Black & Published

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Chicago area sisters Chyrel Jackson and Lyris Wallace , who wrote the poetry collections Different Sides of the Same Coin and Mirrored Images . The sisters said they came to their love of writing from their love of reading authors and poets like Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Terri McMillan and more.  Episode Notes ____________________...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Kristen R. Lee author of the YA novel, Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman .  A novel she began as a way to process her undergraduate experience at MTSU. The novel focuses on systemic racism and Black culture. As a Memphis native, Kristen writes stories that reflect her upbringing.  Episode Notes _________________________...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Marc Curtis Little , author of the award-winning novel, The Bootlegger's Mistress .  Among being a popular independent writer, Marc Curtis Little also worked as a radio broadcaster for fifteen years in a career that was highlighted with seven Billboard Magazine awards for on-air performance and programming. Little also owned and m...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Preston Clark , author of the novel Vinnie: A Love Letter .  Preston is a screenwriter and poet who also works full time as a high school  Humanities teacher at Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men in Chicago. He was a 2021 Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Voices of Color Fellow and his first novel, Vinnie: a love le...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Adiba Nelson , author of the motherhood memoir, Ain't That a Mother: Postpartum, palsy, and Everything in Between .  Adiba Nelson is an author, screenwriter, retired burlesque performer, disability rights advocate, and most recently, the subject of the Emmy winning documentary, The Full Nelson . She wrote and self-published her fi...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Lola Akinmade Åkerström , author of the novel, In Every Mirror She's Black .  Lola has lived on three different continents — Africa, North America, and now Europe — for extended periods of time. As a Nigerian-American author who is now based in Sweden Lọlá  is the author of the 2018 Lowell Thomas Award winner for best travel book,...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Lawrence Jackson, author of the memoir, Shelter: A Black Tale of Homeland, Baltimore .  Jackson is a biographer and critic whose work has appeared in Harper’s Magazine , n+1 , and Best American Essays . He teaches English and history at Johns Hopkins and founded the Billie Holiday Project for Liberation Arts. Episode Notes ____________...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha continues National Poetry Month highlighting Ashanti Anderson , whose debut chapbook Black Under was the winner of the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition hosted by Black Lawrence Press. Ashanti is a Black Queer Disabled poet. Her poems have appeared in World Literature Today, POETRY magazine, and elsewhere in print and on the web.  Episo...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha kicks off National Poetry month with Andres "Andy" Rojas , author of the poetry collection, Third Winter in our Second Country . Andy was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He holds an MFA from the University of Florida and currently edits for Poetry Is Currency. By day he's a lawyer who works for the IRS. Episode Notes __...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Nana Nkweti , author of the short story collection, Walking on Cowrie Shells . Nana is a Caine Prize finalist and alumna of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her work has garnered fellowships from MacDowell, Kimbilio, Ucross, and the Wurlitzer Foundation, among others. She is a professor of English at the University of Alabama. Episode Notes...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Rahman Johnson , author of the poetry collection, Living, Loving, Letting Go . Rahman is a Jacksonville native. A trained journalist and news anchor, Rahman is also an actor. Currently, he's a professor at Edward Waters University. His poetry collection earned the 2021 Poetry eBook Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the Ameri...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Dr. Farah Jasmine Griffin , author of the book, Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature .  Dr. Griffin is the William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She is also the author of five books, the most recent being one that intermixes critical literary a...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Vanessa Miller , author of the Christian fiction novel, Something Good . Vanessa is a best-selling author of 51 books, an entrepreneur, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Maurice Carlos Ruffin , author of the short story collection, The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You . Maurice, is a New Orleans Native, an attorney by trade turned writer who holds an MFA and is a professor of Creative Writing at Louisiana State University. His 2019 debut novel, We Cast a Shadow was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Jayne Allen , author of the Tabitha Walker novel series, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must be Magic . Originally from Detroit, Jayne writes fiction from her life experiences. Her desire is to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women’s fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also h...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Danté Stewart , author of the memoir, Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle . Danté is a speaker and writer whose work in the areas of race, religion, and politics has been featured on CNN and in The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Sojourners, The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, Comment, and elsewhere. He received...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers , author of the epic novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois . Honorée is also the author of five critically acclaimed books of poetry, including the award-winning collection, The Age of Phillis , based on the life and times of Phillis Wheatley Peters. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Bl...

We're sharing a special preview of the new podcast, Well-Read Black Girl from Pushkin Industries. Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Min Jin Lee, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Elizabeth Acevedo and more. You’ll a...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts , author of the essay collection, Black Joy . Tracey, holds both an MBA and an MFA. She's come up through the indie author ranks, has served as a celebrity ghostwriter, and is the author of 15 other titles. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesh...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with author Chris Stuck , author of the short story collection, Give My Love to the Savages . Chris, holds an MFA from George Mason University and was also a fiction fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center. In his work, Chris was intentional about exploring race, sexuality, masculinity and the intersections therein.  Episode Notes _____________...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with poet Kelly Harris-DeBerry , author of the collection, Freedom Knows My Name . Kelly, originally from Cleveland but now living in New Orleans, said she wanted her collection to be one for her folks and her people. The Cave Canem fellow works as the New Orleans Literary Coordinator for Poets & Writers. She also freelances and owns a...

Welcome back to Black & Published. The weekly interview format podcast bringing you the journeys of BIPOC writers, poets, playwrights, and storytellers of all kinds. Hosted by two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and award-winning author Nikesha Elise Williams. Full Episodes return January 18, 2022. *** Keep Up with Us Follow Nikesha Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise Instagram: @nikesha_elise Follow Bla...

In this bonus episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is sharing her story about becoming a writer and finding her way in the publishing industry. From exploring and utilizing both traditional and independent avenues, Nikesha discusses when she knew she was a writer, the 7-year-long journey of publishing her debut novel, Four Women , founding her company, NEW Reads Publications , and how she ha...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with journalist and author, Dawnie Walton about her debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev . Dawnie is a Jacksonville native. She worked as an executive-level editor for magazine and multimedia brands including Essence, Entertainment Weekly, Getty Images, and LIFE before she decided to take a leap of faith and pursue her pass...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with M Shelly Conner about her debut novel, everyman . M Shelly is a Chicago native who spent her summers bouncing between her grandmother in Memphis and relatives in Los Angeles, reveling in the sprawl of the Great Migration. That sprawl informs the work in everyman which M Shelly began working on first in 2005 and seriously during he...