Vulgar Geniuses

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. 

Ayana Gray’s debut novel 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒚 is a splendid and masterfully written story that has sealed its place in our fantasy canon. This pan-African tale takes us to the mythical city of Lkossa, where we meet Koffi, a young indentured woman who is on the brink of learning of the magical gift she possesses.

We talk with Ayana about the birth of an idea that became a New York Times best-selling novel. And we speak about the search for identity in fiction as African Americans must reckon with the erasure of history and mythology due to slavery.

Dante Stewart's debut memoir 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏' 𝑰𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆: 𝑨𝒏 𝑨𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝑬𝒑𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆 is a story of a young man's transformation as he grapples with the intersectionality of race, the sins of America, and the possibility of radical and necessary change within the Christian church. 

Stewart's willingness to expose his inner conflict with anti-blackness from his past set him on a metamorphic pilgrimage. Diving into works from James Baldwin, bell hooks, and June Jordan gave him the clarity and language to write this timely and poignant piece. 

Tis’ the season for things to go bump in the night, and during this witching hour of the Vulgar Geniuses Podcast, we talk to author Isabel Yap about her debut short story collection 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑰 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓. These scary stories intertwine Filipino mythology with the present-day, sure to make readers ask themselves if everything is what it seems.

Isabel shares her publishing story, how she chose to integrate topics such as queerness, immigration, and trauma, and how the stories she heard growing up in Manila served as the backdrop for her anthology.

We head back down south to Bogalusa, Louisiana, in our interview with middle grade author Leslie C. Youngblood to talk about her sophomore novel 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓. This story is a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑺𝒌𝒚, which tells of two young girls wrestling with a loved one's illness and uncovering secrets that will rock both of their worlds. 

Leslie C. Youngblood reveals how an encounter with James Baldwin changed her life forever, why she chose to write novels for young children, and how she pulled memories from her childhood to help build this compelling and remarkable story.

It's National Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month, and we jump off this year's celebration with a special interview with YA author Daniel Aleman. His debut novel 𝑰𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 follows Mateo, a gay teenager in New York City who must keep his sister safe after his parents, undocumented Mexican immigrants, are detained by ICE.

We talked to Daniel about how he drew upon the stories from his community to help build the moments he created in his novel,  the necessity for more narratives to have LGBTQ+ as lead characters in fiction, and his love for the musical Wicked. 

Threaded between the Spanish moss trees and buried on the shores of beaches, Dantiel W. Moniz wants the world to know that there are stories in the South. In her debut short story collection 𝑴𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝑩𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒕, Moniz injects a new way of storytelling by rearranging the preconceived points of view of the human condition.

Dantiel joins us on the Vulgar Geniuses Podcast to talk about growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, and how it shaped the stories she wanted to tell. We also delve into her calling as an author and a unique sisterhood with fellow Floridian writers Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton.