On episode #29, New York Times bestselling author Sadeaqa Johnson is on the show sharing her inspiring author journey and her practical strategies to living a successful literary life.

Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of five novels, including Yellow Wife and her latest, The House of Eve, which was the February 2023 Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. Sadeqa’s accolades include being a NAACP Image Award nominee, a 2022 Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy finalist, a BCALA Literary Honoree, and the Library of Virginia’s Literary People’s Choice Award winner. She is a Kimbilio Fellow and teaches in the M.F.A. program at Drexel University. Originally from Philadelphia, she currently lives near Richmond, VA with her husband and three teens.

Before she was topping the bestseller charts, Sadeqa was hand-selling her self-published novel, determined to prove herself to a publishing industry who wouldn’t give her a book deal. During our conversation, Sadeqa shares how she went from that frustrating place, to where she is today, working on her sixth novel, winning multiple literary awards, and teaching in a MFA program, all with no signs of slowing down.

This is the episode you need to listen to for inspiration, actionable strategies for your writing life, and motivation to keep writing!

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To learn more about Sadeqa Johnson, visit her website at Sadeqa.net

To follow Sadeqa on Instagram, her favorite online hangout, find her @Sadeqasays

Purchase your copy of Sadeqa’s latest book, the New York Times bestseller, The House of Eve from the Reed, Write, & Create Bookshop. You’ll be supporting this podcast and Sadeqa!

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• If you’re looking for more creative writing inspiration, and useful resources for your literary life, visit ReedWriteandCreate.com.
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Episode #28 of the podcast is dedicated to the literary life and legacy of Jessie Redmon Fauset, the most prolific novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, and also, sadly, the most overlooked and under-appreciated.

On this episode of the Reed, Write, & Create podcast, I will be sharing Fauset’s fascinating life story, as well as four reasons why she is often sidelined and left in the shadows when it comes to conversations about the literary greats of the Harlem Renaissance. Spoiler alert: Having an affair with W.E.B. Dubois, may or may not have had something to do with it. (I'm pouring the tea, so be ready.)

Tune in for a little literary history, some literary lessons you can apply to your own writing life, and the pep talk you need right now.

Visit the Reed, Write, & Create blog for more content and resources to up-level your writing life.

If you’re a BIPOC woman writer who is looking for community and accountability to help you get published and get paid, apply to join the Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary. Our members stay winning.

Don’t support an online retailer who doesn’t support writers or the longevity of the publishing industry. Buy your books from independent bookstores. You can support this podcast and independent bookstores everywhere, by making your online book purchases at the Reed, Write, & Create bookstore.

If you want to be the first to know what new classes, retreats, and workshops I’m offering, plus other literary opportunities to brighten your life, sign up for the monthly Reed, Write, & Create newsletter.

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On episode 27 of the podcast, award-winning poet and debut novelist, Phillip B. Williams, is on the show. You might have heard about Williams because his brand new novel, Ours, was one of Oprah’s most anticipated books for 2024.

Ours is an epic story about a conjure woman named Saint, who goes around destroying plantations in the south, and then freeing the enslaved workers. She then creates a magical world called Ours where the newly emancipated can live in peace because white people can neither see, nor access Ours. And if they try, they meet with a gruesome ending!

It’s an epic story of Black resistance.

During our conversation, Phillip delivers a full masterclass on creative writing essentials.Topics covered include:

• How to use poetry to write better prose.
• What MFA programs are actually good for and who should apply
• Why writers shouldn’t be worried about word count
• What you should be reading to improve your writing
• Why we should be reading the works of our literary ancestors

And…

• Why He Views Ours as Black Surrealism rather than Magical Realism

Grab your pen and get ready to take notes, because this is an episode with lessons you’ll want to apply to your writing life today!

To learn more about Philip B. William, visit his website and find him on Instagram

Buy a copy of Ours from The Reed, Write, & Create Bookshop.

Phillip has also written two books of award-winning poetry. Check out Thief in the Interior.

One of Phillip’s early poetry influences is the legendary Sonia Sanchez. Try her American Book Award winning collection, Homegirls and Hand Grenades to inspire your poetry and prose.

If you’re looking for more creative writing inspiration, and useful resources for your literary life, be sure to check out all of the amazing content at ReedWriteandCreate.com.

Sign up for the monthly, Reed, Write, & Create newsletter for literary resources and opportunities delivered right to your inbox.

If you’re a BIPOC woman writer looking for a supportive writing community to join, where you’ll find accountability partners, BETA readers for your work, and opportunities to get published and get paid, apply to join the Reed, Write, & Create Sanctuary.

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.

Sharing is caring, so please share the name of this podcast with all of your BIPOC writer friends. Thanks!