Ashley speaks with author Sadeqa Johnson about her novel, THE HOUSE OF EVE. Listen in as they discuss writing about Black Love and Black interracial love. They also speak about why HBCUs were important to have in the story, the community in the various cities the story is located in, and Sadeqa Johnson’s research process. …
Choice, Love, and Legacy: A discussion with Sadeqa Johnson Read More »
Queenie: Godmother of Harlem by Elizabeth Colomba and Aurélie is a bio-graphic novel following the life of Stephanie St. Clair. A woman, who during the time of New York’s mob scene, ran Harlem through her creation of the underground numbers racket. We learn of Queenie’s origins from Martinique through to her control and protection of …
Why do so many of the love stories we love have stalking attached to them? I think our culture is obsessed with obsession. January was National Stalking Awareness Month, but its never too late to talk about how stalking tropes sneak its way into so many of our love stories. What is stalking? For context …
Summary Set in New York during the AIDS crisis, Carol Rifka Brunt’s debut novel Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a stunning and raw story of loneliness, longing, and the multifaceted healing power of love. When teenage June Elbus’ beloved uncle, Finn, dies of a mysterious illness, June must sift through her heartbreak and confusion. …
HarperCollins is one of the “big 5” publishing houses in the United States and the only publisher that has a union. The union has been on strike for 61 days as of the publication of this episode and only in the last week have representatives from HarperCollins joined the bargaining table. Mariquita sits down with …
The novel Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a page-turner that meets societal conversations with the stillness of small-town New England. Olivia is the mother of a child accused of murdering his girlfriend. Told from multiple timelines and perspectives, every character has agency and secrets that they cannot run from. I …
Mad Honey with Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Read More »
Kanye West has a Kanye West problem. I’m not interested in speculating as to whether his behavior is the result of a mental health issue or a PR stunt. What can be explored is what we’re seeing in real-time: Kanye antagonizing various communities, then playing the victim role when accountability takes center stage. No, Kanye …
Ashley interviews V, formerly Eve Ensler, about her book, “Reckoning”. The conversation includes asking V about how she has grown as a storyteller, how do we address one another for progress, her thoughts on content warnings, and how has feminism changed since she wrote “The Vagina Monologues”. Book content and conversation warning: rape, sexual abuse, …
I want to read more utopian fiction–fiction that imagines that another, better world is possible, and considers the ways that we might get there. In literature and TV, dystopias abound, and I can see their appeal. I find them too often relatable, and regularly riveting. Our way of being so often feels imperiled. Climate change …
In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson assigned the second week of February as Negro History Week and encouraged educators to dedicate that week to teaching their students Black history. In 1976, years after Woodson’s death, it became what is now recognized as Black History Month, which spans through the entire month of February. Black History …
(Non-Performative) Ways to Celebrate Black History Month Read More »
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