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| Walter O. Evans sharing stories about his collection |
One of the highlights of the “Networking Black Print” conference was the opportunity to hear from the legendary collector Walter O. Evans. For real, he was a whole vibe.
One origin story Evans shared about his collection begins in the early 1970s, when he traveled to Jamaica for medical training. That was the official reason for the trip. But he also had another, perhaps more meaningful goal: to meet Amy Garvey, the widow of Marcus Garvey, who he had learned was living there.
He met with her, spent time in conversation, and came away energized by the encounter. That moment shaped a practice he would extend over decades. As a surgeon, Evans had the financial means to collect books and art, and importantly, to cultivate relationships with renowned creators. Twice a year, for decades, he and his wife Linda hosted visual artists and literary figures, creating a space for exchange and community.
At the conference on April 10, Evans discussed several rare books from his collection, offering rich context for each item. The audience was drawn in. Notably, he paired his remarks with a slideshow of roughly 75 images from his collection. The combination of storytelling and rotating visuals of rare books and artwork was especially compelling.
Let me tell you something: you don’t usually attend a literature conference expecting such a riveting presentation from a book collector. Too often, we as literary scholars focus on interpretation and text-based analysis. Far less often do we encounter someone like Evans, who speaks from lived engagement with figures such as Romare Bearden, Margaret Walker, Jacob Lawrence, Ollie Harrington, and others.
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