Reed, Write, and Create

Telling Black Women's Stories across Platforms with Rebecca Carroll

This is our last episode of Season 4!

On episode 46 of the podcast, I am so excited to share my conversation with Rebecca Carroll, whose new book, I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like: The Voice & Vision of Black Women Writers (Haymarket)  was  re-released on December 3, 2024.

Rebecca is a writer, cultural critic, and host of the podcasts Come Through with Rebecca Carroll and the award-winning Billie Was a Black Woman . Her 2021 memoir, Surviving the White Gaze, where she shares her experiences about growing up in New Hampshire as  a Black adoptee with white parents, was called “gorgeous and powerful” by the New York Times Book Review.  

During our conversation, Rebecca shares why she calls herself a storyteller rather than a writer; she offers advice on writing difficult memoirs with compassion;  and then we dig into the incredible work that is, I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like, a collection of interviews with famous Black women writers including June Jordan, Pearl Cleage, Rita Dove, and Lorene Cary, among others. 

First we talk about how Rebecca wrote the book as a young twenty-something just out of college, and then we discuss  how she got the book reissued 30 years later, with up-and-coming authors like Safiya Sinclair adding their voices to the collection.

 

Stick around until the end of the episode to hear how you can win a free copy of Red Clay. 

 

To keep in touch with Rebecca Carroll, follow her on Instagram @rebeljunemarie

 

To purchase a copy of I Know What the Red Clay Looks Like, please consider supporting the Reed, Write, & Create bookshop and independent bookstores everywhere.

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.

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. 

 

Thank you & Happy Holidays!

Write Yourself Into History with Arturo Schomburg

On episode 45 of the podcast, I’m giving you a pep talk about writing as resistance. About how you can push back against oppressive systems, defy stereotypes and limitations, and leave a lasting legacy, all with the power of the written word. 

And I will be using the life and work of literary ancestor, Arturo Schomburg as my source material. Arturo Schomburg is most known as the founder of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black  Culture in New York City, but he was also a writer, a revolutionary thinker, and activist, who used books and the written word to defy white supremacy and glorify Black excellence and achievement. 

During the show you’ll learn:

• How one racist teacher in Puerto Rico gave Schomburg his life purpose.
• How Schomburg used other people’s racism to help amass his incredible collection of Black memorabilia.
• Why Schomburg became a writer and a collector of the written word.
• Why sometimes it’s necessary to tear down other people’s heroes to make a point.

If you’d like to read more about the fascinating life and work of Arturo Schomburg, get your hands on a copy of Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg by Vanessa K. Valdés

 

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.

Support this independent, award-winning podcast by making an easy one-time donation via Buy Me a Coffee, or in Lori’s case Buy Me a Book.

How We Fight White Supremacy with Journalists Akiba Solomon & Kenrya Rankin

As much as it pains me to write this, I decided now is the right time to revisit this episode of the podcast featuring two dynamic journalists, Akiba Solomon and Kenyra Rankin. Akiba and Kenrya are the co-authors of the book, How We Fight White Supremacy. 

How We Fight White Supremacy was published in 2019, at the tail end of the first Orange Dust presidency and it was a balm for the soul. The book is an anthology of essays, illustrations, comics and stories about how to fight white supremacy without losing your life or your sanity. I’m so sad that I have to pull this episode out of the archives for round two, but I am also relieved to have it as a valuable resource for my audience of BIPOC scribes.

During the episode, not only do we have an excellent conversation where Kenrya and Akiba break down the different ways writers and regular folks can fight white supremacy, but they also share very candidly how they got a book deal from a major publisher for a book that unapologetically centers Black resistance and revolution. 

If you’re a nonfiction writer, who writes about social justice issues, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 

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 in early 2025. 

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

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

 

How Oral Storytelling Can Make You a Better Writer with N. Scott Momaday

On episode 43 of the podcast, I’m going to be giving you a pep talk about how BIPOC writers  can use Oral Storytelling traditions to up-level their writing practice. And I’m going to use the life and work of award-winning poet and author, N. Scott Momaday as my source material. N. Scott Momaday was the first Native American to ever win a Pulitzer Prize when he won the award for his 1968 novel, House Made of Dawn.

During this episode you’ll learn:

• Why N. Scott Momaday is considered the founder of the Native American Writers Renaissance.
• Why Native Americans are the true founders of American literature.
• How Oral Storytelling can be a useful tool for your written work.
• Why BIPOC storytellers have an advantage and an obligation when it comes to Oral Storytelling.
• How telling the stories of your people can lead to mainstream publishing success.

If you’d like to learn more about N. Scott Momaday, check out the PBS Documentary, “Words from a Bear.”

If you’d like to learn more about oral storytelling, check out these resources:

The Moth

StoryCorps & Brightness in Black

Learn Oral Storytelling from LeVar Burton

 

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 in early 2025. 

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

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

 

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’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

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.

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

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

 

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.

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

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.

 

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

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.

 

If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!