Marilou Craft & Chloé Savoie-Bernard

The coming together of the voices of Marilou Craft and Chloé Savoie-Bernard is radical in itself. They work in a rather homogeneous environment where their complex identities deviate from the norm. There is a usually indirect but often explicit pressure imposed upon them to conform in order to avoid further marginalization, exclusion from opportunities, or downright death. They are told that there is only room for one of them, are seen as being mutually exclusive or placed in direct competition. Thus, collaboration is not only an act of resistance, but also of solidarity. Their shared performative approach reveals the prismatic nature of their experiences, allowing them to reveal the subtleties of their experience and to dig into what differentiates them. The performance of their literary practice gives life to work that is usually invisible, while affirming their presences as distinct black women. Together, they communicate to their communities in general, but especially to people who look like them, that they are present, legitimate, and that their anger is not only valid, but also fertile.