Kendra Allen is the author of essay collection "When You Learn The Alphabet" and winner of the 2018 Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction for University of Iowa Press. She was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Alabama. Her work has been published in Brevity, December Magazine, and the Rumpus.
Kendra Allen’s first collection of essays—at its core—is a bunch of mad stories about things she never learned to let go of. Unifying personal narrative and cultural commentary, this collection grapples with the lessons that have been stored between parent and daughter. These parental relationships expose the conditioning that subconsciously informed her ideas on social issues such as colorism, feminism, war-induced PTSD, homophobia, marriage, and “the n-word,” among other things. These dynamics strive for some semblance of accountability, and the essays within this collection are used as displays of deep unlearning and restoring—balancing trauma and humor, poetics and reality, forgiveness and resentment. "When You Learn the Alphabet" allots space for large moments of tenderness and empathy for all black bodies—but especially all black woman bodies—space for the underrepresented humanity and uncared for pain of black girls, and space to have the opportunity to be listened to in order to evolve past it.
Borrow the book from PGCMLS: print
Purchase the book from Loyalty Bookstores
Co-presented with the Prince George's County Human Relations Commission, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and Loyalty Bookstores. Presented in association with Caroline County Public Library, Carroll County Public Library, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Howard County Library System, Kent County Public Library, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, and Worcester County Library.
Mon, Apr 29 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Tue, Apr 30 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Wed, May 01 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Thu, May 02 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Fri, May 03 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Sat, May 04 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Sun, May 05 | Closed |
Mon, Apr 29 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Tue, Apr 30 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Wed, May 01 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Thu, May 02 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Fri, May 03 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Sat, May 04 | 9:00AM to 5:30PM |
Sun, May 05 | Closed |
Administrative Office
Prince George's County Memorial Library System
9601 Capital Lane, Largo, MD 20774
Tel: (301) 699-3500
TTY: Dial 7-1-1 to place a call through Maryland Relay
Administrative Office Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm
About Us
We build relationships that support discovery by providing equal access to opportunities and experiences.
Online Library
Your library card gives you instant access to our collection of research databases, audiobooks, eBooks, videos and music.
CONTACT US | HOURS AND LOCATIONS | EMPLOYMENT | CATALOG | PROCUREMENT | ACCOUNT | SITE MAP | NEWS