Lifewriting: Write for Your Life!

Steve and Tananarive talk to actor LeVar Burton about his career spanning from 1977's adaptation of Alex Haley's ROOTS, where he played Kunta Kinte in an iconic role at the age of only 19, to the recent Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunion where he reprised his role as Giordi La Forge for upcoming episodes of Picard. He also discusses Jeopardy and taking his fate in his own hands by creating his hit podcast LeVar Burton Reads.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive play excerpts from an interview they conducted at the home of the the late Octavia E. Butler in 2000. Butler was a longtime friend of Steve's, and the interview excerpts showcase the wisdom of the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and multiple award winner, bringing her words to life. Butler shared her secrets for facing down her difficulties as a writer - and lays out a path to success that other writers can follow.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive break down why writers of all levels should embrace short stories and short scripts, whether it's to learn craft faster or to get published or produced sooner. They also discuss their first collaboration, a short story named "Danger Word" that also became their first short film: www.dangerwordfilm.com.

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In this episode, Steve and Tananarive remember the legacy of the late Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek) and talk to director Ernest Dickerson about his career in Hollywood, starting as Spike Lee's cinematographer on classic films like DO THE RIGHT THING and then his directorial debut (JUICE with Tupac Shakur), prestige television like THE WALKING DEAD, and one of Tananarive's favorite movies: SURVIVING THE GAME.

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In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to their friend Nalo Hopkinson, the award-winning Afrofuturist author of novels like SKIN FOLK, MIDNIGHT ROBBER and BROWN GIRL IN THE RING, named a Damon Knight Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America in 2020. She talks about overcoming homelessness, her journey in the arts, and transitioning to comics with Neil Gaiman. Also, how she copes with stress and uncertainty.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to horror icon Elvira! Actress Cassandra Peterson talks about creating her horror maven character, her start in the industry, the joys of loving horror, and the new edition of her book, YOURS CRUELLY, ELVIRA.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive recall some of their most painful rejections in Hollywood and give tips on how to maintain joy and creativity in the face of setbacks.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk to New York Times bestselling author Daniel José Older about his Star Wars projects, the impact he tries to have with his books, navigating family and writing life, building community, how writing is always political, and the joys of being married to another writer.

In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk about 2022's embarrassment of riches in the realm of horror featuring traditionally marginalized people in film, including Jordan Peele's NOPE - but also THEY/THEM (queer horror), PREY, BEAST, MASTER and the upcoming film NANNY (all Black Horror).

In this episode, Tananarive and Steve reunite with Tananarive's Octavia Tried to Tell Us webinar series co-host, Dr. Monica A. Coleman, to discuss the upcoming F/X adaptation of Butler's most popular novel, KINDRED (airing 12/13 on Hulu). They break down the Kindred trailer and discuss the potential triumphs and challenges of bringing a story about time travel to the slavery era to the screen.

Check out the Octavia Tried to Tell Us webinar series at www.octaviatried.com

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