Danielle Bainbridge

By Jasminum McMullen

Writuals explores how our city's rich literary heritage, cultural diversity, and iconic spaces inspire routines that fuel the work of local authors.

Danielle Bainbridge is an Assistant Professor of Theatre, Performance Studies, and Black Studies at Northwestern University. She is the author of two books Dandelion: A Memoir in Essays and Currencies of Cruelty: Slavery, Freak Shows, and the Performance Archive. Her work has appeared in Cutthroat, Killens Review, and The Mechanics Review Online. In addition to her writing, Danielle creates digital media with partners like PBS, The History Channel, and YouTube Originals. She co-founded the PBS YouTube channel “PBS Origins” in 2017 and today that channel has over 670,000 subscribers and 47 million views. Her media work has been nominated for 3 Daytime Emmy Awards and 1 NAACP Image Award. She is currently wrapping post-production on her first short film, Curio, with the help of $55,000 in grants from Northwestern University’s Office of the Provost and a residency from Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle. She lives and loves in Chicago with her partner and 2 naughty cats.

CLHOF: What question are you circling in your work right now, even if you don’t yet know how to answer it?

Danielle Bainbridge: Right now I’m circling questions of power and identity in my newest work, which is a novel about a cult run by black women. It’s a dark comedy told from different narrative viewpoints, and I think it’s been interesting to see how each character interprets the events of the story.

CLHOF: Where in Chicago do you feel most like yourself as a writer, even if you never write a single word there?

Danielle Bainbridge: I think I feel most myself as a writer in my home. It’s peaceful, with views of Lake Michigan out of almost every window. I’ve worked hard to cultivate a spirit of peaceful calm in my home space, and I love being able to look out over the water. I find I do most of my writing at my dining room table where the lighting is the best.

CLHOF: If you could have coffee with any Chicago author, past or present, who would it be and why? How has their work or legacy influenced your writing?

Danielle Bainbridge: I would have coffee with Gwendolyn Brooks. Her novel Maud Martha is a masterclass in black women’s interiority and her poetry is truly transcendent. I think she cared a lot about Chicago and representing Chicago authentically in her work. If I could have 2 authors at this dream coffee date, I would also throw in Lorraine Hansberry.

CLHOF: What are your "writuals," and how have they evolved?

Danielle Bainbridge: I start every day with journaling. It’s been my most consistent ritual since I was a kid. I like to clear my mind of any lingering or stray thoughts and doubts before I start writing. I usually then start drafting whatever I’m going to write by hand before shifting to my laptop. I also sometimes pull a rest card from Tricia Hersey’s “Rest Deck” which is kind of like a tarot deck but specifically for resting.

CLHOF: Humor or Heartbreak?

Danielle Bainbridge: Heartbreak because I think love and sex and romance are often pretty hilarious, so you get both for the price of one.

CLHOF: What advice would you give someone who wants to write and publish in the city?

Danielle Bainbridge: I would say that they should connect to the city’s rich literary and political history. Learn as much as you can. Read as much as you can. Explore the city as much as you can. And when all else fails return to the shores of Lake Michigan for cleansing and inspiration. The words will come.

Jasminum McMullen is an Associate Board Director at the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, interested in engaging writers from or living in Chicago about their writing rituals. Her writing has appeared in Black Joy Unbound, Mamas, Martyrs, and Jezebels, Past Ten, The Elevation Review, midnight & indigo and forthcoming in Stella Veritatis.