Surviving the Worst with Anissa Gray

This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Liv Little, author of the novel, Rosewater. A writer of Jamaican and Guyanese descent living in South London, Liv tells stories about the people and places that matter to her; specifically the Black, queer, femme community. 

In our conversation, Liv discusses why she was dedicated to illustrating the ways Black, queer and femme communities show up and support one another. She also explains why it was important to explore the roots of homophobia and heteronormativity and how it's weaponized against queer communities. And how she made sure her heroine's journey of self discovery was filled with friendship, love, and sex. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with jarrett hill and Tre'vell Anderson, the authors of, Historically Black Phrases: From "I Ain't One of  Your Little Friends" to "Who All Gon Be There?" Tre'vell and jarrett both have backgrounds in journalism and they are the hosts of the award-winning podcast FANTI. Their book chronicles the living language of Black people and how we bend a phrase to entertain, uplift, or sometimes to hurt and harm. 

In our conversation, they discuss how they've found validation in their careers even when being written off as diversity hires. Plus, what they say job security looks like as a Black creative. And giving credit where credit is due to the marginalized community they say is often exploited and stolen from that they worked to honor through the pages of their book. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Minda Honey, author of the memoir, The Heartbreak Years. A retrospective for  the twenty-somethings who are ready to stop leaping into the lives of the men they like and instead choose themselves and a life they love. The book is born out of Minda's series of essays for Longreads on dating politics. Her writing has also been featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Washington Post, the Guardian, the Oxford American and Teen Vogue. 

In our conversation, Minda discusses, her life and loves including her high school sweetheart to maintaining a platonic relationship with a magnetic man. How she gained the confidence and arrogance to bet on herself and what some called her “raunchy” work. And the reason she says she hasn’t given up on love despite the inherent risk and sometimes violence against women. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Anissa Gray, author of the novel, Life and Other Love Songs. The novel uses music as a metaphor to examine the aftermath of one man's decision on his entire family after they lose the loves of their lives. 

In our conversation, Anissa discusses how she processed her own personal tragedies on the page. Plus, the reason she says writing Life and Other Love Songs was harder than writing her debut, The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls. And as a journalist by trade with work  featured in The Washington Post, CNN, The Cut and Shondaland, Anissa explains the turning point in her life that brought her back to her passion. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Donovan X. Ramsey, author of the book, When Crack Was King: A People's History of a Misunderstood Era. The book, which was long listed for a National Book Award, is a work of narrative nonfiction exploring how Black America survived the crack epidemic. The book is born out of Donovan's work as a journalist and a Demos Emerging Voices Fellow. 

In our conversation, Donovan explains why giving context to what happened to Black people and the Black community during the crack epidemic is part of his God given purpose. Plus, the spiritual message he received about his writing that guides his career And, why he say the right substance at the wrong time can make us repeat the drug history we've already lived. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Terah Shelton Harris, author of the novel, One Summer in Savannah. Published by Sourcebooks in 2023, the novel was a Target Book Club Pick. Terah, who also works as a librarian and freelance writer, is now focused on writing more upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. 

In our conversation, Terah discusses the real life tragedy that inspired her to explore the theme of forgiveness in her novel. The reason she quit writing for six years and how she ended up getting a two book deal before she ever got an agent.

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the New York Times bestselling author of  Take My Hand. The novel was awarded a 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association, and Fiction Award from Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Dolen, who is an Associate Professor in the MFA Program at American University in Washington, D.C.,  is widely considered a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life. 

In our conversation, Dolen discusses why telling the hard truths of history in a way that is easy for readers to stomach is her gift. How her love of archival research lays the foundation for her work as a historical fiction novelist. And the reason she believes she doesn't get enough credit for the doors she opened in historical Black writing. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Denene Millner the New York Times Bestselling author of the novel, One Blood. In addition to her long literary career including stints as a celebrity ghostwriter for titles including Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man from Steve Harve and Around the Way Girl from Taraji P. Henson just to name a few. Denene got her start as a beat reporter for the Associated Press and the New York Daily News. She now runs her own imprint in partnership with Simon & Schuster. 

In our conversation, Denene discusses why she never felt stifled in her journalism career choosing to primarily cover Black people. The reason she says it took writing 11 books before she felt confident in her voice as an author. Plus how the novel, One Blood,  is a way for her to rewrite her own rules for love, for life and getting free, with wisdom, experience and grace. 

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This season on Black & Published we're meeting the moment. According to Pen America’s 2023 report, Banned in the USA, 138 school districts in 32 states banned books. The majority of those books featured queer themes and characters, protagonists of color, or addressed racism and activism. So this season we're talking about it all: book bans, mass incarceration, reproductive freedom, homophobia and transphobia, rape culture, racism and white supremacy and so much more.

Look for new episodes starting next week featuring authors: Terah Shelton Harris, Jennifer Baker, Dolen Perkins Valdez, jarrett hill, Tre’Vell Anderson, Minda Honey, Lamya H and many many more. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Erica Simone Turnipseed author of the new children's picture book, Bigger Than Me.  In the book, children discover the impact they can have when they band together and how solidarity lifts everyone up during the 2020 COVID pandemic and racial reckoning. 

In our conversation, Erica discusses why she decided to have her young characters use actual building blocks to make meaning of their lives, why she's eternally hopeful despite the current sociopolitical landscape, and how she's reaching parents, teachers, and librarians to get her book to a young audience. 

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