About Marlas Yvonne Whitley

I am currently a PhD student in English and American Literature at New York University. I study early global literatures, intellectual movements and theories of rhetoric, color theory and affect in relation to my work. I'm producing scholarship on color theory and Black feminism, and also have writing putting Black feminism in conversation with American Transcendentalism. My creative work encompasses poetry, fiction and cultural criticism--I'm currently cooking in the kitchen with a few pieces.

NBN Episodes hosted by Marlas:

Therí Alyce Pickens, "What Had Happened Was" (Duke UP, 2025)

July 31, 2025

What Had Happened Was

Therí Alyce Pickens

In her debut poetry collection, What Had Happened Was, Therí Alyce Pickens investigates the complex structures of Black storytelling. Addressing topic…