Black Market Reads

The Givens Foundation for African American Literature
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Black Market Reads is a menu for Black literary consumption and all of its spin-offs. Featuring Black artists who love to read and write and engage in arts and culture. PRODUCER: The Givens Foundation for African American Literature PRODUCTION SERVICES: iDream.tv MUSIC: Sarah White - Through People [M¥K Remix] BMR is made possible through the generous support of our individual donors, Target Foundation, and the voters of Minnesota, through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

  1. 2D AGO

    Episode 103 -Antonio Michael Downing, Saga Boy and Black Cherokee

    Antonio Michael Downing is an author, speaker, and musical artist. His memoir Saga Boy was called "singularly dazzling" by Kiese Laymon and "the triumph of Blackness everywhere" by Scotiabank Giller Prize–winner Ian Williams. He is also the author of the children's picture book Stars in My Crown and his debut novel, Black Cherokee. He writes and performs music as John Orpheus. In this Episode Lissa and Antonio travel the world in their far reaching conversation from Trinidad, to Canada, to Brooklyn, to the Cherokee Nation- discussing his memoir Saga Boy: My Life of Blackness and Becoming, his debut novel Black Cherokee, and a broader conversation about lineage and inherited systems. For GO DEEPER content visit www.BlackMarketReads.com Black Market Reads is produced by the Givens Foundation for African American Literature in partnership with iDream.tv. Our production team for this episode includes co-producers Lissa Jones and Edie French, technical director Paul Auguston, the voice Yo Derek, and our artist of inspiration Ta-coumba T. Aiken.

    46 min

  2. FEB 26

    Episode 102 - Ethelene Whitmire, The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram

    The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Ethelene Whitmire tells the true story of Reed Peggram, a brilliant Black, queer Harvard scholar who went to Paris in 1937 and stayed through World War II for love, eventually escaping Nazi-occupied Italy with his partner, Arne Gerdahn Hauptmann, with the help of an all-Black American regiment.  This episode was recorded before a live audience at Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis. Lissa talks with author Whitmire about her research, her quest for untold stories, and the remarkable life of Reed Peggram. For GO DEEPER information about this episode, and to learn more visit www.BlackMarketReads.com Black Market Reads is a project of The Givens Foundation for African American Literature produced in cooperation with iDream.tv. Our production team for this episode includes co-producers Lissa Jones and Edie French, technical director Paul Auguston, the voice Yo Derek, and our artist of inspiration Ta-coumba T. Aiken.

    30 min

  3. FEB 10

    Episode 101 - C.J. Farley - Who Knows You By Heart

    Kicking off Season 11 and Black History Month- This conversation could not be more timely. Part social thriller, part modern love story, Who Knows You by Heart by CJ Farley is a sly, witty, and endlessly discussable tale of Big Tech, new money, relationships, race, and discovering what's real in an age of artificial intelligence. C.J. (Christopher John) Farley is a Jamaican-born author, journalist, and editor known for works spanning fiction, YA, and biography, including Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley and Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. A Harvard graduate and former Time and Wall Street Journal editor, his novels often explore race, technology, and culture, such as Game World and Who Knows You By Heart.  Key Details and Accomplishments: Background: Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Brockport, New York. He is a Harvard University graduate and former editor of the Harvard Lampoon. Literary Work: Novels: Game World (fantasy adventure), Around Harvard Square (NAACP Image Award winner), Zero O'Clock (pandemic-themed YA), Kingston By Starlight, and My Favorite War. Non-Fiction/Biographies: Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley (Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist) and Aaliyah: More Than a Woman. Latest Work: Who Knows You By Heart (2025/2026), a novel exploring AI, race, and relationships. Journalism & Editorial Career: Worked as a music critic for Time magazine, senior editor for The Wall Street Journal, and executive editor at Audible. He has interviewed artists like Beyoncé, Prince, and Taylor Swift. Other Roles: Currently serves in leadership for arts programming and development at PBS and was a consulting producer on the HBO documentary Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown.

    39 min

  4. 12/02/2025

    E100: A Landmark Celebration of Black Stories, Voices, and Legacy

    Hosted by Lissa Jones, the 100th episode is an expansive, deeply moving celebration that honors the elders, the artists, the activists, and the community that built—and continues to fuel—the Black literary tradition. Highlights include: • A newly released archival segment featuring J. California Cooper Recorded before the podcast officially launched, this rare conversation hosted by elder storyteller Beverly Cottman with renowned author J. California Cooper offers timeless reflections on writing, wisdom, and the purpose of storytelling. • A segment honoring the legacy of George Floyd through poetry Two Minneapolis poets, Mary Moore Easter and Bernard James, contributors to the anthology Can't Stop, Won't Stop, (Rain Taxi 2021) share excerpts and reflections created in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder. Their words capture the grief, urgency, and creative power that shaped Minneapolis and the world in 2020. • Appearances from celebrated past guests The episode revisits powerful moments with Ross Gay, Frank B. Wilderson III, Pearl Cleage, Lynn Nottage, Gail Christopher, Claudia Rankine, Rickey Fayne, and others who helped define the voice of the show. • A guided audio tour of the Givens Collection Curator Davu Seru leads listeners through the 40th anniversary exhibit "The Circle Unbroken," offering a rare look at the artifacts, history, and cultural heritage preserved in the Givens Collection of African American Literature. Full Conversations and Bonus videos  — including the Sounds of Blackness performance, the full Givens Collection tour, and  Can't Stop, Won't Stop— can be found at www.BlackMarketReads.com.  About Black Market Reads Black Market Reads is a podcast of the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, produced in partnership with iDream.tv. Black Market Reads is dedicated to celebrating Black writers and cultural heritage through in-depth conversations, live events, and archival preservation.

    50 min

  5. 10/02/2025

    Episode 99 - Debra Stone, The House on Rondo

    In Episode #99 Lissa talks with Author Debra J Stone about her new middle grade novel, The House on Rondo (University of Minnesota Press). Rooted in the lived histories of Minnesota's Black communities, The House on Rondo offers a deeply personal window into the destruction of a thriving neighborhood through the eyes of a young Black girl coming of age during an era of national civil rights protests. As Zenobia joins forces with her neighbor, the unforgettable former cowgirl Mrs. Ruby Pearl, to fight against the  demolition of her grandparents' home to make way for the new interstate highway, readers witness not just the heartbreak of displacement but also the power of community, protest, and memory. Our production team for this episode includes co-producers Lissa Jones and Edie French, technical director Paul Auguston, the voice Yo Derek, and our artist of inspiration Ta-coumba T. Aiken. Black Market Reads is produced by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature in partnership with iDream.tv. For more information and context visit https://blackmarketreads.com/

    29 min

  6. 08/24/2025

    Episode 98 - Leila Mottley, The Girls Who Grew Big

    Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother's home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, who weighs an abortion in the heart of the South; and the rest of the Girls, a group of outcast young moms who raise their growing brood in the back of Simone's red truck. In this episode Lissa talks with author Leila Mottley about her latest novel The Girls Who Grew Big (Alfred Knopf 2025). Leila Mottley is the author of the novel Nightcrawling, an Oprah's Book Club pick and New York Times best seller, and the poetry collection woke up no light. Her sophomore novel, The Girls Who Grew Big, is forthcoming in June 2025. She was also the 2018 Oakland Youth Poet Laureate. She was born and raised in Oakland, where she continues to live. For GO DEEPER information about Leila and other topics visit www.BlackMarketReads.com

    28 min

  7. 07/15/2025

    Episode 97 - Valerie Burns, Icing on the Murder

    Looking forward to an intriguing summer read, Lissa talks with author Valerie Burns about her latest work. Packed with a delicious mix of cake, chaos, and crime, Icing on the Murder is a page-turner that's sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and leave them craving more! In this fourth installment of the Baker Street Mystery series, influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery is preparing for her dream wedding, but before she can say "I do" to her fiancé, veterinarian Michael Portman, she must first solve a murder that threatens to ruin her big day. When world-renowned wedding planner Serafina is found impaled by one of Baby Cakes Bakery's wedding cake skewers, Maddy and her trusted crew—along with a little help from her 250-pound Mastiff, Baby—take on the case. But can they unmask the killer in time for wedding bells to ring? Learn more: www.BlackMarketReads.com

    33 min

  8. 06/20/2025 · BONUS

    BONUS EPISODE: Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination

    Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination was the plenary discussion for From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading, The Givens Foundation's Annual Conference held June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Moderator: Gevonee Ford, founder of the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent Panelists: Dr. Duchess Harris, scholar, author and curator of The Duchess Harris Collection, Dr. Ebony Aya, founder of the Aya Collective, and Tish Jones, poet and Executive Director of TruArtSpeaks Enjoy additional conference recordings and highlights:

    50 min
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About

Black Market Reads is a menu for Black literary consumption and all of its spin-offs. Featuring Black artists who love to read and write and engage in arts and culture. PRODUCER: The Givens Foundation for African American Literature PRODUCTION SERVICES: iDream.tv MUSIC: Sarah White - Through People [M¥K Remix] BMR is made possible through the generous support of our individual donors, Target Foundation, and the voters of Minnesota, through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Information

  • Creator
    The Givens Foundation for African American Literature
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © @ 2025
  • Show Website
    Black Market Reads

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