I was born.
I live.
I am animal. I am human.
I live negro.
I tell you this because you will mistake me for an africanamerican BUT i am negro, a descendant of the enslaved peoples of theseunitedstatesofamerica.
I live southern.
I was born colored in Louisiana. I was raised negro. I was educated Black at Grambling College, a historically integrated college.
I live in the moment. In the moment is creation. Creation is within every human. We must celebrate our creativity. The moment fuels our creativity.
I live to put ink on paper.
This is the major outlet for my creativity. I put ink on paper for the glory of my peoples. The words of my peoples have largely been excluded from "fine print." I defy this condition and force my peoples' presence into this part of this civilization's culture.
I will die.
I am a printer.
I am not an artist.
I am a stuff-maker.
I am not an artist. I am a visitor.

Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr. is a letterpress printer based in Detroit, MI, and the 2024 Southern Graphics International Lifetime Achievement Award honoree. He asked that his exhibition for the award not be shown in a gallery or museum, but a place more accessible for members of the public, particularly those not normally welcome or made to feel welcome in the art world system. For this project, Words from the Library, he asked Providence library patrons and staff to share their thoughts and reflections on the role of the public library in their lives and in society, and then handset those quotes in wood and metal type, printing them letterpress in black ink over the multi-layered colored prints you see here. The prints from the collaboration were then hung throughout the downtown Providence Public Library, the Community Libraries of Providence branches, and at the Dirt Palace window. As the prints come down, they will be used as both a fund-raising tool for the libraries, and as free prints for patrons of the various libraries. The Window installation was conceived of by Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr,, Dan Wood, Jessie Fan, and Shannon Carattini-Hatcher, and and installed by Jessie Fan, and Shannon Carattini-Hatcher.