American playwright, actor, and philanthropist Jeremy O. Harris met with a group of English creative writing students in conjunction with his visit to Duke University, sponsored by Duke Arts, to screen Zola his co-writing film debut. Due to travel delays, Harris' workshop had to be rescheduled from Friday to Saturday morning, yet 20 students eagerly participated. The opportunity to have Harris visit Duke came about as part of Duke Arts' efforts to host more literary arts events. Duke English Professor Mesha Maren suggested inviting Harris, recently profiled in the New Yorker, as a guest. She initially met him during her fellowship at the McDowell Colony in 2015.
“The events went spectacularly well. The students were very engaged and enthusiastic during the Saturday morning session. Seeing the Duke and Durham community at the screening and Q&A that afternoon was wonderful. Professor Jarvis McInnis, Duke English, was an incredible conversation partner with Jeremy O. Harris, and their question-and-answer session was intellectually rigorous and illuminating” - Professor Maren
Students who attended the workshop shared their thoughts on having this opportunity as part of their learning experience:
“Jeremy was dressed to the nines, offering astute analysis of Samuel Beckett, then miming scenes from "Emily in Paris" — all for an audience of (20) undergrads sitting at a table in WU (West Union) at 11 a.m. on a Saturday. What I took away most was that there is no stage too small that I need not sacrifice my humor or naïveté, even when trying to be at my most scholarly.” - Maddie Rubin, '24, English and Risk, Data and Financial Engineering
“I thought Jeremy O. Harris was an incredibly accessible individual, so much so that it looped back around to being intimidating. He made a point to introduce himself to each of us individually, and when we asked questions, he requested that we share our Zodiac signs first. This unusual (at least in my experience) ice-breaker created a more relaxed environment than a traditional Q&A. Jeremy asserted his authority by forgoing those academic norms and encouraging the rest of us to meet him at that level. If I didn't have to leave early, I'm certain he would've completely flipped my expectations of a Q&A with a Broadway playwright. For the short time I was there, it felt like picking the brain of a knowledgeable new friend.” Tess Redman, '24, Psychology
“(Jeremy) O. Harris did an excellent job of balancing advice and acknowledgment that everyone's path is different. He was very willing to share personal anecdotes but also ensured to share stories about people he had worked with who had different experiences.” - Abby Cortez, '25, Biology
"It was so incredible to be able to hear about (Jeremy) O. Harris' writing process, thoughts on the development of the landscape as a whole and hear the nuanced differences between writing for the stage and the screen. I also attended the Zola screening afterward, which was just fantastic." - Kaya Caouki, '24, VMS, Cinematic Arts, and Political Science
That afternoon following the workshop, the Duke community and others had the opportunity to attend a screening of Zola, followed by a Q&A discussion moderated by Duke English Professor Jarvis McInnis:
"It was delightful and inspiring to hear Harris reflect on his journey as a black southern queer writer from this very region and his meteoric rise to stardom on Broadway and now the film and television industries. Harris's commentary on the behind-the-scenes work of adapting a 148-tweet Twitter thread into a film script was at once hilarious, sobering, and illuminating about the politics and ethics of bringing a black woman sex worker's story to the big screen. Harris and his co-writer, Janicza Bravo, faced no shortage of racism and sexism in their efforts to ensure that Aziah "Zola" King, the author of the Twitter thread that inspired Zola, was appropriately acknowledged and credited as an executive producer on the film. We also had a thoughtful discussion on the uses of humor for telling an otherwise dark and terrifying story about sex-trafficking and misogynoir. I was excited to see that both Duke students and local artists attended the event, and hope Harris' work will inspire them to see that they, too, can use their art to tell stories that are at once hard and uncomfortable, dynamic and diverse, and politically urgent and necessary." - Professor McInnis