March 16, 2021

Longing for Home with Wandeka Gayle

1 hour 7 minutes

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, Wandeka Gayle, about her short story collection, Motherland and Other Stories. Wandeka is an artist in every since of the word. A Jamaican writer, visual artist, pianist, and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Spelman College, she has received numerous fellowships including from Kimbilio Fiction, Callaloo, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. She has a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing. Her work has appeared in Prairie Schooner and The Rumpus and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

Episode Notes

On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is speaking with author, Wandeka Gayle, about her short story collection, Motherland and Other Stories. Wandeka is an artist in every since of the word. A Jamaican writer, visual artist, pianist, and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Spelman College, she has received numerous fellowships including from Kimbilio Fiction, Callaloo, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. She has a Ph.D. in English/Creative Writing. Her work has appeared in Prairie Schooner and The Rumpus and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

During the conversation, Wandeka shares her experience of what it's like to be triple marginalized as an immigrant, a woman, and a minority, how her procrastination led to her dissertation, and how she crafted an entire story out of watching a woman ride the bus. Wandeka also talks about the time she was falsely arrested, learning to recognize micro aggressions and the invisibility of racism that makes it so insane.

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