Press & Publication

Press & Publications

OCTOBER 2023 Article on two major events that I organized to honor the life of John Gary Williams, Minister of Defense for the Invaders and founder and lead singer of Stax recording artists, The Mad Lads. I curated the first ever exhibition on the Invaders for the Stax Museum that included an original jacket, Minister Yahweh’s Ankh pendant, and other ephemera. I also organized a screening of the Invaders documentary recently released by Mass Appeal at The Crosstown Theater in Memphis, TN. The entire house was packed. The following evening, I organized an exhibit opening and a reunion concert of remaining members of The Mad Lads with John Gary Williams’ brother, Richard, as lead. This was the most attended event at the museum in my two years and what I would consider a wild success.

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SPRING 2023 Interview with the editor of The Manuscript Society journal, which only comes in print. “Collecting Conversations: An Interview with Leila Hamdan, the Collections Manager and Archivist at the Stax Museum of American Soul,” reviews several projects that I lead including the planning and cataloging of the Bob Abrahamian Collection and the Bettye Crutcher Collection of handwritten songs and lyrics. It also touches on my work with the Metal Museum, Penland School of Craft, and the importance of good mentorship. Link is to the society’s website.

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