Aiesha Turman, PhD

I’ve been moving between projects this week, and I had a moment where I had to laugh at myself because there I was, toggling between 19th-century archives, Afrofuturist maps, and a candle that insisted on burning sideways for reasons I am choosing not to question.

This is just how my work shows up: historical, speculative, spiritual, practical—crowding into the same room like they all paid rent.

I used to think I had to separate everything to “look professional.” Absolutely not. The work is the work, and it comes through me the way it comes through me. Some days that means deep research. Some days that means following a creative thread because it won’t leave me alone. Some days it means sitting still long enough to hear what wants to be said next.

That’s the season I’m in—letting the different parts of my practice talk to one another without trying to quiet the conversation. It’s messy. It’s honest. And it’s pushing me into a new kind of clarity about the stories I’m trying to tell and the futures I’m trying to imagine.

If you want more glimpses into what I’m building, writing, and dreaming up these days, you can visit my website. The link is in the comments.

(photo by Alisa Anton)

As the semester winds down.

Small Portals in a Big Year As the calendar year starts winding itself down—and the Fall semester begins to settle into that hum of grading final papers—I’ve been thinking about what this season is actually asking of me. This is the beginning of my second year teaching at the institution I once drove

Thanks to my department for featuring yours truly in their faculty spotlight series.

Faculty Spotlight Conversation with Aiesha Turman In this inaugural Faculty Spotlight Conversation Series episode, we're talking with Dr. Aiesha Turman. Dr. Turman began teaching in the Writing & Critical In...

✨ Step Into 2025 with Me ✨

As we welcome a new year, I’ve been reflecting on the transformative power of storytelling—how it allows us to reclaim time, space, and self while imagining futures rooted in liberation.

2024 was a year of transition and growth for me:
• I launched AieshaTurman.com, a home for my academic and creative work.
• I moved upstate and joined the University at Albany faculty, where I’m exploring new ways to integrate Afrofuturism, speculative fiction, and pedagogy.
• I began creating exclusive content for my readers and supporters, sharing insights into my process, reflections on memory and legacy, and creative projects that speak to the heart of my work.

This year, I’m excited to dive even deeper. My latest post explores what’s ahead in 2025, touching on themes of growth, imagination, and the possibilities that come with change.

🌟 What’s next?
By subscribing to my newsletter, you’ll get:
• Exclusive reflections on my work and creative process.
• Insights into the intersections of Afrofuturism, speculative fiction, and pedagogy.
• Stories and essays designed to inspire and challenge how we see the world—and ourselves.

🎉 Start the year with intention. Join me on this journey by reading my latest post and subscribing to stay connected: Read and Subscribe here: https://www.aieshaturman.com

Here’s to a year of imagination, transformation, and liberation. Let’s create something extraordinary together.

Aiesha Turman, PhD Exploring African American history, literature, and art through an Afrofuturist lens. Insightful reflections, educational content, and engaging storytelling.

Registration for the inaugural Zora Neale Hurston Summit at Barnard College has opened. Registration is FREE and I urge you to follow Zora Neale Hurston Trust on Instagram and sign up for the newsletter as information about speakers and sessions is being shared almost daily.

Hope to see you there!

ZNH Summit Registration — Zora Neale Hurston Summit Zora Summit General Registration Source: Barbara Hurston Lewis, Faye Hurston & Lois Hurston Gaston General Registration Form The 2025 Zora Neale Hurston Summit is free and open to the public. However, registration is required for all attendees to gain access onto the campus and into the summit. Atte...

Registration is open!

https://www.zoranealehurstonsummit.com

You are cordially invited by Dr. Lois Gaston (aka Zora’s great grand niece) to The Zora Neale Hurston Summit! January is coming at us fast so don’t forget to register asap and snag your spot today ✌🏾 . . . #books #literaryarts #blackwomen #womenshistory #feminist #author #blackcreative #blackvoices #blackowned #art #quotes #poetry #blackgirlmagic #blackart #writersofinstagram #bookworm #literaturequotes #instadaily #blackhistory #picoftheday #feminista #classicliterature #creative #artinspiration #zoranealehurston #artistsofinstagram #blacklit #blackbookstagram #blackwriters #blackauthors

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on space—how we, as Black women, find it, shape it, and hold it close. I’m thinking about how Afrofuturism calls us to imagine spaces beyond the physical, realms where we’re limitless, where our capacity to dream is as vast as the universe itself.

Leaving the density of New York City has opened up something new in me. I traded skyscrapers for open skies, noise for silence, urgency for a slower, deliberate pace. And in this space—this room to breathe—I’m finding a capacity I didn’t know I had. A pace that feels slow but fills me with purpose.

I’m coming to realize that the space I needed wasn’t just about geography but about creating room in my imagination, nourishing a vision of possibility and health. It’s about taking up space in a way that feels whole, grounded, and true. 🌱

What would it look like for us all to have the space we need to dream, to heal, to be? To be vast, like galaxies, and tender, like new growth. I’m not sure of the answer yet, but I’m moving closer with each step I take out here.

As many folks know, I am on the steering committee for the Zora Neale Hurston Summit being being produced by Zora Neale Hurston Trust (her heirs) and hosted at Barnard College in January/February 2025.

Today, our work is featured on Barnard’s website, along with additional information about Zora and Black Barnard.

There are a few days left to submit a proposal, but if that’s not your jam, there are other ways to contribute which include applying to be a vendor.

To stay in the know, sign up for the Summit newsletter. You’ll be among the first to know when registration opens (it’s free to attend), who our special guests are, and other goodies that will come with your attendance.

All of this information and more can be found at the summit website which is linked in this article.

Barnard to Host the First Zora Neale Hurston Summit The Zora Neale Hurston Trust will honor the famed storyteller this winter, in serendipitous alignment with the centennial anniversary of her time as a student on campus.

For which college students? The ones who won’t ever have to critically think about anything or use analysis skills because they come from and are entrenched in generational wealth? Between this and the article about college students not reading, I am tired.

My students just had a rousing debate about whether Toni Morrison’s Love mirrored or was antithetical to how bell hooks defines love in all about love. When you have a student who starts out “Like my good sis, bell hooks states on page 25…,” you know they did the reading. I have 50-11 other examples of my wonderful students engaging in the work; each of them is in opposition to how these folks are talking about young folks and their capacities.

It is so very tiring.

Opinion | For College Students, Giving Up on Books Is a Perfectly Sensible Choice The world is sending a message about its priorities, and they do not appear to include “Moby-Dick.”