Black & Published

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha continues National Poetry Month highlighting Ashanti Anderson, whose debut chapbook Black Under was the winner of the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition hosted by Black Lawrence Press. Ashanti is a Black Queer Disabled poet. Her poems have appeared in World Literature Today, POETRY magazine, and elsewhere in print and on the web. 

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha continues National Poetry Month highlighting Ashanti Anderson, whose debut chapbook Black Under was the winner of the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition hosted by Black Lawrence Press. Ashanti is a Black Queer Disabled poet. Her poems have appeared in World Literature Today, POETRY magazine, and elsewhere in print and on the web. 

During the conversation, Ashanti discusses why she spent two years feeling sorry for herself after receiving her MFA before moving forward with trying to put her poems in print. She also explains why she was looking for a press that centered artistic integrity and autonomy and why she centers the fullness of the Black experience in her work without the white gaze. 

Support the show

Follow 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 kicks off National Poetry month with Andres "Andy" Rojas, author of the poetry collection, Third Winter in our Second Country. Andy was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He holds an MFA from the University of Florida and currently edits for Poetry Is Currency. By day he's a lawyer who works for the IRS.

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha kicks off National Poetry month with Andres "Andy" Rojas, author of the poetry collection, Third Winter in our Second Country. Andy was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He holds an MFA from the University of Florida and currently edits for Poetry Is Currency. By day he's a lawyer who works for the IRS.

During the conversation, Andy explains why he took a 10 year break from writing poetry. What brought him back to his first love and how writing is a way to give himself a sense of safety and home. He also discusses how he experiences otherness as white-presenting Cuban immigrant. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Nana Nkweti, author of the short story collection, Walking on Cowrie Shells. Nana is a Caine Prize finalist and alumna of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her work has garnered fellowships from MacDowell, Kimbilio, Ucross, and the Wurlitzer Foundation, among others. She is a professor of English at the University of Alabama.

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Nana Nkweti, author of the short story collection, Walking on Cowrie Shells. Nana is a Caine Prize finalist and alumna of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her work has garnered fellowships from MacDowell, Kimbilio, Ucross, and the Wurlitzer Foundation, among others. She is a professor of English at the University of Alabama.

During the conversation, Nana breaks down the financial difference when it comes to selling a short story collection versus selling a novel and why she wants to be remembered for writing the stories of the weird and quirky, complicating the narrative, and telling the stories of the domestic interior. She also explains her writing process and balancing those instinctual thunderclap moments with the craft of discipline that comes in revision. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Rahman Johnson, author of the poetry collection, Living, Loving, Letting Go. Rahman is a Jacksonville native. A trained journalist and news anchor, Rahman is also an actor. Currently, he's a professor at Edward Waters University. His poetry collection earned the 2021 Poetry eBook Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rahman Johnson, author of the poetry collection, Living, Loving, Letting Go. Rahman is a Jacksonville native. A trained journalist and news anchor, Rahman is also an actor. Currently, he's a professor at Edward Waters University. His poetry collection earned the 2021 Poetry eBook Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

During the conversation, Rahman discusses how losing his mother gave him the freedom to release his poems to the world. He also reminisces on the advice he received from his A.P. English teacher that's carried him throughout his career. Rahman also wants you to know that he's not just a Black man or a Black writer but so much more. 
 

Support the show

Follow 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 Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of the book, Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature. 
Dr. Griffin is the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She is also the author of five books, the most recent being one that intermixes critical literary analysis with personal narrative. 

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin, author of the book, Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature.
Dr. Griffin is the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She is also the author of five books, the most recent being one that intermixes critical literary analysis with personal narrative.

During the conversation, Dr. Griffin opens up about how she's been writing versions of Read Until You Understand since she was a child. She also discusses how she's worked to distinguish her literary voice outside of the academy, centering Black literature in the quest for Black liberation, and her chance encounters in Philadelphia with Patti LaBelle and Toni Cade Bambara. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Vanessa Miller, author of the Christian fiction novel, Something Good. Vanessa is a best-selling author of 51 books, an entrepreneur, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has centered themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Vanessa Miller, author of the Christian fiction novel, Something Good. Vanessa is a best-selling author of 51 books, an entrepreneur, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has centered themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

During the conversation, Vanessa explains how a casual comment from her daughter convicted her to get back to writing after she nearly gave up,. She also discuss the message of hope she wants to spread to the world, and what she has to say when it comes to choosing God and going to therapy. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of the short story collection, The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You. Maurice, is a New Orleans Native, an attorney by trade turned writer who holds an MFA and is a professor of Creative Writing at Louisiana State University. His 2019 debut novel, We Cast a Shadow was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. 

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of the short story collection, The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You. Maurice, is a New Orleans Native, an attorney by trade turned writer who holds an MFA and is a professor of Creative Writing at Louisiana State University. His 2019 debut novel, We Cast a Shadow was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. 

During the conversation, Maurice discusses his love for his city despite the gentrification that's been happening for the last 15 - 20 years. He also explains how he applied his technical nature to his writing, training himself on flash fiction, and being energized to follow his dreams after working a full time day job as a lawyer. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Jayne Allen, author of the Tabitha Walker novel series, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must be Magic. Originally from Detroit, Jayne writes fiction from her life experiences. Her desire is to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women’s fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black.

Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jayne Allen, author of the Tabitha Walker novel series, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must be Magic. Originally from Detroit, Jayne writes fiction from her life experiences. Her desire is to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women’s fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black.

During the conversation, Jayne details the advice she wished she would've gotten in her late 20s and early 30s about motherhood and fertility. The "problems" gatekeepers initially had with her novel when she first tried to publish traditionally and the answers she received about worth and validation as a writer she received in community with her readers. 

Support the show

Follow 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 Danté Stewart, author of the memoir, Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle . Danté is a speaker and writer whose work in the areas of race, religion, and politics has been featured on CNN and in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment, and elsewhere. He received his BA in sociology from Clemson University and is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.



Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Danté Stewart, author of the memoir, Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle . Danté is a speaker and writer whose work in the areas of race, religion, and politics has been featured on CNN and in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment, and elsewhere. He received his BA in sociology from Clemson University and is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

During the conversation, Danté explores what it means to grow up Black & Christian in the rural South, how he became deluded by white supremacy, and the four words that led to his reckoning and reawakening. 

Support the show

Follow 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 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.



Episode Notes
_________________________
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. 

During the conversation, Honorée discusses why she never wanted to world to see her fiction, building her confidence in the craft, and recognizing the profound brilliance she carries as a Black woman no matter how she shows up in the world. 

Support the show

Follow the Show:

IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished

Follow Me:

IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com