Books Are Pop Culture

BAPC x Tiffany Clarke Harrison Is it better to approach literature with a feelings minded approach or a craft minded approach? If you were to ask Tiffany Clarke Harrison, author of the novel Blue Hour, she might say feelings are what you should always lead with. So this awesome conversation, another classic conversation, is one that includes feelings, honesty, authenticity and vulnerability that i...

BAPC x Lakiesha Carr An Autobiography of Skin by Lakiesha Carr is what we like to call fine art. It was classical and fresh. Full of pain & pleasure. Struggle & Progress. Love & Fear. A work that is bound to stand the test of time as long as the right readers continue to read and champion the work. This conversation, like the book itself, is a work of Fine Art that encompasses all of t...

BAPC × Diane Marie Brown If there are generational curses then there must be generational blessings right? According to Diane Marie Brown that is the truth and we dive into that and much more while discussing her debut novel, Black Candle Women .  Keep up with ⁠ Diane Marie Brown Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠...

BAPC × Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton This episode is titled Mic Drop because only the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston & International Sensation could drop bars like she did nonstop for an entire episode. Listen here and make sure to check out Deborah's awesome memoir, Black Chameleon . Keep up with Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

BAPC × Sowmya Krishnamurthy Hip-Hop's impact on the fashion industry has never been anthologized in the world of literature the way Sowmya Krishnamurthy did it with Fashion Killa . She made found time to tell us how she did it. Keep up with  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sowmya Krishnamurthy Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscrib...

BAPC × Jonathan Eig ⁠Martin Luther King Jr. was a very complicated hero & we spoke with Jonathan Eig about his MLK Jr. biography, King: A Life , and got to the root of several of complications, his lasting legacy, and then some. Keep up with ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jonathan Eig Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

BAPC × Edwin Raymond ⁠Edwin Raymond's An Inconvenient Cop teaches listeners, viewers, and readers that it is all about the numbers when it comes to the police force, and the police force wishes that he never informed us. Keep up with ⁠⁠⁠ Edwin Raymond Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Days⁠⁠...

BAPC × Michael Harriot ⁠Discussing the New York Times bestelling Black AF History ⁠ with Michael Harriot himself is the only true way to commemorate Black History Month as a literary podcast. Keep up with ⁠⁠ Michael Harriot Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Days⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ —BAPC's Newsletter Follow B...

BAPC x James McBride The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is James McBride's latest award winner (it won the Kirkus Prize in the Fall of 2023). We had the opportunity to discuss the novel along with talk about how many talented American writers there are, how much consideration McBride gives to all of the acclaim he has received over his career, the importance of reading books and playing musi...

BAPC × Jesmyn Ward Let Us Descend is Jesmyn Ward's latest masterpiece. We had the opportunity to discuss the novel along with some notable bits about her successful career, and the business of books. A classic & honest episode. Keep up with ⁠ Jesmyn Ward Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Days⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

BAPC x James Hannaham Didn't Nobody Give a Shit About Carlotta is a novel that opens the door to interesting conversations on the carceral system being the real cancel culture, marginalized individuals being more concerned with being human than being marginalized, Friendship, Change, New York City as an identity, James Joyce, Little, Brown, and Company being "a little more brown" and...

BAPC x David Santos Donaldson David Santos Donaldson's debut novel Greenland is a literary gift that keeps on giving. Through Kip Starling's journey towards publishing and the wilderness we are able to discuss the pursuit of art-making, the idea of a sacrificial pen, happiness being overrated, and several other interesting topics. Another episode not to be missed. *** Recorded on 3.26.23 *...

BAPC x Claire Jiménez One of the joys of recording is coming out with a new homie. One of the joys of being BAPC is that we seemingly come out with more new homies more times than not after a recording. Claire Jiménez, our newest homie, did some awesome work within What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez. In this conversation we talk about not believing the hype, writing the work that is truly interesting...

BAPC × Rakia Clark What's beautiful about book land is its expansive nature. An aspiring literary citizen doesn't just have to work toward becoming an author. They can work toward becoming a publisher, a publicist, a marketer, a salesperson, even an editor. In this episode we had the pleasure of speaking with The Great One herself, Rakia Clark, Executive Editor at Mariner Books (HarperColl...

BAPC × Joseph Earl Thomas Sink is a memoir that you couldn't forget if you tried. You'll remember it for the content, you'll remember it for the narrative style, for its untapped level of honesty, and for the twists and turns included within the journey of Joseph Earl Thomas ' formative years. *** Recorded on 6.1.23 *** Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠⁠Patreon Community⁠⁠ Subscrib...

BAPC × Theresa Runstedtler The benefit of having a show about books that you control is that you get to talk about all the books that appeal to your specific interests as long as the there is mutual interest between you and the author. Thankfully there was mutual interest between BAPC and Theresa Runstedtler because we got to talk basketball again through her recently ⁠ Black Ball ⁠, served to you...

BAPC x Tembe Denton-Hurst Tembe Denton-Hurst is the author of Homebodies . She is also the homie and quite awesome. *** Recorded on 5.10.23 *** Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠Patreon Community⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠YouTube⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠The Days⁠ —BAPC's Newsletter Follow BAPC on  ⁠Instagram⁠ Shop BAPC's  ⁠Bookshop

BAPC x Stephen Buoro Stephen Buoro spent time with us discussing his marvelous novel, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa, and I think it's safe to say that we are all droogs now. *** Recorded on 4.22.23 *** Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  ⁠Patreon Community⁠ Subscribe to BAPC on  ⁠YouTube⁠ Subscribe to  ⁠The Days⁠ —BAPC's Newsletter Follow BAPC on  ⁠Instagram⁠ Shop BAPC's  ⁠Bo...

BAPC x Brianna Holt When you are a real reader you learn that relatability isn't limited to an identity. Sure, a work can be aimed at a target audience, but that doesn't mean that you wont' see yourself reflected and/or identify with the work at hand—not that those things should matter in the first place. Alas, Brianna Holt wrote In Our Shoes with Black women in mind, but anyone can pi...

BAPC x Asale Angel-Ajani One of the most immense pleasures of doing a bookish show is being joined by a guest who is unpredictable in the best ways. Asale Angel-Ajani is one of those guests. On and off camera she was real, awesome, thoughtful, honest. Asale's debut novel, A Country You Can Leave , is all of those things as well. *** Recorded on 3.11.23 *** Join The Fellowship—BAPC's Patreo...

BAPC x Kashana Cauley Sometimes, when podding, you have a good feeling about an episode. It's not an explainable feeling, per se, but it is one where you know that your preparation has made it so you'll come out on the other side of the episode with a new friend. Kashana Cauley , author of The Survivalists , is 100% a friend of the show! Join The Fellowship—BAPC's  Patreon Community Su...

BAPC x Keenan Norris Sometimes you think you'll link up with someone for a specific purpose and things, for one reason or another, fell through.aligning, but next thing you know, you look up and you and the individual have Join The Fellowship—BAPC's Patreon Community Subscribe to BAPC on YouTube Subscribe to The Days —BAPC's Newsletter Follow BAPC on Instagram Shop BAPC's Bookshop

BAPC x Toni Ann Johnson⁠ Toni Ann Johnson⁠⁠⁠ may have written fiction, but she makes it clear in this episode that she is telling the truth. No, really, Light Skin Gone to Waste is autobiographical fiction. It's honest, complex & real—a collection that sparked an excellent conversation. This Side & That by Toni Ann Johnson Ruby Bridges film, which Toni Ann Johnson wrote, is banned in a...

BAPC x Ryan Lee Wong When Publisher's Weekly gave a starred review to Which Side Are You On, Ryan Lee Wong 's debut novel, they said "This daring and generous work is sure to spark difficult but necessary conversations." I wouldn't say the conversation held here with was difficult, but you'll soon learn that it was necessary. Join The Fellowship—BAPC's Patreon Communi...

BAPC x Julia May Jonas Who said scandals aren't fun or entertaining? Clearly the person saying that isn't a reader of Julia May Jonas ' debut novel, Vladimir, a scandalous, twisty, turny, intelligent, funny, charming, etc., etc. novel that Time Magazine thought highly enough to place in it's Top 10 fiction books of 2022. Her time spent with us was as fun as her novel was. Join The...