Writer-Podcaster Debra Gipson

Debra Gipson is the creator of the award-winning podcast Dear Michelle, a memoir framed as a series of letters to former First Lady Michelle Obama. In her podcast, Debra manages to be both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving as she discusses her rise from poverty and abuse to the hallowed halls of academia and beyond. “Michelle Obama was everything that I could have been, had I not made bad choices,” Debra explains. “She represents everything you can be if everything goes well, and I represent everything that could potentially go wrong if you make the missteps that I’ve made.” In this episode, Tanya and Debra discuss the ways in which the neighborhood where Debra grew up inspired her writing, her philosophy of human relationships, and the extraordinary resilience that continues to define her path. “I think the magic in our lives happens not when we choose to stay stationary, but when we have the courage to move.” says Debra. “Because that movement, that getting out of your comfort zone, opens up an entire world of possibility. I always say it shakes the universe.”

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If you enjoyed this episode, you might also enjoy my conversation with dancer/choreographer Tonya Marie Amos, titled Dance for the Revolution, or my conversation with writer/performer Herbert Sigüenza, titled Black Jesus Was the Original Fake News.