Black Writers Read

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with author, actress, and activist Denise Nicholas, which was live-streamed on January 17, 2026.Nicholas's memoir, Finding Home (Agate Bolden, 2025), chronicles her time growing up in Detroit, her trailblazing acting and writing career, her personal journey, and familial loss. With eloquence, vulnerability, and resolve, Nicholas mines her six-decade journey through TV and film stardom, the complexities of her three marriages, and her reconstituting her creative life to become a celebrated novelist, reflecting on the personal, professional, and societal pressures that buffeted her throughout. Constructed of episodic reflections from both personal and professional high points and low points of her life, Nicholas navigates the intersections of love and identity, exploring how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her understanding of success, intimacy, and commitment. Her narrative is rich with anecdotes from her career in Hollywood, as an actor and, later, a successful screenwriter for television and eventually a novelist, providing a backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path. She outspokenly discusses the challenges she faced as a trailblazing actress of color, shedding light on the systemic barriers and biases within the entertainment industry.Learn more about Denise Nicholas by visiting denisenicholas.net. Purchase your copy of Finding Home: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9781572843530Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Cher Terais, which was live-streamed on December 21, 2025.  Cher Terais is a bestselling Wanderlust Romance author, cultural storyteller, and the creative force behind As Written by Cher Terais. Known for crafting love stories that travel the world while centering bold, accomplished Black women, Cher’s work blends romance, culture, and emotional depth with destinations that feel as stunning as they are intimate.Her novels—including Bali Blue, Mess on the Mara, Tempest in Tulum, and Steel Horses, Leather Roads—invite readers into stories where Black love is expansive, grown, and unapologetically global. Each book is a passport, reminding women that desire, adventure, and softness are not luxuries—they’re birthrights.Beyond the page, Cher is the founder of The Booked Club, a curated travel and lifestyle community for women who love books, beautiful experiences, and getting out into the world with intention. Through retreats, memberships, and immersive storytelling, she helps women reconnect with joy, creativity, and themselves.A former Army veteran, world traveler, and mentor, Cher speaks candidly about reinvention, womanhood after 40, creative courage, and what it means to choose a life that feels as good as it looks. When she’s not writing or building community, she’s likely planning her next escape, sipping wine, and reminding women everywhere to get booked—on the page and in real life. During this episode, we chatted about Steel Horses, Leather Roads (July 2025). A second-chance romance, Steel Horses, Leather Roads is perfect for readers who crave Black Southern romance, Cowboy Carter energy, emotionally layered storytelling, and love stories that understand: the past doesn’t stay buried—it rides alongside you.Find Cher Terais online at: cherterais.comFind Cher Terais on Instagram: @cher_terais_authorFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Emely Rumble, LICSW, which was live-streamed on December 2, 2025.  Emely Rumble, LICSW is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist with over 15 years of professional experience. Committed to making mental health services more accessible, Emely specializes in the transformative practice of bibliotherapy.Rumble is passionate about advocating for the integration of creative arts in psychotherapy, mental well-being, and self-improvement. Emely champions the social model of disability and embraces a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approach. Emely’s work has been featured in respected publications such as Parents Magazine, ‘School Library Journal’, Dazed Magazine, Success Magazine, BronxNet News, The Bronx is Reading, Essence Magazine, CNN Health, The New York Times, Bustle Wellness and Therapy for Black Girls among other publications. Her debut book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx (Row House Publishing, 2025), explores the modality of literature based therapy in healing practice.In this transformative work, Rumble offers readers an intimate glimpse into her journey as a psychotherapist in the Bronx, where she has spent over 14 years using books to help clients navigate complex emotions, heal from trauma, and find their voices. Through vivid anecdotes and real-world case studies, she demonstrates how literature can serve as a bridge between personal pain and collective healing.Rich with practical tips, reflective exercises, and book recommendations, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the power of words to change lives. Whether you're a therapist, educator, bibliophile, or simply someone seeking deeper understanding and growth, this book offers a compassionate, culturally affirming guide to the transformative potential of storytelling.Rumble's work is a testament to the enduring power of books to heal, empower, and liberate. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx reminds us that the stories we tell—and the stories we read—can unite us in our shared humanity.To learn more about Emely and her work, please visit LiterapyNYC.podia.com.Find Emely on Instagram: @literapy_NYCFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Jodi-Ann Burey, which was live-streamed on November 18, 2025.  Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work (Flatiron Books, 2025), which we discussed during this episode.Beyond the written word, Jodi-Ann stands out as a catalytic orator, having conducted over 100 keynotes, panels, and interviews - including TEDx.  Inspired by her personal journey and professional experience in public health, Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. Jodi-Ann is the co-creator and host of Lit Lounge, a curated book collection and author interview series, and the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a monthly prose and poetry salon.An alum of Boston College and the University of Michigan, Jodi-Ann has over 15 years of entrepreneurial, corporate, non-profit and start-up professional experience. Her writing has been supported by Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA), The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, The Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Vermont Studio Center.She enjoys snowboarding, oil painting and prides herself on being a cool auntie and a reluctant dog owner.Jodi-Ann was born in Jamaica, lives in Seattle, Washington and will always call New York City home.Jodi-Ann’s Authentic delves into the dangers of disclosure in environments that aren’t built for our well-being. With insights from pop culture, academic research, and interviews with other professionals of color, Burey argues that we deserve better than shallow ploys for representation.To learn more about Jodi-Ann, please visit https://jodiannburey.com/.Purchase a copy of Authentic.Watch Jodi-Ann's TED Talk.Find Jodi-Ann on Instagram: @jodiannbureyFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Michael D. Whitney, which was live-streamed on November 9, 2025.  Michael D. Whitney is the author of Annetta's Michael: Living Life After Death Changes Everything. He is a new author on a path to share his profound individual and unrefined journey with the world. Michael's passion and deep love for creative writing evolved from an early adolescent age of 11, writing poetry and short stories, not knowing that his captivation by the power of words would one day be told with such vivid detail based on tragedy. Sustaining his own motivation, Michael's goal is to inspire and encourage the positive outlook on various challenges that individuals encounter throughout their lives.His debut Memoir, Annetta's Michael: Living Life After Death Changes Everything, is a true testimony to survival, faith and the power of resilence. When not writing, Michael, this Louisville, Kentucky native and youngest of seven enjoys fishing, and cooking.Find Michael on Instagram: @bookbruthaFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Sherese Francis (poetry.), which was live-streamed on November 2, 2025.  Sherese Francis (she/they) describes themselves as an AlkyMist of the I-Magination, finding expression through poetry, interdisciplinary arts (collage, book and paper arts, sound and performance art, text art), workshop facilitation, editing, and literary curation. Their work takes inspiration from their Afro-Caribbean heritage (Barbados and Dominica), and studies in Afrofuturism and Black Speculative Arts, mythology and etymology. Some of their work has been published in Women’s Studies Quarterly, Furious Flower, Obsidian, Rootwork Journal, The Caribbean Writer, The Operating System, Cosmonauts Avenue, No Dear, Apex Magazine, Bone Bouquet, African Voices, Newtown Literary, and Free Verse. Sherese has received grants and awards from Queens Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, and The Caribbean Writer, residencies from WorksonWater, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Akademie Schloss Solitude, SeaSalted Honey in Senegal, Oroko Radio, and Powerhouse, and fellowships from Voodoonauts, Baldwin for the Arts and Anaphora Arts. Additionally, Sherese has published four chapbooks, Lucy’s Bone Scrolls (Three Legged Elephant, 2017), Variations on Sett/ling Seed/ling (Harlequin Creature, 2018), Recycling a Why That Rules Over My Sacred Sight (DoubleCross Press, 2021) and Lady Liberty Smashing Stones (THRASH Press, 2022), and edited a poetry anthology/guided journal, Baby Suggs and a Purple Butterfly (Get Fresh Books, 2024). Sherese won Inverted Syntax’s 2024 Aggrey Book Prize for Poetry for PollyNation: A Seminary of Self, which will be published in 2027.Find Sherese Francis online: https://futuristicallyancient.com/about-me/Find Sherese Francis on Instagram: @afutureancientFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadSupport Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Naomi Rivers.Naomi Rivers writes lesbian romance and women’s fiction. Naomi Rivers is a wife writing team who believes in romance, fairy tales, and happily ever after. Their first novel, THIS: A Simple, Complex Love Story, was written over twenty years to maintain their connection during multiple deployments. They are both retired U.S. military veterans and reside with their two rescue dogs on the east coast. Naomi’s work has appeared in I Heart SapphFic’s anthology Favorite Scenes from Favorite Authors and From a Black Perspective: The Homeland. Their second book, Why Not Us? was released on November 11. 2025.Learn more about their work: https://www.naomiriversbooks.com/Purchase THIS: A Simple, Complex Love Story: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9798987329702Purchase Why Not Us?: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9798987329733Find Naomi Rivers on Instagram: @naomiriversbooksFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Dorsía Smith Silva, which was live-streamed on October 19, 2025.  We chatted about her debut poetry collection, In Inheritance of Drowning (CavanKerry Press, 2024).In this striking debut, Dorsía Smith Silva explores the devastating effects of Hurricane María in Puerto Rico, highlighting the natural world, the lasting impact of hurricanes, and the marginalization of Puerto Ricans. These poems also focus on the multiple sites of oppression in the United States, especially the racial, social, and political injustices that occur every day. Smith Silva writes with a powerful, gripping voice, confronting the “drowning” of disenfranchised communities as they are displaced, exploited, and robbed of their identities, but remain resilient. Written with unflinching language and vivid imagery, In Inheritance of Drowning reveals the many facets of the lives of marginalized people.To learn more about Dorsía and her work, please visit her website at dorsiasmithsilva.com. Purchase your copy of In Inheritance of Drowning TODAY by clicking here.Here's the list of Caribbean authors mentioned during the interview (information on each writer is hyperlinked in their names): Velma Pollard, Shara McCallum, Dionne Brand, Lorna Goodison, M. NourbeSe Philip, and V. S. Naipaul.FInd Dorsía on Instagram: @dsmithsilvaFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Tiriq Rashad, which was live-streamed on October 17, 2025 as a part of our National Black Poetry Day marathon.  We chatted about his recently released spoken word album, Kiss My Art.Tiriq Rashad, a proud native of “Atlantic-Ville” (Atlantic City and Pleasantville), blends his social work background with a gift for storytelling to create work rooted in resilience, authenticity, and healing. Author of A Diamond In God’s Dirt and shine through our shade: an evolution of self-love, his writing has earned praise from readers and icons like Nikki Giovanni for its powerful reflection of both universal and Black experiences. Kiss My Art, which was released on October 17, 2025, is a soul-baring journey through grief, identity, and creative liberation. Merging spoken word with jazz and hip-hop, the album unfolds like a living memoir.Purchase Kiss My Art, directly on Bandcamp.Check out Nicole's spoken word album, IN/Put: Live from the Valley on Apple Music or Amazon MusicFind Tiriq Rashad on Instagram: @tiriq_rashadFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton, which was live-streamed on October 17, 2025 as a part of our National Black Poetry Day marathon. Synnika Alek-Chizoba Lofton is an award-winning poet, educator, Pushcart Prize nominee, and publisher. Lofton is the author of more than thirty-five collections of poetry and more than one-hundred and seventy spoken word albums. His poems have appeared in Clock House Journal, Revenge, UpStreet, Experience Reality Magazine, Quay, Dissident Voice, The Skinny Poetry Journal, Mid-Atlantic Review, and Blue-Collar Review. He earned both a B.A. in Creative Writing and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Goddard College. He has held teaching positions at Chesapeake Bay Academy, Norfolk State University, and Elizabeth City State University.To learn more about Synnika and his work, please visit www.iamsynnika.com.Special thanks to Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman (featured on Season Five, Episode Four) and Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice for introducing us to Synnika.Find Synnika on Instagram: @i_am_synnikaFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Damon Moore, which was live-streamed on October 17, 2025 as a part of our National Black Poetry Day marathon. We talked about his debut poetry collection, Anthems for an American Apocalypse Volume One: Poems for Recitation and Resuscitation. Bridging psychology and prophecy, Damon Moore crafts mythic verse that prods you into awakening. Anthems of the American Apocalypse Volume One burns with themes of identity, culture, and rebirth. A must-read for anyone who knows America is cracked and still wants to build something sacred from the ruins. In this genre-defying spoken-word poetry collection informed by ancestral wisdom, collective shadow work, and lived experience, Damon Moore fuses prophecy and poetry into a vision for what comes after collapse. He exposes the cultural rot of the American empire and deconstructs the machinery of its identity, systemic oppression, and spiritual fragmentation. These poems move through history, psychology, and ancestry with precision and passion.Published in August of 2025, Anthems of the American Apocalypse Volume One is a vital offering for thinkers, artists, and seekers longing to reclaim soul in a soulless age.This very eye-opening and compelling poetry collection is available for purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/986XdtJFind Damon on Instagram and TikTok at iamdamonmoore. Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with self-help author, the Honorable Tiffany D. Tilley, which was live-streamed on October 14, 2025. Tiffany D. Tilley is an author, leader, advocate, and luminary from Detroit with a multi-faceted background that often intersects across education, communications, government, real estate development, community and economic development, and nonprofit leadership. A dedicated public servant, she was elected to the Michigan State Board of Education in 2018 with nearly 1.8 million votes and later ran for Congress in Michigan’s 10th District.Passionate about literacy, equity, Early Childhood Education, mental health, foster youth, and education reform. Tilley has been a tireless advocate both locally and nationally. She has fought for social justice, amplifying community voices and advancing grassroots initiatives that create meaningful change. As a State Board Member, she has worked to dismantle systemic barriers in education and beyond. Through her development and nonprofit leadership, she has secured approximately $20 million in resources for communities across Southeastern Michigan.Tilley holds an MBA from the University of Detroit Mercy and has received global leadership training from C-Suite executives and government leaders in Italy, China, Hong Kong, Brazil, and Costa Rica. Her greatest role is being a mother of two, inspiring change through leadership and service.During our conversation, we chatted about Tiffany’s Know Thyself Book Series. Finding strength through reflection, purpose through healing, and power through authenticity, the Know Thyself Book Series includes four books: The Journey to Self-Empowerment, Virtues of Leadership, Getting Over the Hump: A Voyage to the Top, and Rebirth. This series is more than books, it’s a movement to inspire self-discovery, emotional resilience, self-determination, and positive transformation.Purchase the Know Thyself book series: https://www.phoenixrisingpublishingcompany.com/know-thyself-book-series/know-thyself-book-seriesFind Tiffany on Instagram: @thriveandrisewithtiffanyFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Dr. Shonda Buchanan, which was live-streamed on September 14, 2025. We talked about her recent poetry collection, The Lost Songs of Nina Simone and her debut memoir, Black Indian.Kalamazoo, Michigan native Dr. Shonda Buchanan is a three-time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee, Oxfam Ambassador and a PEN Emerging Voices Fellow and PEN America Mentor. An Associate Professor in the Department of English at Western Michigan University and Alma College’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, Shonda is the author of three collections of poetry, The Lost Songs of Nina Simone, Who’s Afraid of Black Indians?, Equipoise: Poems from Goddess Country as well as the award-winning memoir, Black Indian, chosen by PBS NewsHour as a “Top 20 books to read to learn about institutional racism.”Former Board President for Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, and Board member of the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival and the Kalamazoo Arts Council, Shonda has published in The Mississippi Review, the Los Angeles Times, the LA Weekly, LA Times Magazine, AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle, Indian Country Today, Red Ink Journal, LA Parents Magazine and freelanced for the International Review of African American Art, Westways, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Daily Press and Sisters of AARP. Shonda’s forthcoming essay collection, Children of the Mixed Blood Trail, explores mixed-race migration in North America. An English Language Specialist with the Department of State, Shonda is currently shopping a Black Lives Matter book of poetry, America’s Bloodflowers: Poems, as well as Artificial Earth: Poems and Essays, about the first founding mixed-race “settlers” of Los Angeles and California Indians. To learn more about Dr. Buchanan, please visit shondabuchanan.com.Follow Shonda Buchanan on Instagram: @shondabuchananFollow Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on PatreonSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Shannon Luders-Manuel, which was live-streamed on September 7, 2025. We welcomed Shannon back to the virtual platform to talk about her debut memoir, The One Who Loves You. Shannon Luders-Manuel is the author of the memoir, The One Who Loves You: A Memoir of Growing Up Biracial in a Black and White World, published by Lawrence Hill Books, an imprint of Chicago Review Press which was released in February of 2025. Shannon holds an MA in English Literature from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written extensively about race, with bylines in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. In 2015, she wrote the viral For Harriet essay “What it Means to be Mixed Race During the Fight for Black Lives.” Luders-Manuel presented her master’s thesis at the Critical Mixed Race Studies Conference in Chicago in 2012 and was a featured writer at the 2014 Mixed Remixed Festival in Los Angeles. She performs sensitivity reads for major publishers, providing feedback on Black and mixed-race characters and issues.To learn more about Shannon, please visit shannonludersmanuel.com. Purchase your copy of The One Who Loves You today via Black Writers Read's Bookshop link.Check out the first time Shannon was on the virtual platform: Season One Episode SevenFind Shannon on Instagram: @shannon_luders_manuelFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailBlack Writers Read has reached its sixth season! Check out this trailer to get a sneak peek of the upcoming season.Conversations here on Black Writers Read question our own subjectivities as creatives, justify our choices as writers, acknowledge our growths, chiseling through barriers so that others behind us don’t face the same challenges and of course, remaining hopeful in our constantly shifting world - one that continues to erase our histories, representations, and identities. Black storytellers still stand strong for the culture. Join us LIVE on Sunday, September 7 at 3 p.m. ET | 12 p.m. PT on the live broadcast on YouTube for our Season Six premiere.Visit us online at https://blackwritersread.com/ to learn more about the virtual platform.Support Black Writers Read on Patreon.Check out past episodes on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music.Thanks again for your support and for ensuring that Black writers continue to matter.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Arriel Vinson, which was live-streamed on May 24, 2025. We chatted about her debut young adult (YA) novel in verse, Under the Neon Lights (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, June 3. 2025).Arriel Vinson is a Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow and Midwesterner who writes about being young, Black, and in search of freedom. She earned her MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College. Her poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in Kweli Journal, Catapult, The Rumpus, Waxwing, and others. Arriel is a Tin House YA Scholar, Highlights Foundation scholarship recipient, and 2020 Walter Grant recipient. In this sparkling and heartfelt debut YA novel in verse, a young Black girl discovers first love, self-worth, and the power of a good skate. Perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Joya Goffney.You can connect with her on social media at @arriwrites and find her work at arriwrites.com.Purchase your copy of Under the Neon Lights via Black Writers Read's Bookshop link to support both the podcast and independent bookstores! CLICK HEREFind Arriel on Instagram: @arriwritesFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Laura Pegram, founding editor of The Kweli Journal, to chat about Sing the Truth: The Kweli Journal Short Story Collection, an anthology published in celebration of their 15th anniversary, which was live-streamed on May 17, 2025. Hailed as “The Paris Review of BIPOC literature,” The Kweli Journal has been a launching pad for many of today’s most celebrated writers. Kweli—“truth” in Swahili—marks its fifteenth anniversary with this luminous collection edited by founder Laura Pegram. These vivid narratives explore the devastation of leaving home and the struggle to adapt to reimagined lives, lost loves, distant families, and buried pasts, deepening our understanding of the human experience.Featuring works from acclaimed authors Naima Coster, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Daphne Palasi Andreades, Susan Muaddi Darraj, and others, with a foreword by Edwidge Danticat, this anthology stands as a testament to voices too often overlooked in contemporary literature. Readers will encounter narratives that explore memory, identity, culture, and the ways in which words transcend language to become instruments of power and resilience. In the evocative words of the anthology: “So come, sit with us on the bank and listen to our music.”Kweli means “truth” in Swahili. Under the direction of founding editor, Laura Pegram since 2009, the Kweli Journal’s mission is to nurture emerging BIPOC writers that “sing the truth”. With a quarterly online literary journal, year-long writer fellowships, multi-session workshops, writing retreats, individualized editing, an annual writers’ conference and international festival, Kweli invests in the artistic and professional growth of emerging authors, nationally and internationally. Kweli Journal continues to contribute to a world where the narratives being told reflect the truth of our histories and the possibilities of our future.To learn more about the Kweli Journal, please visit their website at kwelijournal.org. To purchase your copy of Sing the Truth, please visit https://bookshop.org/shop/blackwritersread. By purchasing your books via this Bookshop link, you’re  supporting Independent booksellers and Black Writers Read.Find Kweli Journal on Instagram: @kweli.journalFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: patreon.com/blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Eden Royce (Southern Gothic.), which was live-streamed on May 3, 2025. Eden Royce is a writer from Charleston, South Carolina now living in Southeast England. She is a Shirley Jackson Award finalist and a Bram Stoker Award nominee for her adult short fiction, which has appeared in various print and online magazines. Her debut middle-grade novel, ROOT MAGIC is a Walter Award Honoree, a Nebula Award finalist, a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award winner, and an Ignyte award winner for outstanding children’s literature. Her third middle-grade novel, THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE, is a Walter Award Honoree, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and a Bram Stoker Award Nominee. She loves tea, coffee, bookstores, and roller skating – not always in that order.During this episode, Eden read from her short story, "For Southern Girls When the Zodiac Ain't Near Enough" originally published in Apex Magazine issue #111 in 2018. We also had an opportunity to chat about her middle grade fiction novels including ROOT MAGIC and THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE along with her forthcoming adult novella, PSYCHOPOMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE which is scheduled for release later this year in October. Pre-order your copy of PSYCHOPOMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE TODAY!Congratulations to Eden for THE CREEPENING OF DOGWOOD HOUSE being nominated for an Ignyte Award in the Outstanding Middle Grade category and HOLLOW TONGUE for being nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award!To learn more about Eden and her body of work, please visit edenroyce.com.Find Eden Royce on Instagram: @edenroycebooksFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Essie Chambers, which was live-streamed on April 22, 2025. Essie Chambers is an award-winning author and producer. Her debut novel, Swift River—a Today Show “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick—won the 2024 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize and was named a best book of the year by The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, Elle, and others. It was also longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award, The Libby Awards, the New England Book Awards and the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year. She received an Honor Fiction award from The Black Caucus of the American Library Association.Essie started her career as a television executive at Nickelodeon/The N and BET before becoming an independent producer and filmmaker. She went on to produce the critically acclaimed PBS documentary, The New Public, and the Sundance Award–winning, Oscar-shortlisted documentary Descendant, which was released by the Obamas’ Higher Ground production company and Netflix in 2022.She earned her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and has received fellowships from MacDowell, the Vermont Studio Center, and Baldwin for the Arts. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she’s about to get started on book #2.During our conversation, we talked about Swift River.Learn more about Essie and her body of work: https://essiechambers.com/During the episode, I reference an interview between Harriette Cole and Essie Chambers. Watch this interview here: Dreamleapers with Harriette ColeFind Essie on Instagram: @essiejchambersFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Brother’s Keeper Poetry Theater Ensemble, which was live-streamed on April 12, 2025. Since 2013, Brother’s Keeper Poetry Theater Ensemble has been a beacon of hope and transformation, weaving together words, emotions, and stories to create powerful theatrical performances that resonate deeply with their audiences. The group blends elements of poetry, spoken word, theatre and music to create a unique performance which is not only entertaining and educational, but also soulful.Passionate about fostering diversity and social change, Brother's Keeper has taken their craft into diverse spaces, performing at city halls, job corps programs, corporate offices seeking to enhance their DEI initiatives, and young adult substance abuse centers. With every stage they grace, they aim to spark dialogue, challenge perceptions, and encourage healing through the transformative power of art. Brother's Keeper has received citations of merit from the City Hall in the cities of: East Providence, Providence and Pawtucket Rhode Island.Check out their newly released spoken word album, Father Figures, now available on Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon Music, and YouTube.This episode of Black Writers Read is presented in collaboration with the Florence Poetry Carnival. Find Brother’s Keeper on Instagram: @brotherskeeperpoetryFind Florence Poetry Carnival on Instagram: @florence_poetry_carnivalFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Nzima Hutchings (poetry. prose.), the 2023-2025 Poet Laureate for Enfield, Connecticut, which was livestreamed on April 7, 2025 to kick-off National Poetry Month.An award-winning author, editor, educator, and workshop facilitator, Nzima Hutchings has worked with various organizations including Trinity Health of New England, Saint Francis Hospital Family Advocacy Center, Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Asnuntuck Community College, Long Wharf Theatre, Nuyorican Poets Café, Our Piece of the Pie, Massachusetts Women of Color, and Mount Holyoke College. Nzima serves on several boards of directors including for the Enfield Cultural Art Commissions, Ujima African American, and A Queen’s Narrative. She is the curator and host of Nzima's Poetry Café Show. show on Cox Public Access Studios which airs in Connecticut and Longmeadow, Massachusetts. She is also a co-founder off Hartford's L.I.T. with T'challa Williams who was interviewed on the podcast back in February of 2025. Nzima is a contributor to Heavy is the Crown, an anthology published by A Queen's Narrative - I served as the editor and Nzima read an excerpt of her poem during the bonus episode announcing the book.To purchase books written by Nzima, visit her Amazon link here.To listen to the bonus episode on the Heavy is the Crown anthology: Apple Podcasts; SpotifyFind Nzima on Instagram: @follownzimaFInd Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with contemporary romance author, Reese Ryan, which was live-streamed on March 23, 2025.Award-winning author Reese Ryan writes sexy, emotional, “grown folks” romantic fiction. Her characters find love while navigating career crises and family drama. The two-time recipient of the Donna Hill Breakout Author Award is an advocate for the romance genre and diversity in fiction. Reese’s books have been featured on Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, and BookRiot.Our chat centered around The Love & Music Suite which includes Spin the Block, Never the Right Time, and More Than Friends. The fourth book of the series, When It Comes to You, is due for release this summer on June 20.The Love & Music Series follows the music industry celebrity alumni of Peachtree School of the Arts in Atlanta as they reconnect to save their old school. Friendships are formed and love connections are re-ignited as they navigate the industry and take their careers to new heights.To learn more about Reese and her work, please visit reeseryan.com. During our conversation, we also talked about the Black Romance Book Fest. Learn more about this event by visiting https://blackromancebookfest.com/.Find Reese on Instagram: @reeseryanwritesFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with nonfiction, business, and Christian Self-Help author, LaTanya Orr, which was live-streamed on March 15, 2025.Brand strategist, certified life coach and visual storyteller, LaTanya Orr, strategically equips entrepreneurs, corporate executives and ministry leaders with award-winning concepts that showcase their brand brilliance with intention and maximum impact. With over two decades in marketing, public relations, and design, LaTanya shapes brand identities through creative strategies and impactful design. As the author of Strike A Pose: 7 Red Carpet Strategies Every Entrepreneurial Woman Must Have, she empowers career women to excel. Her upcoming book, FoundHER, Finding Me: How a Shift in Focus Reveals Your Extraordinary, guides women to thrive at the highest levels. Regarded as an “Entrepreneurial Midwife”, LaTanya fosters disruption in women's business through her Chicago-based, women's entrepreneurial network, The FoundHERS Suite. LaTanya holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan and an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from Davenport University.To learn more about LaTanya and her work, please visit www.thefoundherssuite.com. During the introduction, I mentioned the name of Michelle May, the amazing creative professionals' coach that brought LaTanya and I together. Michelle has helped me to amplify my brand as a creative professional and to streamline my workflow. To learn more about her and her services, visit https://www.ammayassociates.com/coachingmichelle. Find LaTanya on Instagram: @latanyaorrFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Dr. Donna J. Nicol, which was live-streamed on March 8, 2025, the day nationally recognized as International Women’s Day. We talked about her book, Black Woman on Board: Claudia Hampton, the California State University, and the Fight to Save Affirmative Action (University of Rochester Press, 2024).Black Woman on Board: Claudia Hampton, the California State University, and the Fight to Save Affirmative Action examines the leadership strategies that Black women educators have employed as influential power brokers in predominantly white colleges and universities in the United States. Author Donna J. Nicol tells the extraordinary story of Dr. Claudia H. Hampton, the California State University (CSU) system's first Black woman trustee, who later became the board's first woman chair, and her twenty-year fight (1974–94) to increase access within the CSU for historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. Amid a growing white backlash against changes brought on by the 1960s Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, Nicol argues that Hampton enacted "sly civility" to persuade fellow trustees, CSU system officials, and state lawmakers to enforce federal and state affirmative action mandates.Black Woman on Board explores how Hampton methodically "played the game of boardsmanship," using the soft power she cultivated amongst her peers to remove barriers that might have impeded the implementation and expansion of affirmative action policies and programs. In illuminating the ways that Hampton transformed the CSU as the "affirmative action trustee," this remarkable book makes an important contribution to the history of higher education and to the historiography of Black women's educational leadership in the post-Civil Rights era.Winnter of the 2024 Best Indie Book Award in Non-Fiction: History, Politics, and Social Sciences, Black Woman on Board offers a rare view inside the university boardroom, uncovering the vital role Black women educational leaders have played in ensuring access and equity for all.Dr. Donna J. Nicol is the Associate Dean for Personnel and Curriculum in the College of Liberal Arts at California State University Long Beach (CSULB).To learn more about Dr. Nicol and her work, please visit donnajnicol.com.Find the book, Black Woman on Board on Instagram: @blackwomanonboardFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Victoria Christopher Murray, which was live-streamed on March 1, 2025. Victoria Christopher Murray is a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including The Personal Librarian, a Good Morning America book club pick, and The First Ladies, Target’s 2023 Book of the Year, both of which she coauthored with Marie Benedict. She is a NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work for her novel Stand Your Ground, which was also a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.Our conversation centered around Victoria’s latest historical fiction novel, Harlem Rhapsody (February 4, 2025, Berkley).In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.Congratulations to Victoria and Harlem Rhapsody for being chosen as the March read for the Club Calvi Book Club! Watch Victoria's interview about this month's read.To learn more about Victoria and her expansive body of work, please visit her website at victoriachristophermurray.com. Special thanks to Wendy Healey of Ventfort Hall Gilded Age Mansion and Museum and Shawn Matel from Our Culture Is Beautiful (CT) for making this connection happen.Find Victoria on Instagram: @victoriachristophermurrayFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Roya Marsh, which was live-streamed on February 3, 2025. Bronx, New York native, Roya Marsh is a poet, performer, educator and activist. She is the author of dayliGht, a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Lesbian Poetry and SAVINGS TIME (MCDXFSG). Roya works feverishly toward Queer liberation and dismantling white supremacy. She is the co-founder of the Bronx Poet Laureate, a PEN America Emerging Voices Mentor, Lambda Literary faculty and the awardee of the Lotos Foundation Prize for Poetry and 2024 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Grant from Bronx Council on the Arts. Roya’s work has been featured widely including, The Academy of American Poets, Poetry Magazine, the Village Voice, Nylon Magazine, Huffington Post, The Root, Button Poetry, BAM, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Apollo Theater, Lexus Verses and Flow, On One with Angela Rye, BET and The BreakBeat Poets Vol 2: Black Girl Magic (Haymarket 2018).This episode’s conversation centered around her recently released poetry collection, savings time, which hit bookshelves on February 4, 2025.The poems in Roya Marsh’s second collection, savings time, wear their raw feeling and revolutionary forcefulness on their sleeves. Alternating between confrontation and celebration, Marsh trains her unsparing eye on the twinned subjects of Black rage and Black healing with practiced, musical intention.In poems flitting between breathless prose and measured lyricism, Marsh contemplates the contradictions and challenges of Black life in America, tackling everything from police brutality and urban gentrification to queer identity, presidential elections, and pop culture, all while calling for a world where self-care, especially for Black women, is not just encouraged but mandated. “no one told the Black girl,” she writes, “‘see you later’ was a prayer / begging us survive our own erasure.”As unforgettable on the page as when recited in Marsh’s legendary spoken-word performances, the poems in savings time are focused on both revolution and self-love, at once holding society accountable for its exploitation of Black life and honoring the joy of persisting nonetheless.Purchase your copy of savings time TODAY: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374615796/savingstime/Find Roya on Instagram: @champagnepoetFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Justin Haynes, which was live-streamed on January 18, 2025. Justin Haynes is a fiction writer originally from the Caribbean.  His work has been supported by various residencies and fellowships, including from the Fine Arts Work Center and the Tin House Summer Workshop. His writing has been published in various literary magazines and journals, including Caribbean Quarterly and SX Salon|Small Axe Project. Haynes lives in Atlanta and teaches English and creative writing at Oglethorpe University.During this episode, we chatted about Justin’s recently released novel, Ibis (Overlook Press, February 11, 2025).A bold, witty, magical new voice in fiction, Justin Haynes's Ibis weaves a cross-generational Caribbean story of migration, superstition, and a search for family in his debut novel.There is bad luck in New Felicity. The people of the small coastal village have taken in Milagros, an 11-year-old Venezuelan refugee, just as Trinidad’s government has begun cracking down on undocumented migrants—and now an American journalist has come to town asking questions. New Felicity’s superstitious fishermen fear the worst, certain they’ve brought bad luck on the village by killing a local witch who had herself murdered two villagers the year before. The town has been plagued since her death by alarming visits from her supernatural mother, as well as by a mysterious profusion of scarlet ibis birds.Now, skittish that the reporter’s story will bring down the wrath of the ministry of national security, the fishermen take things into their own hands. From there, we go backward and forward in time—from the town’s early days, when it was the site of a sugar plantation, to Milagros’s adulthood as she searches for her mother across the Americas. In between, through the voices of a chorus of narrators, we glimpse moments from various villagers’ lives, each one setting into motion events that will reverberate outwards across the novel and shape Milagros’s fate.With kinetic, absorbing language and a powerful sense of voice, Ibis meditates on the bond between mothers and daughters, both highlighting the migrant crisis that troubles the contemporary world and offering a moving exploration of how to square where we come from with who we become.To learn more about Justin and his work, please visit his website at justinhayneswriter.com.Purchase your copy of Ibis today: https://store.abramsbooks.com/products/ibisFind Justin on Instagram: @justinhayneswriterFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with T’challa Williams, which was live-streamed on January 11, 2025. Through love, marriage, motherhood and loss, T’challa Williams' voice has matured and narrated her experiences in a way that produced seven collections of poetry over the last five years. In addition to poetry, she shares her most intimate life experiences in anthologies. The most recent contribution with A Queen’s Narrative for their anthology, Heavy is The Crown, where she remembers the recent loss of her grandmother. Many of you may remember T’challa from the special episode of Black Writers Read upon the release of this anthology. Her powerful words combine with an open heart to paint a boldly compassionate picture of The Lover & The Revolutionary. As a creative advocate she tackles the hard issues head on and works through her craft to empower the voiceless and stay on the back of injustice. A member of Ruby’s Realm Production company, she reprises her character Nessa twice each year. The latest live production, Mind Your Business, can be found on Nutmeg TV on YouTube. Using her poetry, workshops and presence, T’challa works to shine a light on advocacy and create a vital impact within her community. As Executive Co-Founder of the organization Hartford’s L.I.T.; Greater Hartford Arts Council Board member; member of the Resident Community Advisor Council for the North Hartford Ascend Pipeline; T’challa works with her community and supports local artists. During this episode, T’challa shared excerpts from her fourth poetry collection, Passions…released (2022). We also had a chance to chat about her latest poetry collection, Captured Thoughts. Released in June of 2024, Captured Thoughts is a beautifully written tribute in memory of her grandmother who we had an opportunity to discuss her influence on T’challa’s work during our chat.Passions, released... is a collection of pieces from within a poet that tie love, lust and desire into words that tell stories of relationships past and present. Connections of friendships and romance and family. Old connections and new ones, all tied into our passions of life. May you find words that touch your heart and inspire you to once again feel passion, compassion and peace. May peace remind you, that you are full of love.Her books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Find T'challa on Instagram: @challarockFind Hartford's L.I.T. on Instagram: @hartfordslitFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Jennifer Janell (spicy women's fiction.), which was live-streamed on December 21, 2024. Jennifer Janell is a new women's fiction author who lives in San Antonio, Texas. She has a passion for writing spicy stories that resonate with readers, explore relationships, and offer an escape from everyday life. Her love for writing about flawed characters inspired her first book series. The Lee Series includes The Year of Lee (available as a free e-book), For the Love of Lee, and the upcoming The Betrayal of Lee (now available for pre-order). These stories depict the changes a woman goes through when navigating the complex journey of single life, love, loss, marriage, and motherhood. Jennifer’s goal is to write relatable but complex characters that people love. Her debut book, For the Love of Lee, was awarded second place for women’s fiction in the fall 2024 Book Fest awards. Jennifer is a wife, mother of three, and a registered nurse for over 20 years. She also has a master’s degree in nursing informatics.On this episode, we talked about The Lee Series and chatted in-depth about the second book of the series, For the Love of Lee.After a year of masking childhood traumas with sex, alcohol, and self-destruction, Leesha Roberts is ready to embark on a journey that will break her free from the toxicity that has been holding her back from true love.Eliminating useless lovers is first on the list …She bids farewell to the older, irresistible but very married Mike and the younger, eager-to-please Roy, but letting them go is not easy and proves to be more of a detox than a graceful exit. Determined to rebuild herself, Leesha embraces counseling, and even considers confronting her turbulent past with her mother. But just as her self-love journey gains momentum, fate throws a curveball when Francine, a prospective resident at the assistant living facility Leesha manages, introduces her to her grandson, Karl, the embodiment of every woman’s desire. Karl seems to be the perfect match, but there’s just one thing holding Leesha back—his race.Clumsily navigating the pitfalls of adulting, Leesha leans on her steadfast friend, Johnathon … until his own troubles lead him away. Now facing life without his support, Leesha grapples with the risk of falling into yet another toxic relationship. Can she preserve her path to a better life, trusting that history won’t repeat itself with Karl?Embrace Leesha’s poignant journey of self-discovery, love, and resilience in this spicy Women’s Fiction novel. For the Love of Lee was released in July of 2024.To learn more about Jennifer and her work AND to purchase your copy of For the Love of Lee, please visit jenniferjanell.com.Find Jennifer Janell on Instagram: @jenniferjanellauthorFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read onlinSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Crystal Senter-Brown, which was live-streamed on December 14, 2024. Crystal Senter-Brown's life's purpose can be summed up in one sentence: Empowering Women and Children. And Crystal lives her purpose every single day, whether it is by publishing books that teach children the importance of being kind to others, leading writing workshops in the community, speaking at local schools or leading the career center at Bay Path University. She has authored 12 books to date and is currently working on her 13th. One of her novels ("The Rhythm in Blue") was turned into a feature film and won several awards at film festivals around the world. Crystal is the recipient of the BusinessWest Difference Maker Award for her work empowering and inspiring women and young girls. She is certified as a Gallup strengths career coach, and recently began her work to earn her doctorate in Education. Married to the love of her life for almost 25 years, she is also a mother and dog mom.During this episode, Crystal shared excerpts from her second poetry collection, But She Has Such a Pretty Face (2014). Here’s what Crystal offers about But She Has Such a Pretty Face: "Every time someone would say to me: "But you have such a pretty face" I would cringe and think: But what about the Rest of me? "But you have such a pretty face" tells my story through a series of 43 poems. I wrote about my childhood in Morristown, Tn (Home, Ella's tambourine, That Time When my Brother Jerome was Evel Kneivel), marriage (Before dawn, Loving outloud), love (Lucky Jeans, Flirt) motherhood (for Aj at Seventeen, First Bath), relationships (Twenty-first morning, Monsters in the Closet), family (Welcome Home, The Droopy-Boob Haiku), the importance of fatherhood (The Luckiest Girl on Earth, Disposable Daddy, When everything was new) to learning to love my body at Every size (Chunk, Beautiful Me). I hope that no matter who you are, you'll find a few poems you can relate to. Whether you are a mother, wife, father, sister, poet, college student, mess-talker, best friend or just a girl with more than a pretty face, I hope you enjoy the read!"To learn more about Crystal and her expansive body of work, please visit crystalsenterbrown.com.Find Crystal on Instagram: @crystalsenterbrownFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Dr. DuEwa Frazier, which was live-streamed on December 7, 2024. Dr. DuEwa Frazier is an award-winning author, poet, writer, editor, professor, creative entrepreneur, keynote speaker, arts and education leader, and digital creator. She is the editor of Introduction to Afrofuturism: A Mixtape in Black Literature & Arts (Routledge, 2024). DuEwa's writing focuses on contemporary education issues, arts and culture, hip - hop culture, women's interest, and opinion. Her TEDx Talk, “Word is Bond,” was given in 2019. She has produced work in multiple areas in connection to writing, arts, and education management. Her research and work in the education field has focused on culturally responsive pedagogies, educational leadership, professional development, contemporary education issues, coaching and mentoring, arts and education initiatives, and student achievement.She is the author of several volumes of poetry and books for young readers including Shedding Light From My Journeys, Stardust Tracks on a Road, Ten Marbles and a Bag to Put Them In, Goddess Under the Bridge: Poems, Deanne in the Middle, Quincy Rules, Check the Rhyme: An Anthology of Female Poets & Emcees, and Baby Ray's Old School vs. New School Hip-Hop Party. She is the founding publisher of Lit Noire Publishing and creator of Nerdacity Podcast and Afrofutures Pod. Featured in this episode is the recently released anthology, Introduction to Afrofuturism:  A Mixtape in Black Literature & Arts and DuEwa’s expansive body of work as a writer, performer, editor, educator, and scholar.Introduction to Afrofuturism delivers a fresh and contemporary introduction to Afrofuturism, discussing key themes, understandings, and interdisciplinary topics across multiple genres in Black literature, film, and music. From Afrofuturism’s origins to the present, this critical volume features scholarly works, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction which illuminates on the contributions of notable Afrofuturists such as Octavia Butler, Sun Ra, N.K. Jemisin, Janelle Monáe, Nnedi Okorafor, Saul Williams, Prince, and more. The volume highlights the impact of films such as Black Panther (2018, 2022), The Woman King (2022), and They Cloned Tyrone (2023) and covers a variety of essential topics giving students a comprehensive view of the legacy of storytelling and the tradition of “remixing” in Black literature and arts. This volume makes connections across academic subject areas and is an engaging reader for pop culture and media film studies, women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, Black and Africana studies, hip-hop studies, creative writing, and composition and rhetoric.To learn more about DuEwa and her expansive canon of work, please visit www.duewaworld.com.Check out Nerdacity on Apple PodcastsCheck out Afrofutures Pod on YouTubeFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Sabin Prentis Duncan, which was live-streamed on December 7, 2024. Dr. Sabin Prentis Duncan is a husband, father, educator, and creator of Literary Soul Food. He holds an Executive Masters from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Doctorate and Specialist degrees from Eastern Michigan University, and Masters and Bachelor degrees from Hampton University. He writes fiction & Hip Hop essays as Sabin Prentis and non-fiction as Sabin Duncan.During our conversation, we took a deep dive into his award-winning novel, DANCE WITH MY FATHER, which is the third and last book of the Love & Family Trilogy Series.Throughout his life, Cleveland Robeson has shouldered life's challenges and traumas without asking for help. Whether it is because of his age, his gender, or because he is black, he has survived by putting his head down, plowing ahead, and never acknowledging the well-being of his mental health. But when he suggests therapy for his wife, what follows could change their marriage and his life. Published by Fielding Books in 2022, DANCE WITH MY FATHER is the recipient of the Best Fiction for Self-Publishing EBook by the Black Caucus of American Librarian Association!To learn more about Sabin and his expansive canon of work, please visit fieldingbooks.com.Find Sabin on Instagram: @sabinprentisFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: blackwritersread.com Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Ebony Aya, which was live-streamed on November 23, 2024. During our chat, we talked about her latest book, Reconsidering Eve: Towards a Deepened Consciousness.Ebony Aya works at Macalester College as a Program Manager for the Jan Serie Center for Scholarship and Teaching. She is a recent doctoral graduate from the University of Minnesota in Curriculum and Instruction, with minors in Culture and Teaching and African American and African Studies. In her work, she focuses on the experience of Black women in higher education and centering African ways of knowing. Additionally, she is the founder of the Aya Collective, a space that centers the expertise and experience of Black women in writing and is the author of published books, Reconsidering Eve: Towards a Deepened Consciousness and Incomplete Stories: On Loss, Love, and Hope, and recently launched the Aya Collective’s second anthology, Finding the Voice Within’. Imagine what can happen when the sacred texts that we have turned to for spiritual nourishment and direction are places of refuge. Imagine the possibilities of staring into these texts we have meditated on from our youth up, to see ourselves reflected within the narratives in such a way that leaves us feeling simultaneously inspired and challenged, without guilt or shame. Published in July of 2024, Reconsidering Eve: Towards a Deepened Consciousness is a text that allows us to imagine, giving us space to think through what we have learned about the biblical concept of Eve and the situatedness of Black womanhood. The stories found within these pages ensure a pathway towards a deepened self-consciousness that ultimately leads to liberation.To learn more about Ebony, her work, and to purchase her books, please visit ayamediapublishingllc.com.To learn more about the Aya Collective, please visit ayacollectivemn.com Find Ebony and the Aya Collective on Instagram: @ayacollectivemnFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: blackwritersread.comSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Brianna Wheeler, which was live-streamed on November 16, 2024. Brianna Wheeler covers cannabis, culture, food, film, parenting and local politics for print and web. She served as host, writer and producer of the Willamette Week news podcast, and is a frequent contributor to Portland City Cast. Her creative nonfiction work has appeared in The Nasiona, Midnight and Indigo, and has been featured in Medium’s Human Parts newsletter. Her first book, Altogether Different: A Memoir about Identity, Inheritance, and the Raid that Started the Civil War was published by Korza Books in 2023.If you could choose between being Black and being white, what would you do?As a child, Brianna Wheeler, the mixed-race descendant of Dangerfield Newby-first of John Brown's raiders to die at Harpers Ferry in their bid to end slavery-unconsciously chose whiteness, unaware that she had the choice at all. As an adult, following the deaths of her mother and grandmother, Brianna struggled with her own identity, convinced that her lasting legacy would be the rejection of her own Blackness.Then, in 2020, a racial reckoning rekindled her connection to both her heritage and her grandmother's lifelong work of preserving the stories of Dangerfield and the rest of her ancestors, leading Brianna to confront both long-held family dynamics and her own place in history-from a new perspective.A unique blend of memoir, creative nonfiction and illustration, Altogether Different untangles the complex connection between the stories we tell ourselves and the histories preserved for us.To learn more about Brianna, please visit briannawheeler.com.Find Brianna on Instagram:  @briyonceflipyFind Black Writers Read on Instagram:  @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Nathan Alexander Moore (Speculative Fiction. Poetry. Nonfiction. Critical Theory.), which was live-streamed on November 2, 2024. Nathan Alexander Moore (she, they) is a Black nonbinary transfemme writer, cultural theorist, and educator. Currently she is the Assistant Professor of Black Trans and Queer Studies in the Department of Women & Gender Studies at University of Colorado Boulder. Her research explores Black transfemininity, speculative fictions, and temporality. Their previous work has been published TransNarratives: Scholarly and Creative Works on Transgender Experience, Transgender Studies Quarterly, and Departures in Critical Qualitative Research. Their fiction was a Semifinalist for the 2021 Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition, as well as shortlisted for the 2022 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Award. They were also a 2023 Lambda Literary Fellow in poetry. Her debut fiction collection, THE RUPTURE FILES (2024), is available from Hajar Press.Across multiple worlds in upheaval, a curious cast of Black queer characters must choose between what they already know themselves to be and what they might yet become in the cataclysm. A shapeshifter learns to embrace their body as it changes through a lunar cycle. A stranger’s visit disturbs three sisters sheltering from monsters that stalk the land. An archivist hears an irresistible call to the rising ocean as she uncovers a surprising history. A mysterious fire sparks whispers of revolution in the mind of a vampire’s captive consort.At once tender and audacious, Nathan Alexander Moore’s debut collection, THE RUPTURE FILES, tells the stories of extraordinary creatures making impossible but human decisions. Traversing apocalypses both big and small, these captivating tales vibrate with the tensions between loss and growth; self and community; precarity and possibility.To learn more about Nathan Alexander Moore and her body of work, please visit nathanalexandermoore.com.Find Nathan on Instagram: @sumthingmooreFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Adrian Burks, which was live-streamed on October 20, 2024. Adrian Burks is a director, writer, actor and producer. An ex-collegiate athlete originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Adrian has been a filmmaker in Los Angeles for over a decade. He has appeared in movies such as the Academy Award winning WHIPLASH, and the comedic cult classic FIRST PERIOD. Adrian has also appeared in television shows such as CBS: CODE BLACK, and ALL ABOUT LIZZIE. He has written 5 produced short films, has directed three, and is currently in development for a feature film he wrote and plans to direct. Adrian won 6 awards for his film AFTER LAUGHTER in which he co-wrote, co-directed, produced and starred in. He went on to get accepted and won the Sony Pictures and Independent Film Trust creative writing program: He wrote a self-help film guide book, How to Frame Success: A Filmmaker's Guide Book to Vision, Networking, and Cinematic Triumphs (April 2024) and is currently VP of production and development for TigerPig Entertainment. Dive into the heart of DIY filmmaking with How to Frame Success: A Filmmaker's Guide Book to Vision, Networking, and Cinematic Triumphs. In this comprehensive guide, aspiring filmmakers will discover the essential tools and strategies needed to navigate the dynamic world of filmmaking. From cultivating a clear vision to effectively networking within the industry, each chapter provides practical advice and actionable tips for aspiring filmmakers. Learn how to produce your own films, maximize opportunities at film festivals, and assemble a reliable crew to bring your vision to life on screen. With insights from Academy and Emmy award winning creatives and real world examples, this book is a must-have resource for anyone passionate about filmmaking. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your career to the next level, "How to Frame Success" will empower you to achieve your dreams.During the live-streamed broadcast, Adrian shared clips from some of his films. To see those clips and hear us talk about them, be sure to check out the interview on YouTube.To learn more about Adrian and his body of work, please visit www.adrianburksartist.com.Find Adrian on Instagram: @adrianburksFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, which was live-streamed on October 19, 2024. We chatted about her recently released poetry collections, For the Girls Who Do Too Much and The Summoning of Black Joy.Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman is founder of the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice, and the current Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, Maryland.  Her creative work as a poet and playwright has been showcased on prestigious stages and platforms, including Washington, DC's John F. Kennedy Center, New York's Apollo Theatre, and Baltimore Theatre Project.Dr. Ali-Coleman is the author of the poetry collections For the Girls Who Do Too Much (2024), The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), the children's book Mariah's Maracas (2018), and co-editor of Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice, and Popular Culture (2022). Her poetry has been found in numerous publications, including Clarion, The Skinny Journal, and Zora's Den's first two book anthologies. In 2019, she was a Theatre Alliance playwright with work featured in Theatre Alliance's 2020-2021 season.Dr. Ali-Coleman founded the multidisciplinary arts group Liberated Muse in 2008 and co-founded the national education research group Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC , during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020. BFHES has provided vital support to over 3000 families, offering annual teach-ins and workshops.  Dr. Ali-Coleman holds a doctorate in education from Morgan State University, an MA in Mass Communication from Towson University, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.  A recipient of numerous grants and fellowships for her writing, performance, and teaching, her accolades include awards from the Maryland State Arts Council, Prince George's Arts and Humanities Council, and Poets & Writers. To learn more about Dr. Ali-Coleman and her body of work, please visit http://www.KhadijahAli-Coleman.com.Find Dr. Ali-Coleman on Instagram:  @khadijahonlineFind Liberated Muse on Instagram:  @liberatedmuseFind the Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice on Instagram:  @blackwriters4peaceFind Black Writers Read on Instagram:  @blackwritersreadFind black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailOn this episode, we welcomed back Tracy Cross (who first joined us in Season Two) for our conversation on October 5, 2024 to talk about her recently released second book, A Gathering of Weapons. About A Gathering of WeaponsNearly four years have passed since the events of Rootwork (the first book of The Conjure Series) and the youngest Conway sister, Pee Wee, is now thirteen years old and on the cusp of magical greatness. Ever since the tragedy of 1889, she's worked tirelessly to practice her Hoodoo and hone her conjure skills so as to right the wrongs done to her family. But as a young Black girl living in the post-Reconstruction era of the segregated South, her growing powers do not go unnoticed. Strange and malevolent forces have descended upon the small Louisiana parish Pee Wee calls home, and she must use her newly acquired conjure skills to fight back. Will she use them for good? Or will she pledge herself to the ghost of a dead Voodoo priestess and the darkness the woman serves in exchange for unlimited power and the promise of generational revenge? A Gathering of Weapons is the second book of The Conjure Series.About Tracy CrossTracy Cross’s debut novel, Rootwork, explored racism, sexism, karmic justice, and the power of family and faith. Her second novel in the series, A Gathering of Weapons (Dark Hart Publishing, 2024). Her work can be found in several anthologies, including Don’t Break the Oath, Black Magick (13 Tales of Darkness, Horror and the Occult) and 99 Tiny Terrors. She has been a recipient of a grant from the Ladies of Horror Fiction and the Horror Writers Association Scholarship from Hell. She lives in Washington, DC, is an active member of the HWA and a huge Prince fan. She also enjoys disco and has an Esty page for her other artistic endeavors. Learn more about Tracy and her work, please visit tracycrossonline.com. Find Tracy on Instagram: @tracycrosswritesFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: blackwritersread.com Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation from September 28, 2024 with Lori L. Tharps, founder of the Reed, Write & Create platform.Lori is an award-winning author, journalist and educator. A self-described, storytelling evangelist, Tharps is a recognized voice in the areas of race, identity politics and African-American culture. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Glamour and Essence magazines, among others.In 2021, Tharps moved with her husband and children to the south of Spain, where she launched Reed, Write & Create, a podcast and platform that celebrates and supports BIPoC stories and storytellers with content, coaching, and community. The Reed, Write, & Create podcast was named Best Literary Podcast by the Black Podcasting Awards in 2023 (Black Writers Read is the recipient of the 2024 Best Literary Podcast Award from the Black Podcasting Awards.A graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, Tharps is the author of three critically acclaimed nonfiction books, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America, Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain, and Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families. Tharps also penned the novel, Substitute Me.Tharps also works as a book coach and collaborator with celebrities and public figures, and has written four books in this role, including The Redemption of Bobby Love and I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here. Both of these titles began as posts on the popular Humans of New York Instagram feed.The Reed, Write & Create platform provides multiple opportunities for writers to receive a range of support including the blog, the podcast, and The Sanctuary.Learn more about Lori, her work and the Reed, Write & Create platform, please visit: ReedWriteandCreate.com.Find Lori on Instagram: @loriltharpsFind Reed, Write & Create on Instagram: @reedwriteandcre8Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis special bonus episode of Black Writers Read is the first episode of Season Eight of Podcasting is the New Kink! which features me as a guest co-host! I was invited by Jasmine Gary to join her on her platform to chat about the novel, The Other Black Girl (Atria, 2021) by Zakiya Delila Harris, and the subsequent television series adaptation (now available to stream on Hulu). ​​​​Urgent, propulsive, and sharp as a knife, this thriller, Harris's debut novel, is about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.The Other Black Girl has received multiple accolades including being recognized as a NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and A Good Morning America and Read with Marie Claire Book Club Pick and a People Best Book of Summer.It was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Parade, Goodreads, Fortune, and BBC AND Named a Best Book of 2021 by Time, The Washington Post, Esquire, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe, Harper’s Bazaar, and NPR. This book was and remains a popular read, which is why it was optioned and adapted into a television series.Podcasting Is the New Kink! is a space for Black women to get inspiration and insight! Join host, Jasmine Gary (she/her), best known as Pink Lady, as she interviews wellness and healing professionals and reviews television adaptations of novels written by Black women. Learn to be your best and favorite self, and think more critically about media and society. Find Jasmine on Instagram: @pinkladyprod and @pod.kinkFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features my conversation with guest host, fellow Black woman podcaster Jasmine Gary, about the book, Caste: The Origin of our Discontents (2020), by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Isabel Wilkerson and its film adaptation, Origin, written and directed by Ava DuVernay (Array). Both the book and the film revisit some very dark moments in history, making important connections to today’s political climate. Both are vital to experience now as DuVernay has been cited as saying she specifically wanted to make and release this film ahead of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Though emotionally heavy, the book and film contribute key social commentary to the culture.Visit Seat16.com to learn more about the film, Origin.Jasmine Gary (she/her) is the founder and lead producer of Pink Lady Productions, a production company specializing in podcasts, founded in 2019.Her love for creativity and expression began as a child when she sang, danced, acted, and stage-managed various productions in her middle and high school performing arts schools. A proud Patersionian, Jasmine went on to earn a B.A. in Communications from Howard University, graduating in 2015, which allowed her to explore the behind-the-scenes aspects of radio, TV, and film.Jasmine became an avid listener of podcasts in 2017. So in 2019, she began editing and producing them. While developing Pink Lady Productions, she realized a gap in the representation of queer entrepreneurs and women of color in the podcasting world. Both in front of the microphone and behind-the-scenes, queer entrepreneurs and women of color and their stories continue to be underrepresented. So the mission of Pink Lady Productions is a simple one: to take on the role of "producer" so that artists can focus on creating and telling their stories.Podcasting Is the New Kink! is a space for Black women to get inspiration and insight! Join host, Jasmine Gary, best known as Pink Lady, as she interviews wellness and healing professionals and reviews television adaptations of novels written by Black women. Learn to be your best and favorite self, and think more critically about media and society. Find Jasmine on Instagram: @pinkladyprod and @pod.kinkFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Yael Valencia Aldana, the recipient of the 2024 Pushcart Prize for Poetry. We chatted about her forthcoming poetry collection, BLACK MESTIZA, which is scheduled for release in January of 2025 .Yael Valencia Aldana is an award-winning poet and writer. She is the author of the poetry collection Black Mestiza (University of Kentucky Press, 2025) and the chapbook, Alien(s) (Bottlecap Press, 2023). She is a Pushcart Prize winner, and her work has been widely published, among others. She teaches creative writing at Florida International University and is the managing editor of Purple Ink Press. She lives in Florida near the ocean with her son and too many pets.In Black Mestiza, Yael reckons with her identity as a Caribbean Afro-Latinx woman with Indigenous, Black, and white roots and pays homage to the legacy, resilience, and fortitude of her ancestors. These stunning poems paint a vivid picture of everyday life and Aldana's experiences as a mixed-race woman, daughter, and mother.The Pushcart Prize–winning poem "Black Person Head Bob" addresses how Black people silently yet soulfully acknowledge and see each other. "Why Don't You Write About Joy?" acknowledges the suffering that women of color endure while their cries and spirit remain resolute: because you cannot hear me / doesn't mean I am not singing. "Small Dark and Moving" skillfully represents the poet's journey and the souls she carries with her, evoking images of evolving landscapes and beings as they transition through different forms. The poet beautifully interweaves narratives regarding the constant presence and influence of her Caribbean parents and a desire for more connection with her Colombian grandmother and ancestry, capturing the essence of origins, blood ties, and the idea that nothing is ever truly lost. This collection is not only a testament to Aldana's deep-rooted connection to her heritage, but a compelling celebration and expression of pride, recognition, and a profound sense of community.To learn more about Yael and her work, please visit YaelAldana.com. Pre-order your copy of Black Mestiza TODAY!Find Yael on Instagram: @yaelwritesFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Season Five of Black Writers Read!For this season, we're expanding the definition of “writer” to look at narrative construction. We start the season with a Pushcart Prize winning author and we’ll end Season Five with a documentary filmmaker. We're beyond excited to add the genre Afrofuturism to the platform as well as two countries. I’ll also be bringing back some past guests to talk about their newest work.Please be sure to subscribe as we'll be posting exclusive content to the audio podcast.Thanks again for your support and ensuring that Black authors continue to matter.Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis bonus episode features my recent conversation with Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin from the latest release from A24 Films, SING SING.About SING SINGDivine G (played by Colman Domingo), imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men, including wary newcomer (Clarence Maclin), in this stirring true story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art, starring an unforgettable ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors. In SING SING, Mr. Maclin plays a younger version of himself and his time participating in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts' theatre program. The film gifts us with a very intimate, inside look into the process of theatre-making and the transformative power of RTA.Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) helps people in prison develop critical life skills through the arts, modeling an approach to the justice system based on human dignity rather than punishment. Founded at Sing Sing in 1996, RTA works with professional teaching artists to lead year-round workshops in theater, dance, music, creative writing, and visual arts. The RTA model provides an intensive, comprehensive arts program in prison that builds critical life skills so that people can meet the challenges of connecting with family and community when released.RTA demonstrates that an approach based on human dignity is vastly more successful than one based on punishment. Less than 3% of RTA members return to prison, compared to the national recidivism rate of 60%.To learn more about Rehabilitation Through the Arts, please visit their website at rta-arts.org.To find your local screening of SING SING, please visit https://tickets.singsing.movie/.For folx based in Western MA/Northern CT, I highly encourage you to see the film at Amherst Cinema where Nicole is a proud member. The film opens at Amherst Cinema on Friday, August 23.Special thanks to Mr. Maclin for making time to chat with Black Writers Read and the Allied Global Marketing and A24 for all of your hard work to make this interview happen!Find A24's film, SING SING on Instagram: @singsingmovieFind Rehabilitation Through the Arts on Instagram: @rta_artsFind Rehabilitation Through the Arts online: https://rta-arts.org/Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailToday, August 2, 2024, is African American essayist, novelist, poet, cultural critic, orator and activist James Baldwin’s (1924-1987) centennial birthday. In this retrospective, we take a look back at conversations with poets whose work performs the task of "bearing witness",  like that of Baldwin's writing.Baldwin's canon of work explored fundamental questions about the experiences of African Americans, particularly issues pertaining to class, race, religion, masculinities, sexuality and social acceptance. Documenting the world and society as it was manifesting around him, Baldwin delivered the news to his readers as a way to advocate for change. Nicole highly recommends folx to read Baldwin's essay, Letter for My Nephew, which first appeared in The Progressive magazine in 1962.Included on this bonus episode are:Jason Montgomery's, or "JRM" (Writers Across the Margins, S4 E4) work engages the cross-section of Chicano/Indigenous identity, cultural hybridization, post-colonial reconstruction, and political agency. They served as one of the  2021-2023 Poets Laureate for Easthampton, Massachusetts, serving with their partner, Alexandra Woolner. Nandi Comer (S4 E14) is the Poet Laureate of Michigan. She is the author of American Family: A Syndrome  (Finishing Line Press, 2018) and Tapping Out (Triquarterly, 2020), which was awarded the 2020 Society of Midland Authors Award and the 2020 Julie Suk Award.  Lynne Thompson (S4 E15) served as the 4th Poet Laureate of the City of Los Angeles. Her most recent poetry collection, Blue on a Blue Palette (BOA Editions, 2024), reflects on the condition of women—their joys despite their histories, and their insistence on survival as issues of race, culture, pandemic, and climate threaten their livelihoods.M. Nzadi Keita (S4 E16) Migration Letters (Beacon Press, 2024), reflects on Black working-class identity and culture in Philadelphia, taking a closer look at what it means to be Black in America just after the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Aaron Dworkin (S4 E2), a 2005 MacArthur Fellow and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, originated the terminology “poetjournalism”, which he defines as “journalism in which a news story or other event is presented in poetic form incorporating elements of emotion, opinion and creative illustration.”In Protection from Erasure (Jaded Ibis Press, 2023), Samuel "Sami" Miranda (S4 E1)  aims to capture and celebrate a life lived and lives encountered. Through observations and conversations, we're reminded that mundane events and minute moments in our everyday lives can and should be memorialized. Support the show

Send us Fan MailIn this bonus episode, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the book, Queenie (2019) by Candice Carty-Williams and its streaming television series adaptation.The novel Queenie, published in 2019. is about the life and loves of its lead character, Queenie Jenkins. A 25-year-old British-Jamaican woman living in the UK, we follow her journey through a year from hell.  Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle class peers. After a messy break up from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places…including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth.The television adaptation of the book was released in early June 2024 and is available to stream on Hulu, Disney+ and Star+.For those of you who are new to this platform and my work, I’ve always been extremely interested in spectatorship and what draws us to the things we watch, read, and consume. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting bonus episodes where I talk about some of the books written by Black women that I’ve read recently that have been adapted for film and television. I really appreciate these types of formats as it makes work accessible to various audiences as some folx prefer to read while others prefer to watch a narrative interpretation of the thing.Check out the trailer for the series, Queenie.Find Black Writers Read on Instagram:  @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online:  blackwritersread.com Support the show

Send us Fan MailI've been so excited to share insight on a project I've been working on for the past few months. Serving as editor on this project, I wanted to give the Black Writers Read community a preview of the anthology, Heavy is the Crown, which is scheduled for release in August of 2024. It is now available for pre-order.Produced under the auspices of A Queen’s Narrative, Heavy is the Crown features essays and creative writing contributed by twenty-two women, femme-identified, and trans folx from across the country. Topics explored in this book include experiences with addiction, recovery, sexual assault, toxic workplaces, journeys as mothers and caregivers, pregnancy, immigration, identity, identities, domestic violence, generational trauma, incarceration, suicide, suicide ideation, and mental health. Authors explored their healing journeys and life lessons learned while offering advice for others who are going through something that might be similar. In this episode, you'll hear from eight women who contributed their stories to the anthology in a mix of brief interviews and readings of excerpts from poems and creative nonfiction included in the anthology: T’challa Williams, Laverne Ben-Mansel, Yaya Gloria Agosto, Nzima Hutchings, Regine Jackson, Queenpen, Gri Saex and Barbara McClane.Based in Western Massachusetts, A Queen's Narrative is a BIPOC women-led empowerment company whose mission is to define narrative power and use narrative storytelling to empower women and girls to become their best version. Using various platforms like blogs, newsletters, anthologies, events, and youth development programming help them in achieving the vision of amplifying the voices of women and girls for the rest of the world to hear. A Queen's Narrative is especially committed to providing free thematic youth development workshops that strengthen youth skills in public speaking, teamwork, leadership, and creative expression.   Special thanks to Samantha Hamilton, co-founder of A Queen’s Narrative and a contributor to the anthology, every person involved in A Queen’s Narrative and to each of the twenty-two women who have contributed their stories to Heavy is the Crown.To learn more about A Queen’s Narrative, please visit aqueensnarrative.com.For those of you who are local to Western Massachusetts, please join us in person on Sunday, August 18 at 11 a.m. for Brunch over Books, the official launch celebration of Heavy is the Crown. Tickets are available by visiting aqueensnarrative.com. By joining us for the event, you’ll be able to meet some of the authors and hear more about the process of creating this anthology. Print versions of the book will be available after this book launch event.Pre-order your copy of Heavy is the Crown TODAY by visiting: https://aqueensnarrative.com/heavy-is-the-crown. Find A Queen's Narrative on Instagram:  @a_queensnarrativeFind Black Writers Read on Instagram:  Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis bonus episode features excerpts from five interviews from Season Four - those that we had with authors who write memoir. Over the summer, we will be revisiting conversations that cover the nuisances of genre, form, and style - offering mini masterclasses filled with advice and insight from some of our guests. This retrospective offers insight on source material, exploring the effects of traumatic experiences, self-reflecting on formative moments in life, and honoring the past. Memoir, which is considered creative nonfiction, offers writers a space to tackle difficult situations with grace and humility - also a chance to implore the mechanics of fiction to expand upon memory and circumstances.Included on this bonus episode are:Nada Samih-Rotondo (Writers Across the Margins, S4 E7) is a multi-genre Palestinian American writer, educator, and mother. Her writing has appeared in Masters Review, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, and Squat Birth Journal.  Our conversation featured her debut memoir, ALL WATER HAS PERFECT MEMORY, which blends folklore and history  taking readers through the author's ancestral origins-and explores generations of silence and eventually, connection.Minda Honey's (S4 E6) essays on politics and relationships have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Oxford American, Teen Vogue, and Longreads.  Her debut memoir, THE HEARTBREAK YEARS (Little A, October 2023), is a hilarious and intimate portrait of a Black woman finding who she is and who she wants to be, one bad date at a time.K E Garland (S4 E8) uses personal essays and memoir to de-marginalize women's experiences with an intent to highlight and humanize contemporary issues. She has published essays with Midnight & Indigo, Raising Mothers, and For Harriet.  We chatted about her debut memoir, IN SEARCH OF A SALVE: MEMOIR OF A SEX ADDICT.Wakisha "Kisha" Stewart 's (S4 E18) SONATA FOR A DAMAGED HEART recounts the complicated professional and emotional journey that Kisha takes from heart failure to being selected in 2022 by the American Heart Association as one of twelve spokeswomen advocating for women’s heart health in its national education campaign, Reclaim Your Rhythm.Lisa Braxton (S4 E19) is the author of the award-winning DANCING BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS: A DAUGHTER'S REFLECTION ON LOVE AND LOSS. This memoir in essays is a powerful meditation on grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful, challenging and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world without them while coming to terms with complicated emotions.Visit our website.Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadSupport the show

Send us Fan MailIn celebration of Juneteenth, we revisit our conversations with fiction authors featured during Season Four to reflect on approaches to creating worlds for our characters and what informs this work. Included in this bonus episode are:David Jackson Ambrose (S4 E17) writes on the intersections of race, sexuality and generational trauma.  During our conversation, which took place during National Mental Health Awareness Month, we had a chance to talk about David’s three books, State of the Nation, A Blind Eye, and Unlawful DISorder. Kerika Fields (S4 E5) ​​is a Brooklyn, New York-based writer and photographer whose work has been published and exhibited widely. We talked about her novella, With Your Bad Self,  a coming-of-age love story set in an economically challenged Brooklyn on the precipice of WWII where 'Love Conquers All' may not be true this time.  Donna Hemans (S4 E10) is the author of three novels, River Woman, Tea by the Sea, and The House of Plain Truth. She lives in Maryland, and is also the owner of DC Writers Room, a co-working studio for writers based in Washington, D.C.  Central to our conversation was Donna’s recently released novel, The House of Plain Truth , a lyrical, lush, evocative story about a fractured Jamaican family and a daughter determined to reclaim her home.Chana Shinegba's (S4 E13) her debut novel, Dancer in the Bullpen blends elements of autobiographical fiction with magical realism. The novel speaks to those who, like Chana, have grappled with their sense of uniqueness and emerged empowered to embrace their true selves. Dancer in the Bullpen is scheduled for release on June 21, 2024. Aina Hunter (S4 E3) is an artist based in Western Massachusetts with a background in journalism, Food Studies  and Japanese. We talked about her debut novel (science fiction), Charlotte and the Chickenman: the Inevitable Nigrescence of Charlotte-Noa Tibbit.  T.H. Moore (S4 E9) is a Southwest Philadelphia native who relocated to Camden, New Jersey at the age of ten.  Blending his experience living and working abroad combined with imagination helped formulate the basis of, and inspired him to write his first novel, The End Justifies the Means. His forthcoming memoir, Ghetto Bastard, scheduled for release in July of 2024. Angie Chatman (S4 E12) is a writer, storyteller and 2020 Pushcart Prize nominee having written short stories and essays for a variety of publications and platforms including Insider Personal Finance, Brevity, TaintTaintTaint Magazine, and The Rumpus. Born and raised on Chicago's South Side, Angie now lives in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston with her family.  Visit our website.***The epSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThis episode features our conversation with Lisa Braxton about her recently released memoir, Dancing Between the Raindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss, which was live-streamed on June 1, 2024.Lisa Braxton is the author of the award-winning Dancing Between the Raindrops: A Daughter’s Reflections on Love and Loss  (Sea Crow Press, April 2024). The memoir in essays is a powerful meditation on grief, a deeply personal mosaic of a daughter’s remembrances of beautiful, challenging and heartbreaking moments of life with her family. It speaks to anyone who has lost a loved one and is trying to navigate the world without them while coming to terms with complicated emotions. She is also the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and a Finalist for the International Book Awards. She is an Emmy nominated former TV journalist and is a writing instructor at Grub Street Boston. She is the presidents of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.Lisa Braxton's parents died within two years of each other-her mother from ovarian cancer, her father from prostate cancer. While caring for her mother she was stunned to find out that she, herself, had a life-threatening illness—breast cancer. In the intimate, lyrical memoir-in-essays of Dancing Between the Raindrops, Lisa Braxton takes us to the core of her loss and extends a lifeline of comfort to anyone who needs to be reminded that in their grief they are not alone.To learn more about Lisa and her work, please visit lisabraxton.com. Find Lisa on Instagram: @lisabraxtonwritesFind Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Black Writers Read online: blackwritersread.comSupport the show