Possible Futures hosted an author panel and book signing featuring Black women authors to celebrate Black Children’s Book Week in collaboration with the New Haven Club of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. The panelists were authors Patricia Bellamy-Mathis, Tangular Irby, Charisse McCotter and Rashia Schand. The women reflected on the importance of representation in children’s books, the logistical challenges of publishing and their personal experiences as Black women writers.

“We can’t just always be in mourning. Black people deserve more joy. Our children deserve more joy,” Bellamy-Mathis said. “If we can mourn collectively, we can also experience joy collectively … We are taking action by publishing books … When [children] see themselves represented in children’s books, it positively affects their self-esteem, and that helps protect them from the impact of racism.” 

For Bellamy-Mathis — the founder of Aspenne’s Library, LLC, a children’s book publishing agency based in Newington, CT — representation in children’s books is about uplifting a new generation. From drafting stories on her phone in the middle of the night to searching for illustrators skilled in Black characters, Bellamy-Mathis’ mission from start to finish is creating a space to tell positive stories of the Black experience amidst grief and struggle. 

“I want to give us access to a space to share our stories that are true to us. We see so many stories in the news of all the negative things that are happening, but we’re living positive lives,” she said.

Panelist Irby has worked as an educator in Connecticut for over 25 years and discovered her voice as a writer during her tenure as a second-grade teacher. Like Bellamy-Mathis, Irby views writing children’s books as a way of passing the torch of the Black legacy to the next generation.

“There was something in me that wouldn’t let me not tell this story,” Irby said.

Irby’s indomitable drive to preserve the Black legacy stems from her personal connection to these histories. She shares that her great-grandmother was a slave on the last slave ship that came to the United States, and her grandmother marched for voting rights.

“I’m still grappling and dealing with what am I supposed to do with all this information, but it definitely has an impact on where I feel I am right now and how I need to present myself moving forward. That’s my story,” Irby said. 

Searching for a way to continue these conversations about her lineage after her mother’s passing, Irby wrote and published “Preserving the Legacy: A Black Woman’s Ancestry Journal to Faithfully Guide the Next Generation” last February.

“A lot of this started from me wanting to document and have a way to connect with my mother, now that she’s gone,” she said. “I still have so many questions.” 

A similar familial importance grounds McCotter’s works. After experiencing the emotional toll of the pandemic first-hand through the loss of her friend, McCotter hoped to create a space for children to process their own emotions through troubling times.

Her children’s book about COVID-19 is structured as a conversation between her two sons about navigating safety and communicating their feelings during the pandemic. Her sons are credited as authors. 

“COVID was a touchy situation. And I know for me and my children — I lost my best friend to COVID — we had to really work through it,”  McCotter said. 

Specializing in children’s books about financial literacy, panelist Rashia Schand is committed to educating Black youth on how to have a successful financial future.

“I’m the one in my family that’s breaking generational curses, and being a pioneer in the financial world. And it wasn’t easy,” Schand said. “I don’t want another young person to have to navigate this world blind the way I did, so I want to help prepare the next generation.”

Together, the four women believe that the power to change their communities rests on Black authorship — sharing their stories, experiences and histories with Black children. 

For aspiring Black writers, the womens’ advice is to find a community and be proactive in realizing their own potential.

“Confront the barriers that stop you from writing your story,” Irby said.

Possible Futures is located at 318 Edgewood Ave.

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Alternate Universe is a comic book store that has served readers in Connecticut for over 25 years. The New Haven store opened in 1995, and in 2005, co-owners Joseph Stinson and Erik Yacko decided to expand their business by opening a second location in Milford. Since then, Stinson has operated the New Haven location while Yacko oversees the Milford location. The store has formed a community with regular customers as well as some new Yale students every semester. 

“With comic books, there’s an ebb and flow. When a new TV show or new movie comes out, there’ll be a few new readers, but most people have been collecting for a while,” Stinson said. “With Yale, we get a little turnover every four years because new people come in and begin getting comics, our store becoming their favorite shop.”

The extended history of Alternate Universe, however, begins in the 1980s. In the 80s, Alternate Universe was originally named Paperback Trader. The comic book store was then bought by a different company called Dream Factory, which operated as a chain of stores throughout Connecticut. Dream Factory then became Moondogs, where Stinson and Yacko were working at the time. After Moondogs went out of business, Stinson and Yacko took over the store in 1996.

It was through Dream Factory that Stinson and Yacko befriended Rich Casiglio, who loves comic books and has worked with them his whole life. In 2005, during their expansion into Milford, the owners contacted Casiglio and hired him as an employee of Alternate Universe in New Haven. In his day-to-day working at Alternate Universe, he takes care of customers and restocks the store. 

As an employee, Casiglio recognizes the familiar faces of Alternate Universe’s loyal shoppers. 

“The majority of comic book store customers are regulars. You see them weekly or bi-weekly,” said Casiglio. 

A handful of Yale students frequent the store weekly, too, he said. 

With a steady number of regulars who patronize the store, Alternate Universe does not prioritize advertising. 

“​​It’s more so that people find us more than we find people because us advertising isn’t going to turn anybody into a comic book fan that isn’t already one,” Stinson said. 

The store has found comfort in its narrower reach, however. Though serving a tight niche, Alternate Universe offers a wide array of comic books for its loyal customers. The store carries indie, action, superhero, slice of life and manga selections. 

Regulars like Mikai Chamber appreciate the selections available at the store. Chambers has lived in New Haven for a decade and has been shopping at Alternate Universe for three years. Here, Chambers has found a home for his love of comic books, which began in his youth with Spider-Man and has since expanded into the indie genre. 

“They’ve got it all. From trade paperbacks, omnibuses, hardcovers, back issues – whatever you need,” Chambers told the news. 

Looking ahead, Stinson hopes to make room for more comics now that they’ve maxed out their space. 

According to Stinson, the possibility of opening a third location has been discussed, but remains an idea for now. 

“The one thing I want to try to do is focus on what we carry a little bit more and start getting some ancillary items out just so we have more room for comics,” Stinson said.

Alternate Universe is open every day on 1181 Chapel St.

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Fashion Lifestyle at Yale is a student-led fashion collective founded by Kellsie Lewis ’27, Marame Diop ’27 and Sumarha Tariq ’27. The three co-founders initially connected through the class of 2027 Instagram and grew closer over their shared love for fashion. In the fall semester, seeking more than just runway shows as a creative outlet, the three decided to start FLY. 

FLY meets bi-weekly to facilitate casual conversation about the latest fashion trends, brainstorm moodboards for photoshoots, and maintain an on-campus community year-round. The founders hope that FLY members can enjoy fashion aside from the rigor of Yale.

“I feel like specifically at Yale, many people can be afraid to dress up or to show their creativity because it’s a school that is built on a strict way of dressing and expressing your creativity,” Diop told the News. “I want other people to feel confident in themselves, no matter what they put on … and show Yale as a creative space. It doesn’t have to die just because we’re a rigorous school, but it can be expressed in different ways.” 

FLY aims to distinguish itself from other fashion organizations on campus by intersecting three sectors: runway and print modeling, journalism and innovation. Their lineup of projects for the spring semester includes themed photoshoots, the publication of a magazine and a spring fashion show to close off the year.

The theme for the inaugural issue of the FLY magazine, led by Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief Tariq, is “LAUNCH,” an ode to the club’s own early stages. Tariq hopes for submissions about fashion firsts and what got people into fashion, centering the issue on new beginnings and fresh take-offs. Tariq looks forward to extending submissions to the magazine, which she described as “Vogue with a zine-like twist,” to non-Yale students as well.

Looking ahead, the prospective theme for the spring fashion show is “FLY,” a play on the organization’s acronym. The three-act show, which the organizers hope to set in an airport and outer space, will center around self-exploration and autonomy.

For FLY’s leaders, branding is all about being accessible and fun. Explaining the meaning behind the club’s name, Lewis noted, “When I hear the word ‘fly,’ I automatically think of using it in a social, fashion context. So I feel like it’s a really accessible language.”

By continuing to grow their social media presence, FLY hopes to see greater turnout as well. Their first meeting, which took place in Linsly-Chittenden Hall on Sunday, saw around 20 people in attendance.

FLY’s first meeting was also composed primarily of students of color, which the organization believes to be a core mission for its contribution to fashion culture at Yale.

“A lot of people’s boards don’t look like ours and inclusivity is really important to us. In fashion, it’s still a really big problem – there’s not enough of it in every single aspect possible. And for FLY, I’m super proud of the community that we’re growing,” Tariq said.

Beyond member demographics, FLY hopes to champion its inclusive ethos in projects as well. In late March, FLY plans to host a thrift excursion to Soulful Threads and MINIPNG, both of which are Black-owned businesses in New Haven. They aim to learn from Black creatives on what it is like to start a fashion venture.

Members are excited to engage with the creative community FLY promises. Maya Samuel ’27, who attended the group’s first meeting, said, “I want to get inspired from other people. And see how other people show off their creativity through their outfits and formulate my own style.”

FLY’s spring fashion show is scheduled for April 25.

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At Commons, half the student body is lined up for dumplings and, guaranteed, you’ll have to sit directly in front of a complete stranger and monitor your eye movement with each chew. The way to the dish drop is just as congested: friends stop in the middle of Commons to gush about how badly they need to catch up (both parties made the conscious choice to not reach out, but things have just been so crazy you know?). 

After your last class of the day, you hang back at your suite. The couch would be a suitable choice for some intermittent brain rot if it weren’t for the mound of your suitemates’ jackets monopolizing sitting space. Maybe you’ll opt for the floor. Either way, don’t get too comfortable. Your upstairs neighbor is warming up for their a capella rehearsal and the guy next door has  recently taken up mixing beats. You might see him DJing at Leo this weekend if he makes it big. 

You’re ready to refuel after grinding out your psets and readings. Regardless of which dining hall you choose, a set of universal behavioral by-laws will ensure that your dinner is accompanied with a slew of minor annoyances. There’ll be folks who find it imperative to deliberate between Chicken Breast A or its identical twin Chicken Breast B when there are 30 people behind them in line. A miscreant of similar lineage will cut the line for water, stop to survey open seats in the hotspot of foot traffic, or decline to say thank you to any hospitality employees. 

After dinner, your weary soul might float to Bass. At Bass, library etiquette offenders strike right when you’re about to lock in. A phone call answered in full volume. A bag of chips being torn open. A debrief that can’t wait until the walk home. Unless you’re equipped with noise-canceling headphones, you’re defenseless against that armory. From Bass, you trek home and finally call it a night. The next morning, you’ll wake up to 10 alarms – not one of which is yours. 

Slow walkers, loud chewers, flakers, and the chronically late. Interrupters, mansplainers, and passive-aggressors. Snifflers and one-uppers, bad tippers and nose pickers. At Yale, there are no safeguards against imprudence. 

For every pet peeve, though, there is a footnote. I hate when people do that. When you do it – well, it’s alright I guess. 

I hate when people keep me waiting. I have no desire to stand in front of your entryway for any longer than 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, I’ll consider leaving. But I remember who’s going to come, eventually. I remember that it’s you. So, I’ll stay. It might be raining and my backpack might be getting wet, but my laptop case is allegedly water resistant, so why not. 

I hate when people sit on my bed with outside clothes on – I’ll go as far as to lay down a towel or offer a change of clean pants. But, when you come over, I don’t mind, I guess. Your butt has been sat in places I wouldn’t be too fond of – lecture halls, the Elm, frat house couches – but I like your sense of humor and niche music taste. So, I’ll cringe, but invite you to take a seat anyways. 

I especially hate it when people acknowledge my existence any time after midnight on a weeknight. I should not exist nor should I be perceived by anyone in any capacity when it’s that late. But when you knock on my door at 1 AM, an unrestrained “Come in!” creeps out. What could be more important than updating each other on our daily social slights, new developments in the plots of our love lives, and campus celebrity sightings?

Yale might not be immune to the national shortage of common sense, but you make perfectly good sense to me. You make walks nicer. Your jokes render me impervious to the sighs of people who agonize behind us over our pace. Take your time packing up; our peers should be sensible enough to squeeze around you or say “excuse me.” I admire your inquisition into the world of disc jockeys and reverb. It’s daytime – the people in your entryway can afford to excuse some muffled house music as they mindlessly scroll through Fizz. I like your attention to detail. Of course one chicken breast might have a grain of more seasoning than the one next to it. You make meals better. You might chew in that weird way that you do, but you – for all your charms, wit, and warmth – evoke the “pet” part of peeve. Please, keep peeving me out.

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