Real Ballers Read

In this live recording special, we talk with our mom about the book that changed her relationship to reading, Disappearing Acts by Terry McMillan. She takes us back to the '90s and surprises us with stories we've never heard before... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talk with our dad, Robert Menafee, about jazz and all of the things that jazz shines a light on. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we reflect on our incredible journey with this podcast. A true freestyle. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

We learned a lot about questions during this podcast, so we wanted to dedicate an episode to just asking each other fun questions and questions about questions. How many questions can you count? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talk with our brilliant older brother, Danny Dunson. Danny went to church on this one, sharing an interwoven story and analysis of his life and experience with Toni Morrison's classic work, Song of Solomon. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talk with the incredible writer, Sean Enfield about his debut collection of essays, Holy American Burnout. Sean goes deep into the questions and experiences that shaped the writing of this book and still propel his thinking today. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talk with the brilliant Kendall Bryant about a book that's in the hallowed halls of their personal canon, Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. The story of this book for Kendall is interwoven with their history, their conception of the present, and their vision for the future. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode with our dear brother, Justus Pugh we talk about beavers, ducks, bird people, and all of the beauty of discovering the world anew through the lens of Emergent Strategy, adrienne marie brown's classic book. e --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

Felton Kizer is an uncontainable creative and entrepreneur who we also know as a dear friend and brother. In this episode, we talk about a book that is as raw and truthful as he is, Prelude to King. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

We got to chop it up with our good brother Sidney, a local Chicago legend, fitness coach, entrepreneur, artist, model, and community organizer. We talked with him about his story getting back into reading in college, the importance of books to his health practices, and what home and community means to him being raised and having family all over the world. --- Support this podcast: https://podcaste...

In this episode, we are joined by our exceptionally talented friend, Ashanee Kottage. Ashanee is a multi-hyphenate artist and has just published her debut poetry collection, Sand & Sweat. We talk about Ashanee's creative process, exploring the blend of personal experiences, cultural influences, and literary inspirations that shape her poetry. This episode is a must-listen for anyone intere...

In this episode, we talk with our good brother Mamadou about Aimé Césaire's book-length poem "Return to My Native Land" and how it has already shaped his thinking and storytelling. We make sense of what it means to be reading this poem in the present moment and why the poem is as relevant as ever! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/suppo...

Cam Burton is one of our brilliant friends who thinks deeply and humorously on a wide range of topics. In this episode, we talk about what he's been reading recently and the technological sci-fi landscape that we find ourselves in today. This one is for the main characters... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talked with our friend, Jadal Williams, a genius studying robotics for his PhD at MIT. He just came back from an exciting trip abroad where he got to see the future of robotic technology and we talked about what this future may hold for all of us... --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

We sat down with the man, myth, and legend—Donta from the popular community, Gold Mouf Book Club. Through the lens of Richard Wright's memoir Black Boy , we talk about what it means to truly be radical now in 2023, the role of religion in the Black community, the power of anger, and what it means to be a Black man. You'll really enjoy getting to know Donta! --- Support this podcast: https:...

In this episode, our first-ever guest on the show, Forrest Evans, returns!! Forrest brought the heat with talking about the intimate potential of audiobooks, observing what parts of herself she's been exploring in her reading recently, and demonstrating what it means to be a leader as a librarian in this era of censorship and book bans. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/...

In this part 2 episode, we talked with Mechiya about the all the ins and outs of relationships: having emotional intelligence, processing hurt, dating, gender norms in the Black community, and friendship. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

We got to sit in person with the one and only Mechiya Jamison to talk about one of her favorite books, Assata. We talked about many aspects of liberation: organizing, education, our environment, class consciousness, climate, gender, and even the role of shame. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/support

In this episode, we talk with Real Ballers Read legend Travis Green and his friend and co-author of the book, Forget the Alamo, Jason Stanford. We talk about the truth and myth of the Alamo, how foundational it is to Texas history, the difference between history and historiography, and how the Alamo is still relevant to this day. History buffs, Texans, or Texan history buffs, this episode is for y...

In this episode, we are joined by the one and only Sean P! We talk about how he discovered his love of reading through the Navy, finding the positive in everything you read, coping with grief, and the golden age of Hip-Hop. Seanathan is a multi-talented autodidact who you'll love getting to know as much as we did! Welcome to the Sean P. Experience X Real Ballers Read... --- Support this podcas...

In this episode, we talk with Claude Johnson, the author of the triumphant 2022 book, The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball's Forgotten Era. We discussed his world-spanning childhood, the incredible decades-long journey of writing his book, fatherhood, and the future of basketball. All fans of history and sports will love this one! Check out The Black Fives on Bookshop here --- Support...

Delia West is an art teacher and scientist who's thinking in revolutionary ways. In this episode, we talk with her about one of her favorite books, The Disordered Cosmos by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, how she got back into reading, her deep passion for all things science, and what liberation looks like for her! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/sup...

It might seem increasingly difficult to be original in these times, but Chinelo proves that to be original all you really have to be is honest. In this fun conversation, we talk about our sense of fashion, fantasy novels, and the nuance of everything we've been reading recently. We know you'll love this episode. Be sure to check out Chinelo's IG page @interestedinblackbooks --- Support...

In this episode, we talk with a friend of ours, Onyi Ozoma, about a collage of different topics, including adjusting into adult life, Toni Morrison's Beloved, new music we've been enjoying, and what it possibly means to be a lost soul. This conversation was soul food for us, without the subsequent itis. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/realballersread/suppo...

Lynnée Denise filled the silence of her pandemic with the rich sounds and legacy of Willie Mae Thorton. The outcome of that deep listening, reading, and viewing practice is Lynnée's amazing new book, Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters. In this interview, she talks about her interdisciplinary and interdependent approach to writing her book, how she came to love reading, and where she sees the lega...