EPISODES
ASSIGNMENT

Reading
  • Harris, Jeremy O. Slave Play. American Theatre Magazine. September/August 2019, 38-67.
    (A PDF of Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play is not available on theharmonyshow.com, however, a synopsis is contained during the seminar session and is available on the Wikipedia entry on Slave Play.)


Screening

SHOW NOTES

  • Documentation of Hortense Spillers’ lecture “To the Bone: Some Speculations on Touch” (mentioned by Olivia around 3:54) is available via the embedded YouTube video above and here. (The video at this link is captioned.)
  • “Mama’s Baby, Papa's Maybe: An American Grammar Book” by Hortense Spiller  (mentioned by Olivia around 4:45) is available here. (The PDF at this link is not screen reader accessible. A discussion of the essay at Smart Brown Girl Book Club can be found in four parts: one, two, three and four.)
  • The website of scholar Rizvana Bradley (mentioned by Olivia around 5:03 and later around 20:28) can be found here.
  • “The Vicissitudes of Touch: Annotations on the Haptic” by Rizvana Bradley (mentioned by Oliva around 20:23) can be found here.
  • A PDF of Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play (mentioned by Lily around 22:22) is not available on theharmonyshow.com, however, a synopsis is contained in the episode above and in the Wikipedia entry on the play here.
  • Further description of Rihanna texting during a performance of Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play (mentioned by Lily around 23:27) can be found here.
  • The excerpt of It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders played by Lily around 24:00 is from this episode. (The radio piece at this link includes a transcription.) A video clip of the talkback moment discussed in the episode of It's Been a Minute with Sam Sanders above, during which a white woman in attendance tried to tell Jeremy O. Harris that his play was racist against white people and against her (mentioned by Lily around 22:25) can be found here. (This video is not captioned, however a partial transcription is available here.)
  • Rihanna’s Work (mentioned by Lily at around 30:42 in the context of the song’s appearance in Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play) can be found here. (The video at this link is captioned.)
  • The Wikipedia entry for drapetomania (mentioned by Lily around 33:12) can be found here.
  • The article “How Phillis Wheatley Was Recovered Through History For decades, a white woman’s memoir shaped our understanding of America’s first Black poet. Does a new book change the story?” found here may provide further context for Jeremy O. Harris’ mention that Phillis Wheatley had assistance in writing her narrative during interviews about Slave Play (mentioned by Lily around 37:06). The book the article refers to is The Age of Phillis by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.
  • The article “Slave Play Tony Award Winner Clint Ramos Reveals How Sex and Race Inspired the Famed Mirror Wall Set” and the photographs featured in it, found here may provide further context for the mirror component of the set of Jeremy O. Harris’ Slave Play (mentioned by Lily around 39:00). 
  • Week Nine Harmony Show seminar leader, Marisa Williamson’s Sally & Monica’s Hot Tub Hangout (mentioned by Amber around 45:13) can be found here.
  • Aisha Harris’ article, “What It’s Like to See ‘Slave Play’ as a Black Person” found here may provide further context for Slave Play Black Out performances (mentioned by Amber around 46:47). 
  • The Wikipedia entry on Quentin Tarantino (mentioned by Davecat around 48:04) can be found here. 
  • The Wikipedia entry for the film Django Unchained, directed by Tarantino (mentioned by Davecat around 48:17) can be found here.
  • The work of Amber Jamilla Musser, including her book Sensational Flesh: Race, Power, and Masochism (mentioned by Amber around 1:00:17) can be found here. Musser led a seminar session of The Harmony Show during Week Two, which can be found here.
  • The work of artist Xandra Ibarra (mentioned by Amber around 1:02:00) can be found here.
  • The Amber Doll Project (mentioned by Davecat and Amber around 1:08:35, though not by name) can be found here. (The videos and images at this link are not image described at the time of writing this show note. They will be described in August, 2021.)
  • Sidore Kuroneko’s Twitter feed (mentioned by Davecat around 1:12:04) can be found here.
  • The durational livestream performances Davecat refers to (around 1:22:24 and 1:25:08) are Sidore (Mark II) / Heather > LOLITA, and Doll Closet. (The videos and images at these links are not image described at the time of writing this show note. They will be described in August, 2021.)
  • The novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (mentioned by Amber around 1:27:33) can be found here. A free digital copy can be found here, however it is not screen reader accessible. A synopsis can be found on the Wikipedia entry for Lolita here.
  • Ginuwine's Pony (mentioned by Lily around 1:33:02) can be found here. However, the video at this link is not captioned. Lyrics for the song can be found here.
  • Saartjie Baartman (mentioned by Lily around 1:34:34) was discussed during Week Two with seminar leader Amber Jamilla Musser and during Week Five with seminar leader Son Kit.
  • Jackie Sibblies Drury's Fairview (mentioned by Olivia around 1:35:44) can be found here. A synopsis can be found here.
  • A transcript of Ziwe Fumudoh's Baited with Jeremy O. Harris (mentioned by Amber around 1:38:16) can be found here and as a video on IGTV: Part I & Part II.
  • The Wikipedia entry for the film, The Exorcist (mentioned by Davecat around 1:40:29) can be found here.
  • The conversation between Jackie Sibblies Drury and Kaneza Schaal (mentioned by Olivia around 1:42:43) can be found here. (The PDF at this link is not hosted at theharmonyshow.com and is not screen reader accessible. Email feedback@theharmonyshow.com for a screen reader accessible version.)
  • The website of the band Throbbing Gristle (mentioned by Davecat at around 1:48:16) can be found here.
  • The Wikipedia entry for NON (mentioned by Davecat around 1:48:16) can be found here.
  • The interview during which Jeremy O. Harris and Tonya Pinkins discuss the white people in Slave Play not being very good doms (mentioned by Lily around 1:53:00) can be found here.
  • A list of scholarly articles written by Shoniqua Roach (mentioned by Lily around 1:54:49) can be found here.
  • “Black Sex in the Quiet” by Shoniqua Roach (mentioned by Lily around 1:54:57) can be found here.

The Limits of Touch: Race and Intimacy was recorded on May 8, 2021.