Black History Month: Aaron Robertson, THE BLACK UTOPIANS. Also, Cory Doctorow, PICKS AND SHOVELS

02/07/25 • 76 min

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we talk with Aaron Robertson about his fascinating book, The Black Utopians: Searching for Paradise and the Promised Land in America. It’s about the hidden legacies of Black utopian experiments and what they teach us about the power of community today.

Then, we talk with best-selling novelist, journalist and activist Cory Doctorow about his new crime thriller, the latest installment in the Martin Hench series, Picks and Shovels. It tells the origin stories of forensic accountant Martin Hench and the most powerful tool for crime ever invented: the personal computer.

Black History Month on Writer’s Voice

Every week this month, we’ll be featuring books about key times in America’s Black History, a history that enriches and enlightens us all. We talk with:

Aaron Robertson, BLACK UTOPIANS
Aran Shetterly about MORNINGSIDE: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre
Victoria Christopher Murray about her novel of the Harlem Renaissance, HARLEM RHAPSODY
Bernadette Atuahene about her history of how racist policies undermine Black home ownership In America, PLUNDERED

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast

You can support our show and the others you listen to by contributing through Lenny.fm. Your support helps us bring you more of the episodes, like this one, that you look forward to. Thanks for being a vital part of our community!

Key Words: Black utopian communities, Aaron Robertson, The Black Utopians, Promiseland Tennessee, Black Christian nationalism, Albert Cleage Jr., Black History Month, Cory Doctorow, Picks and Shovels book, enshittification, digital rights, big tech antitrust

Segment 1: Aaron Robertson

Aaron Robertson’s book The Black Utopians uncovers the rich yet often overlooked history of Black utopian communities in America—places born from struggle, but driven by hope, self-determination, and perserverance. From the historic town of Promiseland, Tennessee, to the radical vision of Black Christian nationalism in Detroit, Robertson takes us on a journey through forgotten movements that sought to build a better world right here in America.

“Moments of crisis are often when utopian experiments flourish. When existing systems fail, people turn to each other and create something new.“ — Aaron Robertson

Topics Covered

The history and significance of Black utopian communities
Promiseland, Tennessee: A historic all-Black town
The role of Black Christian nationalism and its leader, Albert Cleage Jr.
How Black utopian movements contrast with white countercultural movements of the 1960s
Why mainstream narratives have overlooked Black utopian experiments
Lessons from The Black Utopians for building resilient communities today

Read an Excerpt

Segment 2: Cory Doctorow

We welcome back Cory Doctorow—bestselling author, activist, and one of the most incisive voices on the intersection of technology, capitalism, and digital rights. His latest book, Picks and Shovels, is a gripping prequel to Red Team Blues and The Bezel, diving into the dawn of the personal computing era in 1986. Through the eyes of forensic accountant Martin Hench, Doctorow explores corporate fraud, the rise of monopolies, and what he famously calls the “enshittification” of technology.

We also discuss how modern fraud operates, the power of spreadsheets in financial crimes, Amazon’s monopoly over the audiobook industry, and why Doctorow is hopeful—not optimistic—about the future of digital rights and labor movements.

“We stopped enforcing antitrust laws, and we got monopolies. This shouldn’t surprise anyone.” — Cory Doctorow

Topics Covered

Why Doctorow set his novel in 1986 and how it serves as a prequel to his previous books
How the character Martin Hench uses forensic accounting to uncover fraud using spreadsheets, and why fraudsters often think they’re untouchable.
How the early PC industry was a Wild West of innovation, scams, and untapped potential.
The...

Black History Month on Writer’s Voice

Every week this month, we’ll be featuring books about key times in America’s Black History, a history that enriches and enlightens us all. We talk with:

Aaron Robertson, BLACK UTOPIANS
Aran Shetterly about MORNINGSIDE: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre
Victoria Christopher Murray about her novel of the Harlem Renaissance, HARLEM RHAPSODY
Bernadette Atuahene about her history of how racist policies undermine Black home ownership In America, PLUNDERED

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast

Segment 1: Aaron Robertson

“Moments of crisis are often when utopian experiments flourish. When existing systems fail, people turn to each other and create something new.“ — Aaron Robertson

Topics Covered

The history and significance of Black utopian communities
Promiseland, Tennessee: A historic all-Black town
The role of Black Christian nationalism and its leader, Albert Cleage Jr.
How Black utopian movements contrast with white countercultural movements of the 1960s
Why mainstream narratives have overlooked Black utopian experiments
Lessons from The Black Utopians for building resilient communities today

Read an Excerpt

Segment 2: Cory Doctorow

“We stopped enforcing antitrust laws, and we got monopolies. This shouldn’t surprise anyone.” — Cory Doctorow

Topics Covered

Why Doctorow set his novel in 1986 and how it serves as a prequel to his previous books
How the character Martin Hench uses forensic accounting to uncover fraud using spreadsheets, and why fraudsters often think they’re untouchable.
How the early PC industry was a Wild West of innovation, scams, and untapped potential.
The...

Previous Episode

From the Amazon to the Chinese Diaspora: Rowan Jacobsen on WILD CHOCOLATE & Karissa Chen on HOMESEEKING

In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore two fascinating books. Rowan Jacobsen takes us deep into the Amazon in Wild Chocolate, uncovering the origins of cacao and the ethical challenges of the chocolate industry.

Then, Karissa Chen discusses Homeseeking, her powerful novel tracing the Chinese diaspora through generations of displacement, love, and longing for home.

“We’ve been eating a shadow of what chocolate once was— and wild chocolate is bringing back its soul.”* — Rowan Jacobsen

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @rheannonf.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast

Key Words: Rowan Jacobsen, Wild Chocolate book, wild cacao, ethical chocolate, cacao biodiversity, Big Chocolate, Karissa Chen, Homeseeking novel, Chinese diaspora.

You Might Also Like: Rowan Jacobsen, AMERICAN TERROIR, Tessa Hulls, FEEDING GHOSTS, Ava Chin, MOTT STREET

Summary

Rowan Jacobsen shares the hidden world of wild chocolate, from its Amazonian roots to its ethical and environmental implications. He contrasts mass-market chocolate with rare, wild cacao varieties and explores the industry’s dark side, from worker exploitation to Big Chocolate’s market manipulation.

Next, Karissa Chen discusses Homeseeking, a novel spanning decades of displacement, war, and migration, following two star-crossed lovers through the upheavals of modern Chinese history. Chen reflects on themes of identity, memory, and what it truly means to find home.

Key Topics

Segment 1: Rowan Jacobsen on *Wild Chocolate

The Amazonian origins of cacao and its discovery in Mesoamerica
How wild chocolate differs from industrial chocolate in taste and genetics
The exploitation of cacao farmers and labor conditions in West Africa
The rise of ethical chocolate and sustainable harvesting efforts
The role of indigenous communities in preserving wild cacao biodiversity

Segment 2: Karissa Chen on *Homeseeking

The inspiration behind the novel: a family history of displacement
The impact of war and political upheaval on personal identity
How the novel’s dual timelines reflect different perspectives on memory
The evolving definition of “home” in the context of migration and diaspora
The role of fate, fortune-telling, and personal agency in shaping the characters’ lives

Next Episode

Black History Month: Victoria Christopher Murray on HARLEM RHAPSODY & Reviving Forgotten Women Writers

We sit down with award-winning author Victoria Christopher Murray to talk about Harlem Rhapsody, her novel about the Harlem Renaissance and the woman who made it possible. This gripping novel brings to life Jessie Redmon Fauset, a pioneering literary editor, mentor, and novelist who played a pivotal role in shaping the Harlem Renaissance—yet remains largely forgotten today.

“W.E.B. Du Bois and Jessie were always together. I tried to write the story without their affair, but there were too many plot holes. It was part of the truth.”

We also talk with the founders of a new publishing company featuring largely forgotten women authors of an earlier time. Bremond Berry MacDougall and Lisa Cooper founded Quite Literally Books — which is coming out with Jessie Redmon Fauset’s 1928 novel Plum Bun, along with two other books.

Black History Month on Writer’s Voice

Every week this month, we’ll be featuring books about key times in America’s Black History, a history that enriches and enlightens us all. We talk with:

Aaron Robertson, BLACK UTOPIANS
Aran Shetterly about MORNINGSIDE: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre
Victoria Christopher Murray about her novel of the Harlem Renaissance, HARLEM RHAPSODY
Bernadette Atuahene about her history of how racist policies undermine Black home ownership In America, PLUNDERED

You might also like: Carla Kaplan: Miss Ann in Harlem

Connect with WV:

Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast

Key Words: Victoria Christopher Murray, Harlem Rhapsody, Jessie Redmon Fauset biography, Harlem Renaissance, W.E.B. Du Bois, Quite Literally Books, Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Nelia Gardner White

Segment One: Victoria Christopher Murray

Jessie Redmon Fauset was one of the most influential women in American literary history, yet few remember her today. She helped spark the Harlem Renaissance in her role as literary editor of The Crisis, the magazine of the NAACP.

But she carried a secret: Her boss, W. E. B. Du Bois, wasn’t just her mentor—he also was her lover. At least, that’s what novelist Victoria Christopher Murray imagines in her wonderful novel about Jessie Fauset, Harlem Rhapsody. She creates narrative tension between Fauset’s secret liaison with Du Bois and her mission: to scout and champion literary talent among young Black writers.

Fauset discovered and mentored such future literary giants as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen. As a Black woman, she stood as a singular figure at the center of a cultural revolution, contending with both racial and gender prejudice to cement her place in history.

Victoria Christopher Murray is the New York Times and USA Today best selling author of more than 30 novels.

Key Topics Covered:

How Jessie Redmon Fauset discovered, mentored, and published some of the greatest Black writers of the Harlem Renaissance
Her Complex Relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois – Their intellectual and romantic connection.
Gender and Power in the Harlem Renaissance – Why Fauset’s work was overshadowed by men and how sexism shaped her career.
The Talented Tenth and Class Divides – How W.E.B. Du Bois’ philosophy impacted Black society and Fauset’s life.
The Civic Club Dinner of 1924 – How an event meant to honor Fauset was co-opted by male writers, symbolizing broader gender inequalities.
What It Means to Be a ‘Black Writer’ vs. Just a Writer – Murray shares her own experiences navigating racial categorization in publishing.

Segment Two: Reviving Forgotten Women Writers with Quite Literally Books

We welcome Bremond Berry MacDougall and Lisa Cooper, the co-founders of Quite Literally Books, a new independent press dedicated to reviving out-of-print books by women. Their mission is to bring forgotten female authors back into the literary conversation—especially Black women writers and feminist voices whose works have been ov...