On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Carlos Allende , author of the novel, Coffee, Shopping, Murder, Love . Carlos is is a media psychology scholar and a writer of fiction. He has written two previous novels: Cuadrillas y Contradanzas, a historical melodrama set during the War of Reform, in Mexico, and Love, or the Witches of Windward Circle, a horror farce set in Venice, California. He teaches in the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension and lives in Santa Monica with his...
Jun 21, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 23
On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Asantewaa Boykin , author of the poetry collection, Love, Lyric & Liberation . Asantewaa Boykin is a proud San Diego native who found her voice in Oakland, CA. Her poetry and art combines her love of words, storytelling, and resistance. Exploring topics like; space-travel, black-femme militancy, & motherhood. During the conversation, Asantewaa discusses how she discovered her passion for writing in the pages of her nursing no...
Jun 14, 2022•42 min•Season 2Ep. 22
On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Brian Broome , author of the award winning memoir, Punch Me Up to the Gods . Brian is a poet and screenwriter. He has been a finalist in The Moth storytelling competition and won the grand prize in Carnegie Mellon University’s Martin Luther King Writing Awards. He also won a VANN Award from the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation for journalism in 2019. He is currently a columnist for The Washington Post. Over the course of the convers...
Jun 07, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 21
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 Chicago area sisters Chyrel Jack...
May 31, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 20
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 Kristen R. Lee author of the YA novel,...
May 24, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 19
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 managed a public relations and advertising agency for twenty years. Episode Notes _________________________...
May 17, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 18
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 letter , placed in the 28th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards in 2020. Born and raised i...
May 10, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 17
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 first children’s book, Meet ClaraBelle in 2013 and has penned several articles for Huffington Post, The Wash...
May 03, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 16
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, Due North and the bestselling, LAGOM: Swedish Secret of Living Well. She is drawn to the complexities and ...
Apr 26, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 15
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 speaks with Lawrence Jackson, author...
Apr 19, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 14
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. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Black & Published , Nikesha continues Natio...
Apr 12, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 13
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 kicks off National Poetry month with And...
Apr 05, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 12
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 Nana Nkwet...
Mar 29, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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 American Library Association. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Black & Published...
Mar 22, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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 analysis with personal narrative. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Black &am...
Mar 15, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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 new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has centered themes of r...
Mar 08, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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 Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the PEN America Open Book Prize. Episode Notes ______________...
Mar 01, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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 happen to be black. Episode Notes _________________________ On this episode of Black & Published ...
Feb 22, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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 his BA in sociology from Clemson University and is currently studying at the Candler School of Theology a...
Feb 15, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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 Black & Published , Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers , author of the epic novel, The Lo...
Feb 08, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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 also meet book club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they’re reading and wh...
Feb 02, 2022•5 min
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 , Nikesha speaks with Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggetts , author of the essay collection, Black Joy . Tracey, holds both ...
Feb 01, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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 author Chris Stuck , auth...
Jan 25, 2022•45 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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 small communications boutique that serves nonprofits and artists. Episode Notes On this episode of B...
Jan 18, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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 Black & Published Twitter: @BLKandPublished Instagram: @blkandpublished Support the show Follow the...
Jan 11, 2022•3 min
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 has kept going despite lots of rejection to publish four more novels, a poetry collection, and four ot...
Aug 03, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 passion for fiction. A MacDowell Colony fellow (2015) and Tin House Scholar (2017), Dawnie earned her MF...
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 her PhD program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. An excerpt of everyman appears in Obsidian: ...
Jul 20, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 elsewhere. Described as wise and subversive, spiritual and seductive Milk Blood Heat has been hailed a "...
Jul 13, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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 American popular music. Her academic career comes after a journey that includes screen- and playwriti...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 24
