MiP Podcast + HiFi Reading Series Event Nov. 4th in NYC!

I am increasingly stoked about this reading happening tomorrow at HiFi Bar in the East Village! The Minorities in Publishing podcast was asked to curate the November reading for the HiFi Reading Series created by fellow writers & publishing professionals Lena Valencia & Ryan Britt. And I am honored not only to have been asked but to present these 4 generous, talented, and active artists in the industry.

Stop by for a drink, some smooth readings, and of course--because I'm me after all--cupcakes from Molly's Cupcakes! Reading starts at 8:15pm but get there early for seats!

Copies of Daniel José Older's critically-acclaimed fantasy Shadowshaper (Scholastic, 2015) will be available for sale thanks to PowerHouse Books and Daniel will happily sign copies.

Daniel José Older  is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy Shadowshaper with Scholastic Inc., a finalist for the 2015 Kirkus Prize and recently named by Publisher's Weekly as one of the Best Fantasy Books of 2015. He is also the author of the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series that began this year with Half-Resurrection Blues from Penguin’s Roc imprint. The next book in the series is Midnight Taxi Tango releasing in January 2016.Publishers Weekly hailed him as a “rising star of the genre” after the publication of his debut ghost noir collection, Salsa Nocturna. He co-edited the anthology Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History and guest edited the music issue of Crossed Genres. Daniel’s work has appeared on Buzzfeed, The Guardian, and Huffington Post, among other publications.

Glendaliz Camacho is a Pushcart Prize nominee, 2015 Write A House Finalist, and currently a recipient of a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace residency. She has been an artist in residence at Jentel, Caldera, Kimmel Harding Nelson, and Hedgebrook. Glendaliz is a proud VONA Voices alum. Her work appears in The Female Complaint (Shade Mountain Press), Soulmate 101 and Other Essays on Love and Sex (Full Grown People) and All About Skin: Short Fiction by Women of Color (University of Wisconsin Press), as well as The Butter, Saraba Magazine, and Kweli Journal, among others. She is currently working on a short story collection and novel.

Courtney Gillette is an essayist and reviewer, reviewing books for Lambda Literary since 2010. She co-hosts The Hustle reading series, helps behind the scenes at BinderCon, and has served as a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards. In 2013, her work was chosen by A.M. Homes for The Masters Review, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in Brooklyn with one bookseller and three cats.

Ennis Smith is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. His work has been published inCreative Nonfiction Magazine, Ganymede, Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, and the nonfiction anthology Lost and Found: Stories from New York (W.W. Norton). Other credits include Boys in the City (Bruno Gmunder Verlag GmbH), In Our Own Write, and dance and theater criticism in Attitude: The Dancer’s Magazine. He is a graduate of The New School’s graduate creative writing program.

In Memoriam: Brook Stephenson

Hearts have been heavy these past couple of days. On Sunday, August 9th I, and others, found out that a wonderful person/artist/man died unexpectedly the previous evening. That man was Brook Stephenson. Brook basically knew every Black writer in NYC and potentially every writer of color in the area and other cities as well. He was most recognizable by his smile and his presence. I remember saying to him at a reading in Harlem, "Man, you are everywhere!" He nodded, grinned, and we chatted for a bit.

Brook and I met at the Harlem Holiday Fete in December 2014. He was giving shout outs to so many Black writers, established and emerging, and other industry folks. We were crowded, shoulder-to-shoulder, back-to-back at the Fete with the vibration steady from pockets of discussion throughout the restaurant. Brook was someone I was searching for to say "Thanks for organizing this," and when he went to the front of the restaurant/lounge he definitely had a welcoming aura about him. I introduced myself and he was encouraging. There was a queue starting up just to speak to him. He'd created a writers colony and wanted people to apply, he was working on his own stuff, (he was multitasking) also introducing others who may be like minds in terms of connection. We exchanged cards.

In 2015 is when I saw him more regularly because we were often at the same events. He wanted to support everyone. Jacqueline Woodson, Renee Watson, Tracy Sherrod, new artists at Sundays At, his own crew, the last reading I had hoped we may see each other was last week at B&N for The Book of Luke. I smiled when I saw his pictures because I just knew he'd be there. "Man, you are everywhere!"

I was unable to go to the reading he held for some of the residents at RI Writers Colony but I was confident I'd see Brook again soon. He had been coming to my readings this summer when I invited him, his a familiar face, the goatee framing his ever-present smile was always nice to see in the audience. I introduced him to my mom at my second-to-last reading of the month on a day that felt like 105-degrees. I thanked him repeatedly for coming out. "I'll see you soon" I said and believed I would.

I recall when Brook walked me to the subway after a reading. A true gentleman even though the 2/3 train was not on his path. He asked me why I was taking so long to write my collection. He remembered my statement for RI Writers Colony in which I revealed, as I had been in many statements, the 7 years and counting it was taking to get me to that place I felt my linked anthology would be complete. I got a bit indignant, "Well how long is it taking you to complete your work?" Again, that smile. We are both activists. We had so many ideas and balls in the air. Him the colony, a business, his work, a full-time job, writing gigs, and being everywhere. There's so much he was doing and wanted to do to elevate those voices. We commiserated in wishing we had more time. More time to focus on ourselves and our work but agreed, the work we're doing is important. Our brothers & sisters need to be heard and recognized and then that's when it'll be our time.

On Sunday I was with two writer friends talking about how to better reach out to other artists of color. We gather monthly and talk about our concerns and frustrations, we talk about the work to be done. It's a conversation I know Brook would've been able to contribute to highly and has. I checked Facebook quickly for something, but was halted by a post from a mutual friend tagging Brook as having passed. None of us believed it. And it seemed so many who were posting on Brook's wall couldn't either. "I just saw you" many wrote, said, and thought, including myself. I had seen him 3 weeks ago on that projected 105-degree day. He ate one of the lemon ricotta cookies I made and nodded saying he enjoyed them. He met my mother. He clapped and smiled and encouraged me to keep going. He was a constant, positive, welcomed presence urging you forward. And suddenly, he was gone.

I sat in shock. I am still shocked. I am shocked, saddened, and obsessive in looking at the many people Brook's mere presence touched and inspired. I am considering how to continue to honor a man who gave so much to others in genuine kindness and interest. I am hurt that such a wonderful person was taken so soon from so many of us, his family, friends, girlfriend, and even more the many who would've read his words on the printed page and connected to it on a deeper level. I am pushing myself to move beyond being shocked and to do the work Brook encouraged me and other artists to do because he emphasized how much our voices mattered and how much he cared. I am moving forward to know that every word I write, every kindness, every day will be in honor of Brook because that's how he lived.

"Man, you are everywhere!" And Brook is, and he will continue to be everywhere, in our spirit, actions, and art. We miss you, Brook.

Ta-Nehisi Coates on Writing via The Atlantic's Creative Breakthroughs

The Atlantic's Creative Breakthrough w/ Ta-Nehisi Coates

I Am an Activist

Last year I became involved in two projects as the Diversity Debate waged on with BookCon's lack of diverse panelists seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back for some. One, is We Need Diverse Books (a non-profit) and the other was co-creating a podcast to talk with minorities in publishing about the lack of minorities in publishing. (I believe you know what the name of that podcast is.) As I've done interviews and spoke with fellow writers and journalists about this that at one point someone said to me "You're an activist." And for a moment I said "Oh no, I just believe in [so on and some such]..." I don't know why I was hesitant to "accept" being called an activist. I think it may go hand in hand with why some may be hesitant to call themselves a feminist even today. The idea is that an activist or feminist or anyone with a "title" is militant. Hardcore. They are immovable in their beliefs and fit a physical stereotype for some. Some who do call themselves activists have proclaimed that I may not be one because my beliefs aren't as staunch or as narrow or as confining in instances.

So, in that moment I thought "I'm not an activist because I haven't marched, I haven't worn a shirt proclaiming myself one, I haven't done something extreme to show my activism (queue images of PETA's extremism)." But when speaking with the person interviewing me some more she said "You're doing something."

I couldn't disagree with that. I was doing something. I'm active in We Need Diverse Books and have specific roles for initiatives and day-to-day online presence. For Minorities in Publishing I do production, help find guests and create questions. I'm a planner through and through. I want to buy books by diverse artists and get their work out there. I meet people and put their events in my calendar so I can tweet and Instagram them to those who follow me. I donate diverse books to my library so that they're available. I buy diverse books. I take pictures of me buying diverse books to post and tag the publisher. I'm happy to interview or give advice or engage with anyone who wants to talk about publishing, writing, being a minority and being an artist, and so on. I want to engage in this conversation and get that conversation out in the public so it doesn't ever die. And it hasn't. You can steadily see material every week in various forms of media discussing that people want to see diversity.

In Bad Feminist Roxane Gay notes the idea of misnomers and how people with these "titles" are supposed to act or are assumed to be but that there's no right or wrong way to be a feminist if you believe, wholeheartedly, that women should be treated equally as men in all aspects of life. Simple as that.

I guess the interviewer was right to call me an activist. I've come to realize that once anyone believes in something and is willing to act on it that makes you, by nature, an activist. If you're not willing to sit and moan about the issues but get up and do your part, hire more people of color, get invested with organizations making something happen, encouraging more diversity to your bosses, asking allies to help in this, writing about it, posting about it, putting money behind diversity, speaking loudly to publishers about this and not being deterred when it seems to fall on deaf ears. These are aspects of someone being active. So don't let anyone tell you you're not an activist when you're working towards what you believe. And don't, like me, not feel you're doing enough. There's always more you could do. Donate more money. Donate more time. Give more of yourself in many ways but if you're doing so at all it's a credit to your beliefs. But in taking the small steps those lead to bigger ones. By me staying in an industry and working my butt off to be considered a highly employable person that adds numbers to an industry that does not have them. That one step lead to me being more vocal, more passionate, and more (say it with me now) active. Take it day by day but do make a move. Take that first step and see where it leads you.

Fave Reads 2014 Edition

This year wasn't the strongest in terms of books I absolutely loved. Sometimes I often feel behind in terms of reading even though I read at least 1 book a week and perhaps if I could read twice as many a year I'd love twice as many. But that may not be the case. In terms of everything it's subjective and for me these books were the ones that knocked it out of the park for me and stayed with me and will continue to stay with me. I highly recommend them all. 

• The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks, Illustrated by Canaan White (2014): I read lots of fiction but want to up the ante in terms of poetry, nonfiction, and graphic novels that I read annually. So Harlem Hellfighters was major treat in terms of it being historically based and also having the heart and angst to tell the story of an honored group of military men who made waves during WWII and still dealt with all kinds of racism at home and abroad even. The last lines "Was it all for nothing? Only if we're forgotten" remind you that race relations are still very tentative in this day and age and that men who fought hard for their country still aren't seen as equals.
• NW by Zadie Smith (2012): If you didn't read any bio I've ever written which included favorite books you'll see that On Beauty always appears. I was excited for Smith's latest and also a bit cautious. But in the end Smith is one of our strongest contemporary writers today and I admire her growth and experimental nature as a writer even more in NW. Her dialogue is exquisite and her characters are fully drawn. More please, Zadie.
• Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle (2013): I'd heard good things about Nate in the first and second of Tim's books. And after reading a hilarious paragraph on pirouttes I bought the book when I swore I wouldn't purchase anything at SCBWI in LA then met Tim who is a super friendly guy. And to be on the We Need Diverse Books team with him now is a big treat because Better Nate is a feel good, real book about pursuing your dreams, disappointment, staying who you are while at the same time trying to find out who you are. It's a great, fast, fun and funny book that is right for all ages. More Nate too, please.
• The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (2014): I happened upon this line at Book Expo thanks to a coworker who reminded me that Mitchell wrote Cloud Atlas which I very much enjoyed. So it was worth being in a long, weaving line to get Mitchell's latest. Clocking in at over 700 pages Mitchell's work weaves in speculative elements, heart, and goes across time and continents to tell Holly's story. We see Holly's losses and her strength and by the last page you're glad to have gone on the journey with her.
• brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (2014): Another BEA find! I got to meet Jacqueline after the We Need Diverse Books BookCon panel and snagged her book, in high demand. She's also a southerner come NYC and we have similar trajectories in terms of our family line. She's another WNDB advisory board member and simply a wonderfully kind person. bgd is one of those books I so wish I'd had as a young reader and you don't simply read this memoir in verse you fall into it. Each line, each word exquisitely chosen. It's been a major success in Jacqueline's career and I'm proud to have been a first reader clamoring for it at BEA. It's well awarded for last years' National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
• The Tastemakers by David Sax (2014): A tight and interesting read, especially if you're interested in food or a food lover like I am. Somewhat dated in terms of what's trend and what isn't due to timing of publication. Either way it doesn't take away the relevance or the unpredictability of what does or doesn't become a trend in the food world, nor does it take away from Sax's great style and vivid way of showing you the items, the competition, and even the planning that goes into attempting to create a trend.
• Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater (2014): It's inevitable that a Maggie book is going to end up on my list of favorite reads as long as she publishes at minimum one. Last year she published 3. Goodness gracious. Sinner is the spinoff book staring side characters that became more mainstays of Cole and Isabel as they attempt to be together and grow together outside of the Forever trilogy. It's one of those "quiet" books about internal struggle with fantasy elements and Maggie uses it to her continued strength. I enjoyed every minute, word, page, interaction of Cole and Isabel and automatically want more but this also feels complete. And I know I can always go back to page one to enjoy it all over again.
• Red Rising by Pierce Brown (2014): A new trilogy and automatic NYT bestseller that's a sci-fi revenge story. Darrow lost his love and starts to lose himself as he infiltrates the higher tier of society from Red to Gold. There are elements I didn't like, for instance lack of diversity and also rape used against women in battle, but Darrow is someone who's rise (and fall) you can relate to and the writing itself sticks to the emotions and the action going on around Darrow. So I'm invested enough to read the sequel coming out next week.
• Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (2010): I'm late to the Kitchen Confidential train and I don't usually read, um listen, to audio books. But Bourdain narrating Kitchen is the best thing and really sucks you in. He hits the right notes for his writing and isn't necessarily a performer but the right reader for this book. Again, I'm into food as you know so hearing about the underbelly and his rise, though I noticed he skipped over parts, is interesting. I will never eat seafood on a Sunday again in a restaurant, of this I am fairly certain.
• When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago (1993): The first of three memoirs that Santiago wrote about her childhood in Puerto Rico and then her entrance to New York City hits on all cylinders. Santiago's prose is fantastic, lush, and packs a punch. She does well to keep the restrained knowledge yet deeper understanding of the destructiveness of her parents relationship (not even marriage) and how her mother could love her one moment and smack her upside the head the next. Santiago's willfulness as a child, the eldest, and the humor that lies in her and her siblings relationship and her growth is wonderful. Looking forward to the next two memoirs.
• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013): One of the most lauded books last year to publish in 2013 Americanah made a lot of "Best" lists and also won the NBCC award. Not without merit of course. This is one of the more honest explorations of race in America from the Non-American Black (NAB) perspective also incorporating the American Black (AB) perspective as well. I had some qualms with the main character of Ifemelu but the fact is she is human, flawed, rough, emotional, and all. She is a woman we can identify with in terms of the good and the bad and that's always been one of the biggest strengths of Chimamanda's writing.
• Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos, Illustrated by Joy Ang (2013): Adorable about sums this picture book up. I met the agent for this book at SCBWI in LA and bought this book for a coworker who was expecting his first child. A baby with a mustache that can be either a good or a bad one? Come on how cute IS that?! And Ang's illustration adds a soft and additionally sweet touch to the story as the titular character goes through his own good/bad mustache phase. And there's more Mustache Baby to come too, people.
• Kindred by Octavia Butler (1979): Yes, what took me so long to get onto the Octavia Butler train?! Kindred was one of the first books I read this year and I loved every second. It was written almost 4 decades ago and everything Butler wrote still has pertinence today in terms of race relations and perception and our connections to history. Butler has that magic touch of taking the everyday and twisting it on his head and for the character of Dana to have to go back and save her family line while meeting a sociopathic ancestor is a lot to handle, but addictive to read.
• Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang (2013): A nominee for the National Book Award Young People's Literature last year Yang's two (yes two) graphic novels looking at the Boxer Rebellion is great, especially from the two different perspectives. I highly suggest you read them both back-to-back to get the full weight of those on the side of the fighters and the side of the perceived "devils."
• Astray by Amy Christine Parker (2014): I'm not adding this to the list because Amy is my CP or because it's awesome, though those reasons help. It's because Amy's sequel to her debut Gated takes on the aftermath of being "rescued" from a cult and deals with the truth of how assimilation or attempting to find normal is not an easy thing and acceptance isn't always ready with open arms. Amy challenges her main character and readers to see beyond the smoke screen of a "happy ending."
• Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (2011): I'd been wanting to read this book and winning a copy a la Goodreads was a great way to do so. I'd heard rave reviews for this book and it took a few pages but once I was in I was all in. The futuristic world, the narcissism of society, the dependency on others to make you feel like a better person while at the same time trying to find self and all this woven around a love story between middle-aged likable schlub Lenny and the youthful and often unawares Eunice. Like Oscar Wao the title will let you know what to expect but the journey to get there is very good storytelling.

So here's to another year of great books, new and previously published! And provide me any recs of things you've loved and I'll add to my ever growing list.