Authors & Espresso

In this engaging conversation, Joel Plummer discusses his new book 'Black Kid, White School: What They Don’t Teach Your Black Child - Volume 1' and the inspiration behind it, emphasizing the importance of teaching Black history to children. He shares insights from over 20 years teaching experience, the challenges of writing, and the necessity of providing Black youth with the tools to navigate a world that often overlooks their history. The discussion also touches on the significance of visual aids in education, the self-publishing journey, and the role of parents in supplementing their children's education.

Key Takeaways:

- Writing is a necessity for Joel, driven by the need to educate.

Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 Authors & Espresso interview with Anthony K. Robinson, covering his autobiographical fiction (He Was My Husband Too, Being Married to Her, and upcoming When I Said I Do), his experiences with grief and family fallout, nonprofit and scholarship work, self-publishing and ghostwriting advice, and a live breakout performance.

Host Nadia shares a candid week-nine update from Authors & Espresso — juggling braces trouble while celebrating podcast growth, new YouTube uploads, and a well-received newsletter. She highlights recent author interviews, festival flashbacks, and listener stats.

Also covered: community writing resources (Shut Up and Write), weekly November write-ins, a planned vision-board workshop, and an open call for self-published authors to be spotlighted on the show.

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits a 2020 interview with Susan Johnson, author of Some Dreams Are Worth Keeping, who shares her lived experience with bipolar disorder and the memoir that grew from it.

Susan discusses diagnosis, treatment, coping strategies (medication, sleep, exercise, support), overcoming obstacles to finish college and publish her book, and the importance of breaking stigma and offering hope.

Cheryl Baker, an experienced elementary music teacher and author, discusses her books Lessons from the Music Room and A Survival Guide for New Elementary Teachers, sharing practical classroom strategies and niche-focused advice for new music educators.

She also talks about her writing and self-publishing process, marketing tips, and how to build community and resources for elementary music programs.

In this festival flashback from 2021, host Nadia Gilkes interviews educator and author Joel Plummer about his book Sumo Wrestlers and Supermodels and what two decades in the classroom taught him about the failures of a one-size-fits-all American school system for Black children.

They discuss Plummer’s journey into teaching, the historical context shaping Black students’ needs, practical steps for parents and teachers, and his call to build lasting change beyond individual classrooms.

Host Nadia Gilkes shares practical tips and favorite apps (Structured, Trello, Evernote, Habit) to help writers organize their schedules, find hidden free time, and build writing routines. Learn how to consolidate calendars, plan writing blocks, track projects visually, and create lasting habits to make room for your novel.

Host Nadia Gilkes revisits a 2021 festival interview with Dr. Shafeeq Ameen, a lifelong educator and author of HBCU Pride and A Message to a Fatherless Generation.

They discuss the influence of HBCUs, the impact of fatherlessness on Black boys, community support efforts, and Dr. Ameen’s self-publishing journey and outreach work.

Host Nadia Gilkes shares three practical tips to beat the blank page: listen to conversations around you, reconnect with friends and family for story sparks, and photograph daily moments to inspire descriptive writing. These small habits help build a daily writing practice and prepare you for writing a book in November.

Subscribe to the newsletter for more tips and share your work on social media by tagging Nadia Gilkes, eLegal Cafe, and Authors & Espresso.

In this festival flashback episode of Authors in Espresso, host Nadia Gilkes revisits her 2020 interview with Dr. Gerry Hagen about his novel Mia Thaw: The Future Whispers. Dr. Hagen, a retired physician turned author, explains his vision of a future where minds can be "deep downloaded" into the cloud and explores how that technology might reshape society.

The conversation covers the book's characters and plot threads, the philosophical and religious questions raised by digital immortality, Dr. Hagen's publishing journey and reader reactions, and the possibilities for sequels and broader impact.