A brief take on the extraordinary literary achievements of Black men writers from1995 to 2024, a period marked by serious, comical, and fascinating compositions. Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A short take marking our 200th episodeScript by Howard Rambsy II Read by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on Dana Williams’s presentation at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, highlighting Toni Morrison’s transformative editorial legacy at Random House and her role in elevating groundbreaking Black voices....

A brief take on the Novel Generator Machine, a digital resource inspired by barbershop conversations, offering personalized recommendations for over 1,000 novels by Black writers across various genres and categories.Script by Howard Ramb...

A brief take on the overlooked grievances of Black readers, highlighting cultural and structural challenges they face, from limited access to diverse genres and author events to inadequate representation in media and publishing campaigns.

A brief take on Ta-Nehisi Coates’s groundbreaking success as a comic book writer, with Black Panther and Captain America issues collectively selling over 500,000 copies, marking a historic achievement for an African American creator in the indu...

A brief take on Percival Everett’s James as a neo-slave narrative, situating it within the rich body of African American fiction addressing slavery while critiquing the isolation of Black writers from broader creative networks.Script by ...

A brief take on how authors like Ishmael Reed, Charles Johnson, James McBride, and Paul Beatty use humor and playfulness in neo-slave narratives to offer fresh, creative perspectives on slavery.Script by Howard Rambsy II Read by...

A brief take on the Futures of Black Digital Humanities Conference, where scholars and students used the FLOAT Method to transform data into compelling stories, highlighting themes of identity, memory, and systemic change.Script by Kento...

A brief take on how the organizing and protests of Black students in the 1960s and 1970s paved the way for African American literature courses and the field of Black literary studies.Script by Howard Rambsy II        ...

A brief take on how incorporating audio recordings into African American literature courses can enhance accessibility, foster deeper connections, and reveal new dimensions of storytelling.Script by Howard Rambsy II  Read by Kass...

A brief take on Olaudah Equiano's reflections on "talking books," exploring their connection to freedom and their resonance with the modern concept of audiobooks.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on how the rise of audiobooks has transformed access to African American novels, allowing listeners to experience the aural artistry of Black literature through skilled voice performances.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead ...

A brief take on Bryan Edward Hill, a leading African American comic writer known for his diverse work on Batman, Black Panther, and Blade.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on the challenges of periodizing African American literature, exploring when the current literary era began and how it might be defined.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on the media’s narrow focus on a select few Black writersScript by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm 

A brief take on the limited presence of Black-authored novels in a Chicago airport bookstore.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on the evolution of Afrofuturism from a critical framework exploring race and technology to a widely used label for Black artistic productions infused with science fiction and tech.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassa...

A brief take on how Alondra Nelson’s Yahoo group in the 1990s shaped the rise of Afrofuturism through discussions on race, tech, and Black culture.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on 30 essential African American novels, from Toni Morrison to Colson Whitehead, as an entry point to a rich literary tradition and the journeys ahead.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on how Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Black Panther run introduced a Wakanda map, deepening its world-building and legacy.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on Orrin C. Evans, a pioneering journalist and creator of All-Negro Comics, the first comic book with an all-Black creative team and characters.Script by Stephyn Phillips Read by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” a frequently anthologized story exploring brotherhood, identity, and the power of the blues.Script by Kenton Rambsy Read by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on how Africa’s independence movements and leaders like Lumumba inspired the creation of Black Panther and Wakanda.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm

A brief take on Andrew Theising’s collection of East St. Louis postcards, now a vital visual archive of the city’s history.Script by Howard Rambsy IIRead by Kassandra Timm