By Aaron Bolton
Murphy News Service

Novelist and playwright Alexs Pate is celebrating the launch of his book “Blues Vision” tonight, an anthology of stories, poems and narratives written by 43 different African-American writers in Minnesota over the past 80 years.

The launch party is at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul 6–9 p.m. The party will include an introduction of the book, and readings from poets published in the anthology followed by a book signing.

Pate said that he had wanted to do this book for quite some time because literary history in Minnesota often overlooks African-American writers. He says that this book brings to light literary history that needs to be included.

“African-American writers often get marginalized when people talk about Minnesota literary history,” said Pate. “They have been doing what other writers have been doing, but offer a different lens and it can be surprising.”

J. Otis Powell‽, a poet, performance artist and one of two co-editors of the anthology, will be among the writers reading their work. He will be reading his poem “Tongue Swallow,” a piece he said is about swallowing his tongue within a dominant society that doesn’t take interest in what he has to say.

“The pieces I picked were whatever I was excited about at the time when we put the anthology together,” said Powell‽

He said that he met Pate and Fletcher at the Loft Literary Center in 1990. “I agreed to do the project because they were on it,” said Powell‽.

Pate says the book includes a gamut of topics from rural and urban life to identity and family. “Anybody who has lived here will be excited to get a different lens on experiences in places they have been,” he said.

“Blues Vision” was published by Minnesota Historical Society Press, and was also edited by Pamela Fletcher. The book hit shelves on Sunday.

Aaron Bolton is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota. He also is Radio K’s music reporter, and writes as a college contributor for The Current.