Publication Celebration: Speculative Fiction between Stars and Clay

Join us for a special afternoon of readings and conversation with the four contributing authors to Speculative Fiction between Stars and Clay: Short Stories Inspired by Kelly Akashi's Encounters, a new publication that accompanies the exhibition Kelly Akashi: Encounters, now on view at the Henry. 

The contributing authors, who are University of Washington graduate students, will share their original stories that respond to Akashi’s evocative exhibition. The readings will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by the publication’s editors, Danielle Khleang, Programs Manager, and Layla Taylor, Associate Curator of Programs. The authors will reflect on their creative process, the themes and influences of their stories, and their engagement with Akashi’s work. The event will include a Q&A session with the audience.

Speculative Fiction between Stars and Clay: Short Stories Inspired by Kelly Akashi's Encounters is the fifth interpretive guide publication produced by the Henry. It offers diverse and imaginative perspectives on contemporary art and ideas. 

K. C. Smith (she/her), a graduate student at University of Washington, Seattle where she is studying for her MFA in prose. Her work focuses on different areas of fiction such as literary, speculative, and fantasy. She hosts a writing group called Blank Page to encourage writers struggling with procrastination to simply write.

phoenix kai (they/them), a queer poet, writer, and multimedia artist. they are currently fascinated with queer belonging, identity, speculative futures, and mythological retellings. In their practice, they strive to do the undoable, to laugh in the face of gravity and frolic among the stars.

Andreas P. Bassett (he/him), a doctoral candidate in the Department of English at the University of Washington, Seattle, where he studies early modern literature and book history. His creative interests include Indigenous poetry and literature. Andreas is the Bibliographical Society of America's 2024 Katharine F. Pantzer New Scholar. 

K. Meera (they/them), a Tamil writer and current MFA candidate at the University of Washington. Their work has appeared in The Dragon Poet Review, The Write Launch, and Coffin Bell. When not writing weird fiction they spend their time painting, playing video games, and pining away for their cat and partner back home in Michigan.

The publication will be available for free onsite at the Henry, digitally online, and available for order at the Henry’s online bookstore.