Reed, Write, and Create

On episode 37 of the 'Reed, Write & Create' podcast, you’re getting a pep talk about what can happen when we truly commit ourselves to our writing life.  And I am using the life and work of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a renowned 17th-century Mexican nun, as my source material. Be clear, Sor Juana was no ordinary nun. She was a renegade and a revolutionary who used #NunLife to create the literary life she desperately desired.  Sor Juana, known for her poetic prowess, and advocacy for the education of women, gained fame through her literary salons and social commentary, despite facing societal and church opposition. Her writings, which spanned poetry, plays, and social critiques, continue to inspire today, and she is a pivotal literary figure we can all learn from and admire.  I know this episode and the legacy of Sor Juana will inspire all of you BIPOC writers to pick up your pens and create new narratives that can change the world.   If you want to read a full biography about Sor Juana, check the biography by Octavio Paz called, Sor Juana.    If you’d like to read a lovely collection of Sor Juana’s most popular poems and writings, including her feminist manifesto, try this collection titled, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.   Read one of Sor Juana’s most popular poems in translation, “You Foolish Men.” The meaning behind this poem still rings true today.  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. Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.  

On episode 36 of the podcast, get the actual blueprint for a happy, healthy, productive literary life. Enjoy this episode from our archives with Marita Golden, award-winning author, journalist, writing coach, and living, literary legend.   Marita Golden is  an award-winning author of over twenty works of  fiction and nonfiction. Her books include the novels The Wide Circumference of Love, and After and the memoirs Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons and Don’t Play in the Sun One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex. Her most recent work of nonfiction is The New Black Woman Loves Herself Has Boundaries and  Heals Every Day. Marita is the Co-founder and President Emerita of the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright Foundation.   Marita is the recipient of numerous awards including the Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes & Noble and Poets and Writers, the Fiction Award for her novel After awarded by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association, and she is a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee.    During our conversation, Marita gives a masterclass on what it takes to create a sustaining and sustainable literary life over 40 years! She talks about the importance of health, wealth, and community for writers, and more importantly, she offers actionable advice for you to put into practice right now.    Besides the fact that this episode is so jam packed with information and inspiration, I also wanted to re-run it because Marita Golden has a new book coming out titled: How to Become a Black Writer: Creating & Honoring Black Stories That Matter. The book will be released in February 2025, but it is available for pre-order now.        ********************* More #Lit Resources   If you’re looking for more resources and literary inspiration, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter.    Follow ReedWriteandCre8 on Instagram   Follow LoriLTharps on Instagram   Subscribe to Lori’s New YouTube channel @LiteraryLori

Get ready for a pep talk that explains how perseverance, persistence and pain can lead to productivity, fame and fortune in a writer's life.  When you hear about the life and work of African-American crime writer, Chester B. Himes, you will overstand what’s possible for a writer, even when confronting the worst things life can throw at you. Racism, violence, prison, poverty, chronic pain. Chester Himes experienced all of those things and more, and yet still managed to write award-winning novels, searing social commentary, short stories, and two memoirs.  Press play to learn all about this inspiring yet under-appreciated writer who spent the latter years of his life in a small, seaside town in Spain, writing through his pain.    MORE CHESTER HIMES   If you’d like to learn more about Chester Bomar Himes, you can read his memoirs:   The Quality of Hurt  and My Life of Absurdity   You can also read the critically acclaimed biography, Chester B. Himes, by Lawrence P. Jackson.   If you'd like to see some videos and images showcasing where Chester Himes spent his final years in Spain, check out my YouTube channel @LiteraryLori because I have a video there showing my recent literary pilgrimage to Moraira, Spain where Chester Himes spent his final years.    **********************   DON’T FORGET: APPLICATIONS FOR THE SANCTUARY ARE NOW OPEN, BUT ONLY UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27, 2024!!! Applications are only being accepted for four more days  to join The Reed, Write, and Create Sanctuary, our private membership community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. The last day to apply before doors close for the season is September 27, 2024 at 12pmEST.    The Sanctuary is for emerging writers and seasoned authors, who want to get paid and published. Our resources, workshops, classes, and community are made to support writers through the entire lifecycle of their writing life, from writing, to getting published, to promoting your work.  If you’re tired of writing alone; you’re ready to optimize your writing life; and you want to see your words in the world making real impact, then come join us in The Sanctuary. Instructions on how to apply are on The Reed Write & Create website.     APPLY NOW BEFORE WE CLOSE THE DOORS FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR.   ******* If you’re looking for more resources and literary inspiration, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter.    Follow ReedWriteandCre8 on Instagram   Follow LoriLTharps on Instagram

We’re back for the fourth season of the Reed, Write and Create podcast!   On this short episode, find out what you can expect on this season of the podcast, and some exciting personal and professional updates about the literary life of your host, Lori L. Tharps.    ********************************   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 up-level your literary life.   Speaking of up-leveling your literary life…The doors to The Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary are opening for new members, September 15 - 27, 2024. The Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary is a private, global membership community for BIPoC women writers who take their writing life seriously. We bring together BIPoC women writers who are ready to dedicate themselves to achieving their writing goals, so they can get paid, get published, and make an impact with their words. We support and celebrate our writers through the entire process of the publication journey – writing, publishing and promotion – with the resources they need to achieve success. Add your name to the Tell Me More mailing list to find out when applications go live.    Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.  

SURPRISE! It’s a Bonus Episode.   Yes, I am officially on summer vacation, working on my novel, and the podcast is on a summer hiatus. So, why am I back in your podcast feed? Because I have a special bonus episode for you!    I want to introduce you to a literary podcast I love to listen to called Black & Published. Hosted by author Nikesha Elise Williams, Black & Published features interviews with novelists, nonfiction writers, poets and playwrights every week. For today’s bonus episode, I’m running a recent episode from Black & Published that I loved. This episode features an interview with award-winning author, Vanessa Riley. An engineer turned historical romance writer who always centers women of color in her best-selling books, Vanessa Riley has an incredible story of how she started her writing career, and an even more impressive story of how she got the mainstream publishing industry to take her historical romance stories seriously.  This episode centers on her recently released novel about Haiti’s only queen, Marie-Louise Christophe. The book sounds amazing, and this episode is equally amazing.   I hope you enjoy and continue listening to Black & Published wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you want to learn more about Vanessa Riley, visit her website.   If you’re looking for more creative writing inspiration, and useful resources for your literary life, visit ReedWriteandCreate.com.   Sign up for the monthly, Reed, Write, & Create newsletter for literary resources and opportunities delivered right  to your inbox.   Don’t buy your books on Amazon, support indie booksellers and shop online at the Reed, Write, & Create bookshop for a list of curated titles by BIPOC authors.    If you’re looking for a better way to organize your writing manuscripts, fiction and nonfiction, consider trying Scrivener. I’ve recently become a Scrivener fan and am using it to write my current novel. Feel free to use my affiliate link to purchase Scrivener and receive 20% off by using the code REEDWRITE.