At Smith College
Milestones and Momentum: The Meridians Project at Twenty-Five Symposium
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, Meridians hosted a two-day symposium at Smith College where we invited members of the Meridians community, whether they be contributors, peer reviewers, board members, and/or editors, to celebrate the past and imagine the future of transnational feminist scholarship. Our program started off on Friday night with a keynote conversation between former Smith College President Ruth Simmons, current Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton, former Meridians editor Paula J. Giddings, and current Meridians editor Ginetta E. B. Candelario ’90 with former Meridians Editorial Advisory Board member and current Smith College Provost Daphne Lamothe moderating. The conversation was recorded and is now on our YouTube channel.
Following our opening dinner, Saturday was filled with eye-opening discussions between a wide variety of Meridians contributors. To watch any of the panels on our YouTube channel, click on the corresponding image.
Panel 1: Transnational
Feminist Solidarity
Panel 2: Body Politic (S)
Panel 3: Representation
Panel 4: Literary studies
We also had the honor of watching a Dabke dance troupe, Malikat Al Dabke (Queens of Dabke) during our lunch. You can watch their performance here.
For more information about this symposium and the panelists, please look through the event’s program.
African Feminist Publishing and Praxis Panel
In collaboration with Feminist Africa, Meridians hosted a panel on African Feminist Publishing and Praxis in the Smith College Alumnae House. This well-attended event gave attendees a better understanding of global scholarship.
Following the event, there was also a workshop between the editorial boards of the two journals where they learned from each other’s editorial practices.
Danielle Bradley’s Reading and Residency
During the week of 9/22-9/26, the 2025 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award Winner for Prose –Danielle Bradley had her weeklong residency at Smith College. On the Wednesday of her residency Bradley shared her short story titled “Preserves.” “Preserves” is published in Volume 24, No. 2.
Celebrating Collaborations 2025
On April 25, 2025, the Meridians intern team presented about the Meridians Project at Smith College’s annual Celebrating Collaborations event.
Winniebell Xinyu Zong’s Reading and Residency
During the week of 4/20-4/25, 2025, the 2024 Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award Winner for Poetry — Winniebell Xinyu Zong had their week-long residency at Smith College. On Thursday of the reading, three incredible poems were performed, including “3.13.22 | Translations of Ba’s Recipe for COVID Prevention” (published in our Vol. 24, No. 1), as well as an engaging piece of her prose from their novel script was read. On Friday, Winniebell had lunch together with the Meridians team members, professors, and students from the East Asian Language and Culture Studies.
Residency & Reading with Maryam Ala Amjadi
Meridians Editor Ginetta E.B. Candelario ’90 in conversation with Maryam Ala Amjadi
Maryam Ala Amjadi at October 23 reading in Smith’s Boutelle-Day Poetry Center
From October 21–25, Meridians hosted Maryam Ala Amjadi, Iranian poet, writer, and 2024 EACWA Winner for Prose, for a dynamic week-long residency. On October 23, she offered a public reading of her award-winning story, “The Ice Seller of Hell” (published in our fall 2024 issue, “Counterpoints”), as well as several poems from her recent book, Where Is the Mouth of That Word?. After the reading, Ala Amjadi signed copies of her book, now available for purchase through Meridians.
“Trans Indigenous/Trans Hemispheric Intimacies” – A Lecture by Guest Editor Basuli Deb
In celebration of Meridians spring 2024 issue “Indigenous Feminisms Across the World,” guest editor Dr. Basuli Deb came to Smith on April 15, 2024 to deliver a talk about her work entitled, “Trans-Indigenous/Trans-Hemispheric Intimacies: Standing Rock Water Protectors & Natal Forest Keepers.”
“Up Home” – A Conversation with Smith President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons
On March 4, 2024, Meridians had the pleasure of hosting Smith President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons for a visit to campus to discuss her new memoir, Up Home: One Girl’s Journey. President Emerita Simmons played a central role in founding Meridians at Smith to showcase the scholarship, ideas, activism, and voices of women of color across the globe. Her acclaimed memoir describes how this daughter of sharecroppers became the first Black president of Smith and subsequently the first Black president of an Ivy League university.
Cromwell Day Reading and Workshop with Yalie Saweda Kamara
On Thursday, November 2, 2023, Meridians hosted a special Cromwell Day reading and workshop with visiting poet, Dr. Yalie Saweda Kamara, 2023 Winner of the Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award for Poetry. During this event, Kamara read her award-winning poem, “American Beech,” as well as other selections from her past and forthcoming work. Following the reading, participants were guided through a collective poem writing exercise.
Meridians at Smith College Family Weekend 2023
Meridians Open House Celebration – September 2023
On September 14, 2023, we held an Open House Celebration to celebrate our new offices at 22 Green Street. Smith College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton as well as Meridians Editor Emerita and author Paula J. Giddings joined us in celebrating our new space.
Meridians at First-Year Orientation
Meridians Editorial Office Manager Ally Einbinder ’10, Editorial Assistant Eliana Mercedes, and Quigley Fellowship Intern Saturn Johnson ’25 got the chance to meet many new Smithies at the Resource Fair on Seelye Lawn on September 6, 2023.
Cece Roth Eagle ’23 “Month of Wind/Mes del viento” Reading – April 2023
On April 19, Meridians hosted an author reading for graduating senior Cece Roth-Eagle ‘23, Prose Winner of the Elizabeth Alexander Creative Writing Award for Prose. Cece read segments from her award-winning creative nonfiction essay, “Month of Wind/Mes del viento: The Mapuche lof Kinxikew Through the Perspective of Their First Female Longko,” which is published in Volume 23, No. 1.
“When and Where I Enter: Celebrating Legacies and Envisioning Futures” Symposium – October 2016
President Emerita Ruth J. Simmons,
President Kathleen McCartney,
Paula J. Giddings
(Professor, Spelman College)
holding a copy of Giddings’s
When and Where I Enter
On October 14, 2016, Meridians hosted an event celebrating the journal thus far. We were joined by Ruth Simmons, Paula J. Giddings, and now editor Ginetta Candelario ’90 along with various other contributors for a day of engaging discussion around Paula J. Giddings’ book When and Where I Enter and related texts.