Black & Published
Nikesha Elise Williams
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Top 10 Black & Published Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Black & Published episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Black & Published for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Black & Published episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
You Should be Horrified with Zakiya Dalila Harris
Black & Published
06/28/22 • 45 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of the novel, The Other Black Girl. Zakiya spent nearly three years in editorial at Knopf/Doubleday before leaving to write her debut novel. Prior to working in publishing, Zakiya received her MFA in creative writing from The New School. Her essays and book reviews have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Guernica, and The Rumpus.
During the conversation, Zakiya discusses how the main setting of her novel is really a placeholder for any white/male dominated industry. The liberation she found in her big chop and how those feelings of hair tangled themselves in her fiction, and why she believes some of the circumstances of Black life in America are still absolutely horrifying.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
1 Listener
Deeply Profound with Honorée Fannone Jeffers
Black & Published
02/08/22 • 47 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers, author of the epic novel,The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. Honorée is also the author of five critically acclaimed books of poetry, including the award-winning collection, The Age of Phillis, based on the life and times of Phillis Wheatley Peters.
Episode Notes
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On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Honorée Fannone Jeffers, author of the epic novel,The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois. Honorée is also the author of five critically acclaimed books of poetry, including the award-winning collection, The Age of Phillis, based on the life and times of Phillis Wheatley Peters.
During the conversation, Honorée discusses why she never wanted to world to see her fiction, building her confidence in the craft, and recognizing the profound brilliance she carries as a Black woman no matter how she shows up in the world.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
1 Listener
No More Nice Girls with C.M. Lockhart
Black & Published
01/10/23 • 48 min
This week on Black and Published, Nikesha speaks with C.M. Lockhart, author of the novel, We Are the Origin. C.M. (also known as Chelsea) is a Black writer of fantasy. She loves creating worlds, exploring relationships, and writing stories about Black girls who aren't all that nice. She is the founder of Written in Melanin LLC — which encompasses a weekly podcast and YouTube channel as well as an online database of books written by Black authors.
In our conversation C.M. discusses the reprieve she finds in writing high fantasy. How creating a world run by a goddess and four god lovers helped her work out her own questions of faith, spirituality, and religion. And how she returned to writing at the lowest point in her life.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
1 Listener
Anchored in History with Tara Roberts
Black & Published
01/28/25 • 47 min
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Tara Roberts, author of the memoir, Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging. It’s an epic story of Tara fulfilling her childhood desire of becoming a writer commingled with her active decision to embrace a past she’d always run from.
A storyteller, adventurer, and traveler, Tara is now an explorer in residence at National Geographic where she continues the work she’s done since 2016 as a scuba diver working with groups like Diving With a Purpose to map and document slave shipwrecks.
I first was introduced to Tara’s work through her award winning podcast with Nat Geo Into the Depths and then had the pleasure of coaching Tara for her TEDTalk.
In this conversation, Tara goes deep about the trauma she experienced that made her fear becoming a writer. Plus, how she confronted and healed her own feelings of shame around Blackness and identity. And, the grace she had to find for herself and others when she was not embraced on the continent of Africa.
Mentioned in this episode:
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Thanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform
The Othered Point of View with Andy Rojas
Black & Published
04/05/22 • 45 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha kicks off National Poetry month with Andres "Andy" Rojas, author of the poetry collection, Third Winter in our Second Country. Andy was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He holds an MFA from the University of Florida and currently edits for Poetry Is Currency. By day he's a lawyer who works for the IRS.
Episode Notes
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On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha kicks off National Poetry month with Andres "Andy" Rojas, author of the poetry collection, Third Winter in our Second Country. Andy was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. at age 13. He holds an MFA from the University of Florida and currently edits for Poetry Is Currency. By day he's a lawyer who works for the IRS.
During the conversation, Andy explains why he took a 10 year break from writing poetry. What brought him back to his first love and how writing is a way to give himself a sense of safety and home. He also discusses how he experiences otherness as white-presenting Cuban immigrant.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
Finding Freedom with Rahman Johnson
Black & Published
03/22/22 • 45 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rahman Johnson, author of the poetry collection, Living, Loving, Letting Go. Rahman is a Jacksonville native. A trained journalist and news anchor, Rahman is also an actor. Currently, he's a professor at Edward Waters University. His poetry collection earned the 2021 Poetry eBook Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
Episode Notes
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On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Rahman Johnson, author of the poetry collection, Living, Loving, Letting Go. Rahman is a Jacksonville native. A trained journalist and news anchor, Rahman is also an actor. Currently, he's a professor at Edward Waters University. His poetry collection earned the 2021 Poetry eBook Literary Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.
During the conversation, Rahman discusses how losing his mother gave him the freedom to release his poems to the world. He also reminisces on the advice he received from his A.P. English teacher that's carried him throughout his career. Rahman also wants you to know that he's not just a Black man or a Black writer but so much more.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
The Thread of Connection with Jamila Minnicks
Black & Published
03/18/25 • 48 min
This week on Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jamila Minnicks, author of the novel, Moonrise Over New Jessup. It's a book written about a small, Black, Alabama enclave in the 1950s facing pressure to integrate despite resistance from the town’s male leaders and the women who make their work possible.
A native of Alabama, Jamila says she sees her writing as an extension of her work as an advocate. The reason she believes her novel is a way to jumpstart the conversation on what community and fellowship really mean. Plus, the pushback she gets from some readers who bought into the belief of white supremacy or the failed sales pitch of integration.
Mentioned in this episode:
Rate & Review
Thanks for listening, family! Please do us a solid and take a quick moment to rate and/or leave a review for this podcast. It will go a long way to making sure content featuring our stories and perspectives are seen on this platform
Doing Language with Kelly Harris-DeBerry
Black & Published
01/18/22 • 43 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with poet Kelly Harris-DeBerry, author of the collection, Freedom Knows My Name. Kelly, originally from Cleveland but now living in New Orleans, said she wanted her collection to be one for her folks and her people.
The Cave Canem fellow works as the New Orleans Literary Coordinator for Poets & Writers. She also freelances and owns a small communications boutique that serves nonprofits and artists.
Episode Notes
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with poet Kelly Harris-DeBerry, author of the collection, Freedom Knows My Name. Kelly, originally from Cleveland but now living in New Orleans, said she wanted her collection to be one for her folks and her people.
The Cave Canem fellow works as the New Orleans Literary Coordinator for Poets & Writers. She also freelances and owns a small communications boutique that serves nonprofits and artists. Kelly's collection is described as an electric collection that mixes brilliant poetics with the political. During our chat, Kelly discussed why she prefers to forego the polished for the real and why she says she was pushed into poetry by friends and the ancestors.
Keep Up with Us
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Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
Writing Past Rejection
Black & Published
08/03/21 • 48 min
In this bonus episode of Black & Published, Nikesha is sharing her story about becoming a writer and finding her way in the publishing industry. From exploring and utilizing both traditional and independent avenues, Nikesha discusses when she knew she was a writer, the 7-year-long journey of publishing her debut novel, Four Women, founding her company, NEW Reads Publications, and how she has kept going despite lots of rejection to publish four more novels, a poetry collection, and four other authors in addition to doing all the things in life, love, career, and the pursuit of dreams.
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Follow @Nikesha_Elise on Twitter and Instagram and check out her latest novel Beyond Bourbon Street available everywhere books are sold.
Don't forget to subscribe to Black & Published on your podcast platform of choice as well as rate and review. If you have thoughts, feedback, or questions about the episode, hit us up at @blkandpublished on Twitter and Instagramusing the hashtag #blackandpublished.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
I Felt Like Quitting with Jayne Allen
Black & Published
02/22/22 • 46 min
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jayne Allen, author of the Tabitha Walker novel series, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must be Magic. Originally from Detroit, Jayne writes fiction from her life experiences. Her desire is to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women’s fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black.
Episode Notes
_________________________
On this episode of Black & Published, Nikesha speaks with Jayne Allen, author of the Tabitha Walker novel series, Black Girls Must Die Exhausted and Black Girls Must be Magic. Originally from Detroit, Jayne writes fiction from her life experiences. Her desire is to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women’s fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black.
During the conversation, Jayne details the advice she wished she would've gotten in her late 20s and early 30s about motherhood and fertility. The "problems" gatekeepers initially had with her novel when she first tried to publish traditionally and the answers she received about worth and validation as a writer she received in community with her readers.
Follow the Show:
IG: @blkandpublished
Twitter: @BLKandPublished
Follow Me:
IG: @nikesha_elise
Twitter: @Nikesha_Elise
Website: www.newwrites.com
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FAQ
How many episodes does Black & Published have?
Black & Published currently has 167 episodes available.
What topics does Black & Published cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts, Books and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on Black & Published?
The episode title 'You Should be Horrified with Zakiya Dalila Harris' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Black & Published?
The average episode length on Black & Published is 47 minutes.
How often are episodes of Black & Published released?
Episodes of Black & Published are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Black & Published?
The first episode of Black & Published was released on Jan 11, 2021.
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