WELCOME to all my new subscribers!
THANK YOU to all my subscribers, with special thanks to my paid subscribers and to everyone who has recommended this newsletter, restacked my posts, or sent gift subscriptions!
As always the writerly resources in this newsletter are not behind a paywall. If you would like a complimentary subscription so that you can access content that is behind the paywall—my professional, personal, and pop culture hot takes, adventures, obsessions, and news—message me here in Substack.
All subscription proceeds go to Roots Wounds Words, Bronx Defenders, Freedom Reads, and National Bail Out.
For well over a month now, I’ve been saving up things in my Notes app so I could gather them and write this newsletter once I got to a break in my deadlines and travels, which have included a trip to Japan––my first time in Asia!––and getting thisclose to my debut novel going into production––we are almost there! But now that I have a minute to sit down and write this, I just feel…tired. And sad. I’m very familiar with this particular combination of fatigue and sadness. It’s grief.
The world is still shitty for all sorts of reasons, including this one (once again, a Black woman to the rescue); I’m worried about friends and family members for all sorts of reasons; Mother’s Day is coming and will mark my 20th Mother’s Day without my mother; my Love is on another continent for a month and I miss him; and the state of men continues to be abysmal, with potentially deadly for consequences. It’s so bad, the UN has weighed in and Glamour magazine declared misogyny “2025’s biggest trend,” before January was even over.
But I’ve found some encouragement over the last six weeks. Alexander Chee reminded us that fighting against fascism also looks like “showing up for people in ways that might make for a boring story but bring much love and satisfaction,” and:
“…don’t forget that novel, that memoir, that book of poems. Don’t forget to be powerful like you are when you sit down to read or write. Don’t forget the bright dream inside, the need you feel to partake of it or to add to it, the point of it all. Of being alive, of being free, of loving. Somewhere you are someone’s shelter, somewhere someone is yours. Let’s go find each other.”
Alexander’s essay is part of Writing Co-Lab’s 100 Days of Creative Resistance project curated by Brian Gresko, which I contributed to as well. This project “deliver[ed] a free email of encouragement, opposition, and commiseration — a reminder of why we write and create — from 100 iconoclastic contemporary voices on each of the first 100 days of the 47th president’s regime.” You can read my rant against performative activism and the “airy nothing”ness of white feminism, “Death to Civility, or I am Not the Bigger Person,” here.
This little nugget from J Wortham’s latest newsletter also helped lift my spirits:
“The characters on the show refuse that, again and again, whether it be dealing with sickle cell patients, suspected shooters, the portrayal of Filipina nurses. It’s not an utopic show by any means, but it understands that the radicality of empathetic care, and how meaningful small gestures can be when you’re sick and seeking help.
In a time when very little makes sense — and in fact, is deliberately obfuscated and confused to confound as a global tactic — the possibilitarians and pop culture possibility porn is keeping me sane.”
J is referring here to the TV show The Pitt which is on my watch list. There’s a different TV show that’s been keeping me sane these days. More about that later…
“The radicality of empathetic care” reminded me of the cold, rude nurse who was assigned to my mother when she first arrived at hospice. This was 20 years ago, but the shock of the very idea of a rude nurse anywhere but particularly IN FUCKING HOSPICE will stay with me forever. This bitch even makes an appearance in one my short stories, “Not Daniel.”
But then I thought about the post-script to our real-life story: After I complained to the head of the hospice unit, that nurse never stepped foot in my mother’s room again. One day, when I asked my mother if there was something I could do for her––thinking maybe she wanted me to bring her a milkshake or something of sentimental value from her house––she said, “A party.” So I went back to the head of the hospice unit and asked if we could throw a party. She told me that they’d never thrown a party in hospice before, but she was open to figuring out the medical logistics of it. So we threw my mother a party. And over 100 people came, along with the local news station.
As Mother’s Day approaches, I know some of the grief I’m feeling is about that. About my mother and Mother’s Day. I don’t know how I will spend the day after I land in NYC. Maybe I’ll go to the water and figure the rest out there. Whatever else I do, I’ll for sure be re-reading this tender story, “Tracks,” by my sister Jamila Minnicks.
We All We Got
Eighteen-year-old Ryan Hinton was shot and killed by Cincinnati police. Ryan’s mother has established a GoFundMe.
Okechi Okeke, a writer based in Nigeria, has been accepted into the creative writing program at Rutgers and needs some support.
Infuriating news from Electric Lit (full-disclosure, I’m an EL board member): “Late Friday night, Electric Literature—along with at least 40 other literary arts organizations—received a notice from the National Endowment for the Arts that our 2025 grant has been terminated. The reason given was that our work does not ‘reflect the nation’s rich artistic heritage and creativity as prioritized by the President.’ This morning, the NEA’s literary arts staff announced their last day would be May 30…” Read the rest and find out how you can help.
Pre-order time!
Resting Bitch Face by Taylor Byas
“Resting Bitch Face is a book for women, for Black women, for lovers of art and film criticism, and for writers interested in work that finds a middle ground between poetry and prose. Taylor Byas uses some of our most common ways of “watching” throughout history (painting, films, sculpture, and photographs) to explore how these mediums shape Black female subjectivity.”
Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me about Nourishment, Poison, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival by Maria Pinto
“Naturalist, forager, and educator Maria Pinto offers a stunning debut book that uncovers strange and beautiful fungal connections between the natural and human worlds. She mingles reportage, research, memoir, and nature writing, touching on topics that range from Black farmers’ domestication of the unforgettable aroma of truffles to the history of mycological poisons wielded by enslaved people against their enslavers.”
You've Got a Place Here, Too: An Anthology of Black Love Stories Set at HBCUs edited by Ebony LaDelle
“A heartwarming and unforgettable collection of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, exploring hope, endurance, and what it means to leave a legacy, from some of today’s most prominent Black writers,” including friends and faves Elizabeth Acevedo, Aaron Foley, Kai Harris, Ebony LaDelle, Kiese Laymon, Christine Platt, and Dawnie Walton.
Writing
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies has been named one of best books of the century, so far, by Kirkus Reviews.
One of the things I love doing most is connecting good people with each other. I’m thrilled that a recent connection of mine, connecting my dear friends Nicole Anderson of Cedars-Sinai and Yvette Perry of the Good Listening Project, bore the sweetest fruit: A collection of poems honoring Henrietta Lacks’ legacy and impact on medicine and research ethics. “This anthology features poems by Listener Poets from The Good Listening Project, inspired by one-on-one conversations with 13 women in the Cedars-Sinai community. The poems capture both the participants’ personal and professional experiences, as well as their reflections on Henrietta Lacks’ legacy. This collaboration is part of both organizations’ commitment to advancing research and health equity, offering a multi-layered narrative that underscores the ongoing importance of health justice today.”
Congratulations to Dr. Edda Fields-Black on winning the Pulitzer Prize for Letters and Drama: History for her extraordinary book Combee: Harriet Tubman, The Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War, “a richly-textured and revelatory account of a slave rebellion that brought 756 enslaved people to freedom in a single day, weaving military strategy and family history with the transition from bondage to freedom." I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Edda since my days in Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh homie Damon Young has edited an outrageous collection that’s dropping June 3. That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor features “Black humor from some of the most acclaimed writers and performers at work today,” including Hanif Abdurraqib, Brian Broome, Mahogany L. Browne, Wyatt Cenac, Kiese Laymon, Deesha Philyaw, Roy Wood Jr., Nicola Yoon, and ME! You can pre-order here, and if you’re in Philly on June 10, join Damon and me in conversation at Uncle Bobbie’s. This is a ticketed event.
Speaking of Pittsburgh…A former colleague who lives there sent me a video from John Fox sharing his favorite writing craft “secrets” gleaned from reading 20+ craft books. At the 13:23 mark, he talks about my essay in Jami Attenberg’s excellent book 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, in which I let my math geek flag fly.
Happy belated pub day to Fred Joseph! You can order his latest, a beautiful YA novel titled This Thing of Ours, here. In his inimitable style, cousin Robert Jones Jr. celebrates Fred and his crucial work:
Kiese Laymon the Great’s breathtaking picture book City Summer, Country Summer is in the world. In March, Kiese received a 2025 Writers for Writers Award at the annual Poets & Writers gala. Robert Jones Jr. wrote a wonderful tribute to our cousin, and I had the honor of accepting the award on Kiese’s behalf and delivering his acceptance speech.
Patrice Gopo also has a sweet children’s book out, Ripening Time.
Denne Michele’s gorgeous debut novel When the Harvest Comes entered its 2nd printing before its publication date. It’s out now!
Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman’s home is lovely and full of meaningful art and they are the cutest couple. Oh and they saved The Rumpus!
Inigo Laguda’s writing is the gift that keeps on giving.
Carvell Wallace on obsessions and survival.
My tireless Church Ladies publicist, Jeremy Wang-Iverson, has a piece in Publishers Weekly on indie presses in Spain and Mexico.
Listen up! Two faves, Tiana Clark and Traci Thomas talking poetry on The Stacks podcast.
Are you tuned into The Black List’s Read the Acknowledgements podcast? Hosted by Randy Winston, Read The Acknowledgements is “a live visual podcast designed for book and writing professionals to share their industry experiences and help give writers a clear picture of the ecosystem that is publishing. This podcast series exists, in part, to fundraise for writers and literary nonprofits in need. Attendance is free, and we encourage viewers and listeners to make donations to writer support funds such as the Authors League Fund, Hedgebrook, Baldwin for the Arts, and Lampblack's Direct Aid Fund.”
First-time Black author? Looking for an agent? Dr. Jenn Jackson shares their process.
Over at Fiction Matters, Sara Hildreth breaks down the story behind the Pulitzer for fiction in this “aberrant year for American fiction's most prestigious prize.”
I haven’t seen Sinners yet, but I already got my ticket to see it when it returns to IMAX. The first thing I’m reading after I watch it is this review by Brooke Obie:
Have I mentioned lately how happy I am to be out of the dating pool? On Threads, Brooke shared an essay about the last date I went on before the pandemic. In it, I wrote: “Men like this, regardless of income bracket, get blocked now. But in the Before Time — before we realized these men weren’t the sharks in the dating pool, they were the water — we gave them chances they didn’t deserve.” Read the rest here.
Wandering
A Great Day Indeed
On a cold windy day in February, some of the warmest hearts and brightest minds in publishing gathered for this historic photo shoot. I’m so honored to have been a part of this moment. Thank you, Porscha Burke and Cheryl Magazine! (click the image above to watch the video)
AWP in LA
This was hands down my favorite AWP ever. I was on two great panels, took part in a killer offsite reading (Empty Trash!), and enjoyed this magical night with these magical people!
While in LA, I attended the fabulous Black List gathering, and this happened:
On the road again
I’m excited to be in conversation with friends and faves over the next few months, including:
An as-yet-unannounced LIVE event with my podcast co-hosts Dawnie Walton and Kiese Laymon and special guests (July 9)
Wondering
Who Said That?
“It is like a priest or a psychiatrist; if you get the wrong one, then you are better off alone. But there are editors so rare and so important that they are worth searching for, and you always know when you have one.” —Toni Morrison, The Art of Fiction No. 134, The Paris Review
“I protect him less and less as time goes on.” —me, talking about my second ex-husband in this 2024 interview with The Creative Independent
Submit
To me:
I’m excited to once again be judging the Sante Fe Writers Project Literary Award. Deadline to submit is September 15.
This is my first time judging Cream City Review’s Summer Fiction Prize: Deadline: August 1
To others:
Ploughshares Emerging Writers Contest: Deadline May 15
The Black List’s 2025 Unpublished Novel Award for Fiction: Deadline June 27
Harriet’s House: Deadline May 31 | “Harriet’s House is an online magazine that publishes one literary horror story a month by a writer of the African diaspora. Harriet’s House is an homage to Harriet Jacobs, a formerly enslaved Black woman and one of the first Black authors to write in the gothic genre, horror’s fraternal sister, noted as the well from which modern horror writing sprang.”
Who am I to Judge?
I mentioned in the last newsletter that I’ve been serving on judging panels with some wonderful folks for several awards, all of which have since been announced:
I was also invited to be a selector for The National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 award. I chose Megan Howell, author of the stunning short story collection, Softie.
Keep reading (or become a paid subscriber to do so) to find out my latest collab with Kiese Laymon, my current TV show obsession, the last writer I had dinner lunch with, and more…
Writing, Wandering, Wondering is a reader-supported publication. To receive full access to all posts, consider becoming a paid subscriber. All proceeds go to Roots Wounds Words, Bronx Defenders, Freedom Reads, and National Bail Out.