Kashif Graham has been awarded the Humanities Tennessee Fellowship in Criticism for 2023. Humanities Tennessee is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The six-month fellowship is offered to emerging writers with an interest in writing criticism and journalism about the world of books and publishing. As part of this opportunity, Graham will also write for Chapter 16, the official publication of Humanities Tennessee.

For Graham, his goals as a writer often intersect with his work as a librarian, especially regarding research and knowledge production. “It is a curious thing to live on both sides of that experience,” Graham noted. “I can, say, write a short story about a Black gay boy who passes through heartbreak in a Christian empire. At the same time, I am building a collection of theological resources surrounding queer people and their wellness in the Church. Both of those things are a type of information, whether data or narrative, and are essential for scholarship and open conversation.”

Graham is a frequent contributor to Nashville Scene, Chapter 16, Theological Librarianship, and other national and local literary outlets. Last February, “Memories of a Native Son,” Graham’s article on the LeXander Bryant exhibition at the Frist Art Museum was featured as a cover story for the Nashville Scene. He has also appeared on C-SPAN, Queerology, and WPLN’s This is Nashville as both a facilitator and contributor to conversations on community, gender, and faith. Graham can often be found bridging the arts and entertainment by introducing films at the Belcourt Theatre and hosting panel discussions at Vanderbilt and off-campus venues.

According to Bobby Smiley, director of Divinity Library, Graham’s engagement with the Nashville’s literary and arts community is a natural extension of his outreach librarianship. “While I encouraged Kashif to approach outreach as spanning the Divinity School, Vanderbilt campus, and the Nashville community, he charted his own path. Kashif’s creativity, community-mindedness, and commitment to innovation advances the work of the library.”

In addition to his writing and librarianship, Graham currently serves as the vice president of the Tennessee Theological Library Association. He is currently at work on a novel about an interracial gay couple living in East Tennessee.

Congratulations, Kashif!

Jean & Alexander Heard Libraries

February 3, 2023