The Black Writers Studio

Amanda Johnston is a writer, artist, and the 2024 Texas Poet Laureate. Born in East St. Louis, IL, and raised in Austin, TX, she began writing poetry while living in Kentucky. Her writing is published widely, and she has presented at numerous literary conferences and events. ​ She earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. She is the author of two chapbooks, GUAP and Lock & Key, and the full-length collection Another Way to Say Enter. Her work has appeared in numerous online and print publications, among them, Callaloo, Poetry Magazine, Puerto del Sol, Muzzle, and the anthologies, Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry and Women of Resistance: Poems for a New Feminism. She has received fellowships, grants, and awards from Cave Canem, Hedgebrook, Tasajillo, the Kentucky Foundation for Women, The Watermill Center, and the Austin International Poetry Festival. She is a former Board President of Cave Canem Foundation, a member of the Affrilachian Poets, cofounder of Black Poets Speak Out, and founder of Torch Literary Arts.   Named one of Blavity’s "13 Black Poets You Should Know," Amanda’s work has been featured on Bill Moyers, the Poetry Society of America’s series In Their Own Words, The Moth Radio Hour, and the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day series. She was commissioned to curate a collection of poems for the Poetry Coalition on the theme Where My Dreaming and My Loving Live: Poetry & the Body. ​ She has facilitated creative writing workshops and presented at the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics, Hugo House, Langston Hughes House, Frye Museum, Carver Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Prizer Arts and Letters, NeoSoul Poetry Lounge, Nuyorican Poet’s Café, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pillsbury House Theater, Rude Mechanical Theater, and at numerous universities and literary venues across the country. ​ Amanda Johnston is the creator of the genesis - a poetic form comprised of seven poems. Five individual poems in columns create a sixth prose poem when read left to right, and italicized words that create the final seventh poem when read independently as a visible erasure. ------- The Hurston/Wright Foundation presents The Black Writer’s Studio, a podcast dedicated to showcasing Black Writers who are transforming the world today with their literary pen. Host Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman interviews novelists, poets, scholars, screenwriters and more. Visit us at http://www.HurstonWright.org to learn more about Hurston Wright Foundation. Available on Anchor FM, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud ​

Matthew D. Morrison, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, is an Associate Professor in the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Dr. Morrison holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from Columbia University, an. M.A. in Musicology from The Catholic University of America, and was a Presidential music scholar at Morehouse College where he studied violin and conducting. His research focuses on the relationship between (racial) identity, performance, property, copyright law, and inequities within the history of American popular music and beyond. His published work has appeared in publications such as the Journal of the American Musicological Society, American Music, Journal of Musicology, Women and Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, and the Grove Dictionary of American Music. He also contributes creatively as a dramaturg, artistic and creative consultant within the arts, partnering with organizations such as Theory, Warner Music Group, SONY music, and the SHED, NYC, along with Quincy Jones, Steve McQueen, and Maureen Mahon. His book, Blacksound: Making Race in Popular Music in the United States, is published by The University of California Press in Spring 2024. This book traces the aesthetic and political legacy of blackface minstrelsy in an effort to uncover the relationship between performance, racial identity, and intellectual property in the making of global popular music and its industry from the early nineteenth century into the present. ------- The Hurston/Wright Foundation presents The Black Writer’s Studio, a podcast dedicated to showcasing Black Writers who are transforming the world today with their literary pen. Host Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman interviews novelists, poets, scholars, screenwriters and more. Visit us at http://www.HurstonWright.org to learn more about Hurston Wright Foundation. Available on Anchor FM, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud

Jenn M. Jackson (they/them) is a genderflux androgynous Black woman, a lesbian, an abolitionist, a lover of all Black people, and an Assistant Professor at Syracuse University in the Department of Political Science. Jackson’s primary research is in Black Politics with a focus on racial threat and trauma, gender and sexuality, political behavior, and social movements. Jackson also holds affiliate positions in African American Studies, Women’s and Gender Studies, and LGBT Studies. They are a Senior Research Associate at The Campbell Public Affairs Institute at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, as well. Jackson is the author of the book BLACK WOMEN TAUGHT US (Random House Press, 2024). The book is an intimate intellectual and political history of Black women’s activism, movement organizing, and philosophical work that explores how women from Harriet Jacobs to Audre Lorde to the members of the Combahee River Collective, among others, have for centuries taught us how to fight for justice and radically reimagine a more just world for us all. Jackson’s first academic book project POLICING BLACKNESS (University of Chicago Press, 2024) investigates the role of racial threat in influencing Black Americans’ political behavior. Methodologically, they utilize quantitative analyses of survey data and experiments as well as qualitative analysis of 100 in-depth interviews with young Black Americans ages 18 to 35 to investigate both intergroup and intragroup differences in responses to and ideas about racial threat. Jackson finds that Black women are most likely to express concerns about police-based and intragroup threat. Comparatively, Black men vary drastically in their responses to threat depending on their sexual orientation, gender expression, and vulnerability to stereotypes. As a recipient of many prestigious honors and awards, Jackson is a 2020 recipient of the Tenth Decade grant and the CUSE Seed Grant funding their book research. ------- The Hurston/Wright Foundation presents The Black Writer’s Studio, a podcast dedicated to showcasing Black Writers who are transforming the world today with their literary pen. Host Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman interviews novelists, poets, scholars, screenwriters and more. Visit us at http://www.HurstonWright.org to learn more about Hurston Wright Foundation. Available on Anchor FM, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud

Crystal Wilkinson, a recent fellowship recipient of the Academy of American Poets, is the award-winning author of Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts, a culinary memoir, Perfect Black, a collection of poems, and three works of fiction—The Birds of Opulence , Water Street and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. Her second book, Water Streetwas a finalist for the Orange Prize and the Hurston Wright Legacy Award. She was Poet Laureate of Kentucky from 2021 to 2023 . She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Kentucky where she is a Bush-Holbrook Endowed Professor. ------- The Hurston/Wright Foundation presents The Black Writer’s Studio, a podcast dedicated to showcasing Black Writers who are transforming the world today with their literary pen. Host Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman interviews novelists, poets, scholars, screenwriters and more. Visit us at http://www.HurstonWright.org to learn more about Hurston Wright Foundation. Available on Anchor FM, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud

Troy D. Johnson is a prominent figure known for his remarkable contributions to Black literature and culture. As the founder of the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC) and President of AALBC.com, LLC, he has left an indelible mark in several crucial domains. Through AALBC, Johnson has created a vital platform for Black writers, authors, and literary professionals to showcase their work and narratives. By championing their voices, he ensures diverse perspectives gain the recognition they deserve in mainstream literary spaces. Johnson's commitment to celebrating Black culture and history through literature is instrumental in preserving and promoting the rich legacy of Black literature. His curation and promotion of books by Black authors ensure these works are accessible and valued globally, connecting future generations to their heritage. Johnson actively addresses the barriers that Black writers face in the publishing industry. By providing a platform for Black authors, he combats systemic biases and obstacles, fostering a more inclusive and equitable publishing landscape. AALBC, under Johnson's leadership, has become a valuable resource for readers seeking diverse literary voices. Through book recommendations, events, and a vibrant online community, he empowers readers to engage with a wide range of Black literature, enriching both individuals and communities. Johnson's promotion of Black literature contributes to greater cultural understanding and appreciation. By exposing readers to diverse narratives, he challenges stereotypes and fosters a more inclusive society that recognizes the value of all cultures. With an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business, an MS from Polytechnic University (now NYU Tandon School of Engineering), and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, Johnson's educational background is complemented by over 20 years of corporate experience in various roles. As an adjunct lecturer at Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business, he imparts his knowledge to future leaders. Troy D. Johnson's dedication to literary activism, extensive publications, media appearances, and advisory roles on notable boards and committees further cement his status as a driving force in advancing Black literature and culture. ------- The Hurston/Wright Foundation presents The Black Writer’s Studio, a podcast dedicated to showcasing Black Writers who are transforming the world today with their literary pen. Host Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman interviews novelists, poets, scholars, screenwriters and more. Visit us at http://www.HurstonWright.org to learn more about Hurston Wright Foundation. Available on Anchor FM, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud