The Lyricism of Fatherlessness: Musicality and the Missing

Michael Datcher

Poet, playwright and journalist Michael Datcher is the author of the New York Times Bestseller and critically acclaimed memoir Raising Fences: A Black Man’s Love Story. A member of the World Stage Writer’s Workshop in Leimart Park, he teaches English Literature at West Los Angeles College and UCLA Extension. Concentrating on the relationship between idiom, genre, and voice, Datcher will combine a literary reading with a scholarly talk entitled “The Lyricism of Fatherlessness: Musicality and the Missing.” The space will open at 11:30 am for informal discussion and mingling. The literary presentation will begin at 12 noon with a guided Critical Response Q&A to follow.