Black & Published

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rudy Francisco, author of the poetry collection, Excuse Me As I Kiss the Sky. Rudy is a renowned spoken word artist who has published two previous collections: Helium (2017) and I'll Fly Away (2020). As a spoken word artist, Rudy said taking his work from the stage to the page allowed him to grow and write about more than one topic. In our conversation, Rudy explains how he tries to show the accuracy of his humanity instead of a balance between joy and pain, happiness or sadness. Plus, the reason he believes the rift between poets who focus on writing and spoken word artists is closing. And, how his jump to the page was thanks to a few friends who turned their YouTube channel into a publishing house. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Roberto Carlos Garcia, author of the poetry anthology, What Can I Tell You. Roberto is the author of three previous poetry collections Elegies, black / Maybe: An Afro Lyric, and Melancolía. In our conversation, Roberto discusses unlearning the ways in which colonialism have infected the mind. How anti-Blackness begins at home in some Afro-Latin communities, and the reason he believes spoken word is poetry in its purest form. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracey Rose Peyton, author of the novel, Night Wherever We Go. The novel follows the lives of six enslaved women on a struggling plantation in Texas. When their owners The Lucy's, nicknamed after Lucifer himself, come up with a plan to increase their prosperity through reproduction, the women refuse despite the consequences of such open rebellion. In our conversation, Tracey discusses the years she spent researching the novel as well as developing her skill as a storyteller. The personal fears she had to face to break the book open and write honestly about the experiences of her characters. And the reason Tracey felt she had to hide her identity as a writer so much that work colleagues thought she was in rehab. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black & Published Nikesha speaks with Kim Johnson, author of the YA novel, Invisible Son. The book is set in Oregon during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. A setting Kim chose to bear witness to all that was happening while also balancing the trauma of that year with its triumphs as well. In our conversation, Kim readily admits that she came to writing late in life. She explains the feeling of being woken up out of her sleep to pursue a dream she never knew she had. Plus, how she used the specificity of niceness in the Pacific Northwest to infuse a more sinister plot into her novel. And how she really feels about being an author whose book is banned. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Jennifer Baker, author of the YA novel, Forgive Me Not. The story centers the life, loves and struggles of a teenaged Black girl to explore the pitfalls and failures of mass incarceration and carceral systems. In our conversation, Jennifer opens up about how she stayed motivated to continue writing while working for some twenty years in the publishing industry. Plus, the reality show that sparked the idea for her novel, and the reason she believes individual power is the first step toward dismantling the penal system as we know it. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Lamya H, author of the memoir, Hijab Butch Blues. The book is an in depth extension of the personal essays Lamya has penned for years. Their writing has appeared in Vice, Salon, Vox, Black Girl Dangerous, Autostraddle, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. They are a former Lambda Literary Fellow and currently live in New York with their partner. In our conversation, Lamya explains how they've carved out a life that works for them despite the rigidity of systems of faith and gender expression. The reason they said forgetting was necessary for them to live and the two beliefs they hold about God that helps them get out of bed in the morning. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with K E Garland, author of the memoir, In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict. K E Garland is an award-winning creative nonfiction writer and blogger who uses personal essays and memoir to de-marginalize women's experiences with an intent to highlight and humanize contemporary issues including adoption and addiction. In our conversation, K E discusses how she confronted the truth with her loved ones especially her husband, as well as how she learned to have compassion for herself and her family despite the many traumas she experienced. And the reason she says the rest of her life will be dedicated to writing instead of working hard. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Kim Coleman Foote, author of the biomthyography novel, Coleman Hill. The novel draws from Kim's own family legend, historical record, and fervent imagination to create an unforgettable new history. In our conversation, Kim discusses how she came to tell the story of her family while she was working on another novel. Plus, how she got over her own jealousy of other writers whose books were published before her. And, what it feels like to live her dreams after querying agents and trying to get published since she was 12 years old. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Liv Little, author of the novel, Rosewater. A writer of Jamaican and Guyanese descent living in South London, Liv tells stories about the people and places that matter to her; specifically the Black, queer, femme community. In our conversation, Liv discusses why she was dedicated to illustrating the ways Black, queer and femme communities show up and support one another. She also explains why it was important to explore the roots of homophobia and heteronormativity and how it's weaponized against queer communities. And how she made sure her heroine's journey of self discovery was filled with friendship, love, and sex. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with jarrett hill and Tre'vell Anderson, the authors of, Historically Black Phrases: From "I Ain't One of Your Little Friends" to "Who All Gon Be There?" Tre'vell and jarrett both have backgrounds in journalism and they are the hosts of the award-winning podcast FANTI. Their book chronicles the living language of Black people and how we bend a phrase to entertain, uplift, or sometimes to hurt and harm. In our conversation, they discuss how they've found validation in their careers even when being written off as diversity hires. Plus, what they say job security looks like as a Black creative. And giving credit where credit is due to the marginalized community they say is often exploited and stolen from that they worked to honor through the pages of their book. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Minda Honey, author of the memoir, The Heartbreak Years. A retrospective for the twenty-somethings who are ready to stop leaping into the lives of the men they like and instead choose themselves and a life they love. The book is born out of Minda's series of essays for Longreads on dating politics. Her writing has also been featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Oxford American and Teen Vogue. In our conversation, Minda discusses, her life and loves including her high school sweetheart to maintaining a platonic relationship with a magnetic man. How she gained the confidence and arrogance to bet on herself and what some called her “raunchy” work. And the reason she says she hasn’t given up on love despite the inherent risk and sometimes violence against women. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Anissa Gray, author of the novel, Life and Other Love Songs. The novel uses music as a metaphor to examine the aftermath of one man's decision on his entire family after they lose the loves of their lives. In our conversation, Anissa discusses how she processed her own personal tragedies on the page. Plus, the reason she says writing Life and Other Love Songs was harder than writing her debut, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. And as a journalist by trade with work featured in The Washington Post, CNN, The Cut and Shondaland, Anissa explains the turning point in her life that brought her back to her passion. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Donovan X. Ramsey, author of the book, When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era. The book, which was long listed for a National Book Award, is a work of narrative nonfiction exploring how Black America survived the crack epidemic. The book is born out of Donovan's work as a journalist and a Demos Emerging Voices Fellow. In our conversation, Donovan explains why giving context to what happened to Black people and the Black community during the crack epidemic is part of his God given purpose. Plus, the spiritual message he received about his writing that guides his career And, why he say the right substance at the wrong time can make us repeat the drug history we've already lived. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Terah Shelton Harris, author of the novel, One Summer in Savannah. Published by Sourcebooks in 2023, the novel was a Target Book Club Pick. Terah, who also works as a librarian and freelance writer, is now focused on writing more upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. In our conversation, Terah discusses the real life tragedy that inspired her to explore the theme of forgiveness in her novel. The reason she quit writing for six years and how she ended up getting a two book deal before she ever got an agent.Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the New York Times bestselling author of Take My Hand. The novel was awarded a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association, and Fiction Award from Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Dolen, who is an Associate Professor in the MFA Program at American University in Washington, D.C., is widely considered a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life. In our conversation, Dolen discusses why telling the hard truths of history in a way that is easy for readers to stomach is her gift. How her love of archival research lays the foundation for her work as a historical fiction novelist. And the reason she believes she doesn't get enough credit for the doors she opened in historical Black writing. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Denene Millner the New York Times Bestselling author of the novel, One Blood. In addition to her long literary career including stints as a celebrity ghostwriter for titles including Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man from Steve Harve and Around the Way Girl from Taraji P. Henson just to name a few. Denene got her start as a beat reporter for the Associated Press and the New York Daily News. She now runs her own imprint in partnership with Simon & Schuster. In our conversation, Denene discusses why she never felt stifled in her journalism career choosing to primarily cover Black people. The reason she says it took writing 11 books before she felt confident in her voice as an author. Plus how the novel, One Blood, is a way for her to rewrite her own rules for love, for life and getting free, with wisdom, experience and grace. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This season on Black & Published we're meeting the moment. According to Pen America’s 2023 report, Banned in the USA, 138 school districts in 32 states banned books. The majority of those books featured queer themes and characters, protagonists of color, or addressed racism and activism. So this season we're talking about it all: book bans, mass incarceration, reproductive freedom, homophobia and transphobia, rape culture, racism and white supremacy and so much more.Look for new episodes starting next week featuring authors: Terah Shelton Harris, Jennifer Baker, Dolen Perkins Valdez, jarrett hill, Tre’Vell Anderson, Minda Honey, Lamya H and many many more. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Erica Simone Turnipseed author of the new children's picture book, Bigger Than Me. In the book, children discover the impact they can have when they band together and how solidarity lifts everyone up during the 2020 COVID pandemic and racial reckoning. In our conversation, Erica discusses why she decided to have her young characters use actual building blocks to make meaning of their lives, why she's eternally hopeful despite the current sociopolitical landscape, and how she's reaching parents, teachers, and librarians to get her book to a young audience. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

What’s Good Black & Published Family… Yes, I’m still but I wanted to pop into your ears to tell you how you can win a copy of Cleyvis Natera’s Neruda on the Park which was recently released in paperback. All you have to do is follow Black & Published (@BLKandPublished) and Cleyvis Natera (@CleyvisNatera) on both Twitter and Instagram. And then of course like this post. The drawing will close one week from today on June 26, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. at which point two winners will be randomly selected. We’ll notify you by DM and request your address for shipment. Oh… and if you want a taste of what the book is about check out the replay of my conversation with Cleyvis. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Lori L. Tharps, an author and ghostwriter living abroad in Spain. Her work sits at the intersection of race and real life. She is the author of three critically-acclaimed nonfiction books including, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America (St. Martin's) Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain (Atria), and Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America's Diverse Families (Beacon) She also penned the novel, Substitute Me (Atria). In our conversation, Lori discusses how she's working to expand the definition of the Black experience in life and literature, her personal rift with the ghostwriting industry, and the platforms she's creating for BIPOC literary artists for community and travel. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Victoria Christopher Murray, author of Pride, A Seven Deadly Sins Novel. A native of Queens, New York, Victoria spent years in Corporate America and as an entrepreneur before embarking on her literary career in the late 90s. Dubbed a Christian Fiction writer because no one else was writing about religious topics, Victoria blazed the literary scene penning more than 30 novels, co-writing with other authors, and ghostwriting for top talent across the country.In our conversation, Victoria discusses her guerrilla marketing plan for her debut, self-published novel that led her to sell 9,000 copies in just a few months. How she managed a two year period of rejection by major publishers and being intimidated by her own work after winning an NAACP Image Award. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Nicole Cuffy, author of Dances. Nicole is a D.C.-based writer with a BA from Columbia University and an MFA from The New School. She is a lecturer at the University of Maryland and American University. Her work can be found in Mason’s Road, The Master’s Review Volume VI (curated by Roxane Gay), Chautauqua, and Blue Mesa Review, and her chapbook, Atlas of the Body, won the Chautauqua Janus Prize and was a finalist for the Black River Chapbook Competition. When she is not writing, she is reading, and when she is not reading, she is probably dancing.In our conversation, we discuss how she plans and researches her stories whether she's talking about classical ballet or anatomy. Plus, how history usurped her original premise for the setting of her novel, and why she's resistant to the label of African-American literature and only thinks of herself as a writer and not a "Black writer." Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Rhonda McKnight, author of The Thing About Home. Rhonda is also the author of twenty-five traditional and indie-published award-winning bestsellers, including An Inconvenient Friend, What Kind of Fool, and Unbreak My Heart. She is a two-time winner of the Emma award in the categories of Inspirational Romance of the Year (2015) and Debut Author (2010). She writes inspirational book club fiction and Christian romance about complex characters in crisis.In our conversation, we discuss the kind of internal commitment it takes to truly become a writer, how breaking her own rules helped renew and revive her literary career, and the pivot points that sent her from traditional publishing, to indie publishing, and back again. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Nikki May, author of Wahala. Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. At twenty, she dropped out of medical school, moved to London, and began a career in advertising, going on to run a successful agency. Her debut novel Wahala was inspired by a long boozy lunch with friends.In our conversation, we discuss how her overnight success in the literary world is really due to her 57 years of life on Earth. Plus why she revels in "frivolous" stories and how despite trying to write a fun entertaining story, serious issues seemed to creep in any way. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Caseen Gaines, author of When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical that Changed the World. Caseen Gaines is an author, director, educator, and pop culture historian. He is the author of We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy, A Christmas Story: Behind the Scenes of a Holiday Classic and Inside Pee-wee's Playhouse, which earned Caseen a 2012 Independent Publisher Book Award. In our conversation we discuss how Caseen landed his first book deal by cold pitching presses, the value of collective memory and how it increases the incentive to erase Black history, and why no matter how many books you publish, you're never just "good" as a working writer.Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Yessoh G.D. author of the African fantastical suspense thriller, Ta Lé Book One: Knowledge. Yessoh grew up in the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, a country on the southern coast of West Africa. He believes that books have the power to change people for the betterment of the whole. When he is not day-dreaming about stories and the world, he is a visual effects artist and a gamer. He specializes in 3-D animation and visual effects and has worked on many films, television shows, and commercials, including for Disney, Netflix, and Apple TV.In our conversation, Yessoh discusses why he had to see the story clearly in his mind before he could begin writing, the challenges he faced getting his book to readers as an African author, and why it was important to him to incorporate African spiritual traditions and practices in the narrative of his novel. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Derrick Harriell author of the poetry collection, Come Kingdom. Derrick Harriell is the Ottilie Schillig Associate Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Mississippi. His previous collections of poems include Stripper in Wonderland, Cotton, and Ropes, winner of the 2014 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Poetry Book AwardDuring our conversation, Derrick opens up about being bitten by the poetry bug at an open mic night when he was just 19 years old, the vulnerability he experienced between his friends and family members during the pandemic, and writing a book that could stand the test of time as his Magnum Opus. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Dior J. Stephens author of the poetry collection, CRUEL/CRUEL. Dior J is the author of the chapbooks SCREAMS & lavender, 001, and CANNON!. They proudly serve as the Managing Poetry Editor of Foglifter Journal and Press and are a fellow of Cave Canem and Lambda Literary's Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship. In our conversation, Dior discusses writing poems to popular music as a child, how confronting his rage and anger helped him publish his debut collection, and encouraging his students to fail as much as he encourages them to be great. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Victor LaValle author of the novel Lone Women. As the writer behind six other works of fiction, Victor's novels have been included in best-of-the-year lists by The New York Times Book Review, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Nation, and Publishers Weekly, among others. He has been the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, an American Book Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Key to Southeast Queens. He lives in the Bronx with his wife and kids and teaches at Columbia University.In our conversation, Victor discusses being depressed after not being able to initially sell his first short story collection, the truth horror tells that other books don't, and writing horrific historical fiction where everything is true. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Laura Warrell, author of the novel, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, which was named a ‘best’ or ‘must-read’ book by Vanity Fair, People, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and more. The novel was chosen as a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and Laura was named a “Writer to Watch” by Publishers Weekly. She grew up in Kent and Columbus, Ohio.In our conversation, Laura discusses her 25 year journey to publishing her debut novel. What it means now that her big dream has come true. And why she's not committed to giving her characters happy endings. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, author of the short story collection, Drinking from Graveyard Wells (University Press of Kentucky, Spring 2023) which was selected for the 2021 UPK New Poetry & Prose Series. Yvette is a Zimbabwean sarungano (storyteller). Her novel manuscript in progress was selected by George RR Martin for the Worldbuilder Scholarship. She is pursuing her MFA at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst where she teaches in the Writing Program. In our conversation, Yvette discusses why she's forcing readers to come to her, the collaborative model she believes all editors should work under, and why she supports Black mediocrity in addition to Black excellence. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Sophronia Scott, author of the novel, Wild, Beautiful and Free. Sophfronia holds a BA in English from Harvard and an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She began her career as an award-winning magazine journalist for Time, and People. When her first novel, All I Need to Get By, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2004 Sophfronia was nominated for best new author at the African American Literary Awards. Sophfronia’s other books include The Seeker and the Monk: Everyday Conversations with Thomas Merton, Unforgivable Love, Love’s Long Line, Doing Business By the Book, and This Child of Faith: Raising a Spiritual Child in a Secular World, co-written with her son Tain. Currently, Sophfronia is the founding director of Alma College’s MFA in Creative Writing, a low-residency graduate program based in Alma, Michigan. In our conversation, we discuss how she grew up in Lorain, Ohio--hometown of Toni Morrison--with a father who couldn't read. The one class in college that led her to writing when she was supposed to become a doctor, and the lengths she went to do her work as a writer, including driving a school bus, part-time, while she earned her MFA. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Diane Marie Brown, author of the novel, Black Candle Women. A professor at Orange Coast College and a public health professional for the Long Beach Health Department, Diane has a BA and MPH from UCLA and a degree in fiction from USC’s Master of Professional Writing Program. She grew up in Stockton and now lives in Long Beach, California, with her husband, their four daughters, and their dog, Brownie. Black Candle Women is her debut novel.In our conversation, Diane discusses the incidents in her childhood that made her afraid to take risks in her writing, the experience of winning a publishing contest with a manuscript that had been sitting in a drawer for a decade, and the connection she found between Voodoo and Catholicism that helped her bring to life her novel about the rituals of hoodoo magic. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Destiny O. Birdsong, author of the triptych novel Nobody's Magic. She's also a poet and essayist, and her workhas either appeared or is forthcoming in the Paris Review Daily, Poets & Writers, African American Review, The Best American Poetry 2021, and elsewhere. Nobody’s Magic, was published by Grand Central in February 2022 and was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize.In our conversation, Destiny discusses the deal she made with herself to write whatever came to her mind, shopping a manuscript before it was ready and the power of affirmation that boosted her confidence for writing a story entirely in AAVE. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Danyel Smith, author of the Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. Danyel is anaward-winning journalist, and producer. She’s the creator and host of the Black Girl Songbook podcast, a music and talk show that centers black women in music. Danyel has served as editor of Billboard, editor at large at Time Inc., and editor in chief of Vibe. She's also the author of two novels—More Like Wrestling (2003), and Bliss (2005).In our conversation, Danyel discusses growing up reading about rock stars in Rolling Stones and wishing there was coverage of the Black artists she loved. How in writing the history of Black women in pop she gained the confidence to put herself in the story, and the most surprising thing she learned in researching her book that covers everyone from Phillis Wheatley to Rihanna. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Tia Williams, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Seven Days in June. Tia had a fifteen-year career as a beauty editor for magazines including Elle, Glamour, and Essence. She also wrote the bestselling novel, The Accidental Diva, and penned two YA novels: It Chicks, and Sixteen Candles. Her award-winning novel, The Perfect Find, will be adapted into a Netflix film starring Gabrielle Union this year.In our conversation, Tia discusses how living with chronic pain pushes her to accomplish everything she sets her mind to, the reason Black authors should walk through every open door publishing offers (even if it's a trend), and the best way to fight for your own happy ending. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Janay Harden, author of the novel Forty-Two Minutes. As a licensed clinical social worker, Janay works as a mental health therapist. She is the CEO of Restoring Your Destiny Counseling and Consulting and has over ten years of experience working in the mental health field with children, families, and schools. She's translated her background in mental health into accessible stories for children and teens. In our conversation, Janay discusses why she wants to be known as the storytelling therapist, the generational inheritances she believes keeps people in a chokehold, and how she finally got the guts to ignite her writing career in the middle of the COVID pandemic. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Ladee Hubbard, author of the short story collection, The Last Suspicious Holdout. Ladee is also the author of the novels The Talented Ribkins which received the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for Debut Fiction and The Rib King. Her writing has appeared in Oxford American, Guernica, Virginia Quarterly and Callaloo among other venues. Born in Massachusetts and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida, She currently lives in New Orleans. In our conversation, Ladee discusses why she felt the need to pursue an MFA after already earning a Ph.D. and having children. Plus, how Hurricane Katrina inspired her need to share her writing and be in community with other storytellers. She also details how the cynicism and suspicion after President Obama's historic election in 2008 was the fuel for the fire needed to produce this short story collection.Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Mant¿s, author of the poetry collection, The Rootwork Stretched. Mant¿s writes from the intersections of Black, femme, queer, and artist. They are Pittsburgh born, and Hill District raised. They have performed their poetry at universities, open mics, launch parties, book tours, and featured showcases throughout Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City. Mant¿s creates work that reflects their healing.In our conversation Mant¿s discusses how poetry is a form of holistic health care she gives to herself, the importance of voicing things out loud, and how poetry allows her to speak across time and give birth to new versions of herself. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with C.M. Lockhart, author of the novel, We Are the Origin. C.M. (also known as Chelsea) is a Black writer of fantasy. She loves creating worlds, exploring relationships, and writing stories about Black girls who aren't all that nice. She is the founder of Written in Melanin LLC — which encompasses a weekly podcast and YouTube channel as well as an online database of books written by Black authors.In our conversation C.M. discusses the reprieve she finds in writing high fantasy. How creating a world run by a goddess and four god lovers helped her work out her own questions of faith, spirituality, and religion. And how she returned to writing at the lowest point in her life. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

In this debut episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, Mbinguni, about her debut novel, Looking for Hope. Mbinguni is a natural storyteller with roots in West Africa and the Gullah-Geechee region of Georgia's barrier islands. Her novel, Looking for Hope, follows the life of young Hannah "Mouse" Maynard in this coming of age tale where Mouse transforms from a shy, quiet, girl into a strong assertive woman. Through the course of the conversation, Mbinguni reveals why it took her 14 years to tell the story of Mouse, how she overcame her own insecurities to finally take the leap of her dreams, what made her to decide with an independent publishing company or "vanity press," and why in everything she does she wants to make sure it is done in a spirit of excellence, as she leads with love. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts, author of the essay collection, Black Joy. Tracey, holds both an MBA and an MFA. She's come up through the indie author ranks, has served as a celebrity ghostwriter, and is the author of 15 other titles. During the Conversation, Tracey opens up about the happenstance opportunity that propelled her from relative anonymity to major book deal visibility, how joy feels in her body, and the ways she's creating legacy for her daughter. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Cleyvis Natera, author of the novel, Neruda on the Park. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Cleyvis has received honors from PEN America, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Hermitage Artist Retreat, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA). Her fiction, essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, URSA Fiction, The Rumpus, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Skidmore College and a Master of Fine Arts from New York University. Cleyvis worked a corporate job in insurance for two decades ascending to the executive level before pivoting her career to become a full-time writer.In our conversation Cleyvis explains how attending elite programs did not prepare her for the rejection and failure she experienced within the publishing industry. Plus, why it was important for her to address toxic masculinity, the climate crisis, and capitalism in her story about a family in crisis. And the sacrifices made for her and that she's made herself that have helped to shape who she is as well as her career. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Remica Bingham-Risher, author of the memoir, Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books and Questions that Grew Me Up. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Remica is a Cave Canem fellow and Affrilachian Poet. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The Writer’s Chronicle, Callaloo and Essence. She has written three poetry collections and is the Director of Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, where she resides with her husband and children. In our conversation we discuss, how she came to conduct interviews with poetic giants that eventually developed into her memoir, why writing love poems in times of crisis is a revolutionary act, and the directive she's giving to the next generation of poets coming behind her. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Shola Gbemi, author of the novel, They Were Chosen. A New York native of Nigerian descent, his novel focuses on the twin movements of social justice and sexual assault while following fictional characters on an HBCU campus.During our conversation, Shola explains why writing his novel was a seven year process. What he learned from the council of women who checked him over the course of the writing to create female characters with nuance and depth, plus the research he did that helped his characters feel true to life. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Toni Ann Johnson, author of the short story collection, Light Skinned Gone to Waste. The collection won the 2021 Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction. Toni Ann's novella, Homegoing, won Accents Publishing's inaugural novella contest and was published in 2021. Toni Ann was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for her novel, Remedy for a Broken Angel. During our conversation, Toni Ann opens up about how she was able to overcome her insecurity as a writer, how her collection contributes to the ever evolving conversation about Blackness in America, and how she developed her style and voice after her first career as a screenwriter. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with George McCalman, author of the book, Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen. The work collects 145 of George's original portraits of Black pioneers alongside stirring profiles of why these individuals matter. A classically trained artist, his studio, McCalman.co creates long-lasting brands for clients across arts, lifestyle, food, and mobile media. He is a senior lecturer in graphic design at California College of Art and is the author and illustrator for the San Francisco Chronicle’s monthly “Observed” column. During our conversation, George discusses how rage fueled his publishing process, why he says book publishing is harmful for writers and artists, and how his mother's death clarified his vision for the book. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracy Cross, author of the horror novella Rootwork. Tracy has had several stories published in mass market anthologies and contributed to many horror podcasts. Her debut novella, Rootwork, is a folk horror homage to her late grandmother. She lives in Washington, DC and is a huge Prince fan. During our conversation, Tracy opens up about growing up practicing hoodoo rituals she calls earth magic, why it was important for her characters to get the revenge her grandmother couldn't, and why you will never catch her reading or writing romance. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of the novel, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? Lizzie is a British-Nigerian writer who has been at the receiving end of the question in the title of her novel many times. Born and raised in London, she now lives with her husband in Milton Keynes, England. In our conversation, Lizzie explains why her novel is an unconventional love story. The three traits she believes every writer needs to have. And she explains why she chose to tackle colorism, the importance of mental health, and prioritizing religion and Christianity when dating. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Chinedu Achebe, author of the novel, The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi. Chinedu is Nigerian-American. He graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelors degree in Economics. He published his first book, Blunted on Reality in 2012. Chinedu has also written articles in the Huffington Post, Medium, and Bella Naija. He currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and son.In our conversation, he discusses the historical event that inspired his writing, why he doesn't mind if readers have problems with some elements of his fiction, and why he thinks most books marketed toward Black people are overrated. Support the showFollow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com