Black Market Reads
Black Market Reads is a podcast that serves as a menu for Black literary consumption and its spin-offs. It features Black artists who love to read, write, and engage in arts and culture. The show is produced by The Givens Foundation for African American Literature and made possible through support from individual donors, Target Foundation, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Episodes
Episode 108 - Justin Ellis, The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America
In this powerful hometown conversation, journalist Justin Ellis returns to Minneapolis to discuss his debut book, The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America. Joined by host Lissa Jones, Ellis unpacks the contradiction at the heart of Minnesota's reputation: how a place celebrated for progressivism, politeness, and quality of life can also produce some of the nation's deep
Episode 109 - 100 Years of Black Freedom with performance by Phillis Wheatley
To mark the 100th Anniversary of Carter G. Woodson's Black History Month (previously known as Negro History Week) and the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence the community came together to join The Givens Foundation for African American Literature and The Givens Collection of Literature and Life in celebration. In this episode Lissa welcomes esteemed guests, and leads a tour wit
Episode 107 - Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Humanities Center
Welcome to a very special edition of Black Market Reads, brought to you by the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, in proud partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center. In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson introduced Negro History Week to build a durable, year-round engagement with Black history and cultural memory. One hundred years later, we are honoring that exact vision by activa
Episode 106 - Michael Richards, Are You Down?
Recorded live at Franconia Sculpture Park, this episode of Black Market Reads brings listeners into a powerful, place-based conversation about the life, work, and legacy of artist Michael Richards. Host Lissa Jones is joined by curator Esther Callahan and book editors Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin to explore Are You Down?, Richards' monumental sculpture created during his 2000 residency at Francon
Episode 105 - Michael Kleber-Diggs, Worldly Things
In this powerful episode of Black Market Reads, host Lissa Jones sits down with award-winning poet Michael Kleber-Diggs to explore the depth and intention behind his collection Worldly Things. Their conversation moves fluidly between poetry, fatherhood, community, and the responsibility of bearing witness, as Diggs reflects on writing as an act of care—rooted in intimacy, empathy, and presence. Fr
Episode 104 - Vanessa Riley, Fire Sword & Sea
In this episode, recorded during Women's History Month, Lissa talks with author Vanessa Riley about her latest historical novel. Riley—whose works have received high praise from New York Times, NPR, Washington Post, and Entertainment Weekly, among others—pushes historical fiction into bold new territory. She reveals the often-erased stories of Black, Indigenous, and women pirates, weaving in dive
Episode 103 -Antonio Michael Downing, Saga Boy and Black Cherokee
Antonio Michael Downing is an author, speaker, and musical artist. His memoir Saga Boy was called "singularly dazzling" by Kiese Laymon and "the triumph of Blackness everywhere" by Scotiabank Giller Prize–winner Ian Williams. He is also the author of the children's picture book Stars in My Crown and his debut novel, Black Cherokee. He writes and performs music as John Orpheus. In this Episode Liss
Episode 102 - Ethelene Whitmire, The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram
The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Ethelene Whitmire tells the true story of Reed Peggram, a brilliant Black, queer Harvard scholar who went to Paris in 1937 and stayed through World War II for love, eventually escaping Nazi-occupied Italy with his partner, Arne Gerdahn Hauptmann, with the help of an all-Black American regiment. This episode was recorded before a live audience at Magers & Qui
Episode 101 - C.J. Farley - Who Knows You By Heart
Kicking off Season 11 and Black History Month- This conversation could not be more timely. Part social thriller, part modern love story, Who Knows You by Heart by CJ Farley is a sly, witty, and endlessly discussable tale of Big Tech, new money, relationships, race, and discovering what's real in an age of artificial intelligence. C.J. (Christopher John) Farley is a Jamaican-born author, journalist
Episode 100: A Landmark Celebration of Black Stories, Voices, and Legacy
Hosted by Lissa Jones, the 100th episode is an expansive, deeply moving celebration that honors the elders, the artists, the activists, and the community that built—and continues to fuel—the Black literary tradition. Highlights include: • A newly released archival segment featuring J. California Cooper Recorded before the podcast officially launched, this rare conversation hosted by elder storytel
Episode 99 - Debra Stone, The House on Rondo
In Episode #99 Lissa talks with Author Debra J Stone about her new middle grade novel, The House on Rondo (University of Minnesota Press). Rooted in the lived histories of Minnesota's Black communities, The House on Rondo offers a deeply personal window into the destruction of a thriving neighborhood through the eyes of a young Black girl coming of age during an era of national civil rights protes
Episode 98 - Leila Mottley, The Girls Who Grew Big
Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother's home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, who weighs an abortion in the heart of the South; and the rest
Episode 97 - Valerie Burns, Icing on the Murder
Looking forward to an intriguing summer read, Lissa talks with author Valerie Burns about her latest work. Packed with a delicious mix of cake, chaos, and crime, Icing on the Murder is a page-turner that's sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and leave them craving more! In this fourth installment of the Baker Street Mystery series, influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montg
BONUS EPISODE: Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination
Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination was the plenary discussion for From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading, The Givens Foundation's Annual Conference held June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Moderator: Gevonee Ford, founder of the Network for the Development of Children o
BONUS EPISODE: Banned Books: The Duchess Harris Collection
Duchess Harris, professor and author, was a presenter at From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading, The Givens Foundation for African American Literature's annual conference, held on June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. In this engaging workshop, Dr. Harris addresses The Unwritten Curriculum: How Erasure in Literatur
Episode 96 - From Resistance to Resilience, Dr.Luke Wood
Dr. Luke Woods was the Keynote speaker at the Givens Foundation's annual conference conference, Dr. Luke Wood returned to his alma mater, Sacramento State to become its ninth president on July 16th, 2023. A nationally renowned scholar on racial equity with a specific focus on early childhood education and community colleges. Dr. Wood has authored or co-authored 16 books and published nearly 2
Episode 95 - Rickey Fayne, The Devil Three Times
In this episode Lissa talks with author Rickey Fayne about deep philosophical questions inspired by his latest novel The Devil Three Times (Hachette Book Group, May 2025). Rickey Fayne is a fiction writer from rural West Tennessee whose work has appeared in American Short Fiction, Guernica, The Sewanee Review, and The Kenyon Review, among other magazines. He holds an MA in English from Northwester
Episode 94 - Pearl Cleage, The Nacirema Society
In this episode, Lissa Jones welcomes playright Pearl Cleage back to Black Market Reads as they talk about her play The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First 100 Years, playing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis April 19-May 29, 2025. SYNOPSIS Grande dames Grace Dunbar and Catherine Green prepare for the Nacirema Society's 1964 centennial cotillio
Episode 93 - Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Rx for Racial Healing: A Guide to Embracing Our Humanity
In this episode Lissa talks with Dr. Gail C. Christopher —a nationally recognized leader in health equity, a pioneer in integrative medicine, and the visionary architect behind the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative (TRHT). Dr. Christopher has spent decades designing and leading national programs that advance racial healing, community well-being, and policy change—including her r
Episode 92 - Lisa Williamson Rosenberg, Mirror Me
Join Lissa and Lisa as they delve into subjects psycological and literary. Lisa Williamson Rosenberg is the author of Embers on the Wind and Mirror Me (Little A Publishing 2024). She is a former ballet dancer and psychotherapist specializing in depression, developmental trauma, and multiracial identity. Her essays have appeared in Literary Hub, Longreads, Narratively, Mamalode, and The Common. Her
Episode 91 - Publishers Roundtable
In 2021, 83.2 percent of editors in the U. S. were White and less than 5 percent of editors were Black. According to the career website, Zibia, this coincides with only 5.9 percent of published authors being Black. Today, Lissa talks with three prominent publishers in the Twin Cities who believe that Black authors deserve to collaborate with editors who understand and appreciate their work. Our g
Episode 90 - Sarah LaBrie, No One Gets To Fall Apart: A memoir
Sarah LaBrie was in her early thirties when her mother was found on a highway outside Houston, screaming at passing cars and paranoid that she would be murdered by invisible assailants. She was ultimately diagnosed with schizophrenia—and in an instant, the entirety of LaBrie's childhood came into sharp focus. In her harrowing, clear-sighted, and painfully honest debut memoir, NO ONE GETS TO FALL A
Episode 89 - Danez Smith, BLUFF
In this episode of Black Market Reads: On Health Lissa and Bukata talk with poet Danez Smith about his latest work, BLUFF. Written after two years of artistic silence, during which the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Minneapolis became the epicenter of protest following the murder of George Floyd, Bluff is Danez Smith's powerful reckoning with their role and responsibility as
Episode 88 -Taiyon J. Coleman, Traveling Without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America
In this episode Lissa and Bukata talk with author Taiyon J. Coleman author of Traveling Without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America ( University of Minnesota Press). In Traveling without Moving, Coleman shares intimate essays from her life: her childhood in Chicago—growing up in poverty with four siblings and a single mother. She writes about being the only Black stud
Episode 87 - Sarai Johnson, Grown Women
In this episode of Black Market Reads: On Health Lissa and Bukata talk with author Sarai Johnson about her debut novel, Grown Women (Harper Collins 2024). Join us in this lively and thoughtful conversation about what it means to move on—or not move on—from trauma. What it means to ask for forgiveness, what true forgiveness means, how anger can manipulate our relationships, and what happens after t
BONUS Episode - Karen Nance: Ethel Ray, Living in the White, Gray, and Black
This episode of Black Market Reads was recorded before a live audience at the historic Capri Theater in North Minneapolis. Lissa talks with author Karen Felicia Nance about her latest book Ethel Ray: Living in the White, Gray and Black, the story of her grandmother's contributions to Civil Rights. Ethel Ray's world was a white world. She was born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota, where her family l
Episode 84 -Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Take My Hand
In this episode Lissa and Bukata talk with Author Dolen Perkins-Valdez about her latest book Take My Hand. As a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life, Dolen talks about her research, her passion for uplifting the authentic voice and the responsibility we have for the fallout of our good deeds. Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a profoundly moving novel about a Black nurs
Episode 83 -Linda Villarosa, UNDER THE SKIN: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America
In this inaugural episode of Black Market Reads: On Health, Lissa Jones introduces her series co-host Bukata Hayes, Vice President and Chief Equity Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota. Together they welcome their guest Linda Villarosa, a Pulitzer Prize Finalist and contributor to the NYT 1619 Project. There's an alarming saying in medical circles that Black people in the US "live sic
Episode 82 - Rose McGee, Can't Nobody Make a Sweet Potato Pie Like Our Mama
In this episode Lissa welcomes co-host Bukata Hayes as they explore the power of storytelling and the nourishment of soulful food with author Rose McGee. ROSE MCGEE, founder of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie, travels across the United States to deliver pies and nurture relationships. She was featured in the 2015 PBS documentary A Few Good Pie Places. After George Floyd's murder in 2020, her cari
Episode 81- Dr.Keith Mayes, The Unteachables
How special education used disability labels to marginalize Black students in public schools The Unteachables examines the overrepresentation of Black students in special education over the course of the twentieth century. Excavating the deep-seated racism embedded in both the public school system and public policy, it explores the discriminatory labeling of Black students, and how it indelibly
Episode 80 - Seph Rodney, The Personalization of the Museum Visit
More About Seph Rodney Seph Rodney, PhD was born in Jamaica, and came of age in the Bronx, New York. He has an English degree from Long Island University, Brooklyn; a studio art MFA from the University of California, Irvine; and a PhD in museum studies from Birkbeck College, University of London. While in London, he created, produced, and hosted a radio show called The Thread. Seph Rodney, Ph
Episode 79 - Rob Eschmann, When the Hood Comes Off: Racism and Resistance in the Digital Age
From cell phone footage of police killing unarmed Black people to leaked racist messages and even comments from friends and family on social media, online communication exposes how racism operates in a world that pretends to be colorblind. In When the Hood Comes Off, Rob Eschmann blends rigorous research and engaging personal narrative to examine the effects of online racism on communities of colo
Episode 78 - Tracy Clark, Fall (2nd in the Detective Harriet Foster series)
Two-time Sue Grafton Memorial Award-winner Tracy Clark introduces readers to FALL (Thomas & Mercer), a hard-boiled, page-turning thriller featuring Chicago Police Detective Harriet Foster, a Black woman in a male-dominated department who, with a new female partner, must stop a killer targeting Chicago aldermen.
Episode 77 - Jody Lulich, In the Company of Grace: A Veterinarian's Memoir of Trauma and Healing
Rising to accept a prestigious award, Jody Lulich wondered what to say. Explain how he'd been attracted to veterinary medicine? Describe how caring for helpless, voiceless animals in his own shame and pain provided a lifeline, a chance to heal himself as well? Lulich tells his story in In the Company of Grace, a memoir about finding courage in compassion and strength in healing—and power in finall
Episode 76 - Keith Ellison, Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence
In this episode, presented with a live audience in partnership with Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Lissa talks with Minnesota Attorney General and author, Keith Ellison, about his latest book detailing the trial of Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd exploring why this book is a vital contribution not just to the literature of the Floyd trial, but to that of police reform gener
Episode 75 - Sherrie Fernandez-Williams, Goddess of the Whole Self
In this episode, Lissa talks with author Sherrie Fernandez-Williams about her latest book, Goddess of the Whole Self, inspirations and origin stories. Go Deeper at www.BlackMarketReads.com
Episode 74 - Davu Underwood Seru, The Archie Givens, Sr. Collection of African American Literature and Life
In this episode Lissa sits down with Davu Underwood Seru, the newly appointed Curator of the Archie Givens Sr. Collection of African American Literature and Life at the University of Minnesota. This Collection includes novels, poetry, plays, short stories, essays, literary criticism, periodicals, and biographies that span nearly 250 years of American culture -with particular strength in the areas
From the Archives: Rachel Howzell Hall
In this previously unpublished episode, Lissa talks with author Rachel Howzell Hall during her visit to the Loft's inaugural Wordplay Festival, exploring issues of crime and passion in her 2019 novel They All Fall Down (Forge Books). Rachel Howzell Hall is a noteworthy author from Los Angeles, The United States, who is famous for writing thriller, mystery, literature & fiction, and crime fiction n
Episode 73 - Santi Elijah Holley, An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created
In this episode Lissa talks with Santi Elijah Holley about his book An Amerikan Family: The Shakurs and the Nation They Created. An enlightening history of the rise and lasting impact of Black liberation groups in America, as seen through the Shakurs, one of the movement's most prominent and fiercely creative families, home to Tupac and Assata, and a powerful incubator for today's activism, schola
Episode 72 - Charlayne Hunter-Gault, My People
Charlayne Hunter-Gault is an American civil rights activist, journalist and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, CNN, and the Public Broadcasting Service. Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes were the first African-American students to attend the University of Georgia. In this episode she and Lissa discuss her life's work, her philosophy, and her latest book -My People: Five Dec
Episode 71 - Shaun M. Anderson, The Black Athlete Revolt: The Sport Justice Movement in the Age of #Black Lives Matter
In this episode Lissa talks with Dr. Shaun M. Anderson, about his debut publication The Black Athlete Revolt: The Sport Justice Movement in the Age of #Black Lives Matter (Rowman and Littlefield, 2023). The Black Athlete Revolt is the first book to take a historical and contemporary look at how Black athletes have used their influence to move beyond protests and create substantial change for Black
Episode 70 - Pearl Cleage, Blues for an Alabama Sky
In this episode Lissa talks with playwright and author Pearl Cleage about Blues for an Alabama Sky, her current work and references to inspirations and influencers including Langston Hughes, Stacey Abrams, Ntozake Shange, Viola Davis, audience development and more. Blues for an Alabama Sky is playing on the Wurtele Thrust stage at the Guthrie through March 12, 2023 Tickets: https://www.guthriethe
BONUS EPISODE: Dr. Clarence Lusane returns
In celebration of Black History Month, Lissa was invited by Books and Books to interview Dr. Clarence Lusane about his recent work. Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy, (City Lights 2023). Join us for this in depth conversation. Link to purchase the book: https://shop.booksandbooks.com/book/9780872868854
Episode 69 - Wanda M. Morris, Anywhere You Run
Dripping with Southern atmosphere and blistering suspense, Wanda M. Morris' sophomore outing proves she is a "writer to watch" (Publishers Weekly). About ANYWHERE YOU RUN: It's the summer of 1964 and three innocent men are brutally murdered for trying to help Black Mississippians secure the right to vote. Against this backdrop, twenty-two year old Violet Richards fin
Episode 68 - Dr. Clarence Lusane, Twenty Dollars and Change
In Twenty Dollars and Change, Lusane offers a searing examination of what the fight to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the twenty-dollar bill reveals about race, class, and social justice in America today. Lusane gives voice to the millions of Americans who mobilized for the "Tubman twenty," becoming a part of the long legacy of people of color and women challenging symbols of patri
Episode 67 - Megan Giddings, The Women Could Fly
Reminiscent of the works of Margaret Atwood, Shirley Jackson, and Octavia Butler, a biting social commentary from the acclaimed author of Lakewood that speaks to our times—a piercing dystopian novel about the unbreakable bond between a young woman and her mysterious mother, set in a world in which witches are real and single women are closely monitored. Megan Giddings has degrees from Universit
Episode 66 - Lynn Nottage, Sweat
In this episode Lynn Nottage speaks with BMR Host, Lissa Jones during the run of her play Sweat, performed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Lynn Nottage is a playwright and a screenwriter. She is the first, and remains the only, woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. Her plays have been produced widely in the United States and throughout the world. Most recently, Nottage premi
Episode 65 -Kristin Henning, The Rage of Innocence
Kristin Henning is a nationally recognized legal scholar and activist in juvenile justice reform. As the Blume Professor of Law and Director of the Juvenile Justice Clinic and Initiative at Georgetown, she advocates for reform in the juvenile and criminal legal systems to fight the criminalization of Black adolescence. Henning explores the devastating long-term consequences of racial bias and over
Episode 64 -Andrea Jenkins, The T is Not Silent
Andrea Jenkins is the first Black transgender woman to be elected to public office in the United States. She was elected to the Minneapolis City Council with 73% of the vote. She is a poet, and an artist as well as a public official. Andrea is the author of the poetry collection The T is Not Silent, New and Selected Poems, and contributor to the acclaimed anthologies, Queer Voices, Poetry, Prose,
Special Edition: Race to Write: Black Authors on America's Racial Reckoning
In this episode, the tables turn and Lissa Jones is in the spotlight. Lissa joins Dr. Vanessa Weaver, host of Workin' It Out Podcast to discuss the role of Black authors and literature in the current racial reckoning in her hometown of Minneapolis and across the country. In this Episode The impact of poet Amanda Gorman The origin of "Black Market Reads" The role of literature in the Black exp
Episode 63 - Wanda M. Morris, All Her Little Secrets
"Every lie you tell, every secret you keep, is a fragile little thing that must be protected and accounted for…" In this episode Lissa talks with author Wanda M. Morris about her crime thriller, debut novel, All Her Little Secrets Morris is a corporate attorney who has worked in the legal departments for several Fortune 100 companies. An accomplished presenter and leader, Morris has previously se
Special Edition: Team Up for Health Equity with Bukata Hayes
In this Special Edition of Black Market Reads, in a live production at the Capri Theater, Lissa Jones sits down with Bukata Hayes to talk about the book he co-authored with Stacy Wells, and then hear from a panel of representatives Nneka Sederstrom/Chief Health Equity Officer Hennepin Health Care, Chaz Sandifer/CEO theNEWmpls, and R.T. Rybak/President and CEO The Minneapolis Foundation. Including
Episode 62 - Jayne Allen
Black Girls Must Die Exhausted Like the lead character featured in her new novel Black Girls Must Die Exhausted, our guest today knows all about living life as a successful African American woman and self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur." This Harvard Law grad is a popular speaker, thought leader, seasoned business executive, and noted author who writes fiction under her chosen nom de plume, J
Episode 61 - Tananarive Due on Black Horror and The Between
Lissa speaks with Queen of Black Horror Tananarive Due on the re-release of her 1995 debut novel The Between. Due is a leading voice in Black speculative fiction, and teaches about Black horror and Afrofuturism at UCLA. She is also the award-winning author of numerous books and executive produced Shudder's groundbreaking documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. For more episodes visit
Episode 60 - LaTanya McQueen
In this episode, we hear from LaTanya McQueen about her debut novel, When the Reckoning Comes which tells the story of Mira, a young Black woman, who travel's home to attend the plantation wedding of a childhood friend and is forced to contend with the traumas of her own childhood - and the historical horrors tied to the place. LaTanya McQueen is also the author of And it Begins Like This, a colle
Episode 59 - Resmaa Menakem
On this episode, Lissa sits down with Resmaa Menakem, the New York Times bestselling author of My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Resmaa is a therapist, trauma specialist, and the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions a leadership consultancy where he works training business, community, and government leaders in the philosophy and practice
Episode 58 - Carol Anderson
On this episode we're excited to present a conversation with author, historian, and educator Carol Anderson on her recent work The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America. This conversation was recorded as part of a live virtual event in partnership with Magers & Quinn Booksellers and Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church in Minneapolis. Carol Anderson is the Charles Howard Candler Professo
Episode 57 - Morgan Jerkins on her debut novel Caul Baby
Essayist, memoirist, and, now, novelist Morgan Jerkins sits down with Lissa Jones. She discusses her inspirations for this story, both from her past (as a teenager she worked in her father's OB/GYN practice) and present (she tells us her character Amara was inspired by Vice President Kamala Harris). Though Caul Baby is a work of fiction with hints of magical realism, it is deeply rooted in the exp
Episode 56 - Poet Javon Johnson
In this episode, Lissa speaks with Javon Johnson, about his new poetry collection, Ain't Never Not Been Black (Button Poetry, 2020). Javon Johnson, Ph.D. is a poet, performer, professor and recipient of numerous awards. According to poet Rudy Francisco, Dr. Johnson is "is one of the most brilliant writers in the world". This conversation was recorded on April 19, 2021, the day of closing argume
Bonus: Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Poems in the wake of racial injustice
Listen to audio of poets reading their work from Can't Stop, Won't Stop: Poems in the wake of racial injustice from a chapbook published by Rain Taxi, recorded on the site of George Floyd Square in Minneapolis by iDream.tv Apnea and Bruxism by Michael Kleber Diggs a little glimpse by keno evol Familiar Fruit by Sagirah Shahid Homeland, Like the Girl who Sang Soweto by Sherrie Fernandez-Willia
Episode 55 - Can't Stop, Won't Stop with Mary Moore Easter and Bernard James
One of the defining events of the past year, in Minnesota and around the world, was the murder of George Floyd and the international protests demanding justice. In this episode, Lissa speaks with Mary Moore Easter, editor and poet, and James Bernard Short, a poet who lives near the intersection now known as George Floyd Square. The collection is titled Can't Stop Won't Stop the Rain Taxi Chapbook
Episode 54 - Claudia Rankine
Launching season six of Black Market Reads, Lissa interviews author Claudia Rankine about her latest work Just Us: An American Conversation (Graywolf Press, 2020). For highlights from the interview, and to listen to past episodes visit www.blackmarketreads.com. If you like the show, leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about the show!
Episode 53 - Dr. Frank B. Wilderson, III
In this episode, author and scholar Dr. Frank B. Wilderson, III on his latest work, Afropessimism. From his youth in Minneapolis to Apartheid South Africa and beyond, Dr. Wilderson has been a committed activist for radical social change. His creative, scholarly, and critical work has been published internationally. He is the author of several books, including Incognegro: Memoir of Exile and Aparth
Episode 52 - Carolyn Holbrook
Author Carolyn Holbrook discusses her latest work, Tell Me Your Names and I Will Testify, a collection of essays published by the University of Minnesota Press (2020). She is the author of several works including Ordinary People, Extraordinary Journeys, as well as co-author of Hope in the Struggle the memoir of Dr. Josie Johnson. She now leads More Than A Single Story, a series of community conver
Episode 51 - Darren Walker
In this episode, Ford Foundation President Darren Walker discusses his new book From Generosity to Justice: A New Gospel of Wealth, in which he grapples with the paternalistic roots of American philanthropy and envisions a new approach that seeks to address the causes of inequity, rather than the consequences. He discusses the current state of extreme wealth inequality in America and how this ineq
Episode 50 - Justin Phillip Reed
In this episode, a conversation with poet and essayist Justin Phillip Reed about his new poetry collection, The Malevolent Volume (2020). His debut collection, Indecency (2018) won the National Book Award for poetry. To learn more about Justin Phillip Reed, visit his website Check out more interviews and bonus content at BlackMarketReads.com
Episode 49 - Mapping Black Identities and Sounds of Blackness
In celebration of Black History Month, Black Market Reads participated in an exciting event hosted by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, featuring stunning performances from the Grammy Award-winning musical group Sounds of Blackness. In part one, recorded in the museum galleries, Lissa speaks with Esther Callahan and Keisha Williams, members of the curatorial team responsible for the Mapping Black
Episode 48 - Dr. William D. Green
In this episode, Lissa speaks with historian Dr. William D. Green, whose works focus on the history of Black people in Minnesota, and specifically the ongoing struggle for civil rights. Dr. Green is a professor of history at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, and serves as Vice President of the Minnesota Historical Society. He has previously served as Superintendent for the Minneapolis Public Sch
Episode 47 - J.Drew Lanham
In this special episode, J. Drew Lanham, author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature, speaks with guest-host poet and essayist, Michael Kleber-Diggs. The interview was recorded at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis in 2017. Lanham is an American author, poet and wildlife biologist. Raised in Edgefield, South Carolina, Lanham studied zoology and ecology at Clem
Episode 46 - Remembering Toni Morrison at the 2019 Twin Cities Book Festival
In this episode, recorded live at the 2019 Twin Cities Book Festival, Lissa speaks with authors about the work, life, and legacy of Toni Morrison. The episode was recorded in partnership with Rain Taxi Review of Books. Featured in the episode: A. Rafael Johnson, Bethany C. Morrow, Lora Hyler, Eric Lorberer, and Dr. Artika Tyner.
Episode 45 - Douglas Kearney
In this episode, Lissa sits down with the poet, performer, and librettist Douglas Kearney. Kearney has published six books, most recently, Buck Studies (Fence Books, 2016), winner of the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award, the CLMP Firecracker Award for Poetry and silver medalist for the California Book Award (Poetry). Kearney teaches creative writing at the University of Minnesota, Twin Citie
Episode 44 - Kalisha Buckhanon
In the Season 5 premier, Lissa sits down with author Kalisha Buckhanon to discuss her new novel Speaking of Summer (COUNTERPOINT, 2019). This episode was recorded live at an event hosted by Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis. Kalisha Buckhanon is the author of the novels Solemn, Conception, and Upstate, which was selected as an inaugural National Book Foundation Literature for Justice title
Episode 43 - Dr. Josie R. Johnson, Carolyn Holbrook, and Arleta Little
On this episode, Lissa sits down with civil rights icon Dr. Josie R. Johnson and her co-authors Carolyn Holbrook and Arleta Little to discuss Johnson's memoir Hope in the Struggle. Dr. Josie R. Johnson has been an educator, activist, and public servant for more than seven decades. Along with her work for the Urban League and the University of Minnesota, she has been office manager, campaign manage
Episode 42 - Author Emily Bernard
In this episode, Lissa speaks with Author and Professor Emily Bernard about her debut collection of personal essays Black is the Body: stories from my grandmother's time, my mother's time, and mine (Alfred A. Knopf, 2019). Emily was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a B. A. and Ph. D. in American Studies from Yale University. A contributing editor at The American Scholar, Emily is
Episode 41 - Debra J. Stone
Minnesota-based writer Debra J. Stone sits down with Lissa Jones for a wide-ranging conversation about writing the stories she wants to read, her upbringing in the Rondo Neighborhood and the Northside, and what it means to be a black woman who loves to bike and camp. Stone's poetry, short-fiction and essays have appeared in many publications and literary journals including About Place, Wild Age Pr
Episode 40 - Ross Gay, Live from Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis
On this episode, a reading and interview with poet, essayist, educator and avid gardener Ross Gay. Ross Gay is the author of three books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, which was awarded the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. The Book of Delights, released earlier this year, is his first collect
Episode 39 - Danez Smith
On this episode of Black Market Reads, the acclaimed poet Danez Smith. Smith is the author of two award-winning collections of poetry: 2014's [insert] boy which was awarded the winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry; and their most recent collection, Don't Call Us Dead, published by Graywolf Press in 2017, which was winner of the Forward Prize for Bes
Episode 38 - Remembering Ntozake Shange; with Sarah Bellamy, Artistic Director of Penumbra Theatre
In this episode we honor the late Ntozake Shange -- poet, author, playwright, artist. Her seminal work, the choreo-poem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf inspired generations of black women to see themselves differently and to question structures of power that tried to limit their boundless potential. The episode features excerpts of Shange's 2009 conversation
Episode 37 - Julian Randall
On this episode, Lissa talks with poet Julian Randall about his impressive debut collection Refuse. Julian is a Living, Queer, Black poet from Chicago. He has received fellowships from Callaloo, BOAAT and the Watering Hole and was the 2015 National College Slam (CUPSI) Best Poet, as well as being the recipient a Pushcart Prize. Julian is the curator of Winter Tangerine Review's Lineage of Mirrors
Episode 36 - DeRay McKesson
Education, justice, innocence, and public policy on this very special episode. First, Lissa speaks with civil right activist, and now author, DeRay Mckesson about his new book On the Other Side of Freedom: the Case for Hope. Then we revisit our interviews with Dr. Artika Tyner and Alexs Pate discussing their work toward greater equity and justice in education. (0:00) DeRay Mckesson became a lead
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