Black & Published

Black & Published

Black & Published brings you the journeys of writers, poets, playwrights, and storytellers of all kinds to discuss what it means to be a writer, dissect the writing process, and demystify the steps between concept and publication.

Episodes

October 6, 2026 • 41 mins

Buy The Seven Daughters of Dupree Today!

This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with, Trisha R. Thomas, the author of, Nappily Ever After, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

It’s a book Trisha was moved to write after working in the school system. In our conversation, she discusses why she believes Black Beauty culture has always been about both power and pain.

Plus, what still excites Trisha about ...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha kicks off Season 7 with Deesha Philyaw, the author of the debut novel, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman.

It’s a satirical romp through a Black mega-church from the perspective of its esteemed First Lady, Scharisse Freeman, who wants nothing more than to be accepted even though that validation might come at the cost of her soul.

In our ...

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September 22, 2026 • 58 mins

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Amena Brown, author of the essay collection, Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl.

It’s not Amena’s first book, but it's the first where she felt like she could say what she wanted, how she wanted, and to whom she wanted after years of holding her tongue in public and on the page.

In our conversation, Amena explains why sh...

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September 15, 2026 • 34 mins

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with T Clark, author of the short-story collection, All This Want (and I Can't Get None).

The collection is made up of 12 stories that follow young girls and queer teens as they come of age in the small towns or big cities of the Northeast.

In our conversation, T, who is a New York native, discusses the importance of epiphany and revelation in ...

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September 8, 2026 • 48 mins

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Dr. LeConté Dill, author of the poetry collection, Soul Survivors.

The collection is born out of 15 years of research, data, and analysis, from working with young Black girls across the country and how they navigate violence while still proudly repping their hood.

In our conversation, Dr. Dill explains how external validation gave her per...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Terah Shelton Harris, author of the novel Where the Wildflowers Grow. It's a novel about a woman who grew up off the grid, finds herself incarcerated, and after a major accident is allowed the chance to rebuild her life thanks in no small part to a handsome man.

In our conversation, Terah explains why she hates the term “smut&rdqu...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Chet'la Sebree, author of the travel memoir in essays, Turn Where: A Geography of Home.

It’s a book that sent Chet’la wandering across the country and around the world asking the same three questions over and over again.

In our conversation, Chet'la explains how the three questions provided a framework for the book. Plus, wh...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Savala Nolan, author of, Good Woman: A Reckoning. It’s a collection of 12 essays where Savala breaks down why she refuses all attributes ascribed to women by patriarchy, misogyny and capitalism that make them good. In an attempt at liberation.

In our conversation, she explains how her training as a lawyer prepared her to write her...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with De'Shawn Charles Winslow, author of the novel, The Fervent Whites.It’s a Get Out-esque thriller set in the early 80s in upstate New York, with a secret about trans-racial adoption at the center of the novel that was inspired by De'Shawn’s own life.

In our conversation he discusses how he’s changed his intention on who ...

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August 4, 2026 • 44 mins

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rachel Howzell Hall, author of the novel, Mist & Malice. It's book two in the Haven Thriller Series.

The novel tackles major themes including race, class, and immigration status.

In our conversation Rachel explains why as a California native it was time to discuss ICE in her work and how people are being hunted. Plus, the everyday ca...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Ashton Lattimore, author of the novel, Runner.

The novel explores prohibition era life on Martha’s Vineyard and the burgeoning cultural force that became the Harlem Renaissance between two women who will do anything to achieve their dreams, including risking their own lives.

In our conversation, Ashton discusses why she enjoys exp...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Amy DuBois Barnett, author of the novel, If I Ruled the World. It’s a story Amy began during her tenure in corporate media, specifically working as an editor at several major magazines including ESSENCE, EBONY and as the Editor-in-Chief of Honey.

Living the dream of becoming a novelist is something Amy’s wanted to do since s...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha takes you to the American Writers Festival, held June 7, in Chicago where she did a live recording of the podcast with the authors Jabari Asim, Deborah D. Douglas, and Lonnae O’Neal.

In their conversation they discuss, the importance of narrative repair, publishing in the current socio-political climate, and how they avoid being pigeonholed t...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Victoria Christopher Murray and Marie Benedict, the authors of the historical fiction novel, A Pair of Aces.

In our conversations they discuss why they see their partnership as a mission with a message. The hard conversations about race, class, and feminism, they have with each other that get transported to the page. And why the...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Regina Black, author of the country romance novel, August Lane. The book recontexutalizes the narrative around who can be a country star as well as expands the perspective of who lives a country, read: rural, life.

In our conversation, Regina explains how fanfiction and live journal became her MFA workshop and Beyoncé's Cowboy Ca...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Kristina Forest, author of the romance novel The Summer Girlfriend.

In our conversation, Kristina discusses an enraging trip to the bookstore that sparked the idea for the novel, the plotting tools she uses to create meaningful stakes, and why she wanted to put her heroine definitively in her "soft girl era."

Mahogany Books

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Toni Ann Johnson author of the new short story collection, But Where's Home. The collection dives even further into the world she’s built with previous publications of a middle class Black family, in a majority white enclave in upstate New York.

In our conversation, Toni Ann explains why she keeps returning to auto fiction ...

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May 12, 2026 • 51 mins

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Lisa Smith, author of the novel, Jamaica Road. It’s a coming of age story that spans 12 years in the lives of Connie and Daphne, who wrestle with their identity as British and Jamaican at a time of great racial unrest in the UK.

In our conversation, Lisa explains why she decided to write a novel during maternity leave and h...

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Ashley Jordan, the author of the romance novel, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood.

In our conversation, Ashley explains how going to grad school helped her finish her novel, plus the zombie apocalypse television show that sparked Ashley’s writing career.

Mahogany Books

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This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Gwendolyn Wallace and Tonya Engel, the author and illustrator of the new picture book, Dancing with Water. It's a story about a young queer child and their love for their grandfather who is a water diviner.

In our conversation, Gwendolyn explains why she believes stories are truly born at the intersection of science and the human...

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