Saul Williams working on graphic novel 'Let There Be Dark'

NEW YORK — Saul Williams’ latest project is a blend of words and pictures.

The rapper, actor and poet is working with illustrator Paul Davey (otherwise known as “mattahan”) on a graphic novel, “Let There Be Dark,” which publisher First Second Books calls a “high wire dance” that “mixes free verse and short personal essays and interrogates darkness.” The book is scheduled for the fall of 2023.

“Through his words and Davey’s visionary art, the reader is taken on a dreamlike journey of ideas and questions that seek to root out white supremacist norms while it enchants the eyes and transports the mind,” according to a statement released Thursday by First Second Books, a Macmillan imprint.

Williams, known for the film “Slam” and such albums as “Volcanic Sunlight,” said in a statement that he was excited to explore “the boundless mystery and beauty that connects deep sea, deep space, dark skin, and why we close our eyes when we kiss.”