New York Times Best Selling Author at Villa Terrace
An Evening of Poetry & Craft with Derrick Harriell, June 23
Milwaukee – Milwaukee native Derrick Harriell, co-author of The Voice in My Head is God, an autobiography about Grammy award-winning rapper 2 Chainz, will be at Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens June 23, 6 – 7:30 p.m., for an evening of poetry and craft. The event is free and will feature a reading and conversation with Harriell on a wide range of topics from the creative process to the first time he met 2 Chainz and, ultimately, their work together to write the rapper’s New York Times bestselling memoir.
For two years, Harriell flew to 2 Chainz’s Atlanta studio twice a month to assist with the book. The autobiography, which was released in March, reflects on defining moments in 2 Chainz’s life when he learned to listen to his intuition and lean on his faith.
Harriell himself is an acclaimed fiction writer and poet. He is the author of several poetry collections, including Stripper in Wonderland, Come Kingdom, Cotton and Ropes, which received the 2014 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Poetry Book Award. His short story, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” earned the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award.
Harriell grew up on the north side of Milwaukee, graduated from South Milwaukee High School and earned his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He spent more than a decade at the University of Mississippi as the Ottilie Schillig associate professor of English and African American Studies. He returned to Milwaukee in 2024 to join the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as an English professor-creative writing and interim director of the Black Student Cultural Center.
Derrick Harriell. Photo from Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens.
Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens is located at 2220 N. Terrace Ave., Milwaukee, and is open Thursday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults and children age 10 and older. Students with a valid ID are $10 and seniors who are 60+ and children age 9 and younger are $5. Admission is free for military personnel and their families, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, and for those who receive SNAP, EBT and Quest assistance. A Villa Terrace Museum & Gardens membership is $65 a year and members receive free admission for themselves and two guests, as well as invitations to special events.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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