K.R. Parker, Ph.D. (she/her)
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howard2home.bsky.social
K.R. Parker, Ph.D. (she/her)
@howard2home.bsky.social
260 followers 200 following 130 posts
“What would you do, truly, if you were not afraid?” -Octavia E. Butler

HU👩🏾‍🎓Fun Sized 🤗Lifelong learner💕

🆕 Understanding Octavia E. Butler (2025) 📚 Bloomsbury Handbook to Octavia E. Butler (2020) 🧛🏾‍♀️She Bites Back (2018)

https://linktr.ee/drkrparker
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howard2home.bsky.social
First day of class! I’m teaching 3 sections of #BlackVampires. It’s a Lit & Humanities class.

Major texts? This Ravenous Fate by Hayley Dennings & Dark Corner by Brandon Massey.

Movies: Blacula & Sinners; they’ll debate whether Sinners is a Black vampire movie or just a Black Horror movie.
Partial first page of a syllabus for a Black Vampires course. the text reads: You'll encounter Black vampires in French, Caribbean, and African American literature (you'll travel to Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States-and more!) and you will travel across time periods. You'll encounter different genres, from plays, novels, short stories, and movies, to literary types-Urban Erotica, Black Horror, Comedy Horror, Afrofuturism and more! A word of caution: The vampire genre is predicated on sexual content. It should come as no surprise, then, that some of the selected readings will include sexually explicit content. If you are not comfortable reading material that some may consider sexually explicit, this may not be the course you want to remain enrolled in. You still here? What are you waiting for? An invitation? [image of a group of people standing in a doorway staring blankly at the camera. The image is from Ryan Coogler’s Sinners] Nah, you belong here. Let's get ready to sink our teeth into it all.
August 13, 2025 at 9:00 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Happy #JenkinsJuly 🎉
I just re-read Captured.
Next up? Midnight.
A row of Beverly Jenkins’ historical romance novels and 4 of their contemporary counterparts
July 8, 2025 at 1:43 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
One week ago yesterday, I had the loveliest book launch for Understanding Octavia E. Butler, released with @uscpress.bsky.social #octaviabutler #blackwriter

Learn more & get your copy: linktr.ee/drkrparker
A laughing Black woman holding a copy of her book, Understanding Octavia E. Butler, with a picture or Butler on the cover. A smiling Black woman sitting at a book signing table holding a copy of her book, Understanding Octavia E. Butler. The table also holds bookmarks and buttons, giveaways at the book launch. Kendra R. Parker on stage during her book launch discussing the two sections of her new book, Understanding Octavia E. Butler
May 23, 2025 at 4:52 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Just a few days ago, I had my first event for Understanding Octavia E. Butler as she made her official debut in the Pacific Northwest at the @clascholars.bsky.social Convention in Vancouver, WA. Next up? An IG live with @sistahscifi.bsky.social on 5/14. #octaviabutler 📚🦋
A book display of Kendra R. Parker’s new book, Understanding Octavia E. Butler, including book swag: buttons, bookmarks, and stickers and signage. Kendra R. Parker holding her copy of Understanding Octavia E. Butler at the Vancouver Waterfront Park. A smiling Parker is wearing black sunglasses, a denim jacket, and a Black Barbie t-shirt Understanding Octavia E. Butler is positioned on the left side of the Waterfront Park sign in Vancouver, WA
April 29, 2025 at 12:18 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
I might be biased, but I fully support this 👀😂 when you purchase from @uscpress.bsky.social and use JSAVE20 at checkout you get 20% off!
A 20% off flyer for Understanding Octavia E. Butler by Kendra R. Parker. Use code JSAVE20 at checkout on uscpress.com
April 22, 2025 at 3:55 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
I’m a huge fan of LA Banks, so selfishly I say begin with Banks’ 12 book VHL series.

After she reads those 12, she would probably enjoy the spin off with the descendants in that book, Shadow Walker. 2/3
Book cover of Shadow Walker by L.A. Banks. The top half features a blue-tinted face of a woman with glowing white eyes, set against a cloudy sky with pyramids and snowy mountains. Below, the title Shadow Walker appears in bold, distressed white font. A person with white angel wings and dark hair faces away, standing before a wall with Egyptian hieroglyphs and an illuminated ankh symbol.
April 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Yes. It’s truly glorious. Book 4 is probably my fav. Love to see Damali’s first “flux” between human & vamp. I also loved her YA sequel to the 12 book VHL series & the 4 volume comic/graphic adaptation of the end of days battle. So much excellent work. Gone too soon.

bsky.app/profile/howa...
A graphic novel/comic extension of the vampire huntress legend series by LA Banks. These issues, 1-4, take place after the end of the 12 book VHL series. Cover shows Damali Richards-Rivera, a Black woman with locs, facing to the left with a sword on her shoulder and white Angel wings coming out of her back. She’s wearing a black crop top, black pants. Behind her is a partially obscured Sankofa symbol.
April 20, 2025 at 5:18 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
…also:
Black vampire short stories:
“The Ultimate Diet” by M. Jackson (in Dark Thirst edited by A.C. Allen); “Resident Evil” by Zane (in Dark Dreams edited by B. Massey); “Greedy Choke Puppy” by N. Hopkinson, @tananarivedue.bsky.social “A Stranger Knocks” (www.uncannymagazine.com/article/a-st...)
Cover of Dark Dreams edited by Brandon Massey. Includes writing by Tananarive Due, Stephen Barnes, Chesya Burker and More. For the vampire story, see “Resident Evil” by Zane The cover of Slay: Stoies of the Vampire Noire edited by Nicole Givens Kurtz. Cover features a Black woman with an Afro and big hoop earrings holding a bloody machete that’s been stabbed into a vampire Cover of Dark Thirst edited by Angela C. Allen. Black female vampire with straight hair and blood dripping on her mouth and chest.
April 20, 2025 at 2:44 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
I’m still on cloud 9! @authormsbev.bsky.social came to chat with students enrolled in my Black Love course today! I can’t even begin to describe how grateful I am. 💜💜💜
A virtual meeting screenshot featuring multiple participants, including author Beverly Jenkins, in grid format. One participant holds Indigo, the book by Beverly Jenkins. The image has bold purple text at the top saying, "A CONVERSATION WITH BEVERLY JENKINS," and at the bottom, "THANK YOU, BEVERLY JENKINS!"
March 28, 2025 at 11:47 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
lol and then the cat gets mad if you make it to your destination before you do 🙄😂👀 Exhibit A 👇🏾
Tuxedo cat playing peekabo in his igloo bed
February 24, 2025 at 10:29 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Grad students finished discussing #TheReformatory by @tananarivedue.bsky.social. They loved it, were moved by it. Already thinking about threads through earlier works.

I started class with this graphic and playlist which includes songs referenced in the novel—except “Stand Up” #BlackHorror
A digital music player interface titled "Sounds of the Reformatory," based on the novel The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, is displayed against a background of a sunset with silhouettes of trees, which is a partial cover of the novel. The words "Now Playing" appear above the play button. The image lists several songs: "Stand Up" by Cynthia Erivo, "Walk with Me" by Mahalia Jackson, "Am I Asking Too Much?" by Dinah Washington, "Wade in the Water" by The Staple Singers, and "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around" by The SNCC Freedom Singers.
February 6, 2025 at 2:33 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
Cranberry Bliss Sugar Cookies!
Pictured are 10 Cranberry Bliss Sugar Cookies cooling on parchment paper. Cookies include dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.
December 31, 2024 at 4:18 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
Looking forward to teaching Black Love in the spring, an undergrad course about black love broadly, not just romance. I will teach Indigo by @authormsbev.bsky.social and Moonlight (among others). Students will also read @elysabethgrace.bsky.social’s article on Indigo!
This is a purple, lavender, and white syllabus cover for a black love course to be taught at Georgia Southern University by Dr. Parker. The required course text is Indigo by Beverly Jenkins. The cover features two quotes, one from bell hooks from her book all about love and another from James Baldwin from his book the fire next time. The James Baldwin quote is “love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.” The bell hooks quote is “affection is only one ingredient of love. To truly love we must learn to mix in the various ingredients – care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as open and honest communication.”
December 9, 2024 at 2:17 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Check out the latest episode of the #DearVampireDiaries podcast for a convo with yours truly about Bonnie Bennett. I cite @ebonyteach.bsky.social @tananarivedue.bsky.social and more! Available where you can get all your fav podcasts! #horror #blackhorror
A screenshot of a podcast thumbnail. Podcast is titled Dear Vampire Diaries and this episode is titled “A Conversation with Dr. Kendra R. Parker (TVDU Spoiler-Inclusive)
December 7, 2024 at 11:30 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
Got a last minute course assignment for the Spring. Looking forward to teaching this #BlackHorror course with works by @tananarivedue.bsky.social and more!

#AddToBlackSky #booksky
This is a red and black syllabus cover for Dr. Parker’s new course “I ain’t afraid of no ghost”: histories, haunting, and horrors of the color line. She will teach in spring 2025. The books shown on the cover include The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, passing by Nella Larsen, The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson, Dark Corner by Brandon Massey, and Black No More by George Schuyler
December 2, 2024 at 1:28 PM
howard2home.bsky.social
Mexican Gothic
November 28, 2024 at 2:31 AM
howard2home.bsky.social
You can pre-order my new book (retails at $21.99) for 50% off using the code JHOL24 until December 31. April 2025 release!

uscpress.com/Understandin...

#OctaviaButler
November 13, 2024 at 8:17 PM