This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rudy Francisco, author of the poetry collection, Excuse Me As I Kiss the Sky. Rudy is a renowned spoken word artist who has published two previous collections: Helium (2017) and I'll Fly Away (2020). As a spoken word artist, Rudy said taking his work from the stage to the page allowed him to grow and write about more than one topic. 

In our conversation, Rudy explains how  he tries to show the accuracy of his humanity instead of a balance between joy and pain, happiness or sadness. Plus, the reason he believes the rift between poets who focus on writing and spoken word artists is closing. And, how his jump to the page was thanks to a few friends who turned their YouTube channel into a publishing house. 

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Roberto Carlos Garcia, author of the poetry anthology, What Can I Tell You.  Roberto is the author of three previous poetry collections Elegies, black / Maybe: An Afro Lyric, and Melancolía. 

In our conversation, Roberto discusses unlearning the ways in which colonialism have infected the mind. How anti-Blackness begins at home in some Afro-Latin communities, and the reason he believes spoken word is poetry in its purest form. 

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracey Rose Peyton, author of the novel, Night Wherever We Go.  The novel follows the lives of six enslaved women on a struggling plantation in Texas. When their owners The Lucy's, nicknamed after Lucifer himself, come up with a plan to increase their prosperity through reproduction, the women refuse despite the consequences of such open rebellion. In our conversation, Tracey discusses the years she spent researching the novel as well as developing her skill as a storyteller. The personal fears she had to face to break the book open and write honestly about the experiences of her characters. And the reason Tracey felt she had to hide her identity as a writer so much that work colleagues thought she was in rehab. 

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This week on Black & Published Nikesha speaks with Kim Johnson, author of the YA novel, Invisible Son. The book is set in Oregon during the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. A setting Kim chose to bear witness to all that was happening while also balancing the trauma of that year with its triumphs as well. In our conversation, Kim readily admits that she came to writing late in life. She explains the feeling of being woken up out of her sleep to pursue a dream she never knew she had. Plus, how she used the specificity of niceness in the Pacific Northwest to infuse a more sinister plot into her novel. And how she really feels about being an author whose book is banned. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Jennifer Baker, author of the YA novel, Forgive Me Not. The story centers the life, loves and struggles of a teenaged Black girl to explore the pitfalls and failures of mass incarceration and carceral systems.  In our conversation, Jennifer opens up about how she stayed motivated to continue writing while working for some twenty years in the publishing industry. Plus, the reality show that sparked the idea for her novel, and the reason she believes individual power is the first step toward dismantling the penal system as we know it. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Lamya H, author of the memoir, Hijab Butch Blues. The book is an in depth extension of the personal essays Lamya has penned for years. Their writing has appeared in Vice, Salon, Vox, Black Girl Dangerous, Autostraddle, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. They are a  former Lambda Literary Fellow  and currently live in New York with their partner. In our conversation, Lamya explains how they've carved out a life that works for them despite the rigidity of systems of faith and gender expression. The reason they said forgetting was necessary for them to live and the two beliefs they hold about God that helps them get out of bed in the morning. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with K E Garland, author of the memoir, info.html">In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict.  K E Garland is an award-winning creative nonfiction writer and blogger who uses personal essays and memoir to de-marginalize women's experiences with an intent to highlight and humanize contemporary issues including adoption and addiction. In our conversation, K E discusses how she confronted the truth with her loved ones especially her husband, as well as how she learned to have compassion for herself and her family despite the many traumas she experienced.  And the reason she says the rest of her life will be dedicated to writing instead of working hard. 

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This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Kim Coleman Foote, author of the biomthyography novel, Coleman Hill. The novel draws from Kim's own family legend, historical record, and fervent imagination to create an unforgettable new history. In our conversation, Kim discusses how she came to tell the story of her family while she was working on another novel. Plus, how she got over her own jealousy of other writers whose books were published before her. And, what it feels like to live her dreams after querying agents and trying to get published since she was 12 years old. 

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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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