Melanie Cole

“BALDWIN” explores the life and work of James Baldwin, and is a poetic interpretation to how the author (Melanie Cole) directly responds to his body of work. “BALDWIN” brings the writer’s words into 2025 by examining American society’s reactions to race, gender, and sexuality. This project questions whether progress is an idea rather than a fixed state of being. “BALDWIN” uses James Baldwin’s logic to ask: “Is progress just another American institution?” And if so, what does it mean when progress is a construct?