Project Timeline

The timeline is meant to provide a summary and readily intelligible picture of the highlights and benchmarks in the history of the Small Axe Project, thus far. It traces the overall arc of our development from a single platform based in the print journal Small Axe to a multi-platform project ranging across a number of genres and concentrations—sx salon, sx archipelagos, sx visualities, the sx literary competition—that together constitute a large part of what we mean by journal work. Scroll through it and you will have at a glance a rich outline of our journey.

Organization

small axe through the years >

2020

States of Crisis: Disaster, Recovery, and Possibility in the Caribbean

States of Crisis: Disaster, Recovery, and Possibility in the Caribbean

July 2020

sx62 special section "States of Crisis: Disaster, Recovery, and Possibility in the Caribbean" guest-edited by Ryan Cecil Jobson

VLOSA TENT (Rotterdam)

VLOSA TENT (Rotterdam)

July 2020

Visual Life of Social Affliction exhibition at TENT, Rotterdam. July - September 2020.

sx archipelagos becomes independent

sx archipelagos becomes independent

April 2020

Started in 2016, sx archipelagos becomes independent on its fourth issue in 2020, rebranded as archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

2019

Translating the Caribbean

Translating the Caribbean

November 2019

sx 60 special section, "Translating the Caribbean," on José Lezama Lima's "Julián del Casal" by Arnaldo M Cruz Malavé

Caribbean Digital VI

Caribbean Digital VI

November 2019

Caribbean Digital VI by archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

VLOSA Little Haiti Cultural Center

VLOSA Little Haiti Cultural Center

November 2019

Visual Life of Social Affliction exhibition at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, Miami. November 2019 - February 2020.

VLOSA National Art Gallery of the Bahamas

VLOSA National Art Gallery of the Bahamas

August 2019

Visual Life of Social Affliction exhibition at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, Nassau

Rachel L. Mordecai takes over as sx salon editor from Kelly Baker Josephs

Rachel L. Mordecai takes over as sx salon editor from Kelly Baker Josephs

June 2019

Rachel L. Mordecai, Caribbean literature scholar and associate professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst, becomes the editor of sx salon, assuming the position from inaugural editor Kelly Baker Josephs. Her debut issue is issue 31. 

Jamaican 1950s: A Symposium

Jamaican 1950s: A Symposium

April 2019

The Jamaican 1970s

The Jamaican 1970s

March 2019

sx58 special section, "The Jamaican 1970s"

New members join Small Axe editorial committee

New members join Small Axe editorial committee

January 2019

As of 2019, the Small Axe editorial committee compromises of Charles V. Carnegie, Victoria Collis-Buthelezi, Dixa Ramírez D'Oleo, Andil Gosine, Erica Moiah James, Régine Jean-Charles, Kelly Baker Josephs, Aaron Kamugisha, Antonio López, Wayne Modest, Tami Navarro, Harvey Neptune, Matthew J. Smith, and Vanessa K. Valdés. 

2018

Caribbean In/securities

Caribbean In/securities

November 2018

sx 57 special section, "Caribbean In/securities,” guest edited by Patricia Noxolo

Contemporary Dominican Gender and Sexualities Studies

Contemporary Dominican Gender and Sexualities Studies

July 2018

sx56 special section, "Contemporary Dominican Gender and Sexualities Studies," guest-edited by Maja Horn

Caribbean Digital V

Caribbean Digital V

May 2018

Caribbean Digital V by sx archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

VLOSA Miami Symposium

VLOSA Miami Symposium

May 2018

Visual Life of Social Affliction symposium at the University of Miami Lowe Art Museum

Eulogizing Creoleness?: Rereading Éloge de la Créolité, Part II

Eulogizing Creoleness?: Rereading Éloge de la Créolité, Part II

March 2018

sx55 special section, "Eulogizing Creoleness?: Rereading Éloge de la Créolité, Part II" guest-edited by Celia Britton and Martin Munro

sx literary competition ends

sx literary competition ends

January 2018

Nine years after it's founding in 2009, the sx literary competition drew to a close in 2018.

2017

The Jamaican 1960s

The Jamaican 1960s

November 2017

sx 54 special section, “The Jamaican 1960s”

Caribbean Digital IV

Caribbean Digital IV

November 2017

Caribbean Digital IV by sx archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

Jamaican 1970s: A Symposium

Jamaican 1970s: A Symposium

September 2017

Rosamond S. King becomes creative editor of sx salon

Rosamond S. King becomes creative editor of sx salon

August 2017

Artist and critical and creative writer Rosamond S. King joins sx salon as its creative editor. Her debut issue is issue 25. 

Art as Caribbean Feminist Practice

Art as Caribbean Feminist Practice

July 2017

sx 52 special section, "Art as Caribbean Feminist Practice," guest-edited by Annalee Davis, Joscelyn Gardner, Erica James, and Jerry Philogene

Art After Indenture

Art After Indenture

July 2017

sx 53 special section, “Art After Indenture,” guest-edited by Andil Gosine

The Idea of the Hispanophone Caribbean

The Idea of the Hispanophone Caribbean

March 2017

sx 51 special section, “The Idea of the Hispanophone Caribbean,” guest-edited by Vanessa Pérez-Rosario

CQV Glasgow

CQV Glasgow

February 2017

Caribbean Queer Visualities exhibition at Transmission Gallery, Glasgow. February - March 2017.

David Scott receives Distinguished Editor Prize

David Scott receives Distinguished Editor Prize

January 2017

2016

Caribbean Digital III

Caribbean Digital III

December 2016

Caribbean Digital III by sx archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

The Idea of Hispanophone Caribbean Studies: A Small Axe Conversation

The Idea of Hispanophone Caribbean Studies: A Small Axe Conversation

December 2016

The Idea of Hispanophone Caribbean Studies: A Small Axe Conversation at Sulzberger Parlor, Barnard College. Read more here.

CQV Belfast

CQV Belfast

November 2016

Caribbean Queer Visualities exhibition at the Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast. November 2016. Catalogue available here.

What Is Journal Work?: A Small Axe Conversation

What Is Journal Work?: A Small Axe Conversation

September 2016

What Is Journal Work?: A Small Axe Conversation at Sulzberger Parlor, Barnard College. Read more here.

sx live launches

sx live launches

September 2016

Small Axe's blog sx live makes its first post in 2016, which you can read here

Small Axe publishes its 50th issue

Small Axe publishes its 50th issue

July 2016

The publication of Small Axe 50 (July 2016) marks an important milestone in the history of the journal. This issue features a significant discussion on the question: "What is Journal Work?"

sx archipelagos launches

sx archipelagos launches

June 2016

Small Axe launches sx archipelagos, "a born-digital, peer-reviewed publication" and joint venture with Kaiama L. Glover and Alex Gil

Launch of sx archipelagos and sx visualities

Launch of sx archipelagos and sx visualities

May 2016

Two new platforms of the Small Axe Project were launched in May 2016: sx archipelagos (a platform seeking to think through the implications of the digital humanities for Caribbean scholarship), and sx visualities (a platform seeking to think about Caribbean visual practice).

Visual Arts After Indenture

Visual Arts After Indenture

March 2016

"Visual Arts After Indenture" was a symposium co-organized with Andil Gosine at York University, Toronto, and held there on 19 March 2016. A conversation between artists and writers, the symposium aimed to consider the connections between visual art practice and the aftermath of Indian indentureship in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

2015

The Caribbean Digital II

The Caribbean Digital II

December 2015

"The Caribbean Digital II," held on 4 December 2015, was the second in an ongoing series of symposia exploring the role and impact of the digital humanities in Caribbean scholarship.

Caribbean Digital II

Caribbean Digital II

December 2015

Caribbean Digital II by sx archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

 

The Jamaican 1960s

The Jamaican 1960s

October 2015

"The Jamaican 1960s," a symposium co-organized with Donette Francis at the University of Miami, and held there between 29 and 30 October 2015, was the first in a series of symposia rethinking the making of the Jamaican cultural-political modern. The essays from the symposium are to be published in Small Axe 53 (July 2017).

Caribbean Queer Visualities II

Caribbean Queer Visualities II

April 2015

"Caribbean Queer Visualities II" was the second symposium in the series around this theme. This event was co-sponsored by The Andy Warhol Foundation; the Department of Anthropology, the Digital Black Atlantic Project, the Center for the Study of Social Difference, the Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality, and the Institute for Research in African American Studies, all at Columbia University.

sx salon, Gender and the Caribbean Body

sx salon, Gender and the Caribbean Body

February 2015

In this issue of sx salon, contributors think about the gendered character of the body in Caribbean literary practice.

2014

The Caribbean Digital I

The Caribbean Digital I

December 2014

The Caribbean Digital I, convened between 4 and 5 December 2014, was the first in an ongoing series of exploratory symposia thinking about the impact of the digital on Caribbean scholarship.

Caribbean Digital I

Caribbean Digital I

December 2014

Caribbean Digital I by sx archipelagos journal and the Barnard College Digital Humanities Center

 

Caribbean Queer Visualities I

Caribbean Queer Visualities I

November 2014

The first of two symposia on the theme "Caribbean Queer Visualities" was held at Yale University between 14 and 15 November 2014. The event was co-sponsored by The Andy Warhol Foundation, the Edward J. and Dorothy Clarke Kempf Memorial Fund of the Whitney and Betty Macmillan Center for International and Area Studies, at Yale University; the departments of African American Studies, and of the History of Art, at Yale University; and the Council for Latin American and Iberian Studies at Yale University.

sx salon expands to three times per year

sx salon expands to three times per year

October 2014

As a reflection of the growing interest in the platform, in October 2014 sx salon expands its periodicity from two to three times per year.

sx salon, Caribbean Film Archives

sx salon, Caribbean Film Archives

October 2014

In this issue of sx salon, guest-edited by Terri Francis, the film archives of the Caribbean becomes the subject of a searching discussion.

Caribbean Queer Visualities

Caribbean Queer Visualities

June 2014

In June 2014 the Small Axe Project receives its third grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation, to support our project Caribbean Queer Visualities.

sx salon, Chinese Caribbean Litearture

sx salon, Chinese Caribbean Litearture

February 2014

In this issue, sx salon considers representations of the Chinese in Caribbean literature.

2013

sx salon, Caribbean Children's Literature

sx salon, Caribbean Children's Literature

August 2013

In this issue, sx salon takes us in the world of the writing and publication of Caribbean children's literature.

sx salon, Fictions of Independence

sx salon, Fictions of Independence

February 2013

In this issue, sx salon reflects on memories and representations of Caribbean sovereignty fifty years after the beginnings of political independence in the Anglophone Caribbean.

2011

sx salon, Reflections on the Book Review

sx salon, Reflections on the Book Review

November 2011

In this issue, sx salon engages the much-neglected question of the status of the "book review" in Caribbean critical discussions.

sx salon, Locating Caribbean LGBT Histories

sx salon, Locating Caribbean LGBT Histories

August 2011

In this issue sx salon published an important intervention in the regional and diasporic discussion of LGBT histories.

The Idea of a Black Radical Tradition

The Idea of a Black Radical Tradition

April 2011

"The Idea of a Black Radical Tradition" was a symposium organized at Columbia University between 22 and 23 April 2011. It was co-sponsored by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Institute for Research in African American Studies, the Department of Anthropology, and the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Columbia University. The essays were published in Small Axe 40 (March 2013).

What is Caribbean Studies?

What is Caribbean Studies?

April 2011

"What is Caribbean Studies? Prisms, Paradigms, Practices" was a joint venture between the Small Axe Project and colleagues Hazel Carby and Kamari Clarke at Yale University. It was co-sponsored by the Initiative on Race, Gender, and Globalization; the Center for Transnational Cultural Analysis; and the Department of African American Studies. The essays were published in Small Axe 41 (July 2013).

sx salon, "Caribbean Arts and Culture Online"

sx salon, "Caribbean Arts and Culture Online"

February 2011

sx salon publishes an important discussion around digital work in arts and culture.

2010

sx salon launch

sx salon launch

October 2010

sx salon was launched in October as our born-digital literary platform, published twice per year. This was a milestone in the evolution of the Small Axe Project.

2009

Small Axe moves to Duke University Press

Small Axe moves to Duke University Press

March 2009

As of 2009 Small Axe was published under contract by Duke University Press for Small Axe Inc in March, July, and November.

Small Axe Literary Competition

Small Axe Literary Competition

February 2009

In February 2009 the Small Axe Literary competition was launched, with 30 April 2009 as the first deadline for submissions. The competition was established for emerging writers in two categories, poetry and short fiction. The competition offered prizes for first and second place in each category. The successful poems and short stories were then published in Small Axe 31 (July 2010).

2008

Visual Memory in the Caribbean

Visual Memory in the Caribbean

June 2008

In June 2008 Small Axe Inc received its first grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation for its project "Visual Memory in the Caribbean." The project entailed inviting artists and writers to consider the role memory in Caribbean visual arts. The resulting work was published in Small Axe 28 (March 2009), Small Axe 29 (July 2009) and Small Axe 30 (November 2009).

2007

Blackness Unbound

Blackness Unbound

September 2007

"Blackness Unbound" was the third in the series of Ford Foundation funded symposia. It took place between 28 and 29 September 2007 at SUNY Albany. The essays were published in Small Axe 29 (July 2009).

Archeologies of Black Memory

Archeologies of Black Memory

June 2007

"Archeologies of Black Memory" was the second of the Ford Foundation funded symposia. It took place between 21 and 29 June 2007 at the University of Miami, and was a collaboration with colleagues in Caribbean Literary Studies there. The essays were published in Small Axe 26 (June 2008).

2006

Small Axe published three times per year by Indiana University Press

Small Axe published three times per year by Indiana University Press

February 2006

With increased content and interest the periodicity of Small Axe increased to three issues per year, February, June, and October

2005

Diasporic Knowledges symposium

Diasporic Knowledges symposium

April 2005

With generous funding provided by the Ford Foundation the Small Axe Collective organizes the first of three symposia: "Diasporic Knowledges: Caribbean Inflections and African American Conversations" held at Brown University 7-9 April 2005.

2000

"Genders and Sexualities" controversy

"Genders and Sexualities" controversy

March 2000

Small Axe 7 (March 2000) guest edited by Faith Smith is published. The production of this issue was very controversial and it was the beginning of the end of our publishing arrangement with the University of the West Indies Press.

1998

Small Axe moves to UWI Press

Small Axe moves to UWI Press

March 1998

After the second issue Small Axe moves to the University of the West Indies Press, and continues to be published twice her year.

1997

Launch of Small Axe

Launch of Small Axe

March 1997

After discussions begun in 1996, Small Axe no. 1 is published by Ian Randle Publishers twice per year for the Small Axe Collective