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Black Writers Read

Nicole M. Young-Martin

Black Writers Read showcases, celebrates, and honors the words, work, and traditions of Black writers from across the country, across genres, across experiences, and across the African Diaspora. This podcast series is produced and hosted by performance poet, playwright, events curator, and educator Dr. Nicole Young-Martin. Find us on Instagram: @blackwritersread. Find Nicole on Instagram: @coco_penexplore.

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  • 24 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 8 min
  • English

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Episodes 24

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  • S6 · E14
    May 1 · 52 min

    Finding Home Through Life, Love, and Loss Featuring Denise Nicholas

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with author, actress, and activist Denise Nicholas, which was live-streamed on January 17, 2026. Nicholas's memoir, Finding Home (Agate Bolden, 2025), chronicles her time growing up in Detroit, her trailblazing acting and writing career, her personal journey, and familial loss. With eloquence, vulnerability, and resolve, Nicholas mines her six-decade journey through TV and film stardom, the complexities of her three marriages, and her reconstituting her creative life to become a celebrated novelist, reflecting on the personal, professional, and societal pressures that buffeted her throughout. Constructed of episodic reflections from both personal and professional high points and low points of her life, Nicholas navigates the intersections of love and identity, exploring how her experiences in Hollywood shaped her understanding of success, intimacy, and commitment. Her narrative is rich with anecdotes from her career in Hollywood, as an actor and, later, a successful screenwriter for television and eventually a novelist, providing a backdrop to the struggles and achievements that marked her path. She outspokenly discusses the challenges she faced as a trailblazing actress of color, shedding light on the systemic barriers and biases within the entertainment industry. Learn more about Denise Nicholas by visiting denisenicholas.net. Purchase your copy of Finding Home: https://bookshop.org/a/114101/9781572843530 Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

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  • S6 · E13
    April 23 · 1 hr 8 min

    Black Love & Travel Through Wanderlust Romance featuring Cher Terais

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Cher Terais, which was live-streamed on December 21, 2025. Cher Terais is a bestselling Wanderlust Romance author, cultural storyteller, and the creative force behind As Written by Cher Terais. Known for crafting love stories that travel the world while centering bold, accomplished Black women, Cher’s work blends romance, culture, and emotional depth with destinations that feel as stunning as they are intimate. Her novels—including Bali Blue, Mess on the Mara, Tempest in Tulum, and Steel Horses, Leather Roads—invite readers into stories where Black love is expansive, grown, and unapologetically global. Each book is a passport, reminding women that desire, adventure, and softness are not luxuries—they’re birthrights. Beyond the page, Cher is the founder of The Booked Club, a curated travel and lifestyle community for women who love books, beautiful experiences, and getting out into the world with intention. Through retreats, memberships, and immersive storytelling, she helps women reconnect with joy, creativity, and themselves. A former Army veteran, world traveler, and mentor, Cher speaks candidly about reinvention, womanhood after 40, creative courage, and what it means to choose a life that feels as good as it looks. When she’s not writing or building community, she’s likely planning her next escape, sipping wine, and reminding women everywhere to get booked—on the page and in real life. During this episode, we chatted about Steel Horses, Leather Roads (July 2025). A second-chance romance, Steel Horses, Leather Roads is perfect for readers who crave Black Southern romance, Cowboy Carter energy, emotionally layered storytelling, and love stories that understand: the past doesn’t stay buried—it rides alongside you. Find Cher Terais online at: cherterais.com Find Cher Terais on Instagram: @cher_terais_author Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

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  • S6 · E12
    April 9 · 1 hr 11 min

    Healing Through Books Featuring Bibliotherapist, Emely Rumble, LICSW

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Emely Rumble, LICSW, which was live-streamed on December 2, 2025. Emely Rumble, LICSW is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist with over 15 years of professional experience. Committed to making mental health services more accessible, Emely specializes in the transformative practice of bibliotherapy. Rumble is passionate about advocating for the integration of creative arts in psychotherapy, mental well-being, and self-improvement. Emely champions the social model of disability and embraces a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approach. Emely’s work has been featured in respected publications such as Parents Magazine, ‘School Library Journal’, Dazed Magazine, Success Magazine, BronxNet News, The Bronx is Reading, Essence Magazine, CNN Health, The New York Times, Bustle Wellness and Therapy for Black Girls among other publications. Her debut book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx (Row House Publishing, 2025), explores the modality of literature based therapy in healing practice. In this transformative work, Rumble offers readers an intimate glimpse into her journey as a psychotherapist in the Bronx, where she has spent over 14 years using books to help clients navigate complex emotions, heal from trauma, and find their voices. Through vivid anecdotes and real-world case studies, she demonstrates how literature can serve as a bridge between personal pain and collective healing. Rich with practical tips, reflective exercises, and book recommendations, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the power of words to change lives. Whether you're a therapist, educator, bibliophile, or simply someone seeking deeper understanding and growth, this book offers a compassionate, culturally affirming guide to the transformative potential of storytelling. Rumble's work is a testament to the enduring power of books to heal, empower, and liberate. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx reminds us that the stories we tell—and the stories we read—can unite us in our shared humanity. To learn more about Emely and her work, please visit LiterapyNYC.podia.com. Find Emely on Instagram: @literapy_NYC Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread Support the show

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  • S6 · E11
    April 2 · 1 hr 22 min

    The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work Featuring Jodi-Ann Burey

    Send us Fan Mail This episode features our conversation with Jodi-Ann Burey, which was live-streamed on November 18, 2025. Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work (Flatiron Books, 2025), which we discussed during this episode. Beyond the written word, Jodi-Ann stands out as a catalytic orator, having conducted over 100 keynotes, panels, and interviews - including TEDx. Inspired by her personal journey and professional experience in public health, Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. Jodi-Ann is the co-creator and host of Lit Lounge, a curated book collection and author interview series, and the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a monthly prose and poetry salon. An alum of Boston College and the University of Michigan, Jodi-Ann has over 15 years of entrepreneurial, corporate, non-profit and start-up professional experience. Her writing has been supported by Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA), The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, The Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Vermont Studio Center. She enjoys snowboarding, oil painting and prides herself on being a cool auntie and a reluctant dog owner. Jodi-Ann was born in Jamaica, lives in Seattle, Washington and will always call New York City home. Jodi-Ann’s Authentic delves into the dangers of disclosure in environments that aren’t built for our well-being. With insights from pop culture, academic research, and interviews with other professionals of color, Burey argues that we deserve better than shallow ploys for representation. To learn more about Jodi-Ann, please visit https://jodiannburey.com/. Purchase a copy of Authentic. Watch Jodi-Ann's TED Talk. Find Jodi-Ann on Instagram: @jodiannburey Find Black Writers Read on Instagram: @blackwritersread Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/ Support Black Writers Read on Patreon Support the show

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Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes