Black Writers Read
Nicole M. Young-Martin
Black Writers Read showcases, celebrates, and honors the words, work, and traditions of Black writers from across the country, across genres, across experiences, and across the African Diaspora. This podcast series is produced and hosted by performance poet, playwright, events curator, and educator Nicole M. Young-Martin. Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersread. Find Nicole on Instagram: @coco_penexplore.
Black Writers Read: Justin Haynes
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read: T'challa Williams
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read: Jennifer Janell
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Jennifer Janell (spice 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
Black Writers Read: Crystal Senter-Brown
Send us a textThis 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 Universi
Black Writers Read: DuEwa Frazier
Send us a textThis 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,
Black Writers Read: Sabin Prentis Duncan
Send us a textThis 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-ficti
Black Writers Read: Ebony Aya
Send us a textThis 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 St
Black Writers Read: Brianna Wheeler
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read: Nathan Alexander Moore
Send us a textThis 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, spe
Black Writers Read: Adrian Burks
Send us a textThis 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 LIZZI
Black Writers Read: Adrian Burks
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with filmmaker 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 A
Black Writers Read: Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Send us a textThis 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 p
Black Writers Read: Tracy Cross's A Gathering of Weapons
Send us a textOn 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
Black Writers Read: Lori L. Tharps
Send us a textThis 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
BONUS: Nicole + Jasmine Chat about 'The Other Black Girl'
Send us a textThis 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 tens
Bonus: Isabel Wilkerson's Caste, a Conversation with Pink Lady Jasmine Gary
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read: Yael Valencia Aldana
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read: Season Five Trailer
Send us a textWelcome 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 e
A Conversation with Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin from A24's SING SING
Send us a textThis 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
Black Writers Read Retrospective: On Poetry
Send us a textToday, 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, m
Bonus: Nicole on Candice Carty-Williams' Queenie
Send us a textIn 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 n
Bonus: Insight into the Heavy is the Crown Anthology
Send us a textI'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
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Authors on Memoir
Send us a textThis 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.
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Fiction Authors on Craft, Inspiration & Impact
Send us a textIn 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
Black Writers Read: Lisa Braxton
Send us a textThis 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, cha
Black Writers Read: Wakisha Stewart
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Wakisha Stewart, which was live-streamed on May 18, 2024 in recognition of Women’s Health Week (May 12th-18th) and National Share a Story Month. Wakisha (Kisha) Stewart is a wife, mother of three, nurse, heart attack survivor, and a national advocate for heart health dedicated to improving the quality of cardiovascular health care for everyone. Since her heart attack in 2011 at age 31, she has conducted extensive research about the specif
Black Writers Read: David Jackson Ambrose
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with David Jackson Ambrose, which was live-streamed on May 11, 2024 in recognition of National Mental Health Awareness Month.David Jackson Ambrose writes on the intersections of race, sexuality and generational trauma. Through fiction, his work explores various genres, topics, and themes including African American life, Black history, LGBTQ issues and life, prison industrial complex, mental health, and generational trauma. David has an MFA in
Black Writers Read: Lynne Thompson
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Lynne Thompson, which was live-streamed on April 14, 2024 closing out National Poetry Month.Lynne Thompson served as the 4th Poet Laureate of the City of Los Angeles. She's the author of four collections of poetry: Beg No Pardon (Perugia Press, 2007), Start With A Small Guitar (What Books Press, 2013), Fretwork (Marsh Hawk Press, 2019) and, most recently, Blue On A Blue Palette (BOA Editions, 2024). In 2022, Thompson was awarded a La
Black Writers Read: M. Nzadi Keita
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with M. Nzadi Keita, which was live-streamed on April 14, 2024 during National Poetry Month.M. Nzadi Keita's new poetry collection, Migration Letters (Beacon Press, April 2, 2024), reflects on Black working-class identity and culture in Philadelphia. Her second book, Brief Evidence of Heaven (Whirlwind Press, 2014), shed light on Anna Murray Douglass, Frederick Douglass’ first wife and was cited in David Blight ‘s prize-winning biography, Fre
Black Writers Read: Nandi Comer
Send us a textHappy National Poetry Month! Launched in April of 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month celebrates the literary traditions sustained by this mode of storytelling. Thank you so very much to every single poet who has joined me on this platform.This episode features our conversation with Nandi Comer (poetry.), which was live-streamed on April 7, 2024.Nandi Comer is the Poet Laureate of Michigan. She is the author of American Family: A Syndrome (Finishing Line P
Black Writers Read: Chana Shinegba
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Chana Shinegba, which was live-streamed on March 30, 2024. Chana Shinegba, a gifted storyteller, embodies the spirit of resilience and creativity that defines her generation. Coming of age as a young Black girl in the vibrant but complex landscape of the 1980s and 1990s, Chana grappled with acknowledging her innate talents amidst the backdrop of societal expectations and personal fears.From a tender age, Chana’s artistic prowess manifeste
Black Writers Read: Angie Chatman
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Angie Chatman, which was live-streamed on March 16, 2024. For long-time Black Writers Read supporters you may remember Angie from our Black History Month Virtual Event in 2021. Angie Chatman is a writer and storyteller. She's written for Insider Personal Finance, MIT Tech Review, the National Science Foundation, Yahoo News and elsewhere. Her literary work has appeared in Brevity, TaintTaintTaint Magazine, Literary Landscapes, Pangyru
Black Writers Read: Janine Fondon
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Janine Fondon, which was recorded during our live event held in person on March 4, 2024 at Holyoke Media.Janine Fondon, MFA, is an award-winning writer, digital media producer, and educator/historian who uses the art and science of communication and inclusion to elevate voices, engage audiences, and inspire creative thinking in a world of change. As Assistant Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Communications at Bay Path University for t
Black Writers Read: Donna Hemans
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Donna Hemans, which was live streamed on Saturday, February 17, 2024. We chatted about her recently released novel, The House of Plain Truth, and her writing career.Donna Hemans is the author of three novels, River Woman, Tea by the Sea, and The House of Plain Truth. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in Slice, Electric Literature, Ms. Magazine, The Rumpus, Crab Orchard Review, among others. She received her undergraduate degree i
Black Writers Read: T.H. Moore
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with T.H. Moore, which was live streamed on Saturday, February 10, 2024. We chatted about his forthcoming memoir, Ghetto Bastard, and his expansive body of work.T.H. Moore is a Southwest Philadelphia native who relocated to Camden, New Jersey at the age of ten. He’s an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Morgan State University. His career as an Information Technology Consultant and Rea
Black Writers Read: K E Garland
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with K E Garland, which was live streamed on Saturday, January 6, 2024. We chatted about her debut memoir, In Search of a Salve.K E Garland is a creative nonfiction writer and blogger based in Florida. She 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. Other works have
Black Writers Read Presents Writers Across the Margins: Nada Samih-Rotondo
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Nada Samih-Rotondo (nonfiction. fiction.), which was live-streamed on Saturday, December 16, 2023. This episode is presented in collaboration with Levee Break Lit. Nada Samih-Rotondo is a multi-genre Palestinian American writer, educator, and mother. A graduate of Rhode Island College, she earned degrees in English and Education and an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University. When she is not befriending trees or attuning to hidden
Black Writers Read: Minda Honey
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Minda Honey, which was live streamed on Saturday, November 18, 2023, about her memoir, THE HEARTBREAK YEARS.Minda Honey’s 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 work is featured in “Burn It Down: Women Writing About Anger”, “A Measure of Belonging: Writers of Color on the New American South”, and “Sex and
Black Writers Read: Kerika Fields
Send us a textThis episode features our latest conversation with Kerika Fields, which was live- streamed on Saturday, October 28, 2023. We chatted about her latest book, With Your Bad Self. Kerika Fields is a Brooklyn, New York-based writer and photographer whose work has been published and exhibited widely. She is the author of With Your Bad Self (Jacaranda Books, November 29, 2022). With Your Bad Self is a coming-of-age love story set in an economically challenged Brooklyn on the precipice o
Black Writers Read Presents Writers Across the Margins: Jason Montgomery
Send us a textWelcome to our special series, Black Writers Read Presents Writers Across the Margins, our opportunity to chat with writers from other Diasporas!This episode features our conversation with Jason Montgomery which was live streamed on Saturday, October 7, 2023. During our chat, Jason shared an excerpt from his latest poetry collection, These Latest Apocalypses which was recently published by Arteidolia Press.Jason R. Montgomery (he/they), or JRM, is a Chicano/Indigenous Californian w
Black Writers Read: Aina Hunter
Send us a textThis episode features our latest conversation with Aina Hunter (science fiction.), which was live-streamed on Sunday, September 24, 2023. We chatted about her debut novel, Charlotte and the Chickenman: the Inevitable Nigrescence of Charlotte-Noa Tibbit (Whiskey Tit Books, 2022)Based in Western Massachusetts, Aina Hunter is an artist with a background in journalism, Food Studies and Japanese having studied at Columbia University, New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture,
Black Writers Read: Aaron Dworkin
Send us a textThis episode features our latest conversation with Aaron Dworkin, which was live-streamed on Sunday, September 17, 2023. We chatted about his latest poetry collection, The Poetjournalist, and his evolving work as a writer.Named a 2005 MacArthur Fellow, President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts and member of President Biden’s Arts Policy Committee, Aaron P. Dworkin is former dean and current Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship at the Uni
Black Writers Read: Sami Miranda
Send us a textWelcome to our first episode of Season Four of Black Writers Read!This episode featu4res our latest conversation with Sami Miranda, which was live-streamed on Saturday, September 9, 2023. We chatted about his latest poetry collection, Protection from Erasure, and his body of work.Samuel "Sami" Miranda grew up in the South Bronx and resides in Washington, DC. He is a visual artist, poet, and teacher who uses his craft to highlight the value of everyday people and places. H
Black Writers Read: Season Four Trailer
Send us a textWe are super excited to kick off Season Four of Black Writers Read! Learn more about our upcoming lineup of guests and an upcoming project, Writers from the Margins. We're also thrilled to share with you our new online home: www.blackwritersread.com. We launched our website earlier this summer. On it, you'll have access to past episodes and information on upcoming events including live-streamed interviews and book discussions with our authors. Be sure to visit our website
Black Writers Read Retrospective: On Heritage, Our History, & Our Future(s)
Send us a textThis episode features excerpts from four conversations we’ve had with guests that reflect on topics relevant to the Juneteenth holiday including family, ancestral influences, food, culture, and honoring our pasts.Included on this bonus episode are the following conversations:Saida Agostini (S2 E6 of the livestream series/Retrospective Episode on the audio podcast) read excerpts from let the dead in. let the dead in is an exploration of the mythologies that seek to subjugate Black b
Black Writers Read: Kimberly Mack
Send us a textThis episode features our latest livestream from Saturday, June 10, 2023 with our guest, Kimberly Mack to discuss her latest book, Time’s Up, which is on the band, Living Colour’s sophomore album.Kimberly Mack will begin her time as the Associate Professor of English at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this coming fall. Her book, Living Colour’s Time’s Up, part of Bloomsbury’s 33 1/3 book series, was published in May 2023. She is also the author of Fictional Blues: Narrativ
Black Writers Read: Itua Uduebo
Send us a textThis episode features our latest livestreamed from Sunday, June 4, 2023 with our guest, Itua Uduebo to discuss his debut novel, Parade of Streetlights.Itua was born in Lagos, Nigeria and currently resides in New York, NY. He graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in International Politics and works in the financial technology industry. Itua's writing journey began in 2016 and to date, he has several essays, articles, freeform poems, and short stories published onli
Black Writers Read: Shirley A. Jones Luke
Send us a textThis episode features our latest livestreamed from Saturday, May 13, 2023 in honor of Mother’s Day weekend. We chatted with poet and nonfiction writer, Shirley A. Jones Luke who read for our 2021 Black History Month virtual event.Shirley A. Jones Luke is a poet and writer. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Ms. Luke has an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College. Her poems focus on culture, family, and society. Ms. Luke is working on her first collection entitled Traumaland, a ma
Black Writers Read: Lisbeth White
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Lisbeth White (poetry. prose.), which was livestreamed on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Lisbeth is the author of the 2022 Perugia Prize winning poetry collection, AMERICAN SYCAMORE. From the bayou, to Belgium, to Barbados, AMERICAN SYCAMORE examines the Black diaspora, ancestral reparation, and the sacred feminine. In pursuit of understanding the nuances of belonging and displacement in a Black mixed-race feminine body, Lisbeth White travels
Black Writers Read: Danielle Jernigan
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with certified doula, writer, book coach, and host of the Write to Heal Podcast, Danielle Jernigan, which was livestreamed on Saturday, April 15, 2023 during Black Maternal Health Week. During our conversation, we talked about Daniellle's writing for popular audiences, how her past work experience in medical research pairs nicely with her current writing endeavors, and briefly about her current manuscript in development, Healing Mother Wo
Black Writers Read: Enzo Silon Surin
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Enzo Silon Surin, which was livestreamed on Saturday, April 8, 2023. We talked about their most recent books including When My Body was a Clinched Fist and the forthcoming poetry collection, American Scapegoat.Enzo Silon Surin is a Haitian-born, award-winning poet, educator, librettist, publisher and social advocate. He is the author of three previous collections of poetry, including When My Body Was A Clinched Fist (Black Lawrence Press,
Black Writers Read: Raina J. León
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Philadelphia’s Dr. Raina J. León, which was livestreamed on Saturday, March 25, 2023 to talk about her expansive body of work.Dr. Raina J. León is Black, Afro-Boricua, and from Philadelphia (Lenni Lenape ancestral lands). She is a mother, daughter, sister, madrina, comadre, partner, poet, writer, artist, digital archivist, podcaster, and teacher educator. She believes in collective action and community work. She is the author of black go
Black Writers Read: La'Vista Jones
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with self-help and business author, La’Vista Jones, which was livestreamed on Saturday, March 18, 2023 to talk about her latest book, The BOSS™ Shift.La’Vista Jones is the founder and CEO of 31 Marketplace, an agency committed to helping women do the work they love, without sacrificing themselves to do it. As a corporate dropout, turned entrepreneur she is on a mission to challenge women to cultivate their own definition of success and to live
Black Writers Read: Regine Jackson
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Regine Jackson, which was hosted live at The Artist Cafe in Downtown Springfield, Massachusetts on February 12, 2023.Regine Jackson is a writer who was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. Born in 1997, Jackson has been an avid reader since she was a child. She always wished to write, specifically stories where the main characters looked like her and the people she interacted with on a daily basis. Jackson’s mother worked as a c
Black Writers Read: Shanita Hubbard
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Shanita Hubbard, which was livestreamed on Sunday, January 29, 2023.Shanita Hubbard is the author of the book, Ride-Or-Die: A Feminist Manifesto for the Well-Being of Black Women. Her writing has also appeared in numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, Essence Magazine, The Guardian, and more She is also a journalism instructor at the University of Toronto, a Soros Fellow, and the recipient of the La Maison Bald
Bonus: Black Authors on Craft and Imagining (Our) Worlds
Send us a textThis episode features our conversations with Tricia Elam Walker (adult fiction. children's books. plays. short stories. essays.) from Episode Four, Tara Betts (poetry) from Episode Five, and Toni Ann Johnson (literary fiction--novel. short story.) from Episode Eight - all from Season Three.We wanted an opportunity to examine how some of our guests approach craft and constructing worlds within specific literary genres. Tricia, Tara, and Toni Ann are not only writers who have wr
Black Writers Read: Lisa Pegram
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Lisa Pegram (poetry. nonfiction.), which was livestreamed on Saturday, January 21, 2023.Lisa Pegram is a writer, arts integration specialist and publishing professional who hails from Washington, DC. She has over 20 years of experience in high-level program design for such organizations as the Smithsonian Institute, Corcoran Gallery of Art and National Geographic. She served as DC WritersCorps program director for a decade, and as co-chai
Black Writers Read: Mbinguni
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Mbinguni (historical fiction. women’s fiction. literary fiction), which was livestreamed on Saturday, January 7, 2023, opening up the Spring portion of Season Three. Mbinguni is a natural storyteller. Born and raised on the barrier island of Fernandina Beach, FL, she's had dreams of writing professionally for as long as she can remember. An avid reader, she began composing her own narratives as a small child in grade school. Mbinguni
Bonus: CoCo's Holiday Reading List
Send us a textA bonus episode, Nicole shares what she is reading during her holiday break. Check out her list and read along with her!Black Writers Read will return in early January of 2023. In the meantime, watch past livestreamed episodes on YouTube or listen to audio podcasts episodes.Thanks for your ongoing support. Happy Holidays and see you in the new year!Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersreadFind Nicole on Instagram: @coco_penexploreLearn more about Nicole and her other work: nicolemyou
Black Writers Read: Toni Ann Johnson
Send us a textThis episode features our conversation with Toni Ann Johnson, which was livestreamed on Saturday, December 3, 2022. We talked about her award-winning short story collection, LIGHT SKIN GONE TO WASTE which was published in October. It’s received praise from Publishers Weekly, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and the Washington Post. Toni Ann Johnson won the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction with her linked story collection LIGHT SKIN GONE TO WASTE, selected for the priz
Black Writers Read: Natasha Gordon-Chipembere
Send us a textThis episode features Dr. Natasha Gordon-Chipembere who joined us for the live-streamed episode on November 12, 2022. We talked about her debut historical fiction novel, Finding La Negrita, which was released in September.Published by Jaded Ibis Press, Finding La Negrita is a captivating retelling of the Black Madonna narrative, which has driven Costa Rica's national and spiritual identity since the 1700s. In powerful prose, Natasha Gordon-Chipembere delivers a vivid and intim
Black Writers Read: Desiree Cooper
Send us a textThis episode features award-winning flash fiction, essay, children's literature author Desiree Cooper, originally live-streamed on November 6, 2022 to kick off Children’s Book Week. During the episode we chatted about her first children’s picture book, Nothing Special, which was released in October.Published by Wayne State University Press and illustrated by Bec Stone, Nothing Special is a buddy story that spans generations. But it's also a love letter to the black family
Black Writers Read: Tara Betts
Send us a textThis episode features poet Dr. Tara Betts, originally live-streamed on October 22, 2022. During the episode we chatted about her newest poetry collection, Refuse to Disappear, which was released in July of 2022.Refuse to Disappear is a declaration that there are some people who resist by merely existing. In these poems, Tara Betts renders celebrations and tributes to Black women, but also pieces together an anthem that we have survived so much, even if the world pretends to be blin
Bonus: Celebrating the Launch of Addie Tsai's Unwieldy Creatures
Send us a textThis bonus episode features the virtual book launch of author Addie Tsai’s book, Unwieldy Creatures. This special event was livestreamed on August 30, 2022, Mary Shelley’s 225th Birthday as Unwieldy Creatures is a biracial, queer, gender-swapped retelling of Mary Shelley's classic novel, Frankenstein. Joining me for this special event to co-host was horror writer, Tracy Cross. Black Writers Read supporters will remember her as she was our featured guest on Season Two, Episode
Black Writers Read: Tricia Elam Walker
Send us a textThis episode features award-winning author, educator and recovered lawyer, Tricia Elam Walker, originally live-streamed on October 9 2022. Tricia read excerpts from her children's books, Dream Street and Nana Akua Goes to School. Following her reading, we chatted about her prolific career.Tricia's novel, Breathing Room, was published by Simon & Schuster/PocketBooks. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Essence and other publications. She h
Black Writers Read: Nikesha Elise Williams
Send us a textThis episode features Fiction, Poetry, Narrative Non-Fiction author Nikesha Else Williams, originally live-streamed on October 1, 2022. We met to chat about her new book, Mardi Gras Indians, which was released on October 5, 2022 and published by Louisiana State University Press.Mardi Gras Indians explores how sacred and secular expressions of Carnival throughout the African diaspora came together in a gumbo-sized melting pot to birth one of the most unique traditions celebrating Af
Black Writers Read: Rage Hezekiah
Send us a textThis episode features poet Rage Hezekiah. Black Writers Read hosted Rage in person on June 18, 2022 at The LAVA Center in Greenfield, Massachusetts in honor of Juneteenth. We met to chat about her recently released collection of poetry, Yearn, which was a recipient of the 2021 Diode Editions Book Contest Award. Rage Hezekiah is a Cave Canem, Ragdale, and MacDowell Fellow who earned her MFA from Emerson College. She is a recipient of the Saint Botolph Emerging Artist Award and she
Black Writers Read: St. Clair Detrick-Jules
Send us a textEpisode 1 of Season Three features St. Clair Detrick-Jules. We met to chat about and celebrate the one-year anniversary of the release of her book, My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood.St. Clair Detrick-Jules is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, author, activist, and public speaker. She captures personal stories and intimate moments centering Black liberation, immigrant justice, and women's rights. An Afro-Caribbean artist who remains r
Black Writers Read: Season Three Trailer
Send us a textHear insights on the planned lineup of guests for Season Three of Black Writers Read.Season Three of the audio podcast premieres on Tuesday, September 20. We'll be joined by filmmaker, photographer, author, activist, and public speaker St. Clair Detrick-Jules.Please subscribe to be sure to get each episode at its debut.For more information on Black Writers Read, please visit: https://nicolemyoung.com/projects/black-writers-read/Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersreadSupport
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Natasha Marin
Send us a textNatasha Marin (non-fiction and conceptual artist) was our guest on Episode 7 of Season 2 of Black Writers Read, which was livestreamed on Juneteenth ~ June 19, 2022.With cultural origins and connections to Trinadad, Canada, and the United States, Natasha Marin’s people-centered projects have circled the globe since 2012. As a writer, Natasha is represented by Janklow & Nesbit. Natasha has been recognized and acknowledged by Art Forum, the New York Times, the Washington Post, t
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Tracy Cross
Send us a textTracy Cross (horror fiction) was our guest on Episode 4 of Season 2 of Black Writers Read, which was livestreamed on March 26, 2022. During the episode, Tracy read excerpts from her forthcoming debut novel, Rootwork, which is scheduled for release on November 15, 2022. A widely published author, her works have appeared in Don’t Break the Oath by Kandisha Press, 99 Tiny Terrors, and anthologies and magazines including Big Book of Bootleg Horror, Things That Go Bump, D’Evolution Z
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Dorsey Spencer Jr.
Send us a textDorsey Spencer Jr. (fiction - children's picture books) was our guest on Episode 4 of Season 1 of Black Writers Read, which was livestreamed on November 14, 2020. Dorsey Spencer Jr. is an educator, author and entrepreneur. He is the owner of See Us Fly LLC, an independent publishing company. Dorsey began to write as a way to uplift and highlight the experiences and voices of underrepresented communities. He hopes his work will contribute to the growing body of literature that
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Saida Agostini
Send us a textSaida Agostini is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic. Her work is featured in Plume, Hobart Pulp, Barrelhouse, Auburn Avenue, amongst others. Saida’s work can be found in several anthologies, including Not Without Our Laughter: Poems of Humor, Sexuality and Joy, The Future of Black, and Plume Poetry 9. She is the author of STUNT (Neon Hemlock, October 2020), a chapbook reimagining the life of Nellie Jackson,
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Saida Agostini
Saida Agostini (poetry) was our guest on Episode 6 of Season 2 of Black Writers Read, which was live-streamed on May 21, 2022.Saida Agostini is a queer Afro-Guyanese poet whose work explores the ways Black folks harness mythology to enter the fantastic. Her work is featured in Plume, Hobart Pulp, Barrelhouse, Auburn Avenue, amongst others. Saida’s work can be found in several anthologies, including Not Without Our Laughter: Poems of Humor, Sexuality and Joy, The Future of Black, and Plume Poetry
Bonus: A Conversation with Miguel Bacho and Ramón J. Stern, the authors of Labores
Send us a textOn July 30, 2022, Black Writers Read, Attack Bear Press, and Radioplasma hosted the virtual book launch of Miguel Bacho's latest poetry collection, Labores. Written in Spanish by Miguel and translated into English by Ramón J. Stern, it was an honor to collaborate on this livestreamed event. This bonus episode features the audio from that event, which includes Miguel and Ramón reading excerpts from the book and my conversation with them.Labores (Laboring) is the latest poetry c
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Shanta Lee Gander
Send us a textShanta Lee Gander (poetry, prose, journalism, photography) was our guest on Episode 5 of Season 2 of Black Writers Read, which originally aired on April 10, 2022 during National Poetry Month.Shanta Lee Gander is a photographer, writer across genres and is a public intellectual whose work has been widely featured. She is the author of GHETTOCLAUSTROPHOBIA: Dreamin of Mama While Trying to Speak Woman in Woke Tongues, the winner of the 2020 Diode Press full-length book prize with an h
Bonus: A Work in Progress
Send us a textIn this bonus episode of Black Writers Read, Nicole M. Young-Martin (our founder, producer, and host) shares a short story she's been working on. This work doesn't have a title yet and Nicole would deeply appreciate some ideas and feedback on both the title and this piece of writing. Initially a poet and playwright, Nicole enjoys exploring other literary genres. She is a fan of young adult fiction and takes her pen to explore the genre in this work. She hopes to submit it
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Aprell May
Send us a textAprell May (urban creative non fiction. journalism) was our guest on the first episode of Season 2 of Black Writers Read, which originally aired on November 14, 2021.Previously a Salon Owner, Aprell May graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Bay Path University in 2021. She is a seventh generation storyteller coming from a proud lineage of family members and ancestors who could hold an audience with compelling words, prose, and narration. Her poetr
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Kaija Langley
Send us a textPoet, fiction, and nonfiction writer Kaija Langley was our very first guest on Black Writers Read, which was originally livestreamed in September of 2020. Born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey, Kaija Langley has been writing since she fell in love with words at age seven. She knew she was onto something when she wrote her first poem and her grade school classmates thought she'd copied it from a book! A proud alumna of Morgan State University, a Historically Black College
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Shannon Luders-Manuel
Send us a textMemoirist and essayist Shannon Luders-Manuel joined us for Episode 7 of Season One of Black Writers Read. Shannon Luders-Manuel is a West Coast writer, editor, and sensitivity reader. She received her master's in English literature from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Real Simple, among others. She is currently represented by Chase Literary Agency for her memoir about growing up mixe
Bonus: About Nicole
Send us a textIn this bonus episode of Black Writers Read, hear from Nicole M. Young-Martin, the person behind the scenes about herself, career, and the reason(s) behind Black Writers Read.Originally from Detroit, Nicole M. Young-Martin (she/her) is a performance poet, playwright, events curator, and nonprofit professional. Nicole has called New England "home" for over 15 years. As a performance poet, she has performed her work in over 20 venues in various states including Massachusett
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Margo Gabriel
Send us a textMargo Gabriel (food, travel, culture, wine, music, art, lifestyle, self-care) joined us for Episode Two of Season Two (December 4, 2021) of the livestreamed series of Black Writers Read. She read the opening essay, Where Food, Culture and People Meet, from her debut cookbook, The Expat Kitchen. We also chatted about her expansive writing career.To learn more about Margo and her work, visit https://margoscreativelife.com/. Support the show
Black Writers Read Retrospective: Khary Oronde Polk
Send us a textHistorian, essayist, and nonfiction writer, Dr. Khary Oronde Polk joined us for Episode 3 of Season Two of Black Writers Read. An Associate Professor of Black Studies & Sexuality, Women's and Gender Studies at Amherst College, Dr. Polk is the author of Contagions of Empire: Scientific Racism, Sexuality, and Black Military Workers Abroad, 1898-1948 published by University of North Carolina Press in 2020. Contagions of Empire examines how the movement of Black soldiers and
Introducing Black Writers Read ~ The Audio Podcast
Send us a textLaunched during the fall of 2020 as a livestreamed series, Black Writers Read was created as a platform to showcase, celebrate, and honor the words, work and traditions of Black writers from across the country, across genres, across experiences and across the African Diaspora. The livestreamed series is now wrapping up Season Two. Beginning with Season Three, Black Writers Read will be presented as both a livestreamed series and audio podcast, first airing the livestreamed episode