The Deepkeepers Trilogy: Book I
An historical fantasy trilogy, The Deepkeepers follows several generations of the descendants of an enslaved African couple on their intergalactic journey to find each other across space and time.
Book I: When her initiation into an all-Black artists’ guild takes her into the depths of a southern town’s mystic forest, sculptor Clementa Cheshire is forced to decide between facing the ghosts of her own past or feeling forever.
STATUS: DRAFT 2 WORK-IN-PROGRESS (UNPUBLISHED)
Charlotte Center of Literary Arts
2019 Authors Lab Cohort MemberBook I, Draft I Completed
(~50K Words)Historical Influence
Book I is largely inspired by The Port Royal Experiment, which took place along the South Carolina Sea Islands during pre-Reconstruction (1862 - 1865). This odd interim between the Civil War and Reconstruction is ripe for speculation. Book I places a critical magnifying glass over the “good” intentions of Northern white abolitionists and centers the innermost desires of the freed Black people they claimed to help.
Who better to question these “good” intentions and kickstart the cross-generational journey across the trilogy’s multiverse than a group of Black artists (h/t Alain Locke)? Through speculation and fantasy, I leverage a range of historical influences, including: The Great Dismal Swamp, Maroons, Port Royal and Black Wall Streets.
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Spotify Playlist
soundtrack.Deepkeepers: 70+ songs. ~5 hours of sonic inspiration and motivation, including spoken word, hip hop and gospel.
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Instagram @foxxwork
Behind-the-scenes insights, explorations and developments for The Deepkeepers and other creative projects.
Excerpt from Chapter: “The History of Nimblewood”