Solange Knowles is taking her Saint Heron Library to the next level. According to the New York Times, the Grammy-winning artist and USC scholar-in-residence recently released Azurest Blue, a 69-page zine chronicling the life and work of Amaza Lee Meredith, one of the country’s first Black female and queer architects.
The release marks a major expansion of the Saint Heron Library, which has grown from a collection of 50 rare and out-of-print titles to more than 2,150 books now circulating across the U.S. Borrowers can request the materials through an honor-based system, with complimentary shipping and a 45-day return period. Saint Heron reports a 99% return rate, even for its most in-demand works.
The Meredith zine includes archival photos, commissioned essays, and research materials, with a personalized library checkout slip tucked inside each copy, a nod to childhood library experiences. Fans have formed block-long lines at Manhattan pop-up events to borrow copies, with similar events planned for Detroit, Los Angeles, and Virginia State University through December.
The library’s growth reflects Solange’s long-term commitment to preserving and sharing Black literary, artistic, and historical work. She has described her goal as making older, out-of-print books by Black creators accessible to communities that might otherwise be excluded, creating a “tactile experience where there’s really energy exchanged through these objects.”
In addition to running the library, Solange continues her work as a scholar in residence at USC’s Thornton School of Music, developing curricula focused on music curation, performance, and storytelling, while maintaining the Saint Heron Library as a national resource for Black creativity and history.
