Podcasts about baszile

Dive into the hidden legacy of Black American farming with author Natalie Baszile as she unpacks the complex relationship between African Americans and the land that has shaped our nation. This eye-opening conversation takes us through her journey creating "Queen Sugar" – the acclaimed novel adapted by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey – and her anthology "We Are Each Other's Harvest," which brings to life the true stories of Black farmers across American history.Baszile reveals how her ancestral connections to farming (her great-great-grandfather acquired 600 acres in Alabama after the Civil War) subtly influenced her writing path, creating a personal connection to stories that needed telling. With remarkable insight, she illuminates the systematic discrimination that led to Black farmers losing approximately 90% of their land throughout the 20th century, while simultaneously celebrating the resilience, innovation, and determination that have characterized the Black farming experience.Basile's nuanced approach to a painful history makes this conversation particularly valuable. Rather than focusing primarily on injustice, she articulates how modern BIPOC farmers are recalibrating relationships with land, transforming narratives from "get away from the land" to understanding land as a valuable community asset. Through the Black Harvest Fund she established, Basile puts action behind her words, supporting organizations doing vital work for BIPOC people in agriculture.This episode challenges us to broaden our understanding of American agricultural history beyond the stereotypical image of the white male farmer. As Basile powerfully states, "We have to broaden our understanding of who participated in this American experiment." Want to better understand the whole history of American farming and support a more equitable agricultural future? Start by exploring Natalie Basile's powerful books and consider contributing to initiatives that support Black farmers reclaiming their agrarian heritage.Learn More About Natalie:https://nataliebaszile.com/https://nataliebaszile.com/black-harvest-fund@nataliebaszile InstagramWe Are Each Other's HarvestKara's Offerings &  Services:https://www.landfoodlife.com/https://www.balanceyourgut.com/

In today's flashback, an outtake from Episode 257, my conversation with Natalie Baszile, author of the novel Queen Sugar (Penguin Books). This episode first aired on March 5, 2014. Baszile is the author of the novel Queen Sugar, which was a San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of 2014, longlisted for the Crooks Corner Southern Book Prize, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and adapted for television by writer/director Ava DuVernay and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey for OWN. Baszile holds a M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA and is a graduate of Warren Wilson College's MFA Program for Writers. She lives in San Francisco. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch @otherppl Instagram  YouTube TikTok Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her new book “We Are Each Other's Harvest,” author Natalie Baszile brings together the narratives and histories of Black farmers in America. She co-hosts this edition of Good Food with Evan Kleiman, as they speak to those who are tied to the land and profiled in the book. “Farmers are living ancestors for Black people,” explains Baszile, whose personal history includes a connection to farming.  Clyde W. Ford provides a historical account of how the American government has failed Black farmers. Willie Earl Nelson and his son Adrain explain the discriminatory tactics deployed to deny Black farmers of capital to purchase land. O'Neal Bluefort remembers early days on his family's tobacco farm and his grandfather's final gift, and shares how he plans to continue his legacy. Baszile recounts a visit from her grandmother and her recipe for dirty rice. Finally, Naima Penniman, an activist behind Soul Fire Farm, reads her poem for future generations.

Colah B Tawkin had the pleasure of being in conversation with author Natalie Baszile who is most widely known for having written the novel 'Queen Sugar'. Natalie spoke with Colah from Oakland about her family gardening legacy, her writing process, her favorite flowers and how they're necessary in her life. In this beautiful exchange, Natalie shared her fave recipe for her homegrown lemons and Colah got to teach Natalie a new word! This is part 1 of 2 so tune in next week for more tea on Baszile's latest anthology: 'We Are Each Other's Harvest' Learn more about Nataile Baszile's incredible literature:nataliebaszile.comThis episode is Sponsored by Motherland Essentials, a Black woman owned business handcrafting beautiful plant based soaps + bath & body products essential for ALL skin types. Support the podcast AND save 15% by using code BLACKINTHEGARDEN at checkout: motherlandessentials.comLike what you heard? Here's what to do to Help sustain this show:

Colah B Tawkin had the pleasure of being in conversation with author Natalie Baszile who is most widely known for having written the novel 'Queen Sugar'. Natalie spoke with Colah from Oakland about her family gardening legacy, her writing process, her favorite flowers and how they're necessary in her life. In this beautiful exchange, Natalie shared her fave recipe for her homegrown lemons and Colah got to teach Natalie a new word! This is part 1 of 2 so tune in next week for more tea on Baszile's latest anthology: 'We Are Each Other's Harvest' Learn more about Nataile Baszile's incredible literature:nataliebaszile.comThis episode is Sponsored by Motherland Essentials, a Black woman owned business handcrafting beautiful plant based soaps + bath & body products essential for ALL skin types. Support the podcast AND save 15% by using code BLACKINTHEGARDEN at checkout: motherlandessentials.comLike what you heard? Here's what to do to Help sustain this show:

In her new book “We Are Each Other's Harvest,” author Natalie Baszile brings together the narratives and histories of Black farmers in America. She co-hosts this edition of Good Food with Evan Kleiman, as they speak to those who are tied to the land and profiled in the book. “Farmers are living ancestors for Black people,” explains Baszile, whose personal history includes a connection to farming.  Clyde W. Ford provides a historical account of how the American government has failed Black farmers. Willie Earl Nelson and his son Adrain explain the discriminatory tactics deployed to deny Black farmers of capital to purchase land. O'Neal Bluefort remembers early days on his family's tobacco farm and his grandfather's final gift with wishes to continue his legacy. Baszile recounts a visit from her grandmother and her recipe for dirty rice. Finally, Naima Penniman reads her poem for future generations.

Natalie Baszile knew she was onto something when she got the call from Oprah's people. A novelist and food justice activist, Baszile had been working for years on a semi-autobiographical novel about a Los Angeles-based Black woman who is unexpectedly faced with reviving an inherited family farm in Louisiana. The book became “Queen Sugar,” was published in 2014 and, with Oprah's backing, it debuted as a television series on OWN in 2016. It was executive produced by Oprah Winfrey herself and directed by Ava DuVernay. American audiences were getting an intimate glimpse into how reverse migration was reshaping Black life in America. Now, in a new anthology, Baszile is broadening her scope. In We Are Each Other's Harvest, Baszile offers up a carefully curated collection of essays and interviews that get to the heart of why Black people's connection to the land matters. Mother Jones food and agriculture correspondent Tom Philpott recently published an investigation called “Black Land Matters,” which explores how access to land has exacerbated the racial wealth gap in America. The story also takes a look at a younger generation of Black people who have begun to reclaim farming and the land on which their ancestors once toiled. In this discussion, host Jamilah King talks with Baszile about how this new generation of Black farmers is actually tapping into wisdom that's much older than they might have imagined. This is a follow-up conversation to last week's episode, which took a deep look at how Black farmers are beginning a movement to wrestle with history and reclaim their agricultural heritage. Check it out in our feed.

A century ago, nearly one million Black farmers worked the land across the United States. Today, there are around 45,000 Black farmers. Investigations into the United States Department of Agriculture found that starting in the 1950s, illegal and discriminatory loan programs resulted in enormous wealth transfers from Black to white farmers, and are at the root of this decline. In her new book "We Are Each Other's Harvest," Natalie Baszile, author of novel "Queen Sugar," looks at what happened. Through essays, poems, photographs and personal stories, she documents the rich agricultural history of African Americans. We'll talk with Bay Area based Baszile about the book, some of the farmers she's met and what's in the American Rescue Plan to help reverse the trend.

In this week's episode, we are joined by Dr. Lamar L. Johnson of Michigan State University to discuss Blackness - what it is and what it isn't - in the classroom. How Blackness is centered in English education and the field of English language literature. Dr. Johnson redefines Blackness to show its complexities and how that must be captured in our curricula. We discuss Black Lives Matter in School curriculum, the impact of Covid-19 on Black learners, and much more. Lamar L. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Language and Literacy for Linguistic and Racial Diversity in the Department of English at Michigan State University. He is interested in the complex intersections of race, language, literacy, and education and how English language arts (ELA) classrooms can become racial justice sites. Resources Baker-Bell, A., Butler, T., & Johnson, L. L. (in press 2017). The pain and the wounds: A call for Critical Race English Education in the wake of racial violence. English Education. Dumas, M. J., & Ross, K. M. (2016). “Be real black for me” imagining BlackCrit in education. Urban Education, 51(4), 415-442. Glass, K. “Black families were hit hard by the pandemic. The effects of children may be lasting” New York Times. 29 June 2020. Johnson, L. L., Jackson, J., Stovall, D. & Baszile, D. T. (in press 2017). “Loving Blackness to Death”:(Re)Imagining ELA classrooms in a time of racial chaos. English Journal. Johnson, L. L. & Bryan, N. (2016). Using our voices, losing our bodies: Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and the spirit murders of Black male professors in the academy. Race Ethnicity and Education, 20(2), 163-177. Johnson, L. L. (2016). Using critical race theory to explore race-based conversations through a critical family book club. Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice, 65, 300-315. Love, B. L. (2016) Anti-Black state violence, classroom edition: The spirit murdering of Black Children. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 13(1), 22 - 25. Love, B.L. (2019). We want to do more than survive: Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press. Parolin, Z., & Wimer, C. (2020). Forecasting Estimates of Poverty during the Covid-19 Crisis. Retrieved from New York, NY: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5743308460b5e922a25a6dc7/t/5e9786f17c4b4e20ca02d16b/1586988788821/Forecasting-Poverty-Estimates-COVID19-CPSP-2020.pdf Roberts, D. E. (1999). Killing the black body: Race, reproduction, and the meaning of liberty. Vintage. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/racethrougheducation/support

Miriam A. Hyman (a Philadelphia native) is an actress/Hip Hop Recording Artist with the moniker Robyn Hood. Her latest EP “For Higher” was internationally released in Dec 2016. She’s a 2016 Leonore Annenberg Fellowship recipient for “Performing Arts”, a 2012 Yale School of Drama (MFA in acting) and a 2011 Princess Grace recipient of the George C. Wolfe Award in Theater. Theatre Credits: Vietgone/MTC, Cymbeline/Yale Rep, The Piano Lesson/McCarter Theatre,  Tempest/LaMaMa, Richard III/Public Theater, As You Like It/Two River. Film/TV: Most Beautiful Night(2017 Best Film/SXSW), Split, and The Congressman. Hyman currently plays the recurring role of M.E. Emile Cooper on CBS’s Blue Bloods and has appeared on the newest seasons of Odd Mom Out, Master of None, and The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She’s also appeared on Red Oaks, Unforgettable, Falling Water, The Blacklist, Hostages, 30 Rock, Law & Order, and The Wire. Next up: Catch Miriam as D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers at Classical Theatre of Harlem.http://www.cthnyc.org/the-three-musketeers/  The production runs July 7-30th at 8 pm at the Marcus Garvey Park. Tixs: Free Tixs: Free NYC's Time Out Magazine - "Move over Wonder Woman, there is a new shero in town," says NYC's Time Out Magazine the full write up https://www.timeout.com/newy…/theater/the-three-musketeers-1 ... The NY Times D’Artagnan is now a woman, played by the amusingly swaggering Miriam Hyman … Stage Buddy Miriam Hyman, who plays D’Artagnan with determination, and in doing so, largely carries the play.  … Hyman’s furious strength as D’Artagnan The kinetic Ms. Hyman gives Posthumus a surprising and personalized definition of her own… The NY Times     Television Miriam is currently the recurring medical examiner Emile Cooper on CBS’ Blue Bloods. Hyman has recently been featured in the new seasons of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Master of None. She will soon appear in the new season of Bravo’s Odd Mom Out. She’s also made appearances on Red Oaks, Falling Water, Unforgettable, The Blacklist, Hostages, 30 Rock, Law & Order, The Wire, and Conviction. Film Hyman is featured in the 2017 SXSW “Grand Jury Prize” winning film Most Beautiful Island written and directed by Ana Asensio. Hyman plays Bikie, a Senegalese French speaking model who bonds with Luciana (Asensio) and encourages her on her journey. The film will have a fall release in cinemas and premiers June 21st BAM. Vimeo: MIRIAM A. HYMAN REEL Recent Films Split, a 2017 release written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier is the surreal and epic journey a young woman takes to claim her own darkness and sexuality so she can stop putting it into the hands of her abusive lover. When Inanna, a young actress, becomes obsessed with a mask maker, she sacrifices parts of her life in order to win his love. Hyman plays Jill/Ninshubur, another young actress who accompanies Inanna on her mythical plight. Currently in Audiobooks/Video Games You can listen to Miriam as she narrates the audio book Queen Sugar by the 2015 NY Times Best seller and Oprah’s Book Club author Natalie Baszile. Oprah Winfrey has produced a series based on the book on her network OWN directed by Ava Duvernay, (Selma) which began airing September 2016. Hyman is also featured in the TellTale video game The Walking Dead Michonne as the voice of Donna. “The voice talent, Miriam Hyman was really excellent. I could clearly tell the difference between characters, plus she enunciates beautifully.” Audiobook Reviewer “In Queen Sugar ...[the novel] is a sensory experience, a tableau vivant that Baszile skillfully paints in a palette simultaneously subtle and bold. Queen Sugar is a bright and enticing reminder that, sometimes, you can go home.” O Magazine Community Outreach: Educate Through Entertainment Recently interviewed by CBS News 2 Chicago, Miriam’s program “Education Through Entertainment” focuses on Chicago’s youth and their daily challenges. Website: Miriam A. Hyman  Twitter:  @bookmhyman Facebook: Miriam A. Hyman | Facebook Instagram: RobynHoodFanz Miriam A. Hyman - IMDb   *Music Video: Robyn Hood - 'Reach' feat Erika Hicks  *Website:  RobynHoodFanz.com  Robyn Hood @Robynhoodfanz | Twitter  Robyn Hood Fanz | ReverbNation SoundCloud: Robyn Hood Ft. Erika Hicks- Reach prod. by RocProductions iTunes: Robyn Hood Music  Google Play: Robyn Hood - Music on Google Play Also, available on Tidal/Spotify/Google Play Music    Thank You for checking out Hollywood Breakthrough Show  |   Follow us on Twitter @TheBreakThur This podcast main purpose is to serve up positive information. Join us at Hollywood Breakthrough Show, as we interview some of the most talented people in the business, which names you may, or may not know! But you have seen their work! Whether they're well- established veterans of the business, or current up and comers, these are the people who are making a living in Hollywood. Screenwriters, directors, producers and entertainment industry professionals share inside perspective on writing, filmmaking, breaking into Hollywood and navigating SHOW BUSINESS, along with stories of their journey to success!   HELP SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE! SCREENWRITERS, DIRECTORS, AUTHORS, we would love to help spread the word about your Film, Book, Crowdfunding, etc., Contact us! (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) See Videos of all interviews at Hollywood Breakthrough Show Please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! Follow us on Social Media Sites | Twitter @TheBreakThur| Facebook: facebook.com/HollywoodBreakthroughPodcast Subscribe! Or, Please contact us for Interviews or Sponsorship of an episode! Hollywood Breakthrough Show Website (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) View Apps Sponsor: Press and hold links to visit the page: Hollywood Hero Agent Fenix Hill Pro Scottie The Baby Dino ---    Miriam A. Hyman / Robyn Hood  

Natalie is the author of Queen Sugar, soon to be adapted for television by writer/director Ava DuVernay of “Selma” fame, and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey for OWN, Oprah’s television network. Natalie has an M.A. in Afro-American Studies from UCLA  and is a graduate of Warren Wilson College’s MFA Program for Writers where she was a Holden Minority Scholar. An early version of Queen Sugar won the Hurston Wright College Writer’s Award, was a co-runner-up in the Faulkner Pirate’s Alley Novel-in-Progress competition, and excerpts were published in Cairn and ZYZZYVA. She has had residencies at the Ragdale Foundation where she was awarded the Sylvia Clare Brown fellowship, Virginia Center for the Arts, and Hedgebrook. Her non-fiction work has appeared in The Rumpus.net, Mission at Tenth, and in The Best Women’s Travel Writing Volume 9. She is a former fiction editor at The Cortland Review and is a member of the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto. Natalie grew up in Southern California and lives in San Francisco with her family. Queen Sugar - Now available in Paperback, Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bam! | IndieBound | iTunes . Queen Sugar; A mother-daughter story of reinvention—about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana. Why exactly her late father left her eight hundred acres of prime sugarcane land in Louisiana is as mysterious as it is generous. But for Charley Bordelon, it’s also an opportunity start over: to get away from the smog and sprawl of Los Angeles, and to grow a new life in the coffee-dark soil of the Gulf coast. Accompanied by her eleven-year-old daughter Micah, Charley arrives with high hopes and just in time for growing season. Charley is as unfamiliar with Southern customs as she is with cane farming—which poses serious challenges both on and off the farm, especially when her farm manager leaves without warning. But, rolling up her sleeves and swallowing her pride, Charley finds the help of a colorful cast of characters—blood relatives and townspeople alike—who all become a family to her and Micah. As the cane grows, Charley is tested by a brother who is quickly using up her patience, and it will take all of her heart to keep the sugar growing and her family intact. Queen Sugar is a story of Southern wisdom, unexpected love, and one family flourishing against all odds. Reviews : Baszile is an eloquent and descriptive writer. . . [Queen Sugar] artfully captures the timelessness of the struggle to survive, the virtues of perseverance, and the undying bonds of blood. —Bust Magazine “Queen Sugar is a page-turning, heart-breaking novel of the new south, where the past is never truly past, but the future is a hot, bright promise. This is a story of family and the healing power of our connections—to each other, and to the rich land beneath our feet.” —Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow “In her heartfelt and beautiful debut novel, Natalie Baszile tells a tale of the South that is as deeply rooted in time and place as it is universal. How do we make sense of family? Loss? The legacies passed down to us? These are the questions that Charley, a young widowed mother, grapples with as she tries to save the sugarcane plantation that is her inheritance and which, unbeknownst to her, holds the answers to both her past and her future.” —Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being “After turning the last page of Queen Sugar, I already miss the gutsy, contemporary African American woman who ditches California and migrates to Louisiana to run her inherited cane farm. Natalie Baszile is a fresh, new voice that resists all Southern stereotypes, and delivers an authentic knock-out read.” —Lalita Tademy, New York Times bestselling author of Cane River and Red River “Natalie Baszile debuts with an irresistible tale of family, community, personal obligation, and personal reinvention. The world is full of things that keep you down and things that lift you up—Queen Sugar is about both and in approximately equal measure. Smart and heart-felt and highly recommended.” —Karen Joy Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves “Raw with hardship and tender with hope, Queen Sugar digs deep to the core of a courageous young widow’s life as she struggles to keep her farm in Louisiana’s sugarcane country. Natalie Baszile writes with a bold and steady hand.” —Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Me and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt “Queen Sugar is a gorgeous, moving story about what grounds us as brothers and sisters, as mothers and daughters, and all the ways we fight to save each other. Natalie Baszile’s characters put brave roots into inhospitable ground, looking for a place, a person, a community to call home home. I alternately laughed and wept as they failed each other, forgave each other, lost each other, found themselves. It’s a wise, strong book, and I loved it. You will, too.” —Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Gods in Alabama “Natalie Baszile’s Queen Sugar is a sweeping, beautifully wrought, and uniquely American story that brings to vibrant life the little-known world of Louisiana’s sugarcane country. I fell in love with Charley Bordelon—her huge heart, her kindness, her courage, and her resilience. A lyrical and page-turning meditation on second chances, reinvention, family, and race, Queen Sugar casts quite a spell.” —Melanie Gideon, author of The Slippery Year and Wife 22 “Queen Sugar is an accomplished, confident narrative that announces the arrival of a writer to watch.” —Krys Lee, author of Drifting House “Gorgeous . . . an exquisitely written book about the joys and sorrows of family, love, endurance, and hard work. I can’t ask much more of any novel.” —Peter Orner, author of Last Car Over the Sagamore Bridge “Queen Sugar is story of reinvention and reconciliation about an African American woman who unexpectedly inherits a sugarcane farm in Louisiana. It is a remarkable tale of hope, endurance, and love.” —Ann Trice, Garden District Bookshop Thank You for checking out Hollywood Breakthrough Show This podcast main purpose is to serve up positive information. Join us at Hollywood Breakthrough Show, as we interview some of the most talented people in the business, which names you may, or may not know! But you have seen their work! Whether they're well- established veterans of the business, or current up and comers, these are the people who are making a living in Hollywood. Screenwriters, directors, producers and entertainment industry professionals share inside perspective on writing, filmmaking, breaking into Hollywood and navigating SHOW BUSINESS, along with stories of their journey to success! HELP SPREAD THE WORD PLEASE! SCREENWRITERS, DIRECTORS, AUTHORS, we would love to help spread the word about your Film, Book, Crowdfunding, etc., Contact us! (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) See Videos of all interviews at Hollywood Breakthrough Show Please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! Follow us on: Social Media Sites | Twitter @TheBreakThur| Facebook: facebook.com/HollywoodBreakthroughPodcast Subscribe! Or, Please contact us for Interviews or Sponsorship of an episode! Hollywood Breakthrough Show Website (EMAIL: Info@hollywoodbreakthrough.com ) View Apps Sponsor: Press and hold links to visit the page: Hollywood Hero Agent Fenix Hill Pro Scottie The Baby Dino  

It's the most anticipated podcast episode of the season . . . Part Two of Rachel Toor's amazing interview which aired in April. I interviewed Rachel a few weeks ago and we had a great conversation about the magic of fiction. Though On the Road to Find Out is her first novel, the mystical experience she recounts jives with what I've heard other fiction writers say, including Natalie Baszile, author of Queen Sugar, in episode 7 of Behind the Prose. To borrow Baszile's words, "it's magic." In this episode, Rachel's got the wand and she knows how to use it.    

It is with great Behind the Prose pride that I share awesome news about Natalie Baszile's first novel. Queen Sugar is moving to Oprah Winfrey's OWN network under the helm of "Selma" director Ava DuVernay.  I am proud, but I'm not surprised. Days before the news broke, I wrote "If there ever was a novel that surely will be a movie, Queen Sugar is it." I met Natalie at the 2012 VONA Voices Workshop. In a nonfiction workshop taught by Faith Adiele, I had the pleasure of reading excerpts of Natalie's memoir in progress. The same rhetorical qualities that endeared me to her writing are earning her praise in a number of reviews: eloquence, description, and confidence. But in the words of the first book reviewer I knew, "Don't take my word for it." Listen to Behind the Prose on Sunday, March 1 at 6 p.m. EST!

Natalie Baszile is the guest. Her debut novel, Queen Sugar, is now available from Pamela Dorman Books.  O Magazine says “In Queen Sugar, two bulwarks of American literature—Southern fiction and the transformational journey—are given a fresh take by talented first time novelist Natalie Baszile . . . [the novel] is a sensory experience, a tableau vivant that Baszile skillfully paints in a palette simultaneously subtle and bold. Queen Sugar is a bright and enticing reminder that, sometimes, you can go home.” And Joshilyn Jackson, the NY Times bestselling author of Gods in Alabama, says “Queen Sugar is a gorgeous, moving story about what grounds us as brothers and sisters, as mothers and daughters, and all the ways we fight to save each other. Natalie Baszile’s characters put brave roots into inhospitable ground, looking for a place, a person, a community to call home home. I alternately laughed and wept as they failed each other, forgave each other, lost each other, found themselves. It’s a wise, strong book, and I loved it. You will, too.” Monologue topics:  The Oscars, darkness, fear, self-loathing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices