Kopacz talked to rolling out about how she drew from the Yoruba legend of Yemaya, a Black mermaid deity who
watched over enslaved Africans.
What is the story behind the title Shallow Waters?
So, Shallow Waters [came about] because Yemaya comes from the depths of the ocean and the depths of the soul. The shallow waters represent her. Her journey, like she came into the shallow waters and land, so I guess it just represents her transition into this new part of her journey.
The main character of Shallow Waters is Yemaya, who is she?
Yemaya is a Yoruba spirit. Some people will say god or goddess in their pantheon of gods and goddesses. She is a Black mermaid. I’m telling the story of her as a mermaid. She is said to be the mother of us all. She was the spirit who watched over our ancestors as they went over the Middle Passage. I imagined her in my story before she knew she was a goddess.
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