We are fighting to tell our stories. WE ARE FIGHTING TO TELL OUR STORIES. Book banning is erasure, and is dangerous to the preservation of a culture! What is so disconcerting is how common this is! Note: the clip used in this show was on the IG timeline on 11/22-2022. This is from a school board meeting in Sumner County Tennessee on 10/17/2022. The book in “question” is A PLACE INSIDE OF ME: A Poem To Heal The Heart by Zetta Elliot (Find it on Amazon: https://read.amazon.com/sample/0374307415?f=4&l=en_US&rid=8S7QR963N9ZWR2NS9Q9R&sid=140-1524535-1149615&tabs=1&ref_=litb_m) November Book Recommendation: BLUE LIKE ME by Aaron Philip Clark.

For this episode, it is going to be indicative of where the space is going to be headed for 2023. “Pen work” is defined as the work that you do, the brainstorming, that you bring to page, that brings theory, characters, in reality, sometimes we only drips in fiction to life. Let us be reminder to never give your pinup to anyone. Stay tuned to the end of the show for the SEND FOR A POET segment. The title of this work is the “Black Writer Poem” which will be read by the host, and author, Jennifer Bush- Harris. December 2022 Book Recommendation is WE DESERVE MONUMENTS by Jas Hammonds

Welcome to Season 6! As we dive into the adventure, that will be this season, let this first show remind you of all the talent that you have. I know that things are tumultuous right now, everything seems to be happening everywhere, but I want to remind you of the words of Roxane Gay. Roxanne Gay said in her essay “WRITING INTO THE WOUND”writers have to write through the things that we don’t necessarily want to write through. Because those things, which are happening around us still have to be addressed. Sometimes Writer magic is needed and necessary. Remember: your pen is your wand. Also, stay tuned to the end of this particular show as the SEND FOR A POET segment has returned! For this SEND FOR A POET segment, it will be by none other than Mike The Voice, who you can follow on Instagram (@mikethevoice1) or on TikTok (@mikethevoice). The title of this work is “My Devine Only.” OCTOBER BOOK RECOMMENDATION: IN THE HOUSE OF TRANSCENDENCE by Amanda Ross.

We made it to the end of SEASON 5! Our Hiatus is from 9/8-22 to 10/6-22. See y’all soon!

This is the second part of the conversation on Written In Melanin hosted by C. M. Lockhart (SM: (TT/IG: themelaninlibrary/Written In Melanin Podcast), which aired on September 7. In this conversation, we are going to continue the discussion about the relevance of black writers, the Raisher of Black people in literature, the erasure of our narrative, and how essential it is that black riders exist in every space! So, before you talk with us about our experiences, our narratives, or our language, we have a question: have you done the reading? Works/Authors Mentioned: Toni Morrison-TAR BABY, SOURCE OF SELF-REGARD, PIECES I AM; Hannah Drake-http://www.writesomeshit.com; James Baldwin, NOTHING’S PERSONAL; Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series (Laurel K. Hamilton); Anne Rice (The Vampire Chronicles); Adrienne Horn (I.AM. Editing, Ink). Listen for the September book recommendation from the Melanin Library-RAIN RISING by Courtney Comrie!

Listen for the August book recommendation from the Melanin Library-THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US by Britney S. Lewis. Every writer needs to own every thing we say. For this weeks bonus episode, I lean into what happens when we as writers throw rocks and hide our hands. When we try to take our name off of work that can be found. Please see the article in the show notes. I invite you to read that after this show. Article: https://moguldom.com/418704/black-america-responds-to-therapist-who-scolds-black-men-for-not-going-to-therapy/amp/

Writing in community is a blessing and…a curse. We are going to examine what it means to write in community, where is your writing tribe, and is it worth it sharing space (or drafts!) with them? Listen for the August book recommendation from the Melanin Library-THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US!

This week is reported at a church Texas is going to be feeling the full wrath of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the tour de force behind the musicals Washington Heights, and most noteably HAMILTON! The VERY musical this church copied! This week for this week’s bonus show, we are going to be talking about just why and how non-BIPOC people really feel like they can take our stuff like we don’t see them! Please see this link for more information: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna42523

This episode we are going to talk about writing dreams versus writing goals and why it is always needed a necessary for you to reach for the impossible. Please follow @toxicbloodlines on TikTok! Purchase his books TOXIC BLOODLINES BOOK 1 & 2! His Info is in his bio! BLACK MALE WRITERS MATTER!

Special shout out to Blupoetres alumni of the show! On August 1, she will be hosting a WRITE ABOUT NOW creative writing event plate. Please search that event through Eventbrite and support! This bonus show is dedicated to the incredible, Black blerd family of the ever present Marvel Cinematic Universe! With Wakanda forever being in theaters in about three months we have much to prepare for, and so much further to go. Event rite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/257012410037