Skip to main content
close
Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable contrast.
Image for event: Courtney Duke Foster on "Passing Notes"

Registration now closed

Courtney Duke Foster on "Passing Notes"

Co-presented with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights

2023-02-23 19:00:00 2023-02-23 20:00:00 America/New_York Courtney Duke Foster on "Passing Notes" The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights are hosting Ms. Foster for a virtual conversation in celebration of Black History Month. Participate or listen in on this conversation about the book, its window into the 1950s, and how the world we navigate has changed – or hasn’t – in the intervening years. Virtual Branch -

Thursday, February 23
7:00pm - 8:00pm

Add to Calendar 2023-02-23 19:00:00 2023-02-23 20:00:00 America/New_York Courtney Duke Foster on "Passing Notes" The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights are hosting Ms. Foster for a virtual conversation in celebration of Black History Month. Participate or listen in on this conversation about the book, its window into the 1950s, and how the world we navigate has changed – or hasn’t – in the intervening years. Virtual Branch -

The Prince George’s County Memorial Library System and the Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights are hosting Ms. Foster for a virtual conversation in celebration of Black History Month. Participate or listen in on this conversation about the book, its window into the 1950s, and how the world we navigate has changed – or hasn’t – in the intervening years.

“Jim Crow don’t live in New York!” That’s what did it, the magic words Cheryl Wilson’s best friend, Bettie, said to convince her to leave her family and a good teaching job behind. Determined to snag secretarial jobs at a new publishing company and open the door to a world of opportunities closed to them back home, the two young women board a train bound for the Big Apple. They soon discover, however, that career prospects for most Negroes were as limited in 1951 New York as in the segregated south. Then things take a turn when Cheryl is offered a position with real advancement potential—but only if she can keep the truth about her background a secret. As she learns to manage the constant anxiety that comes with living a lie, things get even more complicated when she falls for a passionate young editor with a hair-trigger temper. Will she succeed at living a double life? Or will she lose everything in the process?

Bowie author Courtney Duke Foster’s new novel Passing Notes examines the experience of two young Black women newly-arrived in 1950s New York. Journalist and author Wanda S. Lloyd writes of the book, “Courtney Duke Foster’s Passing Notes kept me up all night — turning pages, captivated to see what would happen in each new chapter. This tender love story enlightens and entertains. It reminds us of the era of racial and gender separation, yet shows the fortitude and brilliance of people who were not expected to be so. The ending will surprise you.”

Courtney Duke Foster is a lawyer/mom by day, turned fiction writer/mom by night, and day, and all the time. Bitten by the writer bug a few years ago, she has written dozens of poems and short stories. Two of her short stories have been published in the Bay to Ocean Journal, and she published her debut novel, Passing Notes, in 2022.

A graduate of Spelman College and Duke University School of Law, Courtney grew up in Maryland, where she lives with her two awesome daughters and an extremely snuggly cat. In her spare time, she enjoys writing stories, of course, but also watching movies and attending musicals and comedy shows. She loves the art of storytelling in all forms.

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual Event | Speaker or Panel | Black Heritage | Author Visit |

TAGS: | |

Virtual Branch

Phone: (240) 455-5451

Hours
Mon, May 05 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Tue, May 06 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Wed, May 07 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Thu, May 08 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Fri, May 09 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Sat, May 10 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Sun, May 11 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Mon, May 05 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Tue, May 06 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Wed, May 07 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Thu, May 08 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Fri, May 09 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Sat, May 10 12:00AM to 11:45PM
Sun, May 11 12:00AM to 11:45PM

About the branch

The virtual branch of the library is available 24/7 to PGCMLS cardholders. Please visit our Online Resources page to gain access to many worthwhile resources or attend one of our many virtual events by visiting pgcmls.info/events.

Need help accessing a virtual program? Contact us via the Online Library Help form.

Dial 7-1-1 to place a call through Maryland Relay

Upcoming events

Tue, May 13, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, May 13, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Laurel Virtual Events

Wed, May 14, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 14, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 14, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
PGCMLS Programming

Wed, May 14, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, May 20, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, May 20, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
PGCMLS Programming

Wed, May 21, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 21, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 21, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
PGCMLS Programming

Wed, May 21, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, May 27, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, May 27, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Laurel Virtual Events

Wed, May 28, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 28, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, May 28, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
PGCMLS Programming

Wed, May 28, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Intercultural Services

Tue, Jun 03, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
PGCMLS Programming

Wed, Jun 04, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, Jun 04, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Intercultural Services

Wed, Jun 04, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Intercultural Services