087. MAMA: A Queer Black Woman's Story of a Family Lost & Found with Nikkya Hargrove

On this episode of The Letters and Layers Podcast, I am very excited to share my interview with Nikkya Hargrove, author of Mama: A Queer Black Woman's Story of a Family Lost & Found. This was a rich and thoughtful conversation, and I hope you listen to the end.

Nikkya Hargrove is a LAMBDA Literary Nonfiction Fellow and has written about adoption, marriage, motherhood, and the prison system for The Washington Post, the Guardian, the New York Times, Scary Mommy, and Shondaland. She has worked for social impact nonprofits providing support to underserved communities throughout her professional career. She graduated from Bard College and lives in Connecticut with her wife and three children.

Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found follows Nikkya’s journey as she makes the decision to raise her half sibling, Jonathan, after he was born to her mother, who had a crack cocaine addiction and spent time incarcerated while Nikkya was raised by her grandparents. The book traces Nikkya’s path toward custody and adoption, her family’s perspective on her queerness, and the way she finds love and forms a family.

Connect with Nikkya:

https://www.nikkyamhargrove.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nikkyahargrove/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/obodoserendipitybooks/

I'll be going on an extended break soon! The June 15th episode will be the last until we return with new episodes on August 1st.

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