A Conversation with Theresa Okokon

Theresa Okokon is the author of a debut memoir Who I Always Was, which is about memory, family stories, and the death of her father. Her essays have appeared in midnight & indigo, ELLE, the Independent, WBUR's Cognoscenti, and Boston.com. She is the co-host of Stories from the Stage and is a Wisconsinite living in New England.

In response to the theme A/I: Artistic Intelligence & Artificial Intelligence, Okokon says: “I am currently reading Do You Remember Being Born? by Sean Michaels and listening to 'The Shell Game' podcast — both of which explore openly inviting AI into our modern lives. I'm not saying I am ready to do that, but I do want to hear stories about people and characters willingly taking the plunge. In 'The Shell Game,' host Evan Ratliff shared a 1924 NYT article about a store owner who was resistant to installing a telephone in their shop, but their eloquent monologue about why is eventually drowned out by the sound of a radio blaring across the street — in someone else's shop. The moment has really stuck with me, and for now, feels emblematic of how I feel about AI.”

This program is brought to you by Artswego and the Department of English and Creative Writing.