Black & Published
Episodes
Let's Talk About Publishing with Deesha Philyaw
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author Deesha Philyaw about the new writing r...
Everyone Has a Mystery with Rachel Howzell Hall
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published Nikesha speaks with Rachel Howzell Hall, the author of the thrille...
Keep on Singing with Laura Pegram
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Laura Pegram, the editor of Sing The Truth: T...
Different Ways of Being Black with Nancy Johnson
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Nancy Johnson, author of People of Means. It'...
Family Values with James Stewart III
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with James Stewart, III, the author of the novel, ...
Become Your Own Elder with Honorée Fannone Jeffers
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers, the author of Misbe...
Hope for Love with Kristina Forest
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Kristina Forest the author of The Love Lyric....
We All Cousins with Nikkolas Smith
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Nikkolas Smith about his new picture book The...
Bearing Witness with Mahogany L. Browne
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Mahogany L. Browne, the author of the new YA ...
The Intimacy of Black Boys with Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Order Your Copy of The Seven Daughters of Dupree!This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Kiese Laymon and Alexis Franklin about their ...
Coming From the Jungle with Dwight Thompson
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dwight Thompson, author of the novel, My Own Dear People. It’s a story about a young man ref...
Happy to be Here with Denne Michele Norris
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Denne Michele Norris author of the novel, When the Harvest Comes. The story is one Denne has b...
Free Yourself First with W.J. Lofton
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with W.J. Lofton, author of the poetry collection, boy, maybe. The collection explores William...
Be Loud with Arriel Vinson
03 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with, Arriel Vinson, author of the YA romance novel, Under the Neon Lights. It’s a story tha...
Love in the Wide Open World with Cher Terais
27 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Cher Terais, author of the wanderlust romance novel, Tempest in Tulum. In crafting her novels,...
The Sound of Sudan with Hana Baba
20 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Hana Baba the storyteller on the new podcast Folk Tales from Sudan. The first season will feat...
Inspiration for Survival with Dolen Perkins-Valdez
13 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, about her new historical fiction novel, Happy Land. The books is based o...
The Novel Soundtrack with Myah Ariel
06 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Myah Ariel, author of the novel, No Ordinary Love. Myah, who is a journalist, film enthusiast,...
The Conspiracy is Not Always Theory with Esme Addison
29 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Esme Addison, author of the novel An Intrigue of Witches. The historical mystery novel takes t...
Into the Underground with Jacqueline Crooks
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jacqueline Crooks, author of the novel, Fire Rush. It's a book that took her 16 years to bring...
There's More to the Truth with Jill Tew
15 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jill Tew, author of the YA dystopian romance novel, The Dividing Sky. It's a book Jill sa...
Knowing When You're Ready with Olufunke Grace Bankole
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Olufunke Grace Bankole, author of The Edge of Water. The book began as a short story and Olufu...
What the Daughter Knows with Jodi M. Savage
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jodi M. Savage, author of the essay collection, Death of a Jaybird: Essays on Mothers and Daug...
The National Black Writers Conference with Donna Hill
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Nikesha speaks with Donna Hill, the newly named executive director of The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, right in the...
The Sanctity of Solitude with Aaliyah Bilal
25 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Aaliyah Bilal, author of the short-story collection Temple Folk. The collection is made up of ...
The Thread of Connection with Jamila Minnicks
18 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jamila Minnicks, author of the novel, Moonrise Over New Jessup. It's a book written about...
Leading with Meaning with Laysha Ward
11 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Laysha Ward author of the leadership book, Lead Like You Mean It: Lessons on Integrity and Pur...
Family Business with Bernice L. McFadden
04 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Bernice L. McFadden, the author of several award winning historical fiction novels. She’s ou...
Love Notes to Children with Amber McBride
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with National Book Award Finalist and Corretta Scott King Award Winner, Amber McBride, about her la...
The Little Spoon with Jason Reynolds
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author and MacArthur genius Jason Reynolds about his YA romance novel, Twenty-four Seconds fro...
The Proof is in the Writing with Victoria Christopher Murray
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with return guest, Victoria Christopher Murray about her latest novel, Harlem Rhapsody. The novel t...
Pursuing Passion with Shanora Williams
04 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Shanora Williams, about her new romance novel...
Anchored in History with Tara Roberts
28 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tara Roberts, author of the memoir, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belo...
The Power of Belief with Iris Mwanza
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Iris Mwanza, author of the novel The Lion’s Den. It’s a thriller featuring a young la...
Witnessing From the Empire with Fady Joudah & Lena Khalaf Tuffaha
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Palestinian-American poets, Fady Joudah and Lena Khalaf Tuffaha. Fady is a physician, in ad...
What Writing Can Do - Season 5 Trailer
14 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This season on Black & Published . . . It’s time to get real about what writing can do. Whether we write about love or compassion, broken system...
Bonus: Writing Past Rejection with Nikesha Elise Williams
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is sharing her story about becoming a writer and finding her way in the publishing industry. F...
Bonus: Enjoying the Life You've Built with Minda Honey
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Minda Honey, author of the memoir, The Heartbreak Years. A retrospective for the twen...
BONUS: A Living Language with jarrett hill & Tre'vell Anderson
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with jarrett hill and Tre'vell Anderson, the authors of, Historically Black ...
BONUS: Deeply Profound with Honorée Fanning Jeffers
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers, author of the epic novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. D...
BONUS: The Doors of the Church are Open with Deesha Philyaw
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with author, Deesha Philyaw, her short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church ...
BONUS: Reed, Write, and Create Podcast with Lori L. Tharps
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This bonus episode of Black & Published features an episode of the Reed, Write and Create podcast hosted by award-winning author and creative writ...
Chicago vs. Everybody with Arionne Nettles
03 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Arionne Nettles, author of the book, We Are The Culture: Black Chicago's Influence on ...
Training Up Champions with Julian Randall
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Julian Randall author of the essay collection The Dead Don't Need Reminding: In Search...
The Future is Now with Maura Cheeks
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Maura Cheecks, author of Acts of Forgiveness. The book is an outgrowth of her 2019 article, ...
For the Love of Grandmothers with Melissa Mogollon
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Melissa Mogollon, author of the novel, OYE. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Meli...
It's All Connected with Tomi Adeyemi
06 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with New York Times Bestselling author Tomi Adeyemi, author of The Children of Anguish and Anarch...
Note to Self with Riss M. Neilson
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Riss M. Neilson, author of the romance novel, A Love Like The Sun. A graduate of the Rhode...
Rising to the Occasion with Shenequa Golding
23 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Shenequa Golding, author of the essay collection A Black Girl in the Middle: Essays on (Allege...
Introducing Reckon True Stories with Deesha Philyaw & Kiese Laymon
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published we're introducing you to a new show that we love, Reckon True Stories hosted by acclaimed authors Deesha Phily...
Giving Too Much with Walela Nehanda
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Walela Nehanda, author of, Bless the Blood: A Cancer Memoir. As a Black, non-binary, disabili...
Joy Before the Message with Antwan Eady & Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with the authors and illustrators of the children's picture book, The Last Stand. Written by...
Don't Doubt Yourself with Avery Cunningham
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Avery Cunningham, author of the novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. Avery is a resident of ...
What is Home with Donna Hemans
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Donna Hemans, author of the novel, The House of Plain Truth. Born in Jamaica and currently ...
The Artist's Impulse with Crystal Wilkinson
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Crystal Wilkinson, author of the cookbook memoir, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. A poet, a...
Transformation Isn't Easy with Maya Golden
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Maya Golden, author of the memoir, The Return Trip. Maya is the founder of the 1 in 3 found...
Black Women Teach Us with Dr. Jenn M. Jackson
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dr. Jenn M. Jackson, author of the book, Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black...
The Spine of America with Ashton Lattimore
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speak with Ashton Lattimore, author of the historical novel, All We Were Promised. The novel that follo...
Engineering the Story with Vanessa Riley
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Vanessa Riley, author of the historical fiction romance novel, Queen of Exiles. An engineer an...
The Misunderstanding of Haitians with Juliana Lamy
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Juliana Lamy, author of the short story collection, You Were Watching From the Sand. A Haitian...
Free Rein to Write with Shannon Sanders
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Shannon Sanders, author of the short story collection, Company. A lawyer by trade, Shannon ...
From the Stage to the Page with Rudy Francisco
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 renown...
Deconstructing Color, Race & Caste with Roberto Carlos Garcia
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Roberto Carlos Garcia, author of the poetry anthology, What Can I Tell You. Roberto is th...
Women Will Resist with Tracey Rose Peyton
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tracey Rose Peyton, author of the novel, Night Wherever We Go. The novel follows the live...
Answering the Call with Kim Johnson
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 hei...
A Measure of Forgiveness with Jennifer Baker
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Anger is a Muse with Lamya H
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 perso...
The Peace of Truth with K E Garland
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with K E Garland, author of the memoir, In Search of a Salve: Memoir of a Sex Addict. K E Garland i...
Empathy & Understanding to Heal with Kim Coleman Foote
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Kim Coleman Foote, author of the biomthyography novel, Coleman Hill. The novel draws from Kim&ap...
A Love Letter for the Girlies with Liv Little
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
A Living Language with jarrett hill & Tre'vell Anderson
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with jarrett hill and Tre'vell Anderson, the authors of, Historically Black Phrases: From "...
Enjoying the Life You've Built with Minda Honey
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Minda Honey, author of the memoir, The Heartbreak Years. A retrospective for the twenty-somet...
Surviving the Worst with Anissa Gray
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Setting People Free with Donovan X. Ramsey
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 Misunde...
What Does it Mean to Forgive with Terah Shelton Harris
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Terah Shelton Harris, author of the novel, One Summer in Savannah. Published by Sourcebooks in 2...
The Doors of History are Open with Dolen Perkins-Valdez
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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 awa...
Knowing Our Mothers for Ourselves with Denene Millner
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Meeting the Moment in History
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This season on Black & Published we're meeting the moment. According to Pen America’s 2023 report, Banned in the USA, 138 school districts ...
Bigger Than Me with Erica Simone Turnipseed
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 Giveaway - Neruda on the Park
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What’s Good Black & Published Family… Yes, I’m still but I wanted to pop into your ears to tell you how you can win a copy of Cleyvis Nat...
Como Se Dice, Ghost? with Lori L. Tharps
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Lori L. Tharps, an author and ghostwriter living abroad in Spain. Her work sits at the intersect...
The Business of Writing with Victoria Christopher Murray
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Victoria Christopher Murray, author of Pride, A Seven Deadly Sins Novel. A native of Queens, New...
The Dancer is a Writer with Nicole Cuffy
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Nicole Cuffy, author of Dances. Nicole is a D.C.-based writer with a BA from Columbia University...
Respecting the Ancestors with Rhonda McKnight
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Rhonda McKnight, author of The Thing About Home. Rhonda is also the author of twenty-five tradit...
An Urban Author Myth with Nikki May
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Nikki May, author of Wahala. Born in Bristol and raised in Lagos, Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian. A...
Everything Can Be Forgotten with Caseen Gaines
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Caseen Gaines, author of When Broadway Was Black: The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical ...
Learning the Continent with Yessoh G.D.
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Yessoh G.D. author of the African fantastical suspense thriller, Ta Lé Book One: Knowledge. Yes...
The Cat Daddy Lounge with Derrick Harriell
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Derrick Harriell author of the poetry collection, Come Kingdom. Derrick Harriell is the Ottilie ...
A Good Push with Dior J. Stephens
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Dior J. Stephens author of the poetry collection, CRUEL/CRUEL. Dior J is the author of the chapb...
The Horror of History is Complex with Victor LaValle
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Victor LaValle author of the novel Lone Women. As the writer behind six other works of fiction, ...
Writing is Like Breathing with Laura Warrell
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Laura Warrell, author of the novel, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, which was named a ‘best’ or ...
Africa Did it First with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu, author of the short story collection, Drinking from Graveyard Wells (Univers...
Wielding Magic with Sophfronia Scott
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Sophronia Scott, author of the novel, Wild, Beautiful and Free. Sophfronia holds a BA in English...
9 Years in a Drawer with Diane Marie Brown
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Diane Marie Brown, author of the novel, Black Candle Women. A professor at Orange Coast Colleg...
Effortless is Not Easy with Destiny O. Birdsong
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Destiny O. Birdsong, author of the triptych novel Nobody's Magic. She's also a poet ...
Look for the Glow with Danyel Smith
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Danyel Smith, author of the Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. Danyel ...
Ordained for Success with Tia Williams
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Tia Williams, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Seven Days in June. Tia had a fifte...
Morally Gray Characters with Janay Harden
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Janay Harden, author of the novel Forty-Two Minutes. As a licensed clinical social worker, Janay...
The Shape of a Story with Ladee Hubbard
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Ladee Hubbard, author of the short story collection, The Last Suspicious Holdout. Ladee is also ...
The Holistic Power of Poetry with Mant¿s
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with Mant¿s, author of the poetry collection, The Rootwork Stretched. Mant¿s writes from the inters...