of writing--or just improvise--with us on Zoom at 3 Eastern/noon Pacific on Friday, January 6. This event will also be FREE. And, of course, you are welcome just to listen. We hope that many more of you will be able to join us then! Just RSVP to aeplconf2023@gmail.com and you will be sent the link the day before. If you RSVP'd for our December session, there is no need to RSVP again. 

I. From Oppression to Love: Remembering bell hooks

FREE Zoom memorial, December 16th, 2022, 3-4:30 Eastern

Libby Jones, Berea College colleague and friend of bell's; organizer of the 2006 AEPL/Berea conference "Writing for Reconciliation" that bell keynoted: "The Rapturous Writer"

Paige Billman, Berea graduate and bell's personal assistant: “bell and Beloved Community”

Shadee Makalou, Director, bell hooks Center at Berea College

RSVP by sending an email to aeplconf2023@gmail.com for the link to the event.

II. What I Learned from bell: Zoom Series, January 2023-June 2024

January 6th, Valerie Kinloch, Immediate Past President, National Council of Teachers of English, Dean of Education, University of Pittsburgh

January ?, Renata Love Jones, Georgia State, one of bell's first college students at Berea in 2005

Send a 250 word abstract describing your connection to the theme and any writing/interactive activities you will include. Activities should comprise at least half of your 90-minute session.

Please also include a 100 word bio and indicate preferred dates and any dates that won't work for you. Proposals due by Friday, January 6, 2023 to aeplconf2023@gmail.com to be considered for the first round of Zoom presentations. Proposals received after that date will be considered for later rounds of sessions. 

III. From Oppression to Love: Remembering bell hooks, in-person conference, Berea, KY, June 2023; details to follow.