Black Writers Read

Nicole M. Young-Martin
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Books
  • Updated Biweekly

Black Writers Read showcases, celebrates, and honors the words, work, and traditions of Black writers from across the country, across genres, across experiences, and across the African Diaspora. This podcast series is produced and hosted by performance poet, playwright, events curator, and educator Nicole M. Young-Martin. Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersread. Find Nicole on Instagram: @coco_penexplore.

  1. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus Episode: Representing ‘MY’ Black Experience featuring Theresa Okokon

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Theresa Okokon, which was hosted live and in-person on November 1, 2025 at The LAVA Center in Greenfield, MA. Special thanks to Straw Dog Writers Guild and The LAVA Center for co-hosting this event. Theresa Okokon is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and teacher. A Wisconsinite living in New England, she is the co-host of Stories From The Stag, which has over 23,000 subscribers on YouTube. In addition to writing and performing her own stories, Theresa also teaches storytelling and writing, coaches other tellers, hosts storytelling events, and collaborates with nonprofits on narrative-driven special projects and events. An alum of both the Memoir Incubator and Essay Incubator programs at GrubStreet, Theresa’s memoir of essays about memory, family stories, and the death of her father — titled WHO I ALWAYS WAS (Atria Books, 2025). Her essay Me Llamo Theresa, which is in WHO I ALWAYS WAS, was originally published in Hippocampus Magazine and was nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize.  Purchase your copy of WHO I ALWAYS WAS via Black Writers Read's Bookshop link here. Please visit Theresa’s website at theresaokokon.com to learn more about her and her body of work.  You can find The LAVA Center online at thelavacenter.org and Straw Dog Writers Guild online at strawdogwriters.org.  Find Theresa on Instagram: @ohh.jeezzz Find The LAVA Center on Instagram: @thelavacenter Find Straw Dog Writers Guild on Instagram: @strawdogwriters Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    1h 22m

  2. 3d ago

    The Tribulations of Triangles Featuring Charmaine Leticia Wilcox

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Charmaine Letitcia Wilcox, which was live-streamed on February 10, 2026. Charmaine Leticia Wilcox is an author, independent publisher, and the creative engine behind Triangles Publishing. Based in Las Vegas, she specializes in multi-genre narratives that bridge the gap between gritty reality and vivid imagination. From the high-stakes emotional drama of the Triangles series to the world-building depths of her fantasy work, Charmaine’s stories are defined by complex characters who refuse to be defined by their pasts. When she isn’t crafting new worlds or navigating the rigors of nursing school, she is dedicated to empowering the next generation of storytellers. During this episode, Charmaine shared an excerpt from her book,  For the Sake of Love, which is the second book of the Triangles Series.  Learn more about Charmaine, her work, and Triangles Publishing here. Mentioned during the episode: Black Romance Book Fest, which is scheduled for this year from May 29 - May 31 in Atlanta, GA (it is an annual convening that usually takes place at the end of May) Find Charmaine Leticia Wilcox on Instagram: @charmainetheauthor Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    1h 1m

  3. May 23

    An Intimate History of Black Feminism Featuring Dr. Jenn M. Jackson

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Dr. Jenn M. Jackson, which was live-streamed on January 23, 2026. Jenn M. Jackson (they/them) is a queer, androgynous Black woman, an abolitionist, a lover of all Black people, and an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science. Jackson’s research is in Black Politics with a focus on Black Feminist movements, racial threat and trauma, gender and sexuality, policing, and political behavior. They are the author of BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US: AN INTIMATE HISTORY OF BLACK FEMINISM (Penguin Random House, 2024) and POLICING BLACKNESS (expected in 2026). Jackson has written peer-reviewed articles at Public Culture, Politics, Groups, and Identities, Social Science Quarterly, and the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy. Jackson received their doctoral degree from the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago in 2019 where they also received a graduate certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Jackson teaches courses on Gender and Politics, Black Feminism, Black Politics, and the Politics of Racial Threat. During this episode, we chatted about their book, Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism, which celebrated its two-year anniversary and the release of the paperback version of the book.  A love letter to those who have been minimized and forgotten, Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism, repositions Black women’s intellectual and political work at the center of today’s liberation movements. For a new generation of movement organizers and co-strugglers, Black Women Taught Us serves as a reminder that Black women were the first ones to teach us how to fight racism, how to name that fight, and how to imagine a more just world for everyone. Learn more about Dr. Jenn M. Jackson and their work by visiting their website: https://jennmjackson.com/ Mentioned in this episode: Click here to watch Dr. Jackson's talk on Politics and Prose Watch episodes of Season 8 of That Black Couple here; Watch past episodes of That Black Couple (Seasons 1-7) here Watch episodes of We Published, Beloved here Find Dr. Jackson on Instagram: @jennmjacksonphd Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    1h 27m

  4. May 14

    Growing Your Roots Where You Land Featuring Cedric Muhikira

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Cedric Muhikira, which was live-streamed on January 18, 2026. Cedric Muhikira is a self-taught writer and storyteller with roots in migration, cultural fusion, and identity. Raised on stories that bridged continents and generations, Cedric has long been fascinated by the in-between spaces of belonging. He immigrated to the United States from Rwanda in 2019, and now lives in Detroit. His debut novel, Libaax: Grow Your Roots Where You Land, draws deeply from his personal experiences and the shared lives of immigrants navigating new beginnings. With themes of identity, resilience, and finding home in a foreign land, Libaax follows Ayaan's journey from displacement to self-discovery as he becomes a DJ, mixing Somali qaraami with Detroit techno. It's a story of cultural fusion, personal growth, and the universal experience of belonging.Cedric’s work explores how music, memory, and resilience help us grow roots wherever we land. To learn more about Cedric, please visit cedricmuhikira.com. Purchase your copy of Libaax: Grow Your Roots Where You Land here. Find Cedric on Instagram: @iam_thecaptain_now Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    30 min

  5. May 1

    Finding Home Through Life, Love, and Loss Featuring Denise Nicholas

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with author, actress, and activist Denise Nicholas, which was live-streamed on January 17, 2026. Nicholas's memoir, Finding Home (Agate Bolden, 2025), chronicles her time growing up in Detroit, her trailblazing acting and writing career, her personal journey, and familial loss. With eloquence, vulnerability, and resolve, Nicholas mines her six-decade journey through TV and film stardom, the complexities of her three marriages, and her reconstituting her creative life to become a celebrated novelist, reflecting on the personal, professional, and societal pressures that buffeted her throughout. Constructed of episodic reflections from both personal and professional high points and low points of her life, Nicholas navigates the intersections of love and identity, exploring how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her understanding of success, intimacy, and commitment. Her narrative is rich with anecdotes from her career in Hollywood, as an actor and, later, a successful screenwriter for television and eventually a novelist, providing a backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path. She outspokenly discusses the challenges she faced as a trailblazing actress of color, shedding light on the systemic barriers and biases within the entertainment industry. Learn more about Denise Nicholas by visiting denisenicholas.net.  Purchase your copy of Finding Home: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9781572843530 Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    52 min

  6. Apr 23

    Black Love & Travel Through Wanderlust Romance featuring Cher Terais

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Cher Terais, which was live-streamed on December 21, 2025.   Cher Terais is a bestselling Wanderlust Romance author, cultural storyteller, and the creative force behind As Written by Cher Terais. Known for crafting love stories that travel the world while centering bold, accomplished Black women, Cher’s work blends romance, culture, and emotional depth with destinations that feel as stunning as they are intimate. Her novels—including Bali Blue, Mess on the Mara, Tempest in Tulum, and Steel Horses, Leather Roads—invite readers into stories where Black love is expansive, grown, and unapologetically global. Each book is a passport, reminding women that desire, adventure, and softness are not luxuries—they’re birthrights. Beyond the page, Cher is the founder of The Booked Club, a curated travel and lifestyle community for women who love books, beautiful experiences, and getting out into the world with intention. Through retreats, memberships, and immersive storytelling, she helps women reconnect with joy, creativity, and themselves. A former Army veteran, world traveler, and mentor, Cher speaks candidly about reinvention, womanhood after 40, creative courage, and what it means to choose a life that feels as good as it looks. When she’s not writing or building community, she’s likely planning her next escape, sipping wine, and reminding women everywhere to get booked—on the page and in real life.  During this episode, we chatted about Steel Horses, Leather Roads (July 2025). A second-chance romance, Steel Horses, Leather Roads is perfect for readers who crave Black Southern romance, Cowboy Carter energy, emotionally layered storytelling, and love stories that understand: the past doesn’t stay buried—it rides alongside you. Find Cher Terais online at: cherterais.com Find Cher Terais on Instagram: @cher_terais_author Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    1h 9m

  7. Apr 9

    Healing Through Books Featuring Bibliotherapist, Emely Rumble, LICSW

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Emely Rumble, LICSW, which was live-streamed on December 2, 2025.   Emely Rumble, LICSW is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist with over 15 years of professional experience. Committed to making mental health services more accessible, Emely specializes in the transformative practice of bibliotherapy. Rumble is passionate about advocating for the integration of creative arts in psychotherapy, mental well-being, and self-improvement. Emely champions the social model of disability and embraces a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approach. Emely’s work has been featured in respected publications such as Parents Magazine, ‘School Library Journal’, Dazed Magazine, Success Magazine, BronxNet News, The Bronx is Reading, Essence Magazine, CNN Health, The New York Times, Bustle Wellness and Therapy for Black Girls among other publications. Her debut book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx (Row House Publishing, 2025), explores the modality of literature based therapy in healing practice. In this transformative work, Rumble offers readers an intimate glimpse into her journey as a psychotherapist in the Bronx, where she has spent over 14 years using books to help clients navigate complex emotions, heal from trauma, and find their voices. Through vivid anecdotes and real-world case studies, she demonstrates how literature can serve as a bridge between personal pain and collective healing. Rich with practical tips, reflective exercises, and book recommendations, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the power of words to change lives. Whether you're a therapist, educator, bibliophile, or simply someone seeking deeper understanding and growth, this book offers a compassionate, culturally affirming guide to the transformative potential of storytelling. Rumble's work is a testament to the enduring power of books to heal, empower, and liberate. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx reminds us that the stories we tell—and the stories we read—can unite us in our shared humanity. To learn more about Emely and her work, please visit LiterapyNYC.podia.com. Find Emely on Instagram: @literapy_NYC Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

    1h 11m

  8. Apr 2

    The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work Featuring Jodi-Ann Burey

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Jodi-Ann Burey, which was live-streamed on November 18, 2025.   Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work (Flatiron Books, 2025), which we discussed during this episode. Beyond the written word, Jodi-Ann stands out as a catalytic orator, having conducted over 100 keynotes, panels, and interviews - including TEDx.  Inspired by her personal journey and professional experience in public health, Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. Jodi-Ann is the co-creator and host of Lit Lounge, a curated book collection and author interview series, and the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a monthly prose and poetry salon. An alum of Boston College and the University of Michigan, Jodi-Ann has over 15 years of entrepreneurial, corporate, non-profit and start-up professional experience. Her writing has been supported by Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA), The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, The Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Vermont Studio Center. She enjoys snowboarding, oil painting and prides herself on being a cool auntie and a reluctant dog owner. Jodi-Ann was born in Jamaica, lives in Seattle, Washington and will always call New York City home. Jodi-Ann’s Authentic delves into the dangers of disclosure in environments that aren’t built for our well-being. With insights from pop culture, academic research, and interviews with other professionals of color, Burey argues that we deserve better than shallow ploys for representation. To learn more about Jodi-Ann, please visit https://jodiannburey.com/. Purchase a copy of Authentic. Watch Jodi-Ann's TED Talk. Find Jodi-Ann on Instagram: @jodiannburey Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon Support the show

    1h 22m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Black Writers Read showcases, celebrates, and honors the words, work, and traditions of Black writers from across the country, across genres, across experiences, and across the African Diaspora. This podcast series is produced and hosted by performance poet, playwright, events curator, and educator Nicole M. Young-Martin. Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersread. Find Nicole on Instagram: @coco_penexplore.

Information

  • Creator
    Nicole M. Young-Martin
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    112
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Black Writers Read
  • Show Website
    Black Writers Read

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