Minorities in Publishing

[Audio and Transcription of this episode was provided by BookNet Canada]

Road Trip to Toronto for the latest episode! At this year's Tech Forum conference Jenn spoke with author and founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), Jael Richardson, about the creation of an inclusive literary festival, the work to maintain representation, and also the benefits and concerns about tagging/separating books by marginalized authors when it comes to consumers finding these works.

Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes page of the podcast Tumblr site.

On January 10th, the nonprofit I, Too, Arts Collective held a celebratory NYC book launch for the picture book The Roots of Rap, a collaboration between award-winning & acclaimed artists Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison at Langston Hughes' brownstone in East Harlem. The two discussed their origins as writer and visual artist respectively, the history of hip-hop/rap music, and their thoughts on some of the greatest artists of our time.

Jenn speaks with artist/illustrator Jerry Craft about his trajectory as a cartoonist from regular strips to self-publishing to his latest graphic novel (New Kid) pubbing with a Big 5 publisher. Jerry shares his aesthetic which is bringing humor and heart to stories prioritizing Black families.

[This episode was heavily edited and conducted over Skype, so please not audio variation.]

Jenn speaks with Imani Josey (The Blazing Star) about creating a realistic and mindful historical YA novel with Black protagonists, the inspiration from her pageant background for her short story "Crown," and her trajectory as a self-published and traditional published author with a mind for business.

Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab on the MiP Tumblr.

[This interview was conducted via Google Hangouts, some audio variation may be heard.]

Jenn speaks with the creator of the new literary journal Day Dreamers, Bria Kiara about her inspiration and the nitty gritty details of starting your own print journal and the balance to maintain it as a unique vision for those included and who it represents.

[Transcription of this episode will be available on the podcast Tumblr 'Episodes' tab.]

[This interview was conducted via Google Hangouts, some audio variation may be present.]

Jenn spoke with debut author and professor Dawn Quigley (Apple in the Middle) about writing for trade vs. academia, presenting Native American identities in fiction, and what it was like her debut year.

[Please note that audio variation occurs in this episode, which was conducted via phone.]

On the latest episode Jenn speaks with author SJ Sindu about her novel Marriage of A Thousand Lies, her path to publishing her first novel after leaving tech and moving towards creative writing, the perspectives of LGBTQ+ narratives and importance of intersectional stories (and reviewers) in the industry.

Jenn spoke with scholarly publishing employees Celine and T (in marketing and sales, respectively) about their personal experiences as people of color within their work place, the necessity and also the push back of creating a diversity committee, and how microaggressions on the job have made it hard to retain marginalized employees.

[Transcription of this episode will be available on the podcast Tumblr 'Episodes' tab.]

Jenn speaks with author Lilliam Rivera (The Education of Margot Sanchez, Dealing in Dreams) about the hardships of writing short fiction, how she wrote her debut YA novel, incorporating social justice elements in her work, and character development, along with being a born & raised New Yorker.

[Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab on the podcast Tumblr.]

[This interview was conducted via Skype so there may be some audio variation.]

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion on sexual and emotional assault.

Jenn speaks with Peter Gajdics (Inheritance of Shame) about the struggles to write his memoir on conversion therapy, the experience and outcomes of writing a trauma narrative, and the exploration of shame as well as reconciling with being able to heal after experiencing and writing about one's own and others' experiences.