Popular Romance Fiction: The Literature of Hope Conference photos and video

  • Black historical romance exhibition, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Beinecke pop-up exhibition on Black historical romance
  • Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Popular Romance Fiction conference
  • Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, Alyssa Cole.Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Panel 2
  • Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, Alyssa Cole.Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, Alyssa Cole
  • Panel 2: Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, and Alyssa Cole at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Beverly Jenkins addresses panel
  • Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, and Alyssa Cole at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Panel 2: Kecia Ali, Adriana Herrera, Kimuli Kasara, Nicole Jackson, Mira Debs, Alyssa Cole
  • Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Beverly Jenkins
  • Keynote: Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, and Karen Grigsby Bates at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote
  • Keynote: Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, and Karen Grigsby Bates at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote
  • Keynote: Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, and Karen Grigsby Bates at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote
  • Keynote: Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, and Karen Grigsby Bates at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote speakers Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, Karen Grigsby Bates
  • Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Popular Romance Fiction conference
  • Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Popular Romance Fiction conference
  • Panel 1: Beverly Jenkins, Mary Bly/Eloisa James, Laurie Kahn, and Jayashree Kamble at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Panel 1: Beverly Jenkins, Mary Bly/Eloisa James, Laurie Kahn, Jayashree Kamble
  • Leah Koch and Bea Koch at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Panel 1: Leah Koch and Bea Koch
  • Jayashree Kamble, Bea Koch, Leah Koch, and Monique Patterson at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Jayashree Kamble, Bea Koch, Leah Koch, Monique Patterson
  • IfeMichelle Gardin, founder of Elm City LIT Fest and KULTURALLYLIT and Naomi Jones, member of KULTURALLYLIT team, at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    IfeMichelle Gardin and Naomi Jones
  • Erica Edwards, Iman AbdoulKarim, Rebecca Potts, Lacey Jones, Lisa Beyeler-Yvarra, Jeania Ree Moore, Kathryn Lofton, at Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Erica Edwards, Iman AbdoulKarim, Rebecca Potts, Lacey Jones, Lisa Beyeler-Yvarra, Jeania Ree Moore, Kathryn Lofton
  • Keynote speaker Beverly Jenkins, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote speaker Beverly Jenkins
  • Keynote speaker Roxane Gay, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote speaker Roxane Gay
  • Conference attendees, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Conference attendees
  • Conference attendees, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Conference attendees
  • Nicole Jackson, Margo Hendricks, and Julie Moody-Freeman, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Nicole Jackson, Margo Hendricks, Julie Moody-Freeman
  • Conference attendees, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Conference attendees
  • Keynote speakers Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, Karen Grigsby Bates, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Keynote speakers Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, Karen Grigsby Bates
  • Panel 3: Carole Bell, Jen Prokop, Sarah MacLean, Julie Moody-Freeman, Kinohi Nishikawa, Jeania Ree Moore, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Panel 3: Carole Bell, Jen Prokop, Sarah MacLean, Julie Moody-Freeman, Kinohi Nishikawa, Jeania Ree Moore
  • Black historical romance exhibition, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Beinecke pop-up exhibition on Black historical romance
  • Black historical romance exhibition, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Beinecke pop-up exhibition on Black historical romance
  • Black historical romance exhibition, Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Beinecke pop-up exhibition on Black historical romance
  • Jen Prokop, Lacey Jones, Kathy Chow, Rebecca Potts, Sarah MacLean, Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University
    Jen Prokop, Lacey Jones, Kathy Chow, Rebecca Potts, Sarah MacLean
  • Ryan Lindsey Arrendell, Carole Bell, Rebekah Fraser, Adriana Herrera, Krystal Marquis, Margo Hendricks, at Elm City LIT Fest, Dixwell Q House, with Popular Romance Fiction: the Literature of Hope conference, September 8-9, 2023, Yale University.
    Panel 4 at Elm City LITFest: Ryan Lindsey Arrendell, Carole Bell, Rebekah Fraser, Adriana Herrera, Krystal Marquis, Margo Hendricks
September 8, 2023

Watch conference recordings below or on YouTube and see conference photos at following links:

Album 1: September 8 photos

Album 2: September 9 photos 

Album 3: More photos (both days)

Photography by Harold Shapiro and by Melisine. Please note Panel 4, which took place at the Elm City LITFest, was unrecorded, though photos can be found in Album 3.

September 8: Sermon at Yale Divinity School on Song of Songs 1:5-7 and Indigo (Beverly Jenkins) - by Jeania Ree Moore (YC’12, GSAS ‘26)


September 8: Welcome and Panel 1 - Lisa Beyeler-Yvarra (GSAS ‘26) and Laurie Kahn, Beverly Jenkins, Eloisa James/Dr. Mary Bly (GSAS ‘95PhD), Leah Koch, Bea Koch (YC’12), and Monique Patterson moderated by Dr. Jayashree Kamble


September 9: Panels 2 and 3. PANEL 2: Dr. Kecia Ali, Alyssa Cole, Adriana Herrera, Dr. Nicole Jackson, and Dr. Kimuli Kasara moderated by Dr. Mira Debs (GSAS ‘17PhD). PANEL 3: Dr. Carole Bell, Sarah MacLean, Dr. Julie Moody-Freeman, Dr. Kinohi Nishikawa, and Jen Prokop moderated by Jeania Ree Moore 


September 9: Keynote - Roxane Gay and Beverly Jenkins moderated by Karen Grigsby Bates