Inside the Core: Prof. Mildred Antenor Discusses Her Book

We are excited to host Prof. Mildred Antenor, faculty member in the English Department and in the Core, on Wednesday, March 13 from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. in the Core Center (Mooney 339). Prof. Mildred will be giving a talk about her book, The Gladioli Are Invisible: A Memoir. In the description of the book, we are given an explanation of the title and an overview of the narrative:

Gladioli represent honor, respect, strength of character, remembrance, and perseverance—a poignant means by which to illustrate the Caribbean immigrant experience of the twentieth century. The Gladioli are Invisible brings a once-unseen population into view, thoughtfully exploring the everyday lives of three generations….

Masterfully told with exquisite attention to detail and skillfully layered with the many complexities of relationships, this insightful memoir is a history of family and community collected over the years through conversations with relatives, neighbors, and teachers. It weaves a rich tapestry of adversity, drug abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, domestic violence, and in some cases, redemption, and success. From Port–Au-Prince to Park Slope, Brooklyn, Antenor shows how this immigrant community has coped with the past, dealt with the present, and hopes to sustain a future amidst the concerns of maintaining themselves and their traditions.

This book has received wonderful reviews, as can be seen on Amazon. Just two quotes will give a sense of them. Says one reader:

I loved this book for several reasons, but the top three are: the sophistication and eloquence of the narrative's flow; the way it was structured (she's basically telling you her life story through the experiences of important people she's met in her life, some heartbreaking, some motivating); and most essentially, the way she tells each story through the theme of invisibility amongst immigrants and the poor. I also liked that she gave a little bit of historical context at certain parts without overdoing it. In this way, she creates a bird's eye view to the problems that directly and indirectly affect society, while also zooming in to the way xenophobia, inequality, and misogyny impact every single one of the people she meets, including herself, since she was a child. The way she's able to blend all of these themes together is impeccable.

And another reader goes on to say:

This book comes along at an important time in America, when we need to remember that our immigrant brothers and sisters have full-blown lives of love, passion, and struggle--that they have a story to tell, but so often have no voice. We are lucky to have authors like Mildred Antenor who make the invisible "gladioli" visible.

In The Gladioli are Invisible, Antenor gives voice to the Haitian immigrants of her Brooklyn neighborhood, beginning with a stunning vignette of her grandmother, Mama Lucy, as she makes her way from Haiti to the United States. Each section of the book reads like a loving eulogy of those neighbors who became family to Antenor. Yet Antenor does not romanticize them: as she shares their grief and their downfalls, we cannot help but feel for Antenor as a little girl, then a young woman as she observes daily life on her block. Their journey is her journey, one told with truth and heart.

We will be in for a treat as Prof. Antenor discusses this deeply relevant and important memoir.

Mildred Antenor is an author, social commentator, and educator. She has written and developed stories for publications such as The New York Times, Black Enterprise Magazine, New York Newsday, and The Village Voice. A contributor to radio and television news, she talks about topics such as redefining female beauty standards from a cross cultural point of view and how young girls need emotionally present fathers to help nurture their development.

Passionate about women’s matters, Antenor has appeared on: PBS, "The O’Reilly Factor, Fox 5’s "Good Day Street Talk, WPIX-NY channel 11. She is a regular commentator on The WBGO Journal on 88.3 FM radio where her commentaries focus on women’s and social matters.

A graduate of St. John’s University’s St. Vincent’s College renamed the Leslie H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, she holds a master’s in liberal studies from Rutgers University.

Mildred Antenor has been teaching in the English Department at Seton Hall for twenty years and most recently also in the University Core, where we are very happy to welcome her as a faculty member. We look forward to her upcoming talk, where she will share more intimately about her memoir. The talk will be in person, with light refreshments served, and there is also a TEAMS link.

Please join us!

Categories: Arts and Culture