In the years leading up to the year 2000, many people were worried about technology not being able to convert from the 1900s to the 2000s.
“I remember Y2K being more controlled than fearful,” Lawson said. “Everyone had their theories about religion, the apocalypse, economic collapse, and other catastrophes. However, in the days that followed, things rapidly went back to normal and the fear subsided.”
On Sept. 11, 2022 Lawson arrived on campus to attend his Introduction to Literature class in Kinard to hear from the professor and other students about the attack on the twin towers.
“I will never forget coming to my class one morning to find out the twin towers has been bombed on 9/11” Lawson said. “We discussed it for the entire class. That day changed everything around the world, and I think students grew more cautious of their surroundings as a result.”
Lawson chose to go to Winthrop because of the welcoming atmosphere.
“I chose Winthrop for that family atmosphere which was apparent during my campus visit and orientation,” Lawson said.
While a student at Winthrop, Lawson majored in business administration. However, he really enjoyed literature and creative writing and wishes he chose that as his major.
“Coming out of high school, I felt that I had to choose something that would make me a sustainable living, so I chose to major in business,” Lawson said. “However, even at that age my passion was and is still literature and creative writing. I even took a literature course and loved it, but it didn’t translate to me that I should major in English or creative writing.
If I had done so, I really think it would have impacted my career today.”
Lawson took a 300-level literature class taught by Dr. Deborah C. Boyd.
“Her style was mainly having open class discussions which can be intimidating to students, and I think of this while teaching my courses today,” Lawson said. “It was my only literature class ever at Winthrop, but it had a big impact on me.”
After graduating in 2002, Lawson earned a master’s degree from National University in 2007 and a PhD in English Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2021.
“My dissertation focused on South Carolina African American poets and how their poetry reclaimed the South Carolina poetry aesthetic from nostalgia to the black experience and justice for black people in the state, whether they wrote while living in South Carolina or traveled outside the state and wrote about their experience in the state” Lawson said.
Lawson’s other research has also focused on African American Literature, Afrofuturism and poetics.
“Currently my research is centered on the 21st century Afrofuturism Movement and its impact on American culture, including works of poetry,” Lawson said.
While Lawson works at Newberry College as an Assistant Professor in English, he has also published two full length poetry collections. Chime was published in 2019 and his upcoming book Negro Asylum for the Lunatic Insane will be published in 2023.
In addition to writing these two books, Lawson has also had the opportunity to co-edit two poetry anthologies entitled Hand in Hand: Poets Respond to Race and The Future of Black: Afrofuturism, Black Comics, and Superhero Poetry.
“I partnered with other poets to bring these anthologies to press by sending out calls for submissions on specific themes to poets nationwide” Lawson said. “Then, for each book, we selected poems from the submissions to be in the anthologies. Again, we are blessed that the publishers believed in our vision for these books.”
Although never published, Lawson wrote a novel manuscript about his times at Winthrop where he featured several locations on campus such as Winthrop Lake, Eden Terrace and a few buildings on campus.
“I still have the manuscript to this day, yet I’m not sure if I will try to publish it,” Lawson said. “I felt that I just had to document my Winthrop experience somehow and writing about it seemed like the best way to keep those memories. Winthrop holds some of my best memories.”
