Interested in learning more about the world and history? Suffolk Reads meets every month to discuss a new theme that explores the cultures and backgrounds of people in our communities.

For Pride Month, join us for a special Q&A with the author and book discussion of Shawnon Corprew's Where the Color Purple Grows: The Intersection of Loving and Fearing Black (Queer) Bodies!

Registration is required to reserve your copy of the book. No registration required to attend in-person. Registration required to attend virtually. Registered participants will provide their email address to receive a link to the Zoom meeting at least 15 minutes before the program begins.

About the Book

Where the Color Purple Grows: Collection I is about the love, positivity, and strength of a queer black woman. It expresses the stages of coming out, the euphoria of new and lasting love, and the birth of a voice no longer residing in the shadows. Collection I is a testament of overcoming.

About the Author

Shawnon Corprew is the proofreading manager for GBD Creative for Anthem, Inc and the owner of Healing Prose, where she specializes in editing children's books, creative nonfiction, fiction, and resumes. She is also very involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy as an active member of Anthem's LGBTQ+ employee resource group, PRIDE, and volunteers for a local nonprofit. A graduate of Hampton University, she was featured in the collective work The Left Side Poet’s Present: Strange Fruit, which won the National Underground Spokenword Poetry Award in 2012. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband.