We recently had the pleasure of speaking to Allison Noelle Conner, recipient of the inaugural X-TRA Editorial Fellowship, taking place through 2023. Since the fellowship began in January, Allison has provided valuable contributions and insights on the upcoming fall issue of X-TRA, and taken part in the Editorial Board process by participating in the lively process of choosing and developing the issue contents.
During our conversation, we were struck by Allison’s fascinating journey into art criticism, by way of the publishing world. We discovered that her sources of inspiration are quite varied, ranging from her personal experiences to the thought processes and interests of artists around her, which has allowed her to develop a nuanced and multifaceted approach to her writing.
In the past, Allison has written extensively about a diverse range of artists, including Cauleen Smith, Sarah Rosalena, and Kevin Beasley, as well as singer, producer, and creative director Rush Davis. Her work has also been featured in several publications, such as the Los Angeles Times, Carla, East of Borneo, Image, KCET, Artbound, and many others. We invite you to watch the complete interview with this talented writer, editor, and member of the X-TRA community.
ABOUT THE X-TRA EDITORIAL FELLOWSHIP:
The X-TRA Editorial Fellowship is a new initiative announced by X-TRA in the fall of 2022, inviting writers and critics to contribute their intellect, energy, and insights to our editorial process. Developing a practice as an editor and writer takes significant time and targeted support. As a critical community of writers and editors, we hope to shift the dynamics that make a sustainable career in editing and writing so challenging; this fellowship is one step towards dismantling the many unseen barriers to entering the field of publishing and criticism. . With support from X-TRA’s Editorial Board, the Editorial Fellow will have space to nurture a practice and develop their editorial style. Through this process, we hope to model editorial work done in close community.
The Editorial Fellow will serve on the journal’s Editorial Board for a full year and receive a $12,000 stipend. They will attend monthly Editorial Board meetings and participate in the lively process of developing and editing issue contents. Additionally, the Fellow will be strongly encouraged to pitch and write a piece of their own, which will undergo X-TRA‘s editorial process towards publication.