Having studied at Harvard, Yale, and Morehouse, Walter Delbridge was on his way to the Sorbonne as one of the first African Americans to receive a Ford Foundation scholarship, when a diagnosis of schizophrenia changed the trajectory of his life. While institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital, his poetry was published alongside the likes of Langston Hughes, Leadbelly, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Audre Lorde in the renowned anthology Understanding the New Black Poetry and in Orde Coomb's We Speak As Liberators. He continued to write in isolation and in 2017, Oxford University Press published new poetry from Delbridge, along with his letter to the National Institute of Mental Health, in their flagship journal Schizophrenia Bulletin. Kate Tucker is a writer, artist, and producer born and raised in Akron, Ohio. As a singer-songwriter, she's released five albums, two EPs, and 23 music videos. Her production work includes books, films, podcasts, fashion editorials, and art exhibitions. Tucker holds a B.A. in English and French from The University of Akron and has guest lectured at Vanderbilt and Belmont Universities. Having recently returned to Akron after living in Paris, Seattle, New York, and Nashville, Tucker is working with Delbridge on the documentary film, Tell It Like It Is, centered on his life and work.
