a picture showing moyo okediji standing next to his artwork

one of the paintings I just discovered in my garage.

ByMoyo Okediji

This is one of the paintings I just discovered in my garage.

The painting celebrates Robert Hayden’s poem, “Middle Passage.”

It is a really long poem.

The painting focuses on this excerpt:

“That Crew and Captain lusted with the comeliest

of the savage girls kept naked in the cabins;

that there was one they called The Guinea Rose

and they cast lots and fought to lie with her: ”

The character across the floor of the ship being whipped to consent is the lady called Guinea Rose in the poem.

I teach now by Zoom.

ByMoyo Okediji

I teach now by Zoom.

It feels weird to sit in the studio, talking to a screen, wondering if you are not crazy.

The computer tells me the names of everybody logged into the class, listening and watching me.

But who else is with them, also watching and listening? How far will the recording of the session travel?