ReadMore Podcast

Author Amina Gautier discusses her award-winning short story collection, The Best That You Can Do, writing during the pandemic, and how her free-range childhood propelled her career.

Jennifer Maritza McCauley discusses her short story collection, When Trying to Return Home, the writers she adores, and how a close family member has influenced her work.

Author Jonathan Escoffery discusses his award-winning, debut, short story collection If I Survive You, the perils of writing about identity, and the question he's so tired of answering.

Children's book author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her latest book, Coretta's Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King, how King was shaped by her unconventional upbringing, and why she encourages parents to take their children to community libraries.

Awarding winning author Natalia Sylvester discusses her YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From Ten, what it was like to write a book she's been dreaming about her whole life, and whether she'll be going back to writing for adults.

Author Jennifer Rosner discusses her novel, Once We Were Home, which is about children stolen during or immediately after WWII, what sparked her interest in this topic, and how her work was influenced by being the hearing parent of deaf children.

Author Lisa Williamson Rosenberg discusses her debut novel, Embers on the Wind, how her job as a psychotherapist influences her work, and why she doesn't matter that much if a book doesn't include Black characters.

Author Celeste Mohammed discusses her critically acclaimed novel-in-stories, Pleasantview, commonly held myths about Caribbean cultures, and how her former career as an attorney shapes her writing.

Author Leila Mottley discusses her critically acclaimed debut novel, Nightcrawling, which she wrote at 17, why she feels like her age was an advantage in telling this story, and why she's not sweating that she's never read The Great Gatsby.

Author Rasheed Newson discusses his critically acclaimed debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, why he wants it to be a guide of sorts for young people, and why he initially called it "an aggressive act of homosexuality."

Author Ayanna Lloyd Banwo discusses her debut novel, When We Were Birds, how her writing was influenced by West African stories about people flying, and why sometimes she has to read "racist fools."

Author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan discusses her debut novel, Big Girl, body shaming in the Black community, and the inspiration of '90s' era hip-hop.

Author Dionne Irving discusses her short story collection, The Islands, how immigration can be so lonely and isolating, and how women are affected by the notion that they can have it all.

Author Meng Jin discusses her short story collection, Self-Portrait with Ghost, why she's interested in death, and the book she finds "infinitely tedious."

Author Toni Ann Johnson discusses her award-winning, linked short story collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste, which is based on her childhood, why she was in a dark place before submitting it, and how her mother reacted to one of the stories that depicted her in a less than positive light.

Awarding-winning author Nikesha Elise Williams discusses her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, why she doesn't give much thought to whether her characters are likable or not, and why New Orleans will always be in her heart.

Children's author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her two most recent books, Evicted: The Struggle for the Right to Vote, and Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, writing about tough subjects for young readers, and why she wants parents, teachers and librarians to be activists.

In this ReadMore Quick Read episode, author Natalia Sylvester discusses her forthcoming YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From 10 and how the pandemic has affected her reading habits.

Author Myriam J.A. Chancy discusses her critically acclaimed novel, What Storm, What Thunder, which is about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, why it took her so long to write, and how a visual artist was a key influence.

Zaina Arafat discusses her award-winning debut novel, You Exist Too Much. It tells the story of a young, queer, Palestinian American woman who's dealing with internalized homophobia and trying to find her place in the world. We discuss readers' reactions to first-person narrators written by women, finding humor within tragedy, and why she loves teaching a certain classic novel.

Award-winning author Brandon Hobson discusses his novel, The Removed, which tells the story of a grieving Cherokee family in Oklahoma dealing with the aftermath of their son's killing by the police and past trauma associated with the Trail of Tears. We also discuss his influences, his favorite books, and how he wants to shake up what the industry thinks of as a Native American novel.

Saraciea J. Fennel discusses the anthology she edited, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora, why she wanted Black Latinx writers front and center, and what she hopes readers from outside the Latinx community will take away from this anthology.

Author Peace Adzo Medie discusses her contemporary debut novel, His Only Wife, which explores an arranged marriage in Ghana, how her work as a professor in gender and international politics influences her work, and how much fun it was to write some of the novel's steamier scenes.

Author Patricia Engel discusses her latest novel, Infinite Country, which explores the plight of families with mixed-immigration status, why she she wanted to unpack immigrants' ambivalence about moving to a new country, and which writers from the past she would love to hop on a Zoom call with.

Author Kaitlyn Greenidge discusses her historical novel, Libertie, which explores what it means for a Black woman to be free, why it was important to her to include queer characters in a novel primarily set during Reconstruction, and how a true story influenced her work.

YA author Emiko Jean discusses her new novel, Tokyo Ever After, the story of a Japanese American teenager who discovers her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan, how her life influenced the book, and the disturbing subliminal messages traditional fairytales send to young girls of color.

Brian Broome discusses his memoir, Punch Me Up to the Gods, which details his rough upbringing in a small town in Ohio in the 1980s. As a child, he contended with homophobia, racism, colorism and poverty. He struggled to fit in and faced abuse from his father and so-called friends. We discuss why he granted his parents grace, the unusual roommate who sparked his writing and his obsession with writing on buses.

Author Deesha Philyaw discusses her critically acclaimed short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, why she started writing about "church ladies" in the first place, and her love for fantastic first lines.

National Book Award Winner James McBride discusses his new novel, Deacon King Kong, why he almost missed Oprah's call, and why the writing is easy for him, but the thinking is hard.

Author Walter Mosley discusses his new short story collection, The Awkward Black Man, how he's able to write so much, and why he won't hesitate to chuck a book if it's not working.

Author Yaa Gyasi discusses her new novel, Transcendent Kingdom, what she read to prepare to write about a neuroscientist who's studying addiction, and why she wanted to explore how faith shapes a character like her protagonist.

Author Ben Okri discusses his new short story collection, Prayer for the Living, why he wants readers to take their time with his work, and why re-reading is more pleasurable for him than reading.

Claudia Rankine discusses Just Us: An American Conversation, her genre-defying book about whiteness and how it functions in the US, as well as what she gained during quarantine, and why the pandemic has made this topic easier to discuss.

Award-winning author Alisson Wood discusses her debut memoir, Being Lolita, how she feels about being forever tied to the Nabokov novel and who she ultimately wrote this book for.

Award-winning author Natalia Sylvester discusses her first YA novel, Running, why she doesn't call herself an activist and ultimately decided to write unapologetically for her community.

Writer Edwidge Danticat discusses living and writing during quarantine, her latest short story collection, Everything Inside, and what legendary authors Toni Morrison and Paule Marshall meant to her.

Sara Collins discusses her debut novel, The Confessions of Frannie Langton, why she wanted to shake up how Black women are portrayed in historical fiction and the celebrated writer she's ashamed to admit is not her cup of tea.

Author Kimberly King Parsons discusses her first short story collection, Black Light, why she's fascinated by the dark side of human nature, and what she hopes readers will get out of her characters' bad decisions.

Author Jennine Capó Crucet discusses her essay collection, My Time Among the Whites, how she's been shaped by having white privilege, losing it and getting it back and her complicated relationship with Disney.

New YA author Brittney Morris describes how Black Panther influenced her to write SLAY, her debut novel about a video game designed to celebrate Black culture, why she wanted to explore the issue of race through a virtual world and how she started writing fiction in elementary school.

Author Nicole Dennis-Benn discusses her latest novel, Patsy, why she initially judged her title character and what fascinates her about women who make unpopular choices.

Children's author Pablo Cartaya discusses his new middle grade novel, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, the importance of children seeing themselves in literature and how young readers keep writers on their toes.

Author T Kira Madden discusses her memoir, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, how she was able to write about her experiences as the child of parents with major substance abuse issues and why she couldn't write this story in a linear way. Content Warning: T Kira's memoir includes the graphic depiction of a rape. We discuss the decision to include this around the 15-minute mark until about the 17-minute mark.

Dariel Suarez discusses his short story collection, A Kind of Solitude, why he's drawn to writing about his Cuban homeland, and his love of books in translation.

Writer Alexia Arthurs discusses her debut short story collection, How to Love A Jamaican, what inspires her to write and the authors who have influenced her work.

YA Author Tiffany D. Jackson discusses her novel, Monday's Not Coming, what she hopes teens and adults will get out of the novel and an unpopular opinion on a very popular series of books.

The founder of Well-Read Black Girl, Glory Edim, discusses her new anthology that features essays with prominent Black women authors writing about when they first felt seen in literature. Glory also discusses her reading life and what reading Black women has meant to her throughout her life.

Writer Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah discusses his debut short story collection, Friday Black, how it was influenced by time he spent working in retail and why he was a little hesitant at first to write speculative fiction.

Author Renee Simms discusses her debut short story collection, Meet Behind Mars, how her interest in social justice affects her writing and why she wants to tap into her legal background to improve her work.

Author Natalia Sylvester discusses her new novel, Everyone Knows You Go Home, her interest in legacy, and the classic she abandoned after a few chapters.

Author Edwidge Danticat discusses her latest book, The Art of Death: Writing the Final Story, the impact of the current political climate on artists, and the writers who helped her make sense of her grief following the loss of her mother.