Soft Targets
Free Library of Philadelphia, Pa.
Innovation Synopsis
The Free Library, Metropolarity, and APIARY Magazine designed a day of workshops and readings centered on queer people of color. The goal was to drive inspiration for a sci-fi issue of APIARY exploring vulnerability and violence. This event was the capstone of our local iteration of the national Genius Festival.
Challenge/Opportunity
Philadelphia is home to a talented circle of queer science fiction writers of color. When APIARY Magazine offered a guest editorship to Metropolarity, it was the perfect opportunity to create a public space for them as public intellectuals to act as leaders in Philadelphia’s science fiction writers’ community.
Key Elements of Innovation
The program began with intensive one-on-one coaching between writers and the staff of APIARY Magazine in our radically public Grand Lobby. Writers then moved on to a panel workshop with Metropolarity in a more intimate conference room. The event came to its crescendo with a public reading in our auditorium.
Achieved Outcomes
Not only did we place the talent and expertise of Metropolarity and the center of our institutional celebration of genius, but we also centered the library as an institution of value to the creators of new content. In total over 150 patrons attended the events.