The Merwomanist Podcast

Episode Summary: Welcome Back to the Merwomanist Podcast! I am excited for October, the month of my favorite holiday, Halloween, and we are celebrating with a series of episodes focused on mermaid horror and Black mermaid horror. Mermaid horror is a little-known but very rich subgenre in horror film. This episode gives my rankings (from the worst to the best) and very brief reviews of my top nine...

Summary: Welcome back to the Merwomanist Podcast! We just finished a grief series so I am keeping it light. This episode I will be talking about the mermaid aspects of Beyonce's incredible Renaissance Tour which I finally saw in LA. (Inglewood, really!) This starts a bit abruptly because it was a part of another episode that I decided to split into two after filming. Scholarship Cited: Both of...

Trigger Warnings for death, trauma, and grief. Summary: This episode is my reflection on this month's grief series. I talk about lessons learned from my interviews this month, the crossing merfolk concept, and building ancestral altars in the midst of the conditions of Black life and death. I also talk about the emotional challenges of parenting a child with disabilities and reclaiming the tru...

Trigger Warnings: child loss, Covid pandemic Summary: Welcome Back to the Merwomanist Podcast with Mami Melusine. On this third episode of my grief and mermaids series, I interview Black Mermaids Brand founder Julia Mallory. Julia Mallory is a writer, multi-modal artist, healing facilitator, and entrepreneur. She created her company around her poetry collection, Black Mermaids , which envisioned t...

In this series on grief, we are thinking about the role of mermaids in processing grief and pain. On this episode, your host Mami Melusine speaks with Nicia the Bright Eyed Mermaid about her journey of mourning and mermaiding after the sudden loss of her husband. Nicia recalls the fairytale gift of her first custom mermaid tail from her late partner, supporting her childhood aquatic dreams. To hon...

Though this month is my grief series, I just wanted to take a moment to talk about the release of Halle Bailey (Hallariel!)'s single "Angel," it's public reception, and thoughts I am having about the discourse about the Bailey sisters and binary discussions of sexuality and Black womanhood and girlhood. Note: Since this is a quick bonus episode I am not doing any editing but one...

Welcome back, merfolk! I'm your host Mami Melusine, also known as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis, mer-scholar extraordinaire. This is the first in a series exploring the connections between mermaids and grief in literature. In this thought-provoking episode, we'll dive deep into powerful black mermaid books and stories dealing with loss and healing. We'll encounter diverse experiences of grief...

Welcome back, everyone! I'm your host, Mami Melusine, also known as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis in academic circles. For those who are still thinking about the latest take on Disney's The Little Mermaid, this episode is for you. I am breaking down what's new and what's canon in the latest live-action movie starring Halle Bailey. Make no mistake - I loved it! But I think the updates to th...

Welcome back, everyone! I'm your host, Mami Melusine, also known as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis in academic circles. In this thought-provoking episode, we're diving in again to Beyonce's connection to the fascinating realm of water spirits, and its profound connection to rivers, danger, and transformation. Through Beyonce’s Black is King, we explore some of the complex issues around Mami Wat...

Welcome back, everyone! I'm your host, Mami Melusine, also known as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis. In this episode, I'm taking you through my transformative experience at the recent Afro Mermaid Summit in Florida and my personal journey with water. I'll be sharing some of my experiences at the Summit, exploring the dynamics of community, safety, and the power of shared rituals. We'll delve...

Welcome back, merfolk! Your host Mami Melusine, known in academic circles as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis, is here with another immersive episode. Today's guest is, the phenomenal Carrie Wata, founder of the Afro Mermaid Summit. Join us as we plunge into the deep blue of Carrie's captivating journey, from her bond with water during her Florida childhood to the birth of her transformative Afro Mer...

Merwomanist Podcast: Show Notes It’s MerMay! Recap - Episode 9  Hey, my beautiful merfolk! It's me, Mami Melusine, but you may also know me as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis. In this solo episode, I let you dive into my MerMay as I share my recent experiences. There's a delicate dance in being an educator and not overextending myself, and I've been learning how to strike that balance. Fasten yo...

Cookie’s Mermaids - Episode 8 Hey there, merfolk! Your host Mami Melusine, or as you may know me, Dr. Jalondra A. Davis, is back with a fascinating episode. This time, we're swimming through the vibrant currents of the African diaspora and diving deep into the world of black mermaids with renowned artist Torreah "Cookie" Washington. Washington takes us on a journey through her missio...

Merwomanist Podcast: Show Notes It’s MerMay! - Episode 7  Hey there, merfolk! I'm Mami Melusine, but you might know me as Dr. Jalondra A. Davis. In this episode, I invite you to join me on an unexpected adventure that took me through the bustling streets of New York and Philadelphia. I share my own tales of triumph and challenge as I juggled the relaunch of this very podcast and celebrated the...

In this episode, Dr. Jalondra A. Davis, also known as Mami Melusine, delves into the mesmerizing realm of African diasporic culture, spirituality, and its intriguing connection to Beyoncé's visual masterpiece, "Lemonade." Embarking on an intellectual journey from the mystical depths of whales to the divine orishas, Mami Melusine uncovers the connections between mermaid lore, African...

Note: Halfway through this, I inexplicably started calling Anansi the Spider Asanti. I know and always have known that it is Anansi. I blame sleep deprivation.  This episode is a review and discussion of the role of Mami Wata and Anansi the Spider in the Sundance award-winning horror film, Nanny . I also discuss Wangechi Mutu's mermaid artwork and the role of African spirituality and folklore...

This episode ties some of my reflections to the mermaidy aspects of the Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever to Rivers Solomon's novel The Deep . I connect what I call the 'crossing merfolk' narrative in Solomon's novel to the film's reimagining of Atlantis through the history of conquest and colonization. I don't think I give away the end or any major twists but this discussion may contain some s...

This episode is about race and fantasy more broadly. I use my thoughts on Episode 7 of Dance of the Dragons, "Driftwood" and the Freeform mermaid show Siren to think (and rant) out loud about race, settler colonialism, casting, and fantasy fandoms. This is a different one so hope that folks enjoy. We'll be back more to mermaids in the next one! My Research on Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Mermaids...

In this episode I talk about my personal mermaiding journey, the mermaid lore that inspires my mersona, and what my platform is all about. Cover Art: Photo by Natasha Gumbs Art My Mermaid Research: Link to All Publications Article that most addresses topics in this episode (African Indigenous Religions, Mami Wata): Crossing Merfolk Narratives of the Sacred . The bibliography also has a lot of sour...

This first episode introduces me, my work, and why I am starting the Merwomanist Podcast right now.  My Mermaid Research: www.jalondradavis.com/engaged-scholar-1 Cover Art: Mami Melusine by Salt Drift Mermaids Creators Cited: On Twitter: DatWitchBitch @Darealbigfine1 @ArieTheHeretic Mermaid Books and Media Mentioned:  Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci and Brian Pinkney "No Ord...