In 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 Frida Liu had a very bad day. After receiving a phone call from the police that her child was in their custody, Frida must explain why she left her 18-month-old baby home alone for two hours. Finding herself in a fight for her child's life, Frida is court-ordered to spend one year in a highly guarded rehab facility to learn how to become a good mother.  We speak to New York Times Bestselling author Jessamine Chan about the inspiration behind this heart-wrenching novel as we explore the ethics and morality of motherhood in the next episode of The Vulgar Geniuses Podcast.

Malinda Lo, author of Last Night At The Telegraph Club and newly-minted recipient of the 2021 National Book Award, joins us on today's episode. We talk about her highly celebrated novel and the necessity of seeing herself reflected in the books that she writes. Last Night at the Telegraph Club is a story of a Queer teenage Chinese American girl in the mid-1950s who falls in love and must now come to terms with the truth about her sexuality, and what this revelation could mean for her relationships with family and friends.

On our season 3 premiere, we talk to visual artist and Kentucky Native Noel W. Anderson about his solo exhibit HEAVY IS THE CROWN, now showing at the Telfair Museum in Savannah, Georgia. Anderson’s manipulated images printed on large distressed tapestries, photos, and vintage Ebony magazines advertisements ask us to wrestle with where we stand at the intersection of race and access. This exhibit is part of Telfair Museums’ Legacy of Slavery in Savannah Initiative, a multi-year project to consider how the legacies of slavery still manifest in the city of Savannah. 

As we close another year in this ponderosa dodging Omarion, we bid farewell to 2021. This year taught us to pivot when needed, change what didn't work, and expect the unexpected. We take one final look to see how we did with our 2021 resolutions, talk about our favorite books and interviews, and our hopes for the future. Join us on the Vulgar Geniuses Podcast as we recap the best of 2021!

It's the last episode of Season 2 of The Vulgar Geniuses Podcast, so we bring you the gifts of all gifts! For our finale, we talked to National Book Award Finalist Robert Jones, Jr., author of the New York Times Bestseller 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒔. This week's interview was recorded live by the Orange County Library System in Orlando, Florida. 

We sit down with Robert to discuss how after 14 years, he completed one of the most beautiful love stories and necessary novels of our generation. As Marlon James said,  𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒔 is "...What the American novel is, should do, and can be." 

In this episode of The Vulgar Geniuses Podcast, we talk to young adult author Cristin Bishara about her sophomore novel VIAL OF TEARS. Cristin shares with us the familial connection, and inspiration, behind this novel that begins with her great-grandfather in Lebanon in 1954.  

Sisters Sam and Rima are transported to the underworld after receiving a magical family heirloom from Lebanon containing a magical burial coin belonging to the immortal god Eshmun. They must battle demons and gods to do all they can to make it back home to their mother or face death. 

Kiese Laymon is one of our generation’s most prolific writers. His profound voice in American literature beckons us to take account of the areas in our lives that thirst for revision. In our interview with Kiese, we talk about his beautiful work 𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑫𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 that invites readers to bear witness to Black children learning to love in the deep south where time has no bounds.  Kiese also shares with us his most recent encounter with Black Abundance, growing up and going to school in Mississippi, and the beauty of the friendships he has created with writers. 

Today we launch our biggest fundraiser to bring Orlando the first Vulgar Geniuses Lit & Art Film Festival. For more info on how you can help, go to www.vulgargeniuses.com and click the "DONATE" button! 

Some of you may find yourself dealing with turkey-induced hangovers or fighting back road rage in black Friday holiday traffic today. But before you crank up Mariah's All I Want For Christmas, spend some time with us as we talk about Netflix's series THE CHAIR.

We're joined by our resident academic, Dr. Ginger, to discuss this binge-worthy show. THE CHAIR stars Sandra Oh as Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim, who must navigate her new role as the first woman to be the academic chair of the English Department at Pembroke University. 

Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi’s newest novel, 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔, brings us into the mind of Arezu, a young Iranian-American woman who has returned to Spain to confront the ghost of her traumatic past. Manipulated into having an affair at 18 years old with her father’s 40-year-old step-nephew, Omar, Arezu must now contend with the fallout of that crippling summer

We speak with Azareen about this soul-stirring, complex novel that watches one’s inner struggle to find peace and healing while dealing with the intersectionality of race, identity, politics, and the power of patriarchy and privilege.