Black & Published

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with, Arriel Vinson, author of the YA romance novel, Under the Neon Lights. It's a story that sets the budding love between Jaelyn and Trey against a backdrop of their shifting community landscape and Jaelyn's fight to maintain her safe place.In our conversation, Arriel explains the reason she grounded this book in her own good memories as a way to explore the harm of encroaching whiteness. Plus, how she believes the oral storytelling tradition can save us in this time of book bans and attacks on libraries, archives, universities, and museums. And, the reason she says she wasn't really a big fan of poetry even though she wrote her debut novel in verse. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Cher Terais, author of the wanderlust romance novel, Tempest in Tulum. In crafting her novels, Cher says while her settings may be exotic and lush for love, what the characters go through will always be grounded in reality. In our conversation she explains why she was never a fan of Prince Charming, the reason it took her twenty years to return to the page after she first tried to pen a novel, and how she makes her work as polished as possible as an indie author. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Hana Baba the storyteller on the new podcast Folk Tales from Sudan. The first season will feature 10 stories Hana grew up hearing from her uncle, but was uncertain if she should or could step into his role behind the mic. A radio journalist by trade, Hana fell in love with voice, how it could emote, and its expressiveness at an early age though she grapples with what it means to take ownership of oral traditions. Why she's resisting the urge to profit from her heritage. Plus, the reason she believes her stories are a gift to the next generation of Sudanese children on the continent and across the diaspora. And how the current national and geopolitical climate influenced her decision to curate, produce, and distribute these stories, but now also endanger their future existence and proliferation. Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, about her new historical fiction novel, Happy Land. The books is based on the true story of how a group of Black people founded their own Kingdom on more than 200 acres of mountain land that straddled North and South Carolina. In writing Happy Land, Dolen is correcting the historical record about the origins of the Happy Land settlers that has stood as the final word 75 years. How she learned about this intentional Black settlement and the research she says is still required. Plus, the reason Dolen believes land ownership represents the possibility of Black imagination. And, how the kingdom of the happy land may provide a Blueprint for Black people today living in this time of crisis. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Myah Ariel, author of the novel, No Ordinary Love. Myah, who is a journalist, film enthusiast, and lover of all things pop culture said she decided to try her hand at writing after spending the pandemic reconnecting with her love of reading romance novels. In our conversation she discusses how she managed to write, sell and publish two books in the four years from when she first approached the page. What intimidated her the most about novels after spending years reading screenplays and art criticism. And why she keeps coming back to the toxicity of the entertainment industry as a setting for her stories about love, hope, and reclaiming your name and life in the midst of fame. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Esme Addison, author of the novel An Intrigue of Witches. The historical mystery novel takes the reader on a treasure hunt with the main character to discover the hidden history of unruly women. In our conversation, Esme discusses who prophesied her writing and publishing career over her life. Plus, the difficulty she faced in securing an agent and publisher willing to take a chance on her books that don't fit snugly into one genre. And as a self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist, why she says everybody, but especially Black people should be a little more skeptical when it comes to technology and our favorite apps. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jacqueline Crooks, author of the novel, Fire Rush. It's a book that took her 16 years to bring into the world after getting a late start in writing even though it was something she knew she always wanted to do. In our conversation, Jacqueline explains why she considers her upbringing as an outsider because of her identity as a Caribbean immigrant in the UK a privilege on the page. Plus, how she brought to life the two battles women are always fighting against-- racial oppression and for gender equality--in her story about an underground subculture. And in taking control of a male dominated world, why Jacqueline says women, just like her character, need to beware of the charismatic man. Jacqueline's Dub Reggae Spotify playlistMahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jill Tew, author of the YA dystopian romance novel, The Dividing Sky. It's a book Jill says she hopes disrupts old norms for her young audienceIn our conversation, Jill explains how she fell into the productivity trap in corporate America and the two major life changes that brought her back to the page. Plus, how rejection of her first novel prepared her to write her second and how the YA sci-fi space helped her redefine what's most valuable in life. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Olufunke Grace Bankole, author of The Edge of Water. The book began as a short story and Olufunke has been working to bring it to fruition as a novel for the last twenty years. In our conversation she discusses, how she received the gift of patience from an industry insider that relieved the pressure of publishing. Plus, how her love of social justice and her career as a lawyer put her on the path to becoming a writer. And, how her story of a first generation, African woman, with dreams bigger than herself is really a manifestation of her own name and path through life as a writer. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jodi M. Savage, author of the essay collection, Death of a Jaybird: Essays on Mothers and Daughters and the Things They Leave Behind. It's a collection that reckons with Jodi's grief before and after the deaths of her mother and grandmother and how she found comfort in the space a blank page provided. In our conversation, she discusses how she processed her life in real time and turned it into a book. Why she believes forgiveness and grief go hand in hand and how she let go of the concern about not having enough social media followers… and why those numbers really don't matter. Mahogany Books

This week, Nikesha speaks with Donna Hill, the newly named executive director of The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, right in the heart of Brooklyn. Today, as in Thursday March 27, 2025, kicks off the center's signature event, the National Black Writer's Conference. This year is their two-day biennial symposium highlighting middle grade and young adult fiction. Tickets are free for seniors and for anyone else the cost is $30 or less. Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Aaliyah Bilal, author of the short-story collection Temple Folk. The collection is made up of ten short stories about Black Americans who identify as Muslim and who were at one time members of the Nation of Islam. In our conversation, Aaliyah explains why "normalcy" is the main message she wants readers to take away from her collection. Plus, the reason she believes borrowing details from her personal life is beneath the craft of fiction. And how she taught herself to write in an ultimate period of autodidactic self-study that lasted 15 years.Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jamila Minnicks, author of the novel, Moonrise Over New Jessup. It's a book written about a small, Black, Alabama enclave in the 1950s facing pressure to integrate despite resistance from the town's male leaders and the women who make their work possible. A native of Alabama, Jamila says she sees her writing as an extension of her work as an advocate. The reason she believes her novel is a way to jumpstart the conversation on what community and fellowship really mean. Plus, the pushback she gets from some readers who bought into the belief of white supremacy or the failed sales pitch of integration. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Laysha Ward author of the leadership book, Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Purpose from the C-Suite. Laysha spent more than 30 years in corporate America, most of that time at Target. Our conversation took place before Target announced their roll back of DEI initiatives but we still discuss how her background as a Black girl from rural Indiana helped her find gold in her roots to unlock her superpowers. Why she believes it's important to have a holistic approach to leadership and well-being. And the lessons she learned from Mrs. Coretta Scott King that helped her successfully navigate her professional and personal life. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Bernice L. McFadden, the author of several award winning historical fiction novels. She's out today with her memoir, First Born Girls, a book that weaves the story of her road to publication with her debut novel Sugar, with the story of the women in her family and what they endured. In honoring her family through the pages of First Born Girls, Bernice coined a new word. In our conversation, she explains how she came to call her departed loved ones “angelcestors” and what it means to be loved, guided, and protected by them. Plus, the reason she says she learned the most about the publishing industry in the time she was dropped from a major publisher and went indie. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with National Book Award Finalist and Corretta Scott King Award Winner, Amber McBride, about her latest novel, Onyx and Beyond. The novel tells the story of 12-year-old Onyx who's growing up in the DMV area in the tulmutuous times of the late 60s and early 70s. There's assassinations and moon landings happening in the world, while at home Onyx's mother is slowly succumbing to early onset dementia. And Onyx, a dreamer and lover of magic believes he must be the one to save her. In our conversation, Amber explains how this novel has finally given her both personal and professional freedom after overcoming significant challenges in the early days of her writing and publishing career. She explains, how she keeps stretching herself as a writer to level up and never fit in a box. And, the spiritual practices she believes helps her characters arrive fully formed in her mind. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author and MacArthur genius Jason Reynolds about his YA romance novel, Twenty-four Seconds from Now: A Love Story. The novel explores the budding relationship between Neon and Aria. High school seniors who've been together for two years and are both ready to take their relationship to the next level of love and intimacy.In our conversation, Jason explains how writing this novel is part of his constant quest to challenge his craft and dedicate his life to art. Plus, why he pays so much attention to life's small moments, and what he finds worthy in 18 month increments. And, why he believes the love of a friend is the closest we can get to the love of God. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with return guest, Victoria Christopher Murray about her latest novel, Harlem Rhapsody. The novel tells the story of Jesse Redmon Faucet. A complex and ambitious woman who moved to New York to be nearer to her lover W.E.B. DuBois, and also to run his magazine, The Crisis. Between the scandal she had to keep quiet and an opportunity she didn't want to squander, Victoria details how Jesse Redmon Faucet birthed what we now know as the Harlem Renaissance. In our conversation, Victoria explains why there would have been no boon in Black literature—then or now—without the visionary work of Ms. Faucet. Plus, the countless writers Faucet discovered and mentored whose works we still return to today. And the echoes of the past in the present Victoria is seeing in her own career where she's been mandated to prove herself and to readers that Black stories sell. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Shanora Williams, about her new romance novel, Beautiful Broken Love. The novel is the second chance love story of Davina Klein-Roberts and Deke Bishop. Reeling from tragedy and trying to rebuild her life, Davina is not prepared for Deke, the NBA star, with his own dark secrets, who takes a sudden interest in her, and won't take “no” for an answer. Shanora is an author who cut her career in self-publishing in 2013 but didn't get her big break from a traditional publisher until 2020. In our conversation she discusses how her “big break” actually put her in debt. Plus, how she bends the rules of genre fiction to keep her work honest instead of on trend, and how she made room on the page for grief to breathe in all its different forms. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tara Roberts, author of the memoir, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging. It's an epic story of Tara fulfilling her childhood desire of becoming a writer commingled with her active decision to embrace a past she'd always run from.A storyteller, adventurer, and traveler, Tara is now an explorer in residence at National Geographic where she continues the work she's done since 2016 as a scuba diver working with groups like Diving With a Purpose to map and document slave shipwrecks. I first was introduced to Tara's work through her award winning podcast with Nat Geo Into the Depths and then had the pleasure of coaching Tara for her TEDTalk. In this conversation, Tara goes deep about the trauma she experienced that made her fear becoming a writer. Plus, how she confronted and healed her own feelings of shame around Blackness and identity. And, the grace she had to find for herself and others when she was not embraced on the continent of Africa. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Iris Mwanza, author of the novel The Lion's Den. It's a thriller featuring a young lawyer fighting for justice in the case of a queer teen, that has her going up against every oppressive system in Zambia from the President and police to her priest and the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Iris is Zambian-American. She started her career as an attorney, but currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Women in Leadership team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.In our conversation, she explains why she's more intrigued about exploring what the law could and should be, versus what it actually is. Plus, the newspaper story that's stayed with her for 30 years that inspired her novel. And why she believes authors must write something that matters. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Palestinian-American poets, Fady Joudah and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha.  Fady is a physician, in addition to being a poet. His latest collection [ . . . ] chronicles the beginning of the genocide in Palestine in late 2023 and was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award in poetry.Lena is a poet, essayist and translator. She's also the co-founder of the Institute for Middle East understanding. Her latest poetry collection, Something About Living won the 2024 National Book Award for poetry. In our conversation, we discuss what the protest slogan "From the river, to the sea," truly means. What they would write if they weren't living through and didn't feel compelled to be a witness to constant war and genocide. And how they're helping their children survive and thrive as full Palestinian people who happen to be living in the empire.Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

This season on Black & Published . . . It's time to get real about what writing can do. Whether we write about love or compassion, broken systems or the parallels between the past and the present; writing is active! It is both a portal and an archive. And while publishing is a business, the work on the page is still pure. This season the journeys continue with: Jodi M. Savage, Amber McBride, Jason Reynolds, Iris Mwanza, Tara Roberts, Aaliyah Bilal, Jamila Minnicks, Shanora Williams and many, many more. Mahogany Books Mentioned in this episode:Rate & ReviewThanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform

In this bonus episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is sharing her story about becoming a writer and finding her way in the publishing industry. From exploring and utilizing both traditional and independent avenues, Nikesha discusses when she knew she was a writer, the 7-year-long journey of publishing her debut novel, Four Women, founding her company, NEW Reads Publications, and how she has kept going despite lots of rejection to publish four more novels, a poetry collection, and four other authors in addition to doing all the things in life, love, career, and the pursuit of dreams.

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.

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.

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers, author of the epic novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. Honorée is also the author of five critically acclaimed books of poetry, including the award-winning collection, The Age of Phillis, based on the life and times of Phillis Wheatley Peters.

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author, Deesha Philyaw, her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, which was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award.

This bonus episode of Black & Published features an episode of the Reed, Write and Create podcast hosted by award-winning author and creative writing coach, Lori L. Tharps. On the podcast, Lori offers bite-sized sessions of creative writing coaching based on the lives and times of our BIPOC literary ancestors, and she interviews successful BIPOC authors who share their stories and strategies for a productive and prolific literary life. This episode features her conversation with author Ibi Zoboi about what it takes to make it in the YA world. 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 Arionne Nettles, author of the book, We Are The Culture: Black Chicago's Influence on Everything. A university lecturer at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism as well as a  culture reporter, Arionne's book is as much a love letter to her city as it is putting the world on notice… that Chicago is the epicenter for all things culture and cool… with receipts. In our conversation, Arionne explains why writing this book was really about asking questions people had been waiting all their lives to answer. Plus… how she balanced Chicago's media reputation with the reality of the home she knows and loves. And… the stories she had to leave on the cutting room floor. Support the Show.Follow 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 Julian Randall author of the essay collection The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search of Fugitives, Mississippi and Black TV Nerd Shit. Julian, who is also the author of the Cave Canem poetry prize winning collection, Refuse, got their start as a slam poet. In making the transition from the stage to the page they say talking to themselves instead of an audience was difficult. In our conversation, Julian discusses how they use pop culture as a tool to evoke collective memory while also mining their own remembrances and ancestry that led them to actively chose to live.. when at times… all they wanted to do was die.Support the Show.Follow 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 Maura Cheecks, author of Acts of Forgiveness. The book is an outgrowth of her 2019 article, for the Atlantic, “American Wealth is Broken” which explores the necessity of reparations for Black families.  Maura was awarded the 2019 Masthead Reporting Residency for The Atlantic's first residency program where she worked on that article.In our conversation Maura explains why she turned to fiction to address the very real critics of the long-stalled federal reparations program. Plus, why she's not ready to take the journey of her character and dig into her own family history. And, why she believes when it comes to writing and publishing a book… authors are both the client and the customer.Support the Show.Follow 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 Melissa Mogollon, author of the novel, OYE. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Melissa is originally from Colombia and was raised in Florida. She now teaches at a boarding school in Rhode Island, where she lives with her partner and dog.In our conversation, Melissa explains the feedback she received for her experimental form and why she refused to change it. Plus, how an obsession with beauty is really a fight for autonomy and power. And, how writing the novel gave Melissa a way to hang out with her grandmother for years after she passed. Support the Show.Follow 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 New York Times Bestselling author Tomi Adeyemi, author of The Children of Anguish and Anarchy, the final installment in the Legacy of Orisha series. As a Nigerian American who came of age in a mostly white community, Tomi says her writing grew out of reckoning with her own internalized self-hatred. In our conversation, she explains how writing herself seen is an act of rebellion and revenge to Hunger Games haters. Plus, how she's helped shift the publishing landscape around Science Fiction and Fantasy in the six years since her debut. And, how the overwhelming sense of her own mortality has fueled her creativity.Support the Show.Follow 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 Riss M. Neilson, author of the romance novel,  A Love Like The Sun. A graduate of the Rhode Island College, Riss won the English department's Jean Garrigue Award, which was judged by novelist, Nick White. Her debut young adult novel, Deep in Providence, was a 2022 finalist for the New England Book Awards. In our conversation, Riss explains how she healed herself by writing her own characters. The reason she refuses to stick to one genre in her novels. And, how she persevered in her writing career despite divorce, being a single mom, and being diagnosed with a chronic illness.Support the Show.Follow 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 Shenequa Golding, author of the essay collection A Black Girl in the Middle: Essays on (Allegedly) Figuring it All Out. Shenequa's collection is the culmination of what happened after her essay about being Black in the workplace after George Floyd's murder went viral. So viral, Amazon founder and billionaire, Jeff Bezos, reposted it. In our conversation, Shenequa explains why she never thought a book deal was within her reach even though she'd been writing for years. Plus, how she's overcoming her own insecurities. And, why she wants the twenty-somethings coming behind her to remember that grace and anger are not mutually exclusive. Support the Show.Follow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black & Published we're introducing you to a new show that we love, Reckon True Stories hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon. Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Reckon True Stories is a celebration of new and classic nonfiction – the essays, journalism, and memoirs that inspire us, that change the world, and help us connect with each other. Show credits: Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon Show producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark ArmstrongAssociate producer: Marina LeighEpisode editor: Kelly ArajaProduced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon News. Reckon Editor In Chief: R.L. NaveUrsa Executive Producers: Dawnie Walton, Deesha Philyaw, and Mark ArmstrongSupport the Show.Follow 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 Walela Nehanda, author of, Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir. As a Black, non-binary, disability justice advocate and stem-cell transplant survivor, Walela's book is an outgrowth of their time and work as a slam poet. In our conversation, Walela, explains why even though their publishing journey may seem like a Cinderella story, they definitely put in their 10,000 hours. The moment they fell in love with poetry. And why their therapist said their life was a documentary on “physical torture.”Support the Show.Follow 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 the authors and illustrators of the children's picture book, The Last Stand. Written by Antwan Eady and illustrated by the brothers Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey, The Last Stand  is a book that honors the legacy and sacrifices of Black farmers by focusing on the joy found in community. In our conversation,  Antwan, Jarrett, and Jerome discuss how they got out of their own way and made sure to write books they enjoy. Plus, why there was a 20 year gap between the Pumphrey brothers' first and second picture book and how the publishing industry has changed in those two decades. And, the three layers Antwan, Jarrett, and Jerome make sure are present in their stories so that everyone can get something out of them no matter where or what age they are in life. Support the Show.Follow 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 Avery Cunningham, author of the novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. Avery is a resident of Memphis, TN, and a 2016 graduate of DePaul University's Master of Arts Writing & Publishing program. She has over a decade of editorial experience with various literary magazines, small presses, and best-selling authors. In our conversation, Avery discusses how writing about Chicago at the turn of the 20th century was really an opportunity to write about America. Why she says both the Windy City and the U.S.A, are more bento box than melting pot. And, the ultimatum Avery gave herself about writing that was steeped in her own fears and doubts.Support the Show.Follow 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 Donna Hemans, author of the novel, The House of Plain Truth. Born in Jamaica and currently residing in the DMV area, Donna is the author of the novels River Woman and Tea by the Sea. Works that all center the Caribbean experience. In our conversation, Donna discusses the book that made her want to be a writer. Plus, the lesson she learned about writing the story you want to tell no matter the pressures of the publishing industry. And why she's still wrestling with how to define and hold on to home. Support the Show.Follow 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 Crystal Wilkinson, author of the cookbook memoir, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. A poet, a novelist, and an essayist, Wilkinson is a recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry and was recently named a 2024 Writing Freedom Fellow. In our conversation, we discuss why she says she's never writing solely for publication. How she's haunted by her own artistic impulses and how she squares being a radical feminist with her deep knowledge of the kitchen, foodways and the power that comes from feeding her family. Support the Show.Follow 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 Maya Golden, author of the memoir, The Return Trip. Maya is the founder of the 1 in 3 foundation which provides recovery tools and support for survivors of sexual abuse. An organization she started after she went on her own road to healing through body based therapy that helped her overcome her trauma and sex addiction. In our conversation, we discuss how Maya initially planned to pen her memoir as a fictional story. How she's learning to belong to herself. And, how she hid behind perfectionism as a wife, mother, and in her work and what she's doing now to give her self grace and live free of shame. Support the Show.Follow 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 Dr. Jenn M. Jackson, author of the book, Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism. Dr. Jackson (they/them)  is a genderflux androgynous Black woman, a lesbian, an abolitionist, and a lover of all Black people, They are an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science where their primary research is in Black Politics with a focus on racial threat and trauma, gender and sexuality, political behavior, and social movements. In our conversation, Dr. Jackson explains why she wove her own personal story with critical analysis to examine the lives of Black feminists through the ages from Harriet Jacobs and Ida B. Wells to Angela Davis and bell hooks . Jenn says this book allowed them to pay homage and give tribute to foremothers and ancestors who often go unacknowledged and unseen. Support the Show.Follow the Show: IG: @blkandpublished Twitter: @BLKandPublished Follow Me:IG: @nikesha_elise Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Website: www.newwrites.com

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speak with Ashton Lattimore, author of the historical novel, All We Were Promised. The novel that follows three young Black women in 19th century Philadelphia. One is born free. One is enslaved. And the third is free-ish: she self-emancipated with her father who's maintaining their liberation by passing for white. Ashton is the Editor-in-Chief of the non-profit news outlet, Prism. A position she came to after realizing she did not enjoy her career in law.  In our conversation, Ashton discusses why she never doubted her ambitions to become a published author. Plus, how Les Miserable inspired the plot of the novel. And, the hidden pieces of history she hopes to uncover to help America rediscover its true self. Support the Show.Follow 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 Vanessa Riley, author of the historical fiction romance novel, Queen of Exiles. An engineer and self-proclaimed math nerd, Vanessa applies her  inventive and analytical mindset to her creative writing. Her historical novels showcase the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and dazzling multicultural communities. In our conversation, Vanessa outlines the two engineering questions she always asks herself to guide her storytelling. Plus, why she believes money trumps race. And, why she refuses to run from or be ashamed of history in telling a story about the good, bad, and ugly of Haiti and how the first Black nation  was robbed, pillaged, and plundered. Support the Show.Follow 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 Juliana Lamy, author of the short story collection, You Were Watching From the Sand. A Haitian writer, Juliana says her collection is preoccupied with what it means to be Haitian and the honesty of that lived experience. In our conversation, Juliana, who is a graduate of Harvard and the Iowa Writers Workshop, explains how she creates rhythm and lyricism that translates into English as well as Haitian Kreyol. Plus, the reason she says she isn't ready to commit to a literary agent despite having published a book. And, how she's correcting the record about the cultural and spiritual importance of Vodun. Support the Show.Follow 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 Shannon Sanders, author of the short story collection, Company. A lawyer by trade, Shannon came to crafting her award-winning collection after attending several writing workshops and having to produce on a deadline. In our conversation, Shannon explains why she thinks about what's enjoyable for her reader as she's creating new work. Plus, what she believes it means to leave an inheritance and legacy in the Black community. And, how eavesdropping helps her accurately excavate the interior lives of bougie Black folk. Support the Show.Follow 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 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 Show.Follow 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