Leah De Forest was born in Geelong, Australia, and lives in Boston. Her debut novel, ANY KIND OF KNOWN TOMORROW, is coming 9/15/26 from Betty, an imprint of WTAW Press.

Her fiction, essays and criticism have appeared in Griffith Review, CRAFT Literary, Ohio University’s Quarter After Eight, Bodega Magazine, Fiction Writers Review, LEON Literary Review, Monash University’s Verge 2020,  Kill Your Darlings, Eureka Street, Overland, and The Canberra Times. She serves as a senior editor at Bloom, a literary website featuring authors who debut at 40 or older, and publishes The Point of View Playbook, a craft resource for writers, on Substack.

Leah teaches writing at the Harvard Extension School (where she is also an academic advisor in the graduate writing program), was a contributor in fiction at the 2022 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and holds an MFA from the Program For Writers at Warren Wilson College. A former ward of the State, Leah has worked as a journalist, book reviewer, columnist, speech writer, and public servant.

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“Gay, sinewy and exotic, with nerves of steel, Jack Cole never quite fit in or became accurately recognized by the industry, but he was the driving force behind so much of Broadway’s and Hollywood’s dancing brilliance back in the glory days. Debra Levine peels back the dance veils and other layers with extraordinary reporting and insight, to reveal a groundbreaking creator who had complicated associations with Gwen Verdon, Gene Kelly and dozens of other artistic collaborators who brought jazz to the masses. Did he really wear high heels to show Marilyn Monroe her ‘Diamonds’ routines? Believe it. Did Fosse blatantly mimic his moves over and over again? Didn’t everybody? Levine’s immensely readable book gets to the bottom of the dazzle that put Cole on top.”

—Michael Musto, entertainment columnist

About the Author

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“Peace Warrior: How I Escaped the Prison of Anger” details the transformation of author Greg Payton. It is a powerful account of his journey as a young African-American from the Projects drafted into the Vietnam War, his subsequent court-martial, and his survival of a military stockade riot. After battling post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and homelessness upon his return home, Payton transformed his life and became an international peacemaker who has worked alongside figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

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His new book, Bonds: A Bob & Marcus Mystery, is a high-stakes legal drama grounded in the relationships that endure under pressure: long-term partnerships, close friendships and the loyalties that bind them together.

Bonds, the fifth installment in Hirsch’s acclaimed Bob and Marcus mystery series, finds attorney Bob Abramson preparing to accept a powerful new role as chief assistant district attorney in San Diego when a close friend is accused of murder. The victim is a Navy surgeon.

The prosecution is led by the very man poised to become Bob’s new boss, transforming the case into a deeply personal legal battle that threatens Bob’s career, challenges both men’s principles and places mounting pressure on the life Bob and his longtime partner, Professor Marcus George, have built together.

Set against the politically charged climate of 2010, Bonds combines a murder mystery with an exploration of loyalty, commitment, and the complicated ways personal relationships endure under public and institutional strain.

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mystery series that offers not only suspense but also a nuanced exploration of how public policy reverberates through private lives.

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At a time when youth mental health, trauma and suicide prevention are dominating national conversations, Baltimore rapper Tashera “T” Savage is using film to tell a story rarely explored with this level of honesty. The upcoming biopic based on Tashera’s life, Thru the Eyes of the Hustler’s Daughter, confronts mental health, inherited trauma and the difficult, often fragile process of breaking cycles that feel inescapable.

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Jovelyn of Jovelyn’s Bistro Welcomes:

Sebastian Tillinger to discuss his memoir

The Ferris Wheel Was Broken: A Love Letter to Los Angeles. Without slick editing, the book is written in the voice of the author’s 25-year-old self.

Actor, author, and artist Sebastian Tillinger, son of acclaimed Broadway director John Tillinger and actress/director Dorothy Lyman (All My Children, Mama’s Family), bottles the chaos of a world on the brink of a new millennium with the angst of an artist constantly overshadowed by famous parents and family members.  Join Us!

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Join us in conversation as we discuss “The Missing Child” Author Paul O’ Connor.

A Sealed Envelope Sent Him Searching: Former Journalism Professor Reconstructs Mother’s Hidden Past

Most families possess stories that were never fully told. Retired journalist and former journalism professor Paul T. O’Connor believes many of those stories can still be recovered and transformed into fascinating family narratives.

His new book, The Missing Child: The Life She Lived and the Life She Missed, began with a mystery surrounding his mother’s so-called “adoption” and a cache of private papers discovered after her death, including one envelope marked with a startling instruction: “burn without opening.”

Instead, O’Connor opened it — and found himself propelled on a years-long investigation into his mother’s hidden past, during which he pieced together a life shaped by secrecy, instability and quiet resilience.

“Our mother had always had a secret,” O’Connor said. “And now we had found it.”

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Mario Hodge, Comedian, Actor in conversation with host Jovelyn Richards : Same Stuff, Different day.

At the center of the story is a comedian navigating parenthood, complicated relationships, housing insecurity, financial hardship, and the realities of surviving in one of the nation’s most expensive regions. Through humor, music, and authentic storytelling, the production shines a light on issues affecting thousands of Bay Area families while celebrating resilience, community, and the spirit of Oakland.

The all-star Bay Area cast includes comedians Mario Hodge, Shea Shuga, and Jay Rich, with musical direction by acclaimed Oakland musician Kev Choice.

Beyond entertainment, the production explores timely topics including housing insecurity, financial hardship, co-parenting, mental health, community sustainability, and the pursuit of dreams despite adversity.  Two tickets will be given away

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Cover to Cover: Jovelyn’s Bistro welcomes art historian and biographer Salomon Grimberg for a conversation on his new book, Jacqueline Lamba: The Forgotten Surrealist. Grimberg—renowned for his scholarship on Frida Kahlo and the Surrealist movement—unearths the life, art, and inner world of Lamba, an artist too often eclipsed by the mythology surrounding André Breton. This interview explores Lamba’s creative legacy, her psychological depth, and the forces that contributed to her erasure from the Surrealist canon.

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In a new romance novel, Jack In Love, set in late 1960s New York City, author Roberta Grimes raises some key issues that women had to confront back then — and still do even today, such as making choices about marriage vs a career, understanding the role of wealth and financial security in a relationship, and defining whether to adhere to societal norms or not. It is a book about love, womanhood, and the choices and sacrifices we make that ultimately drive the life we make for ourselves. Inspired by some real-life events, it is a gripping, emotional, and character-driven story that is sure to unleash many conversations amongst the generations of all women.

Grimes, who has penned several novels, including Almost Perfect (Berkley), about a young, pretty, and successful woman, Kim Bonner, who wrestles with the affections of two very different men and with a dark crime of the past that threatens her happiness and success. She is also well-known internationally for her research, writings, and podcast regarding the afterlife.

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