The Waterbearers

Camille Billops

This excerpt from the Waterbearers by Sasha Bonét tells part of the story of artist and filmmaker Camille Billops. Told as a series of “tributaries”, the Waterbearers is a transformative work of American storytelling that reimagines not just how we think of Black women, but how we think of ourselves—as individuals, parents, communities, and a country. Published September 2025 by Penguin Random House.

Tributary #88

I

In Conversation:
Sasha Bonét
Filed under:
Excerpts
Topics:
Reclaiming Narratives
From EIP #9