On episode 43 of the podcast, I’m going to be giving you a pep talk about how BIPOC writers can use Oral Storytelling traditions to up-level their writing practice. And I’m going to use the life and work of award-winning poet and author, N. Scott Momaday as my source material. N. Scott Momaday was the first Native American to ever win a Pulitzer Prize when he won the award for his 1968 novel, House Made of Dawn.

During this episode you’ll learn:

• Why N. Scott Momaday is considered the founder of the Native American Writers Renaissance.
• Why Native Americans are the true founders of American literature.
• How Oral Storytelling can be a useful tool for your written work.
• Why BIPOC storytellers have an advantage and an obligation when it comes to Oral Storytelling.
• How telling the stories of your people can lead to mainstream publishing success.

If you’d like to learn more about N. Scott Momaday, check out the PBS Documentary, “Words from a Bear.”

If you’d like to learn more about oral storytelling, check out these resources:

The Moth

StoryCorps & Brightness in Black

Learn Oral Storytelling from LeVar Burton

If you’re looking for more inspiration and information to optimize your writing life, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get writing inspiration and resources right in your inbox.

One more thing, the doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create, Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in early 2025.

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If you’re feeling generous and would like to support this award-winning, Black-woman created podcast, please consider a small, one-time donation via our new Buy Me a Coffee/Book link. Thank you!

On episode 42 of the podcast, we have award-winning author Laila Lalami on the show, discussing her powerful novel, The Other Americans. The Other Americans was a finalist for the National Book Awards.

Laila is the author of several award-winning novels including, The Moor's Account and Secret Son. A native of Morocco, Laila is a professor of creative writing at the University of California Riverside.

On the show Laila talks about her rigorous research and writing process for her novels, why she had to decolonize her writing voice, immigration, and who belongs in America.

This episode was originally recorded when The Other Americans first debuted in 2019, but since the book is about an unsolved murder of an immigrant man in America, and the story delves into the dynamics of small town-America in flux, we decided this was the perfect time to rerun this riveting episode. It's the perfect book for the moment we're in now.

Lit Links for More

To learn more about Laila Lalami, visit her website at LailaLalami.com. Her new novel, due out in March 2025 is called The Dream Hotel.

If you’re interested in buying a copy of The Other Americans, consider purchasing at the Reed, Write, & Create online bookshop to support our show and your favorite independent booksellers.

If you’re looking for more inspiration and information to optimize your writing life, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get writing inspiration and resources right in your inbox.

One more thing, the doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create, Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications.

If you enjoy our award-winning literary podcast, please leave a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.

On episode 41 of the podcast, I’m going to be giving you a quick but important pep talk about reading, because you may be doing it all wrong. You see, writers, need an intentional reading habit, not just a reading hobby.

I’m going to break down the important difference between the two, and then share five easy steps, and a message from James Baldwin, to help you cultivate a sustainable reading habit that I promise will make you a better writer.

RESOURCES FOR YOU:

If you're looking for a inexpensive notebook/journal to use to track your reading habit, I like this one, available on amazon.

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025..