Blackberries, Blackberries Stage Adaptation

About the Book

Crystal Wilkinson's book, Blackberries, Blackberries, and meeting hr when she attended MSU faculty orientation in 2006, inspired me to share her book through the visual arts. When I read the book, it demonstrated the lives of Black men, women and children in Appalachia, Ky. These short stories enlighten the community through vignettes, showing diversity among Black families and relationships in eastern Kentucky, the region and the state. This artistic freedom exposes the richness that abounds in Applachia and in Black family life, allowing individuals to realize thre is more to life in Kentucky than horses, tobacco, bourbon and UK basketball. Differences in political views, urban Appalachian experiences and spirituality are also evident throughout this artistic expression of Black family life in rural Kentucky.

About the Author

Ritta Ridley Abell, Ph.D. Dr. Ritta Abell, assistant professor in the Communication, Media and Leadership Studies Dept. is an alumna from Morehead State University, receiving her B.A. and M. A. from here and her Ph.D. from University of Kentucky. Dr. Abell, a Louisvillian native has taught at several institutions, Ivy Tech Community College, Spalding and Northwood University teaching such courses as interpersonal communication English, Small Groups Communication and Public Speaking she has also worked in many administrative capacities for over 28 years (to include 15 years as property manager with the Housing Authority of Louisville); she has experience in supervision, management, grant writing, collecting and analyzing data from the social science perspective. Ritta is also a Public Health Sanitarian for the state of Indiana (i.e. inspections of public facilities for sanitary and health conditions, in restaurants, hotels, etc.) this includes septic tanks. Some of her other activities and accomplishments include; a consultant with NETWORK (New Energy to Work out Racial Kinks) and Fund for Women in Louisville, KY. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and a Regional (State) Board member for her Church affiliation Christian Church Disciples of Christ. She has co authored several published articles about Sensation seeking, impulsive decision-making and risky sex implications for risk-taking and design of interventions. She was awarded Best Graduate Student Paper presented at the Kentucky Communication Association at Pennyrile State Park on Teacher Immediacy. Since returning to her alma mater as faculty Ritta is involved in many organizations on campus and within the MSU community. Dr. Abell serves as Campus Advisor for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (Eta Rho chapter), Black Gospel Ensemble (BGE), a member of MSU Faculty Senate, Alumni Association Board, Unit Development Officer (UDO) Campus Campaign, Student Resources: (Library) Communication Department Liaison, Faculty/Student Disciplinary Committee, Executive Producer of the MSU University TV show Kaleidoscope and Rowan County 4-H Youth Development Board Member. Dr. Abell is dedicated to the empowerment of children and adults toward their individualized strengths and needs. Demonstrating a keen ability to establish and maintain open lines of communication within all venues. She advocates for student-centered learning, which fosters an appreciation for multiculturalism and integrates a holistic communication approach.