Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Carrie R. Moore , author of the story collection MAKE YOUR WAY HOME . In the interview, Moore explained that her story collection pays "homage to the diversity of the Black South...There are mountains, there are beaches, there are cities, there are small towns, and I really just wanted to write about the South, but do so in a way that would resist a single definition." Carrie R. Moore’s fiction and essays have appeared in One Story, The Sew...
Aug 17, 2025•44 min•Ep. 338
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Tochi Onyebuchi , author of the novel HARMATTAN SEASON. Set in a dust-choked West African city, tensions rise between French occupiers and indigenous factions. The protagonist, private eye Bouba, caught between two cultures, uncovers secrets that challenge his identity and past. Blending noir grit with fantasy, the novel explores justice, memory, and postcolonial unrest. Tochi Onyebuchi is the author of Goliath, a Locus Award and Dragon Awa...
Aug 09, 2025•38 min•Ep. 337
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Madeleine Thien , author of the novel THE BOOK OF RECORDS . The novel tells a time-bending, seven-year philosophical journey of a young girl named Lina, who is taught by her father and neighbors about the lives of three historical figures. They live in a surreal enclave, where Lina and her father have sought refuge after escaping a disaster in China. In the interview, we talked about how she weaves together the stories of three historical f...
Aug 02, 2025•44 min•Ep. 336
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Denise Mina , author of THE GOOD LIAR . The story follows a blood spatter expert who faces ethical dilemmas similar to historical cases where discredited forensic techniques led to wrongful convictions. THE GOOD LIAR publishes on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. Denise Mina is the author of twenty novels, including the Reese's Book Club pick Conviction and its sequel Confidence, as well as The Second Murderer, The Less Dead, The Long Drop—winner of ...
Jul 27, 2025•28 min•Ep. 335
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed historian Paul Thomas Chamberlin , author of SCORCHED EARTH: A Global History of World War II . In the interview, we discussed how World War II fits into a larger story of the rise and fall of empires, the creation and destruction of colonial systems, and the reconfiguration of imperial power. The most surprising thing I discussed with Chamberlin is how the United States, in 1943, and the United Kingdom, in 1945, had developed plans to figh...
Jul 19, 2025•53 min•Ep. 334
Diverse Voices Book Review host interviewed Rachel Howzell Hall , author of the new thriller FOG AND FURY. Set in northern California, FOG AND FURY features a disgraced former Los Angeles police detective, Alyson "Sonny" Rush, whose first case with her godfather's private detective agency throws her personal life into turmoil. Her life is further complicated when she gets involved in the case of a star Black high school football player whose body was found on a hiking trail. Rachel Howzell Hall ...
Jul 13, 2025•29 min•Ep. 333
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Ivy Pochoda , author of ECSTASY . Based on a Greek tragedy by Euripides, Pochoda explained how she wanted to address difficult truths about female oppression and marital patriarchy. As described on her website, " Ecstasy is a riveting, darkly poetic, one-sitting read about empowerment, desire, and what happens when women reject the roles set out for them." Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media : Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagr...
Jul 06, 2025•39 min•Ep. 332
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Dana A. Williams , author of TONI AT RANDOM: The Iconic Writer's Legendary Editorship . In the interview, Dr. Williams discussed Toni Morrison's path to becoming a book editor, some of the Black writers she edited at Random House including Angela Davis and Toni Cade Bambara, and what inspired her to write the book. Dana A. Williams is Professor of African American Literature in the Department of English and Dean of the Graduate School at Ho...
Jul 04, 2025•40 min•Ep. 331
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Naomi Xu Elegant , author of the debut novel GINGKO SEASON . Set in Philadelphia, Elegant examines the friendships and the love life of a neurotic young woman in her 20s. The novel also is a homage to Philadelphia, where the author lived while attending the University of Pennsylvania. In the interview, Naomi discussed the struggle of finding the voice of her protagonist, writing in the first person, and her journey to becoming a novelist. D...
Jun 29, 2025•37 min•Ep. 330
Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Dr. Peniel Joseph about his new book, FREEDOM SEASON: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution . Through a captivating study of leading activists during the Civil Rights movement, Joseph creates an authentic narrative about individuals who endeavored to change a nation and describes the struggle for justice and equal treatment for African Americans in the United States. You can learn more about Dr. Peniel Joseph on X, ...
Jun 23, 2025•33 min•Ep. 329
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Rickey Fayne about his debut novel, THE DEVIL THREE TIMES . Covering eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee, from the slave ship to contemporary times, Fayne creates a narrative rich with historical context, emotional depth, and Black folklore. In the interview, he talked about how his writing reflects his Black Southern upbringing and aims to honor the experiences of his ancestors. Fayne also revealed how his novel was influ...
Jun 17, 2025•59 min•Ep. 328
Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviews international reporter and news producer Abigail Leonard about her new book, “Four Mothers, An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries.” With a close examination of the lives of women in Japan, Finland, Kenya and the United States, Leonard writes an insightful narrative about motherhood and provides a genuine account of both the challenges and the beauty of being a mother in countries around the world....
Jun 05, 2025•36 min•Ep. 327
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Shelley Fisher Fishkin , author of JIM: The Life and Afterlives of Huckleberry Finn's Comrade . In the interview she highlights the irony in Twain's portrayal of Jim, contrasting Huck's limited understanding with Twain's deeper critique of society. Fishkin emphasizes the need for teachers to be well-prepared to teach "Huckleberry Finn," addressing its complex themes. Fishkin also discusses the contributions of notable Black writers Ralph Wi...
May 13, 2025•40 min•Ep. 326
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Jesse Q. Sutanto , author of the mystery novel VERA WONG'S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (on a DEAD MAN) . This is the second book in the series featuring Vera Wong, a 61-year-old tea shop owner in San Francisco. Vera, based on Sutanto's mother, investigates a murder involving a missing person social media personality. The book explores themes of social media, human trafficking, and the complexities of online personas. Diverse Voices Book Review Social...
May 09, 2025•30 min•Ep. 325
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Preston Lauterbach , author of BEFORE ELVIS: The African American Musicians Who Made the King . In the interview Lauterbach highlighted the influence of African American musicians on Elvis Presley. He noted that Elvis's first hit, "That's All Right," was originally recorded by Arthur Crudup, and songs like "Hound Dog" and "Mystery Train" had African American origins. Lauterbach also explored the economic exploitation of Black artists and th...
May 05, 2025•39 min•Ep. 324
Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed New York University Professor Linda Gordon about her new book, SEVEN SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THAT CHANGED AMERICA . Professor Gordon writes a captivating account of historical events that have shaped American society. By exploring the transformative nature of individual and collective activism in the United States, Gordon reveals the unpredictable and unique significance of past actions that have heavily influenced and even changed the rea...
Apr 29, 2025•31 min•Ep. 323
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Forest Issac Jones , author of GOOD TROUBLE: The Selma, Alabama and Derry, Northern Ireland Connection 1963-1972 . Jones discovered the connection between the Catholic Civil Rights Movement in Northern Ireland and the Black Civil Rights Movement during a 2021 visit to Belfast. He highlights the parallels between the movements, including how the 1969 Belfast to Derry Catholic Civil Rights March in Northern Ireland was influenced by the 1965 ...
Apr 18, 2025•46 min•Ep. 322
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Kimberly J. Lau , author of Specters of the Marvelous: Race and the Development of the European Fairy Tale . In stories retold for generations, wondrous worlds and magnificent characters have defined the genre of European fairy tales with little recognition of yet another defining aspect—racism and racialized thinking. Engaging four classic fairy-tale collections, author Kimberly J. Lau connects close readings of the tales to the cultural d...
Mar 30, 2025•45 min•Ep. 321
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Fernando A. Flores , author of the novel Brother Brontë . Set in Texas in 2038, it is a dark tale of a future where books are burned, the libraries are closed, and your neighbor may turn you in for having books. In the interview, Flores said, "...for those of us who have traveled to the valley by car, we've been through Three Rivers many times. And it's frightening because you posit an authoritarian police city-state with people that are co...
Mar 28, 2025•51 min•Ep. 320
Diverse Voices Book Review host interviewed Keith Clark about his books Navigating the Fiction of Ernest J. Gaines: A Roadmap for Readers , The Radical Fiction of Ann Petry , and Black Manhood in James Baldwin, Ernest J. Gaines and August Wilson . Clark is a Professor of English and African and African American Studies at George Mason University. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media : Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review Twitter - @diversebookshay Email:...
Mar 24, 2025•49 min•Ep. 319
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviews Lilliam Rivera about her 2024 novel Tiny Threads , a dark thriller set in Vernon, California, in the fashion world. Rivera discusses the novel's blend of horror, fashion, and personal trauma. She explores the connection between fashion and violence, drawing from her experience as a fashion editor. Rivera delves into the protagonist Samara's journey, her struggle with addiction, and the themes of generational trauma and class issues. Lilliam ...
Mar 15, 2025•34 min•Ep. 318
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Betsy Leondar-Wright, co-author of Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? Two questions that seem simple on their face, but which invite a host of tangled responses. In this book, Jessi Streib and Betsy Leondar-Wright offer a new way of understanding how inequalities persist by focusing on the individual judgment calls that lead us to decide what's racist, what's sexist, and what's not. Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, has been a community organizer, a dive...
Mar 11, 2025•43 min•Ep. 317
Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Brea Baker about her new book, "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership." Through a close examination of historical events, Brea explores the significance of land ownership and how generations of black families have been impacted by systemic and discriminatory practices that led to the deprivation of land in black communities. You can learn more about Brea at www.breabaker.com . Div...
Mar 08, 2025•33 min•Ep. 316
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed legendary author Walter Mosley about his latest novel Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right , his third novel featuring New York private detective Joe King Oliver. In the novel, Oliver's 92-year-old grandmother asks him to find his father, her son, after she discovers she has a tumor that could be fatal. Oliver has been estranged from his father since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in ha...
Feb 24, 2025•53 min•Ep. 315
Diverse Voices Book Review hosts Hopeton Hay and Amanda Moore discuss their favorite novels of 2024 that were featured in author interviews. For Hopeton, his favorite novels were 54 Miles by Leonard Pitts, Jr ., Guide Me Home by Attica Locke , and Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat . Amanda's favorite novels were Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Riverro , Skin & Bones by Renee Watson , and What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media : Facebook - @d...
Feb 15, 2025•41 min•Ep. 314
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Alex Segura , author of the thriller Alter Ego . In the story, Annie Bustamante, a celebrated filmmaker and comic book artist, gets a chance to work on her favorite superhero, The Lethal Lynx. Despite her excitement, she's wary of the offer, and her suspicions grow when she receives anonymous warnings not to trust anyone. The novel also explores Annie as a single mother with a precocious teenage daughter who has a tumultuous relationship wi...
Feb 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 313
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Joe William Trotter, Jr. , author of Building The Black City: The Transformation of American Life . Building The Black City explores the history of African Americans in cities across America from the colonial era to recent times. He emphasized the agency of African people in building their own infrastructure and institutions despite being dispossessed of their labor. Trotter highlighted the importance of understanding the regional dimension...
Feb 06, 2025•40 min•Ep. 312
Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Eugene Rogan , a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Oxford and the director of the Middle East Center at St. Anthony's College, Oxford. Rogan discusses his book, The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East ." The conversation touches on the historical context of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, highlighting its decline and the reforms it undertook to modernize and compe...
Jan 24, 2025•34 min•Ep. 311
Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Rafael A. Martinez, author of Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States. Martinez, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, writes a thought-provoking narrative about the obstacles that illegal immigrants face in the United States. By examining various case studies about sanctuary locations, detention centers, and the plight of immigrant families, readers are able to discover how the undocumented yout...
Jan 09, 2025•31 min•Ep. 310
Black cultural icon and poet Nikki Giovanni died on December 9, 2024, at the age of 81. On November 15, 2020, Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed her about her book of poetry and prose, Make Me Rain, which was just published the month before. In Make Me Rain, Giovanni calls attention to injustice and racism, celebrates Black culture and Black lives, and gives readers an unfiltered look into her own experiences. In our wide-ranging interview, Giovanni read some of her poetry, ...
Dec 16, 2024•41 min•Ep. 309
