Episode #28 of the podcast is dedicated to the literary life and legacy of Jessie Redmon Fauset, the most prolific novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, and also, sadly, the most overlooked and under-appreciated. On this episode of the Reed, Write, & Create podcast, I will be sharing Fauset’s fascinating life story, as well as four reasons why she is often sidelined and left in the shadows when it comes to conversations about the literary greats of the Harlem Renaissance. Spoiler alert: Having...
Apr 15, 2024•26 min•Ep. 99
On episode 27 of the podcast, award-winning poet and debut novelist, Phillip B. Williams, is on the show. You might have heard about Williams because his brand new novel, Ours , was one of Oprah’s most anticipated books for 2024. Ours is an epic story about a conjure woman named Saint, who goes around destroying plantations in the south, and then freeing the enslaved workers. She then creates a magical world called Ours where the newly emancipated can live in peace because white people can neith...
Apr 01, 2024•59 min•Ep. 98
On episode #26 of the podcast, I’m using the life of the illustrious Langston Hughes, to give you a pep talk on how to make a living with your writing. Even in hard times. Did you know that Langston Hughes is recognized as the first African-American writer to make a living solely from his writing? Yes, Langston Hughes was definitely the hardest working writer in Harlem, and throughout his life before and after the renaissance. So studying his success and strategies can give us some excellent ide...
Mar 18, 2024•23 min•Ep. 97
On episode 25 of the podcast, my guest is New York Times Bestselling author, Ilyon Woo. Ilyon is the author of the new book, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom and The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother’s Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times. Her writing has also appeared in The Boston Globe , The Wall Street Journal , Time , and The New York Times . During our delightful conversation Ilyon shares: When she fell in love with ...
Mar 04, 2024•57 min•Ep. 96
On episode 24 of the podcast, you’re getting a pep talk about art and activism, using the life and times of the incredible Audre Lorde as our role model. We’re talking about the intersection of identity, writing, and making the world a better place. Audre Lorde was a Black feminist writer and activist who authored several books of poetry, essays, and memoir. Some of her most popular titles include, Sister Outsider , Zami: A New Spelling of My Name , and The Cancer Journals . This episode will le...
Feb 19, 2024•19 min•Ep. 95
We’re back with season 3 of the Reed, Write, and Create Podcast! On episode 23 of the podcast, my guest is New York Times best-selling author, Tia Williams. Tia is an author of both YA titles and adult fiction. She wrote the bestselling debut novel The Accidental Diva and then penned two young adult novels, It Chicks and Sixteen Candles . Her award-winning novel, The Perfect Find is currently a Netflix movie starring Gabrielle Union. Her next novel, Seven Days in June was a New York Times bestse...
Feb 05, 2024•44 min•Ep. 94
Lori is taking a break from her winter break to share an update about the future of the podcast. The podcast is getting a new name! Find out what it is and what caused the change on this short but important episode. New Links for all things Reed, Write, & Create. The Reed, Write, & Create website . Reed, Write, & Create on Facebook . Reed, Write, & Create on Twitter @ReedWriteCre8 Reed, Write, & Create on IG @readwritecre8 To learn more about the fascinating history of the Pa...
Jan 05, 2024•6 min•Ep. 93
On episode 22 of the podcast, award-winning author, Ibi Zoboi is my guest. Ibi is the New York Times Bestselling author of the YA novel, American Street, which among other distinctions, was a National Book Award finalist. Ibi is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America . She co-authored the Walter Award and L.A. Times Book Prize-winning novel-in-verse, Punching the Air , written with Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. Her debut picture book, The Pe...
Dec 18, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 92
On episode 21 of the podcast, I’m taking you on a tour of The Sanctuary, the new private membership community we’re launching at Read, Write, and Create headquarters. The Sanctuary is a private community for BIPOC women writers who want to get their work out into the world and who want to get paid for doing it. I’m going to share the origin story of The Sanctuary, but I’m also going to share why writing communities are gaining in popularity, even though they are far from a new idea. So, even if ...
Dec 04, 2023•20 min•Ep. 91
On episode #20 of the Read, Write, and Create podcast, my guest is Dr. Tamara Pizzoli, who shares her unconventional success story as an independent children’s book author and publisher. Dr. Pizzoli is an African-American author, curator, producer and publisher. Originally from Texas, she is the mother of four children and has resided in Rome, Italy for over fifteen years. In 2013, she opened a boutique English-language school for kids in Rome called The English Schoolhouse, which she later conv...
Nov 20, 2023•47 min•Ep. 90
On episode 19 of the podcast, I’m giving a pep-talk on the importance of writing retreats for your regular writing practice. Yes, I just ran my first writing retreat, so I’m still glowing from that amazing experience, but this pep talk isn’t about me. It’s about you and all the benefits you will gain from adding writing retreats to your writing life. Some of the benefits of attending writing retreats include: Increased productivity in your writing Improved self-confidence as a writer Access to a...
Nov 06, 2023•23 min•Ep. 89
On episode 18 of the podcast, the amazing Marita Golden is my guest. Marita Golden is an award-winning author of over twenty works of fiction and nonfiction. Her books include the novels, The Wide Circumference of Love, and After and the memoirs Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons, and Don’t Play in the Sun: One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex. Her most recent work of nonfiction is The New Black Woman Loves Herself, Has Boundaries and Heals Every Day . Marita is also the Co-founde...
Oct 23, 2023•46 min•Ep. 88
On episode 18 of the podcast, I’m sharing a lively pep-talk using the life and times of the incredible Dr. Maya Angelou to inspire you to tap into your purpose and passions as BIPOC writers. One little programming note, make sure you stick around all the way to the end of the episode because I’m launching a new segment of the show called, Read Like a Writer , where I will be sharing a book recommendation for a book that is delightful to read and will help you improve your craft. The topics we co...
Oct 09, 2023•23 min•Ep. 87
On episode 16 of the podcast, I am joined by the incredible Denene Millner. Denene is truly a powerhouse in the publishing world. She is an author, editor, television and podcast host, and journalist. She has authored more than 30 books, including six New York Times best sellers. She is the creator and director of Denene Millner Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that examines the intersection of parenting and race. Millner has written and...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 86
It was Virginia Wolf who said, “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” And it’s true, when we write, particularly if we’re working on creative work, we need peace and quiet so we can sink into our imagination. But writers are human too. And that means we are social beings. We crave connections. We need our tribe. But not just any tribe, we writers need fellow writers who understand the nuances of a literary life and will help us stay committed to our craft. Ep...
Sep 11, 2023•17 min•Ep. 85
On episode 14, I have another episode from my “Best of…Author Interviews.” This week I am sharing my 2021 interview with award-winning novelist, Kaitlyn Greenidge. Kaitlyn Greenidge's debut novel We Love You, Charlie Freeman (Algonquin Books), was one of the New York Times Critics' Top 10 Books of 2016. She is currently Features Director at Harper’s Bazaar as well as a contributing writer for The New York Times. Her second novel, Libertie , was published by Algonquin Books and it had just come o...
Jul 17, 2023•49 min•Ep. 84
On episode 13, I have another episode from my “Best of…Author Interviews.” My guest is Dr. Yaba Blay, author of the groundbreaking book, One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race . On the show we talk about how One Drop went from being a self-published labor of love and resistance, to arriving on bookshelves with a major publisher seven years later. Dr. Blay talks about what she had to sacrifice to get One Drop out into the world, and why she refused to compromise on her vision for her book. Dr. Blay ...
Jul 03, 2023•57 min•Ep. 83
On episode 12 of the podcast, I’m dipping into my podcast archives to bring you one of my favorite author interviews. My guest is novelist Lauren Francis-Sharma. Lauren is a child of Trinidadian immigrants, and is the author of Till the Well Runs Dry and Book of the Little Axe . Lauren’s most recent writings can be found in The Lily , Electric Literature , Barrelhouse , Salon , as well as Marita Golden’s anthology, Us Against Alzheimer’s: Stories of Family Love and Faith . Lauren is also the Ass...
Jun 12, 2023•56 min•Ep. 82
On episode 11 of the podcast, our last episode of the season, I am giving you a pep talk that will leave you truly lit. Before signing off for the summer, I want to get you fired up and inspired to write, but also give you a source of inspiration you can always go back to when you need that little pick me up. So, I decided to share my secret source for writing inspiration and guidance. It’s the NBA! Yes, I’ve been fashioning my writing career based on the lives and lessons learned from basketbal...
May 29, 2023•25 min•Ep. 81
On episode 10 of the Read, Write, and Create podcast, award-winning journalist and author Ernest Owens joins me on the show to provide a masterclass on how to launch, market and sell your book. The author of the new book, The Case for Cancel Culture , Ernest brings his wit and wisdom to the topic of book marketing, and provides actionable advice for authors at all stages of their career. This is an episode where knowledge is dropped, the truth is shared, and tips and tricks come at your fast. If...
May 15, 2023•54 min•Ep. 80
On episode nine of the podcast, I’m sharing a pep talk meant to encourage you to seize your moment to write. You must get your stories out into the world, so that you can leave a legacy of your words, your wisdom, and your dreams behind. Writing is such a powerful tool to leave a lasting legacy for our loved ones and for the world. Just look at the work our literary ancestors have left behind for us to learn from and love. To drive home my point, I’m going to be sharing the life and times of the...
May 01, 2023•26 min•Ep. 79
On episode # 8 of the podcast, I’m giving you a quick pep talk about the perfect age to become a literary star. Spoiler alert: There isn’t one. The truth is, age is completely irrelevant in the writing game. You never know when your big literary break is going to come, you’re never too old to pick up the pen, and it’s never too late to tell your story. Rather than worrying about your age, you should be working on your words. To prove this point, I’m going back to the ancestors, and I’m sharing a...
Apr 17, 2023•15 min•Ep. 78
On today’s episode of the podcast, award-winning author, journalist, professor, and poet, Jabari Asim, joins me on the show, to share his advice and experiences maintaining a productive, prolific, and eclectic literary career for more than thirty years. Jabari Asim is the Distinguished Professor of Multi-Disciplinary Letters at Emerson College, where he also directs the MFA Program in Creative Writing. He is the author of 23 books, including Yonder, the essay collection We Can’t Breathe , and Pr...
Apr 03, 2023•54 min•Ep. 77
On today’s episode of the podcast, I’m giving you a pep talk on the power and the potential of the written word to change the world. Yes, the pen is mightier than the sword, and I want all of my BIPOC writers to wield this powerful weapon with intention and agency. And because you know I like to give you role models to emulate, I’ll be sharing the inspiring story of how Ida B. Wells weaponized her words in order to make miracles happen. This is a pep talk you don’t want to miss. “ The way to rig...
Mar 20, 2023•33 min•Ep. 76
On episode 5 of the Read, Write and Create podcast, get ready for an epic battle between two literary lions, Mark Twain and Toni Morrison. The battle is over whether writers should write what they know, or write what fascinates them. Mark Twain said, “write what you know.” Toni Morrison said, “please do NOT write what you know.” So who was right? And what useful writing advice can all storytellers take from these two literary legends on this topic? The answers may surprise you, so listen up and ...
Mar 06, 2023•25 min•Ep. 75
On today’s episode of the podcast, I’m sharing a pep talk about perseverance. The truth is, perseverance is the most important habit, or superpower, a writer must have, even more than talent. You can be the most talented writer in the room, but if you can’t figure out how to keep writing in the face of hardship and adversity, then you’re not going to succeed in this game. To help explain the importance of perseverance in a literary life, I’m sharing the incredible true story of how Ms. Octavia E...
Feb 20, 2023•22 min•Ep. 74
On episode #3 of the podcast, the incredible Tracey Lewis-Giggetts joins me to talk about her literary life and experiences as an African-American writer and author of over 20 books! Tracey writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and screenplays. Her two most recent books are Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration and Then They Came For Mine: Healing from the Trauma of Racial Violence . Tracey also works as a ghostwriter and has penned best-selling memoirs for several public fi...
Feb 06, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 73
On episode number two of the Read, Write and Create Podcast, I give BIPOC writers their marching orders for their literary lives I explain why the world needs writers of BIPOC heritage to pick up their pens and write their stories; why we have to write like our lives depend on it; and why we have to write for ourselves. For inspiration and edification, I’m using the literary life and times of Zora Neale Hurston to help make my case. In the episode I will be sharing: The grim statistics about the...
Jan 23, 2023•23 min•Ep. 72
This is the very first episode of the Read, Write, and Create podcast! Each episode of the show will include a pep-talk for BIPOC creative writers, inspired by the lives of our literary foremothers and forefathers of color. These pep talks will be short, sweet, and to the point, so you can get off the couch and back to your desk, writing the masterpiece you were meant to write. On this first episode of the Read, Write and Create podcast, host Lori L. Tharps tackles an issue that vexes almost eve...
Jan 09, 2023•17 min•Ep. 71
It's been a while since a new episode of the MAMP podcast dropped, and sadly there won't be anymore new episodes. However, I am launching a brand new, bimonthly podcast called Read, Write & Create and on this short little episode, I'm going to tell you all about it. Think bite-sized creative pep talks for BIPOC writers. The new podcast officially launches in January 2023 and I hope if it sounds like something you need in your life, you'll tune in and subscribe. Until then, Write On!...
Dec 05, 2022•4 min•Ep. 70
