Black & Published

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with Dantiel W. Moniz about her debut short story collection, Milk Blood Heat . Dantiel is a Jacksonville native who attended FSU for undergrad and received her MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her work has appeared in the Paris Review , Harper’s Bazaar , Tin House , The Yale Review , McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern and else...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with Dr. Kim Mack about her book, Fictional Blues: Narrative Self-Invention from Bessie Smith to Jack White . Dr. Mack is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo where she specializes in African American literature and culture, twentieth- and twenty-first-century ethnic American literature, autobiographical narratives, and A...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author Robert Jones, Jr. His debut novel, The Prophets , was published in January by G.P. Putnam Sons, an imprint of Penguin RandomHouse. The Prophets has been hailed for its spellbinding mix of lyricism, rawness, and authenticity, that is immediately reminiscent of the late, great Toni Morrison and James Baldwin. Robert is from N...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author Angela Jackson-Brown . She is the author of the novel, Drinking From a Bitter Cup , and the award-winning poetry collection, House Repairs . Her latest novel, When Stars Rain Down , was published by Thomas Nelson, an imprint of Harper Collins, on April 13, 2021. Angela teaches Creative Writing and English at Ball State Univ...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with writer, editor, and New York Times Bestselling author Morgan Jerkins . Jerkins, who previously wrote the essay collection, This Will Be My Undoing and the memoir Wandering in Strange Lands , marks her fiction debut with Caul Baby . The Senior Culture Editor for ESPN's The Undefeated and a visiting professor at Columbia Univer...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with marketing maven Tina Wells and journalist and author of 300 Sandwiches: A Multi-Layered Love Story , Stephanie Smith . Tina and Stephanie have been friends and collaborators for 15 years. Their current project is the middle-grade fiction series The Zee Files published by West Margin Press and available at Target.  Episode Notes On...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with multi-genre literary artist Khalisa Rae . An essayist, journalist, budding novelist, and poet, Khalisa is the author of the chapbook Real Girls Have Real Problems . Her debut full-length poetry collection, Ghost in a Black Girl's Throat is out now from Red Hen Press. Khalisa, who is based in Durham, NC is the founder of Think...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with  poet, essayist, and journalist Jeneé Darden about her book, When a Purple Rose Blooms . An Oakland native and daughter of O.J. Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden, Jeneé holds a BA in ethnic studies from UC San Diego and a masters's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. She has reported for NPR ,...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with  poet Carla M. Cherry   about her latest collection, Stardust & Skin . A Bronx native, an educator and academic, Carla is a graduate of Spelman College, NYU, Lehman College, and is currently an MFA candidate in Creative Writing at the City College of New York. She says her goal is to make poetry accessible and help young girls...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author and poet Jessica Lynn   about her novel, Kissing Frogs: The Thirteenth . A proud graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and an educator for over 10 years, Jessica Lynn used her experiences, the experiences of friends, and others to craft a literary drama that takes readers to the ancestral realm, on th...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author Candis McDow about her book, Half the Battle: A Memoir . In this deeply personal story, Candis takes the reader through her journey of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a family vacation. A writer from age six, Candis was first published in the anthology series, Chicken Soup for the Soul . She says her goal as a w...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with award-winning poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis about her new poetry collection, a more perfect Union . The collection explores the experiential intersection of the lives of Black women in the United States. A Cave Canem fellow with work published in dozens of journals and anthologies, Teri is a member of the Black Ladies Brunch Collect...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with actress, writer and poet Iman N. Milner about her new poetry collection, on breaking back together . The collection on faith, love, loss, and self-preservation is soul-shattering and brutally honest. The work helps fulfill Iman's mission to heal herself in her own work as well as inspire others to prioritize their  own healin...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with creative, critical writer, poet, and performer Rosamond S. King about her new poetry collection, All The Rage . The collection was inspired by the lack of indictments handed down in the death of Eric Garner who was killed by police officers in New York in 2014. From that singular incident she crafted a collection set in the fictio...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, performer, playwright, and educator Ebony Payne-English ,  about her journey as a literary artist that has led her to publish a poetry collection ( Secrets of Ma'at ), a graphic novel ( The Random Happenings ), and release six studio albums. Her latest offering, Kuongoza , dropped March 28, 2021 and is available on al...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, TaRessa Stovall ,  about her memoir, Swirl Girl: Coming of Race in the USA . TaRessa was born a jazz baby in Seattle, Washington and is a self-proclaimed Black Power Flower Child. (All Power to the People). TaRessa identified herself as an author from the age of seven and got her start in the industry by self-publishing he...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Georgia Dawkins ,  about her memoir, Everybody Knows: The Power of Being in Position . Georgia is The Purpose Producer. From ABC’s Good Morning America to Will Packer’s Central Ave, Georgia has worked within a multitude of television genres including local news, network news, talk shows, reality television, and entertainme...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Wandeka Gayle , about her short story collection, Motherland and Other Stories . Wandeka is an artist in every since of the word. A Jamaican writer, visual artist, pianist, and Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Spelman College, she has received numerous fellowships including from Kimbilio Fiction, Callaloo, and th...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Monica M. Brown , about her book, Only One: How to Be a Bad Ass Boss in Corporate America . Monica is a deeply-accomplished and results driven senior executive with 20+ years of experience in tech and has worked for several Fortune 500 companies including AT&T, Comcast NBCUniversal, and SiriusXM Pandora.  Episode Notes...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Naima Coster , about the release of her second novel, What's Mine and Yours . (SPOILER ALERT) Naima's stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The Sunday Times, The Paris Review Daily and more. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Honoree for 2020 and her debut novel, Halsey Street , was a...

On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Enitan Bereola, II , about how he got the words out of his head and onto the page to turn his lifestyle into brand that took him from social media influencer to global storyteller. Enitan is the author of three bestselling books that the Obama's, Oprah, and the Zuckerburgs own including 2009's Bereolaesque: The C...

In this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Tamika Newhouse , about how she went from teen mom to CEO by the age of twenty. The author of 17 novels, including her latest romance collection, Suga Hill , Tamika Newhouse opens up about the pros and cons of the publishing industry, her battle with mental illness and depression while fulfilling her dreams, and making sur...

In this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Deesha Philyaw , about her phenomenal journey with her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies , which was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award and the 2020/2021 Story Prize.  Episode Notes In this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Deesha Philyaw , about her phenom...

In this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Roy Glenn , about his long career that started when he self-published his debut novel, Is it a Crime , in 1994 in part as a response to Waiting to Exhale . Glenn, who is a multi-genre author and is known as the master of suspense, has published more than 70 novels both independently and traditionally.  Episode Notes In thi...

In this debut episode of Black & Published , Nikesha is speaking with author, Mbinguni , about her debut novel, Looking for Hope . Mbinguni is a natural storyteller with roots in West Africa and the Gullah-Geechee region of Georgia's barrier islands. Her novel, Looking for Hope , follows the life of young Hannah, "Mouse," Maynard in this coming of age tale where Mouse transforms...