L. Phillip Richardson (aka d’Zhuan) is a longtime member of Other Countries, having participated in—and frequently moderated—the collective’s writing workshops since their founding in 1986. A devoted Brazilophile with decades of travel throughout the country, Richardson brings a global sensibility to both his creative practice and his community work. He is proud to stand among the members celebrating forty years of Other Countries—its purpose, its power, and its enduring presence.
Rooted in a deep spiritual life and committed to what he describes as "the transformation of the human condition into our divine birthright,” Richardson has served as a deacon at MCCNY since 2001. His writing appears in several landmark Black queer literary publications, including On the Line in Black Gay Voices (Other Countries, 1988); “The Book of Lists” in The Road Before Us (edited by Assotto Saint, 1991); “Powers That Be” in Shade (edited by Bruce Morrow & Charles H. Rowell, 1996); and “I Get It” in Voices Rising (edited by G. Winston James & Other Countries, 2007).
A lifelong student of language—especially the expressive and layered nuances of English—Richardson has explored a wide range of creative and intellectual pursuits, from music to computing, and most enduringly, writing. Following a long career as a Systems Analyst in information technology, he continues to make his home in New York City, where he remains engaged with the evolving possibilities of technology, maintains an active interest in artificial intelligence, and, true to form, is known to build an entire spreadsheet simply as a method of taking notes.
