Melvin Donalson received his B.A. from Bates College and his Ph.D. from Brown University. He edited Cornerstones: An Anthology of African American Literature, and he’s published essays, short stories, poetry, novels, a play, and critical books on American Film history, including Black Directors in Hollywood, Masculinity in the Interracial Buddy Film, and Hip Hop in American Cinema. He wrote and directed the short film, A Room Without Doors, which was screened on Showtime’s Black Filmmakers Showcase. Additionally, he wrote, produced, and directed the short film, Performance, which aired on the Aspire network, and was a Writer-Producer on the short fictional film, Passage, which was screened at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles.