Praxis: The Stars and the Blackness Between Them by Junauda Petrus

Background

Author Information

Junauda Petrus-Nasah – Writer. Sweetener. Creator.

Foundational Concepts Slide Decks

The foundational concepts slide decks can help provide context for text-based discussions, transmediation practice, and multimodal projects. Suggested slide decks for The Stars and The Blackness Between Them include: Culture, Diaspora, Gender, Narrative, Sexuality.

Engagement

Paratextual Engagement

“Paratext and Literary Value,” CanLit Guides

Possible paratextual reflection questions for The Stars and the Blackness Between Them could include:

Describe the imagery on the novel’s cover. What does it say to you? Does it remind you of imagery you’ve seen before? What might the imagery reveal about racial, cultural, or relational considerations in the text? What might it reveal about the characters we are about to meet?
Reflect on the title, how the title is positioned on the cover, and the font that is used. What do these elements communicate to you? What are some of your own associations with the words in the title? Where do these associations come from (consider your cultural perspective, lived experiences, etc.)?
Consider the Coretta Scott King award seal. What does the choice to include this on the cover reveal about this book, power structures in the publishing industry, etc.?
Choose one other paratextual element and create your own reflection question for the class.

Collaborative Engagement Digital Wall

Critical Intercultural Inquiry

Critical Lenses

Suggested critical lenses for facilitating critical intercultural inquiry into The Stars and The Blackness Between Them include the race lens, psychological lens, gender lens, culture and/or ethnicity lens, sexuality lens, and diaspora lens. The questions listed under each lens can be used as a starting point, and the class community can add more specificity to these questions based on the novel and inquiry process.

Reflection Prompts

Below are possible critical intercultural inquiry reflection prompts for The Stars and The Blackness Between Them. These could be used to guide/focus readings, class discussions, or smashbook entries.

What are the cultures (and subcultures) in the novel? Which characters belong to these cultural groups? How do these cultural affiliations inform the characters’ identities?
How does your cultural lens impact your reading of this text? Do you see your culture(s) (or elements of your cultures) reflected in the novel? What more do you need to know to understand the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of the characters?
Consider the dialects used in the narrative. What do they reveal about cultural ways of communicating and knowing? How does dialect relate to power structures in the novel?
How is sexuality expressed in the narrative? How does this relate to (dominant) cultural norms and power structures?
How and where are power dynamics revealed in the novel (think about grandparent/parent/child and peer-to-peer relationships, the criminal justice system, spiritual powers, etc.)? How do these power dynamics relate to race, ethnicity, or culture?
What are some elements related to culture and/or power in the novel that you would like to explore? Create a reflection question and pose it to the class.

Empowered Multimodal Scholarship

Transmediation Prompts

Transmediation prompts for student-led discussions on The Stars and The Blackness Between Them could include:

Locate a text/object that reminds you of one of the characters in The Stars and The Blackness Between Them. What is it about this text/object that connects to this particular character for you? How might identity and culture come into play here?
Locate a text/object that connects to one of the overarching themes of the book. What is the theme and how does the text/object connect to it? How does this theme relate to how culture and/or power is expressed in the novel?
Locate a text/object that connects to a specific passage in the book. Which passage did you choose and how does the text/object connect to it? How does this passage relate to culture and/or power?
The Stars and The Blackness Between Them deals with multiple layers of relationships (familial, romantic, spiritual, etc.) How might you visually express one or more of these relationships through a collection of texts/objects? How are these relationships impacted or informed by power dynamics? How do these texts/objects enter into conversation with one another and the novel?
Design your own transmediation prompt on some aspect of The Stars and The Blackness Between Them and suggest it to the class.

Multimodal Projects

The following prompts could be used to guide student inquiry and shape longer multimodal projects. In addition to (or instead of) the instructor providing prompts, students can develop their own prompts with support from the instructor.

Consider the relational and power dynamics between (grand)parents and their children in the novel. How do these dynamics connect with concepts such as culture, diaspora, gender, and sexuality?
Consider the narrative structure of the novel (the integration of poetry, chapters organized by character/voice, the use of flashbacks, the integration of other pieces of literature, etc.). How does this multimodal approach to narrative function? What impact does it have on the reader? How might we consider the author’s choices in the context of “norms” and power dynamics within the U.S. publishing industry?
How is sexuality portrayed in the novel? How is sexuality informed or complicated by cultural elements? How is consent portrayed? What is the connection between sexuality and power in the novel? Are the representations of sexuality in the novel empowering?
Consider the themes of cosmology, Blackness, and liberation (specifically the storyline surrounding Afua). How does this thematic intersection relate to the work of other Black writers?
Consider the imagery and psychological function of dreams and spirituality throughout the novel (and the role of Queenie, specifically). In what ways are these dreams and spiritual encounters culturally informed? How do dreams and spirituality relate to or inform power dynamics throughout the novel?