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IMANI HARRINGTON

  
Nationality:    African American/Diaspora/Senegal/Sierra Leone +
     email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

While Imani's tag names might sound like a hospital or maybe even an off shoot institution, you might be surprised to know that she first entered the public realm dancing, acting, modeling, then writing as a poet, which prepared one of her paths in priming her first work as a playwright and author. Eventually, one reviewer notes about her one of her early works, is a 'searing' poem on HIV/AIDS and is grounded from out of the early 'rap' tradition and published in the early years of the daunting days of the pandemic which to many was a first literary feat. Much of which has led her writing labor led her in the early years of the daunting days of the pandemic. When people-men-'het'-'bi'-'straight'-'gay' - humans silently well-rounded (fluid) women, as well, other communities 'developing' nations and especially the Haitian community were blamed and stigmatized, but also many thousands died and like Cuban fire flies. San Francisco bath houses turned out the lights and closed its doors. A few of the landmark works of that era followed the Chroniclers such as Marlon Riggs, Assato Saint and even Randy Shilts, all well-respected activist who also brought to the forbidden fore in the then 'new' era of that would impact future generations plight of what was called 'GRID' that would add to the further socio-political complexities about identity and culture which led her and future generations unpacking the differences and understandings about the reception of accepting writing by women, as it was critical to the landscape to understand that during those days following an overlapping (GRID) and (ARC) days, ran parallel to HIV/AIDS that is as most know now HIV and AIDS and also a leap in time we find ourselves as this writer and in context, artist, activist, advocate, examining the implications of what is now considered a 'chronic' dis ease. When Harrington worked in the law offices of downtown San Francisco and North Beach prominent (and for the record: respectful and compassionate professionals and lawyers and CEO's) at corporate law firms and that was also around the same time she met Evenly C. White, who was then at the time a journalist working for the San Francisco Chronicle. Evelyn C. Whites' landmark work selected to publish one of Harrington's collections of poetry, specifically titled AIDS of America anthologized in at least two anthologies and in the Black Women's Health Book: Speaking For Ourselves, and subsequently a Canadian Press, Positive Women. As during those years such a release for a writer was highly controversial and to a certain degree today-while we have come a long way it took years for the public to catch on to the years of laborious works documented. Today, as more become public with the same issues Harrington and her early colleagues and collaborators (some still living and many who died) wrote during the years of the pandemic crisscrossed themes on wide scope of then unspeakable sexuality, taboos, stigma, economics, and identity into her plays. Although it has been many years since that publication, Harrington might be the first to tell you the writing generated out of a complicated isolating era but where during that time she also found inspiration that helped ignite her into writing without intending to the 'first literary play' on women in the pandemic. Since then to now, she has (for now) continued to write plays and create, and (produce) historically by necessity, with a collection of other forms of narrative fiction, but with a wider collection of non-fiction work. Includes work written in Spanish and other languages, etc. Her mandate gives authority to process, which include her 'gymnastic mentality and mind' editing process an important part of the exercising brain muscles, of work and hand (even with her somewhat nemesis 'English'), which has not always been the preferred first language so to speak-anything but that kind of perfection (much of which she attributes to her culture influences and thinking process and other issues(not discussed here) but also-whose biological First Lady mother 'a polyglot' spoke at least three languages, and adding to this, her 'Midnight Disease' writer brain process is possibly 'trauma' related intra physic injuries. . .a (sometimes mentally) nervous writer (who was also once but no longer a nervous flyer.) She has contributed and written on various publications, such as with the forward to the novel Angels Destiny. She writes and edits her own work even if syntax shores up and appreciates specific collaborators who know or is receptive to her process and is known to like boundaries. . .in place at top. Harrington is the initiating principal founder and co-founder of 'the first anthology of plays, poetry and prose on Women of Color and HIV/AIDS published by Aunt Lute Books, 2002.' Harrington enjoys a continuum exploring in the conceptual and visual realms not to abandon writing, but to embrace its possibilities and expand the mind and experience and not [box it in] as the role as writer translates skill sets into a diverse palate, referenced as a distinguished literary acumen of plays (not all listed here) include Love & Danger 'the first literary play on women in the (HIV and AIDS) pandemic'. Harrington has conceptualized, organized, presented, produced, designed, modelled, has been nominated as an actor and honorable mentions as an actor, written, voice-over, researched and interviewed and reviewed on a wide range of topics and projects-some of which are waiting in the pipeline and others out in print. To reiterate it has been over at least the past 18 + years she has written a quaint number of articles, having documented extensively on the topic of women and HIV/AIDS investigating the condition and status of women's health, motherhood, heritage, family, communities, race, class, gender, sexuality, identity, social phobia, stigma and blood and water, taboos, includes the ghosts of Slavery. . . of 35 years of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, she has continued her efforts at writing and has written a quaint number of articles and documented extensively on the topic of women and HIV/AIDS while investigating the condition and status of women's health. To date, if you break it down, the compilation of her work might total 10 to18 plays, works, seven of which are slated for publication as part of her compendium anthology of The Communal Plays an oeuvre and a highly possible final contribution to the pandemic retirement of documentation of critical important for the many lives (who suffered and died isolated, and silenced) include communities, friends, and a childhood friend, etc.. Yet like most artist' hurdles and set-backs, yes, to get the work to the next step on the various and serious mature theme that address the environment, social themes and heritage, and other factors also related to the long-term effects of HIV/AIDS pandemic-natural disasters, dislocated, from 'injuries' like the ones sports players get; dislocated, dispossessed, disenfranchised, and yes, class-based characters from the expanse 'black' and 'multi ethnic' and 'diasporic' too, as well multi cultured lens are ones that we are now accepting a little more than let's say 5 10 and 15 years ago, but now seeing in our 21st Century social milieus are for some opening up doors.. Since 1995/1996 she worked with the concept of actual flood waters (not realizing Katrina and others would really happen that hit the world landscape). She agrees more stories about these issues should continue, and yet Harrington has remained focused (in context) not rushing 'product' over process, but among a few challenges is remaining authentic while accessing and working in a rapidly technological world that is also the new advancing driving force of economist that play a critical and fundamental role of the nature of what narrates language of 'historical' humanities as we know it; versus the notion or idea of 'innovation' which impacts value and can detract or enhance value; thus work created for her generates a continued call to a reaching body public. While a degree of her 'reed' as Ms. Morrison writes about the creative process, for Harrington her work often lives in her head and dreams, she prefers to work intuitively, which means the work is not always rushed nor predetermined which means it is not always predetermined by expected rigid outcomes that are not always reciprocal or natural or innate to many creative thought processes, but remains determined to face head-on even in the blind continued creations of creations while aiming at helping to improve the betterment of the social condition and highlighting the lives of others, cultures, heritage, the humanities, human rights and environmental and preservation causes.

Research:    Member of the Dramatists Guild of America (as at 2009)

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below is a list of Imani Harrington's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

        Afra-Aphro-Amnesia-Diasia--Diasiac         Bitter Fruit , Bleu, Water Moon, Moon Holy         Cut In The Blood/Ashes To Dust         Do You Have Time To Die?         Love & Danger         Master Swimmer         Un Memorie - The Installation Play