For this episode of Reframeables, we had the opportunity to speak with
award-winning poet and novelist Canisia Lubrin about her new book Code Noir.
After the interview, she sent the Reframeables duo an email, calling us
both badass and tender, which is probably the best compliment we’ve
ever been given — so there’s that. For context about her book, in 1685
France’s King Louis XIV passed a decree consisting of 59 articles meant
to govern not only chattel slavery but Black subjecthood throughout
France and its colonies. The document was called “le code noir.”
Lubrin’s novel is written around and against these articles. In our
interview, we talked about so many things: identity, and why Canisia
isn’t interested in it; green underwear, and why this writer’s words
make us hot (literally); poetry as something that originates in the
body, not the mind. Our reframing takeaway? The art of the interview
isn’t achieved in a straight line — or maybe we reframed the art of
conversation as a whole. Either way, we had a blast.
Canisia Lubrin is a writer, critic, professor, poet, and editor. Originally from St. Lucia, she now lives in Whitby, Ontario. Her books include Voodoo Hypothesis, The Dyzgraphxst, and Code Noir. Canisia is currently poetry editor at McClelland & Stewart, and has taught at Humber College, University of Toronto, and University of Guelph.
Links:
Code Noir
A Conversation with Canisia Lubrin by Rosie Long Decter for Vallum Mag
Follow Canisia on Instagram