Navigate Your Stars

Jesmyn Ward, the author of SING, UNBURIED, SING, performs the moving speech she delivered at Tulane University's commencement in 2018. Ward humbly recounts her belief that a college education would help her create a life not bound by poverty or the circumstance of her birth. With raw emotion, Ward describes her disappointment and disillusionment when, after graduation, she had no job offer or prospects for her passion, writing. These dark emotions were compounded by the loss of her brother in a car accident. Light musical accompaniment and Ward's weighty pauses underscore her grief and struggle to stay on course to become a writer. Persuasive and authentic, Ward proclaims a short and powerful message: Look beyond the horizon, set your sights on a star, and sail toward it. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine