Reed, Write, and Create

Laila Lalami Had to Decolonize Her Language In Order to Write Her Stories

On episode 42 of the podcast, we have award-winning author Laila Lalami on the show, discussing her powerful novel, The Other Americans. The Other Americans was a finalist for the National Book Awards. 

Laila is the author of several award-winning novels including, The Moor's Account and Secret Son. A native of Morocco, Laila is a professor of creative writing at the University of California Riverside.  

On the show Laila talks about her rigorous research and writing process for her novels, why she had to decolonize her writing voice, immigration, and who belongs in America. 

This episode was originally recorded when The Other Americans first debuted in 2019, but since the book is about an unsolved murder of an immigrant man in America, and the story delves into the dynamics of small town-America in flux, we decided this was the perfect time to rerun this riveting episode. It's the perfect book for the moment we're in now.

 

Lit Links for More

 

To learn more about Laila Lalami, visit her website at LailaLalami.com. Her new novel, due out in March 2025 is called The Dream Hotel. 

 

If you’re interested in buying a copy of The Other Americans, consider purchasing at the Reed, Write, & Create online bookshop to support our show and your favorite independent booksellers.

 

If you’re looking for more inspiration and information to optimize your writing life, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get writing inspiration and resources right in your inbox.  

 

One more thing, the doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create, Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications. 

 

If you enjoy our award-winning literary podcast, please leave a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.

Writers: You Need a Reading Habit, Not Just a Reading Hobby

On episode 41 of the podcast, I’m going to be giving you a quick but important pep talk about reading, because you may be doing it all wrong.  You see, writers, need an intentional reading habit, not just a reading hobby.

I’m going to break down the important difference between the two, and then share five easy steps, and a message from James Baldwin, to help you cultivate a sustainable reading habit that I promise will make you a better writer. 

RESOURCES FOR YOU:

If you're looking for a inexpensive notebook/journal to use to track your reading habit, I like this one, available on amazon. 

 

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025.. 

 

Stay Ready, So You Don't Have to Get Ready: Writing Advice You Need Now from Tracey Lewis-Giggetts

Press play on this fan-favorite, rewind episode with award-winning author, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts. 

 

Tracey Lewis-Giggetts has written over 30 books in multiple genres. She writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and screenplays.  She is the author of the award-winning, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration and Then They Came For Mine: Healing from the Trauma of Racial Violence.

Tracey is also an award-winning, celebrity ghostwriter and has penned best-selling books for several public figures including Tabitha Brown, Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford of Therapy for Black Girls.

During our inspiring conversation, Tracey revisits her 30+ year career as a writer and writing instructor, to share the nuggets of wisdom she’s gleaned along the way. We discuss:

• how she keeps going in the face of rejection, 
• how she managed to quit her job in academia to write full time
• why it’s okay to write in more than one genre.

Most importantly, Tracey talks about how and why she is so prolific, why she makes no apology for centering her stories around Black people and Black culture, and why it is so important to stay ready so you can be ready when opportunities arise.

BTW, we’re re-airing this episode this week, because Tracey has a new book coming out on October 29, 2024. If you’re listening in real time, that’s tomorrow!

The book is called The Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally ReClaiming Your Delight. It’s a guided journal and devotional that includes thirty reflective entries on themes like the power of our laughter, the weight of joy in the midst of grief, and embracing our everyday delights. Each section provides meditations, prompts, and actionable steps to help you unearth or reclaim joy in your life. It is a companion title to Black Joy, which we discuss in the episode. Get one for yourself and grab one for a friend for the holidays!

To learn more about Tracey, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Tracey mentioned the following useful resources for writers:

The Hurston Wright Writers Workshop is an excellent resource for Black writers.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamontt is a book for writers about writing that Tracey recommends. 

 

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

 

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

 

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025.. 

 

Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

Veronica Chambers Shares the Secrets of Her 30+ Years of Literary Success

On episode 39 of the podcast, I am so excited to share my conversation with memoirist, journalist, editor, celebrity collaborator, novelist and all around literary icon, Veronica Chambers. 

Based in London, Veronica Chambers is a New York Times best selling author of over 25 books, and is currently the editor of narrative projects at  The New York Times. Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, her work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage. Her first book, the acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl  is read in hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country. 

Veronica has also worked on several celebrity collaboration projects, she has edited popular anthologies about Beyoncé and Michelle Obama, and she has written both adult and teen novels. 

During our conversation, Veronica pulls back the curtain on what has worked and what has not worked over the course of her 30+ year career. She talks candidly about money, time management and failure. She also shares useful tips and ideas about all the important, in-between actions and activities that writers can do to build a successful and sustainable literary career.

We also spend time talking about the subject of Veronica’s latest book, Ida in Love and Trouble, a fascinating historical novel about the early life of Ida B. Wells.

Press play to hear incredible stories, get loads of useful advice, and be inspired by Veronica’s incredible, literary life. 

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW

 

If you want to keep in touch with Veronica Chambers and see what she’s up to, follow her on IG @VVChambers and/or check out her website at VeronicaChambers.com. 

 

Veronica mentioned Res Artis, a database of artist residencies to check out. You can also check out our listing of writing retreats specifically for BIPOC writers.

If you want to snag a copy of Veronica’s new book, Ida in Love and Trouble, visit your favorite independent bookseller. For example, The Reed, Write, & Create bookstore. Just check the virtual shelf where we highlight books by authors who appear on this show.  

You can also support Veronica’s favorite bookstore in Hoboken, NJ, Little City Books.

Some of the books Veronica mentioned in the episode; The Artist’s Way, Big Magic, When and Where I Enter, and Ida B. Wells: A Sword Among Lions, and Composing a Life. 

 

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025.. 

Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

How Tembi Locke Turned Her Greatest Loss Into A Bestselling Memoir, From Scratch

Are you trying to write a memoir and don’t know where to start? Are you worried about oversharing, or writing about people you know and love getting mad at you for spilling their secrets? Is the idea of getting the essence of your own life down on paper overwhelming?

Then stick around for this inspiring and informative rewind episode with actress-turned-author, Tembi Locke. Tembi wrote the best-selling, Reese Witherspoon anointed, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. 

 

During our conversation recorded right after the book debuted, Tembi and I talk about the reasons she decided to write this searing love story about life before and after her Italian husband’s death from cancer; her writing process as a new author; how she protected the privacy of her family members while writing this touching family story; why writing a story shrouded in grief, could still be a beautiful experience; and why she chose to include recipes from her Italian in-laws as part of the story. 

 

Tembi is a generous storyteller and she shares a lot about her writing journey - starting from scratch as a writer -  in this delightful interview. I hope you enjoy it. 

Stick around to the end of the episode to hear all kinds of wonderful personal and professional updates that transpired after this interview originally aired.

 

If you’d like to purchase a copy of From Scratch, consider buying from The Reed, Write, & Create online bookstore. We carry a diverse selection of books by BIPOC authors, for adults, teens, and kids. 

Check to see if the Netflix version of From Scratch is in your area.

Find all things Tembi at her website TembiLocke.com

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

 

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications. 

 

Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

Would You Give Up Your Freedom to Be a Writer? Meet Sor. Juana Inés de la Cruz, Mexico's First Feminist Writer and Nun

On episode 37 of the 'Reed, Write & Create' podcast, you’re getting a pep talk about what can happen when we truly commit ourselves to our writing life. 

And I am using the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a renowned 17th-century Mexican nun, as my source material. Be clear, Sor Juana was no ordinary nun. She was a renegade and a revolutionary who used #NunLife to create the literary life she desperately desired. 

Sor Juana, known for her poetic prowess, and advocacy for the education of women, gained fame through her literary salons and social commentary, despite facing societal and church opposition. Her writings, which spanned poetry, plays, and social critiques, continue to inspire today, and she is a pivotal literary figure we can all learn from and admire. 

I know this episode and the legacy of Sor Juana will inspire all of you BIPOC writers to pick up your pens and create new narratives that can change the world.

 

If you want to read a full biography about Sor Juana, check the biography by Octavio Paz called, Sor Juana. 

 

If you’d like to read a lovely collection of Sor Juana’s most popular poems and writings, including her feminist manifesto, try this collection titled, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.

 

Read one of Sor Juana’s most popular poems in translation, “You Foolish Men.” The meaning behind this poem still rings true today. 

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

 

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

 

Marita Golden on How to Prioritize Your Health, Wealth & Community for a Productive Literary Life

On episode 36 of the podcast, get the actual blueprint for a happy, healthy, productive literary life. Enjoy this episode from our archives with Marita Golden, award-winning author, journalist, writing coach, and living, literary legend.

 

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 the Co-founder and President Emerita of the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright Foundation.

 

Marita is the recipient of numerous awards including the Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes & Noble and Poets and Writers, the Fiction Award for her novel After awarded by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and she is a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee. 

 

During our conversation, Marita gives a masterclass on what it takes to create a sustaining and sustainable literary life over 40 years! She talks about the importance of health, wealth, and community for writers, and more importantly, she offers actionable advice for you to put into practice right now. 

 

Besides the fact that this episode is so jam packed with information and inspiration, I also wanted to re-run it because Marita Golden has a new book coming out titled: How to Become a Black Writer: Creating & Honoring Black Stories That Matter. The book will be released in February 2025, but it is available for pre-order now. 

     

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More #Lit Resources

 

If you’re looking for more resources and literary inspiration, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. 

 

Follow ReedWriteandCre8 on Instagram

 

Follow LoriLTharps on Instagram

 

Subscribe to Lori’s New YouTube channel @LiteraryLori

Turn Your Pain Into Art with Chester B. Himes, The Father of African-American Crime Fiction

Get ready for a pep talk that explains how perseverance, persistence and pain can lead to productivity, fame and fortune in a writer's life. 

When you hear about the life and work of African-American crime writer, Chester B. Himes, you will overstand what’s possible for a writer, even when confronting the worst things life can throw at you. Racism, violence, prison, poverty, chronic pain. Chester Himes experienced all of those things and more, and yet still managed to write award-winning novels, searing social commentary, short stories, and two memoirs. 

Press play to learn all about this inspiring yet under-appreciated writer who spent the latter years of his life in a small, seaside town in Spain, writing through his pain. 

 

MORE CHESTER HIMES

 

If you’d like to learn more about Chester Bomar Himes, you can read his memoirs:

 

The Quality of Hurt  and My Life of Absurdity

 

You can also read the critically acclaimed biography, Chester B. Himes, by Lawrence P. Jackson.

 

If you'd like to see some videos and images showcasing where Chester Himes spent his final years in Spain, check out my YouTube channel @LiteraryLori because I have a video there showing my recent literary pilgrimage to Moraira, Spain where Chester Himes spent his final years. 

 

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DON’T FORGET: APPLICATIONS FOR THE SANCTUARY ARE NOW OPEN, BUT ONLY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27, 2024!!!

Applications are only being accepted for four more days  to join The Reed, Write, and Create Sanctuary, our private membership community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. The last day to apply before doors close for the season is September 27, 2024 at 12pmEST. 

 

The Sanctuary is for emerging writers and seasoned authors, who want to get paid and published. Our resources, workshops, classes, and community are made to support writers through the entire lifecycle of their writing life, from writing, to getting published, to promoting your work.  If you’re tired of writing alone; you’re ready to optimize your writing life; and you want to see your words in the world making real impact, then come join us in The Sanctuary. Instructions on how to apply are on The Reed Write & Create website.  

 

APPLY NOW BEFORE WE CLOSE THE DOORS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.

 

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If you’re looking for more resources and literary inspiration, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. 

 

Follow ReedWriteandCre8 on Instagram

 

Follow LoriLTharps on Instagram

Season 4 Preview: What's Coming up on the Podcast and for "Literary Lori"

We’re back for the fourth season of the Reed, Write and Create podcast!

 

On this short episode, find out what you can expect on this season of the podcast, and some exciting personal and professional updates about the literary life of your host, Lori L. Tharps. 

 

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If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

 

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox,  sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to up-level your literary life.

 

Speaking of up-leveling your literary life…The doors to The Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary are opening for new members, September 15 - 27, 2024. The Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary is a private, global membership community for BIPoC women writers who take their writing life seriously. We bring together BIPoC women writers who are ready to dedicate themselves to achieving their writing goals, so they can get paid, get published, and make an impact with their words. We support and celebrate our writers through the entire process of the publication journey – writing, publishing and promotion – with the resources they need to achieve success. Add your name to the Tell Me More mailing list to find out when applications go live. 

 

Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

 

Bonus Episode with Black & Published: Vanessa Riley Writes Regency Romance with Black People in the Starring Roles

SURPRISE! It’s a Bonus Episode.

 

Yes, I am officially on summer vacation, working on my novel, and the podcast is on a summer hiatus. So, why am I back in your podcast feed? Because I have a special bonus episode for you! 

 

I want to introduce you to a literary podcast I love to listen to called Black & Published. Hosted by author Nikesha Elise Williams, Black & Published features interviews with novelists, nonfiction writers, poets and playwrights every week. For today’s bonus episode, I’m running a recent episode from Black & Published that I loved.

This episode features an interview with award-winning author, Vanessa Riley. An engineer turned historical romance writer who always centers women of color in her best-selling books, Vanessa Riley has an incredible story of how she started her writing career, and an even more impressive story of how she got the mainstream publishing industry to take her historical romance stories seriously. 

This episode centers on her recently released novel about Haiti’s only queen, Marie-Louise Christophe. The book sounds amazing, and this episode is equally amazing.

 

I hope you enjoy and continue listening to Black & Published wherever you listen to podcasts. 

If you want to learn more about Vanessa Riley, visit her website.

 

If you’re looking for more creative writing inspiration, and useful resources for your literary life, visit ReedWriteandCreate.com.

 

Sign up for the monthly, Reed, Write, & Create newsletter for literary resources and opportunities delivered right  to your inbox.

 

Don’t buy your books on Amazon, support indie booksellers and shop online at the Reed, Write, & Create bookshop for a list of curated titles by BIPOC authors. 

 

If you’re looking for a better way to organize your writing manuscripts, fiction and nonfiction, consider trying Scrivener. I’ve recently become a Scrivener fan and am using it to write my current novel. Feel free to use my affiliate link to purchase Scrivener and receive 20% off by using the code REEDWRITE.