Reed, Write, and Create

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..   

Press play on this fan-favorite, rewind episode with award-winning author, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts.    Tracey Lewis-Giggetts has written over 30 books in multiple genres. She writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and screenplays.  She is the author of the award-winning, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration and Then They Came For Mine: Healing from the Trauma of Racial Violence. Tracey is also an award-winning, celebrity ghostwriter and has penned best-selling books for several public figures including Tabitha Brown, Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford of Therapy for Black Girls. During our inspiring conversation, Tracey revisits her 30+ year career as a writer and writing instructor, to share the nuggets of wisdom she’s gleaned along the way. We discuss: how she keeps going in the face of rejection,  how she managed to quit her job in academia to write full time why it’s okay to write in more than one genre. Most importantly, Tracey talks about how and why she is so prolific, why she makes no apology for centering her stories around Black people and Black culture, and why it is so important to stay ready so you can be ready when opportunities arise. BTW, we’re re-airing this episode this week, because Tracey has a new book coming out on October 29, 2024. If you’re listening in real time, that’s tomorrow! The book is called The Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally ReClaiming Your Delight. It’s a guided journal and devotional that includes thirty reflective entries on themes like the power of our laughter, the weight of joy in the midst of grief, and embracing our everyday delights. Each section provides meditations, prompts, and actionable steps to help you unearth or reclaim joy in your life. It is a companion title to Black Joy, which we discuss in the episode. Get one for yourself and grab one for a friend for the holidays! To learn more about Tracey, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram. Tracey mentioned the following useful resources for writers: The Hurston Wright Writers Workshop is an excellent resource for Black writers. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamontt is a book for writers about writing that Tracey recommends.    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..    Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

On episode 39 of the podcast, I am so excited to share my conversation with memoirist, journalist, editor, celebrity collaborator, novelist and all around literary icon, Veronica Chambers.  Based in London, Veronica Chambers is a New York Times best selling author of over 25 books, and is currently the editor of narrative projects at  The New York Times. Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, her work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage. Her first book, the acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl  is read in hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country.  Veronica has also worked on several celebrity collaboration projects, she has edited popular anthologies about Beyoncé and Michelle Obama, and she has written both adult and teen novels.  During our conversation, Veronica pulls back the curtain on what has worked and what has not worked over the course of her 30+ year career. She talks candidly about money, time management and failure. She also shares useful tips and ideas about all the important, in-between actions and activities that writers can do to build a successful and sustainable literary career. We also spend time talking about the subject of Veronica’s latest book, Ida in Love and Trouble, a fascinating historical novel about the early life of Ida B. Wells. Press play to hear incredible stories, get loads of useful advice, and be inspired by Veronica’s incredible, literary life.    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW   If you want to keep in touch with Veronica Chambers and see what she’s up to, follow her on IG @VVChambers and/or check out her website at VeronicaChambers.com.    Veronica mentioned Res Artis, a database of artist residencies to check out. You can also check out our listing of writing retreats specifically for BIPOC writers. If you want to snag a copy of Veronica’s new book, Ida in Love and Trouble, visit your favorite independent bookseller. For example, The Reed, Write, & Create bookstore. Just check the virtual shelf where we highlight books by authors who appear on this show.   You can also support Veronica’s favorite bookstore in Hoboken, NJ, Little City Books. Some of the books Veronica mentioned in the episode; The Artist’s Way, Big Magic, When and Where I Enter, and Ida B. Wells: A Sword Among Lions, and Composing a Life.    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..  Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

Are you trying to write a memoir and don’t know where to start? Are you worried about oversharing, or writing about people you know and love getting mad at you for spilling their secrets? Is the idea of getting the essence of your own life down on paper overwhelming? Then stick around for this inspiring and informative rewind episode with actress-turned-author, Tembi Locke. Tembi wrote the best-selling, Reese Witherspoon anointed, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home.    During our conversation recorded right after the book debuted, Tembi and I talk about the reasons she decided to write this searing love story about life before and after her Italian husband’s death from cancer; her writing process as a new author; how she protected the privacy of her family members while writing this touching family story; why writing a story shrouded in grief, could still be a beautiful experience; and why she chose to include recipes from her Italian in-laws as part of the story.    Tembi is a generous storyteller and she shares a lot about her writing journey - starting from scratch as a writer -  in this delightful interview. I hope you enjoy it.  Stick around to the end of the episode to hear all kinds of wonderful personal and professional updates that transpired after this interview originally aired.   If you’d like to purchase a copy of From Scratch, consider buying from The Reed, Write, & Create online bookstore. We carry a diverse selection of books by BIPOC authors, for adults, teens, and kids.  Check to see if the Netflix version of From Scratch is in your area. Find all things Tembi at her website TembiLocke.com 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.    Subscribe to  @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.

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.