Minorities In Publishing

[CW: This episode discusses sexual assault.] Jenn speaks with bestselling author Kelly Yang (Front Desk) about her new young adult novel Parachutes centering two teen perspectives on sexual assault. Kelly speaks to the importance of these books, the ways in which victims deserve more advocacy, and the need to open up more discussion and education around rape culture. 

Yes we have reached episode 100 of Minorities in Publishing! Holy cow! This milestone episodes features guest Liara Tamani (All the Things We Never Knew and Calling My Name). We discuss the ideology behind success and striving to stay afloat, how she found her way back to a first love she didn't realize she was missing, and her new YA romance from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins out today!  Transcription of this interview can be found on the Episodes tab of the podcast Tumblr. 

In a follow-up conversation, Jenn and Loyalty Bookstore owner Hannah Oliver Depp discuss the importance of campaigns like saveindiebookstores.com to get funds directly to Indie Bookstores when federal grants may not and ways we can continue to aid indies during Covid-19.  Transcription for this episode can be found on the Episodes tab of the podcast Tumblr. 

[This episode was recorded online. Audio variation may occur.] Jenn speaks to owner of Loyalty Bookstores (in the DMV area) Hannah Oliver Depp on running a small business, the challenges facing booksellers as business owners through economic inequality, and the importance of independent bookstores in community establishment and growth.  Transcript of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab of the podcast Tumblr.

MiP welcomes back Renée Watson who has had quite the trajectory since she first appeared on the podcast five years ago this month. She talks about her new book from Bloomsbury Ways to Make Sunshine, writer's block & imposter syndrome, and also her trajectory over the years and how much her stories for Black girls continue to showcase range & beauty. Transcription for this episode can be found on the Episode tab of the podcast Tumblr.

Jenn speaks with literary agent Connor Goldsmith (Fuse Literary) on his path to agenting from film casting, why publishing/agenting would make a bad reality show, and the financial realities of agenting and how privilege comes into play with stability in publishing.  [Transcription can be found on the Episodes page of the podcast Tumblr.]

[This interview was conducted over Skype so there may be some audio variation.] Jenn speaks with debut author (and recent NYT bestseller) Abigail Hing Wen about her book Loveboat, Taipei, combating Asian stereotypes in her work, pursuing writing and another full-time career, and the ways in which character journeys can mirror one's own.  Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab of the podcast Tumblr. 

[This interview was conducted over Google Hangouts, there may be some audio variation.] Jenn speaks with Angela Maria Spring, owner of Duende District, about her trajectory as a bookseller from the midwest to the east coast and back. Spring mentions the hardships of crowdfunding, the importance of a bookstore honoring BIPOC artists, and the importance of bookselling in the publishing industry. Transcription for this episode can be found on the Episodes page of the podcast Tumblr. 

[Please note this interview was conducted via Google Hangouts. Audio quality may vary.] Jenn speaks with author Kacen Callender (Queen of the Conquered, Hurricane Child, This is Kind of an Epic Love Story) about their background as an editor, the perils of privilege for the protagonist in their adult debut, and the ways in which they pursue storytelling and outcomes for different readerships from their education to decolonizing their reading.  Transcription for this interview will be available on the Episodes tab on the podcast Tumblr. 

[This interview was conducted over Skype, so there may be some audio variation.] Jenn speaks with Rena Barron (Kingdom of Souls, Maya and the Rising Dark) about her growth as a writer, the necessity of a wider range of fantasy stories featuring People of Color, and her upcoming middle grade fantasy that takes place in Chicago's Southside.  Transcript for this episode will be available on the Episodes tab of the podcast Tumblr. 

[This interview was conducted via phone and the audio quality on speakers will vary.] Jenn speaks with Bharat Babies publisher Sailaja Joshi about the creation of a new independent imprint focused on South Asian stories, the work behind-the-scenes as a new indie publisher, and the overall goals and support needed when making such a venture for young readers.  Transcription of this episode will be available on the Episodes page of the MiP podcast's Tumblr. 

Jenn talks with author and mental health advocate Bassey Ikpi (I'm Telling the Truth But I'm Lying) about her new book and the depictions within it along with the ways she pursued writing & utilizing memory in personal essays on mental illness and diagnosis. 

This interview was conducted over Skype so there may be some audio variation. Author and disability activist Keah Brown (The Pretty One) openly discusses the discomfort she felt in a lack of reflections of disabled POCs in media, her thoughts on breaking in to publishing with no to low-pay opportunities, and how her book reflects more of the evolution of self and a push against ableism in existing and experiencing inherent joy. [Transcription of this episode will be available in the Episodes tab on the MiP tumblr.]

Jenn spoke with author and professor Tanisha C. Ford about her new memoir Dressed in Dreams, which ties in personal history with cultural representation and fashion. This discussion ran the gamut from Black hair care, to nostalgia for FUBU and Karl Kani, to the importance of fashion within Black culture and what it set the stage for in terms of individual expression. [Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab on Tumblr.]

Author Sonya Chung (The Loved Ones, Long for This World) discusses her essay dissecting the issues of gaze and focus in Green Book and the documentary Period: End of Sentence, how she formulated success as a published author, and her experiences publishing with a Big 5 imprint and an indie press. Transcript of this episode can be found on the Episodes tab on the MiP Tumblr. 

The latest episode is the live recording of the March 27, 2018 Creative Conversation with Meg Medina and Elizabeth Acevedo at I, Too Arts Collective in East Harlem. This event was in celebration of the publication of The Poet X. Meg and Elizabeth read from their latest, at the time, books and discuss Latinx representation, their approach to writing fully fleshed characters, and struggles with imposter syndrome.  [Transcript will be available on the Episodes tab.]

Jenn speaks with co-owners of Brooklyn based Radix Media, Lantz Arroyo and Sarah Lopez, about the work of printers, being a new independent publisher, and the case for worker cooperatives to provide equity in the workplace.  [Transcription will be available on the Episodes tab of the Tumblr.]

[Audio and Transcription of this episode was provided by BookNet Canada] Road Trip to Toronto for the latest episode! At this year's Tech Forum conference Jenn spoke with author and founder of the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD), Jael Richardson, about the creation of an inclusive literary festival, the work to maintain representation, and also the benefits and concerns about tagging/separating books by marginalized authors when it comes to consumers finding these works. Transcription of this episode can be found on the Episodes page of the podcast Tumblr site. 

On January 10th, the nonprofit I, Too, Arts Collective held a celebratory NYC book launch for the picture book The Roots of Rap, a collaboration between award-winning & acclaimed artists  Carole Boston Weatherford and Frank Morrison at Langston Hughes’ brownstone in East Harlem. The two discussed their origins as writer and visual artist respectively, the history of hip-hop/rap music, and their thoughts on some of the greatest artists of our time.

Jenn speaks with artist/illustrator Jerry Craft about his trajectory as a cartoonist from regular strips to self-publishing to his latest graphic novel (New Kid) pubbing with a Big 5 publisher. Jerry shares his aesthetic which is bringing humor and heart to stories prioritizing Black families.