Black Literary Influence in Chaos and Magic: Exploring Names and Traditions

The Black literary canon is vast. From the early writings of Harriet Jacobs, Phillis Wheatley, and Charles Chestnutt to contemporary works by Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, our literary tradition has spanned generations. As a student of the Black literary tradition, there is a space for many influences within my writing. However, this influence shows up in different ways and at various times. 

One of those ways is in my character Elwin’s surname. Elwin Hughston is Zola Reaux’s second love interest, and his surname is a portmanteau of Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. I have been a student and a fan of Hurston’s and Hughes’ work for some time, so I wanted to give a nod to them in this fourth book of mine. Also, naming was essential to telling the story, so almost everyone’s name has a deeper meaning. 

For example, Zola is a Zulu word for peace, and she embodies that throughout the story. Really, she represents the peace I sought in telling this story. When I started this journey in 2017, I was experiencing PTSD, and I wanted an outlet for my trauma. In my poetry, I wrote, “In the midst of something tragic, I conjured some Chaos and Magic.” This was important for me to write because it explained what I was doing with this book.

However, peace was not the only goal of mine. Ambitiously, I sought to make a Game of Thrones-esque fantasy that uplifted Black people. I wanted to talk about Black history without only focusing on slavery. In wanting to be honest, though, I incorporated elements of slave narratives. For this book, which highlights women, I decided to make naming a form of liberation from their captors. Just as formerly enslaved people took up the name Freeman, I wanted the women of Oculus to do the same.

In the story, Zola has a situationship with Danasia “Dada” Freewoman, a renegade. By declaring renegade, Dada subverts her second-class status. She is not the only “Freewoman” in the book, either. Another “Freewoman” is Kela, the first daughter of  Oculus’ tyrannical ruler King Jonathan Vulgari. When Kela refused to marry the leader of the Kingsguard, Jon ran her off to Kubu, a liberated city within Oculus. Upon arriving in Kubu, Kela took up the name Freewoman.

Names weren’t the only ways I called back to Black writers and Black traditions. Although Chaos and Magic is set in a faraway time, I took elements of current events and incorporated them. Like my forebear James Baldwin, I wanted the spirit of revolution to exist within my story. His works Go Tell It On The Mountain and If Beale Street Could Talk come to mind as I witness the war on Gaza, which has now escalated into a humanitarian crisis.

In my story, King Jon begins enacting terror upon Serenity and Kubu in a similar manner to what is happening to Palestine. I included this to spread awareness. As Nina Simone said, it is an artist’s job to reflect the times. However, this was not the only current event that caught my attention. I also incorporated a medieval abortion in protest of abortion rights being taken away in several states. 

At its core, Chaos and Magic is a politically charged narrative. From the presence of “fem-pires” to the focus on LGBTQIA+ identities, I have studied my literary forebears to bring to life a new world: Oculus. In a few days, you will be able to enter the world of Oculus, and I can’t wait to see your reactions.