Jennifer Maritza McCauley discusses her short story collection, When Trying to Return Home, the writers she adores, and how a close family member has influenced her work.Av Marva Hinton

Author Jonathan Escoffery discusses his award-winning, debut, short story collection If I Survive You, the perils of writing about identity, and the question he's so tired of answering.Av Marva Hinton

Children's book author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her latest book, Coretta's Journey: The Life and Times of Coretta Scott King, how King was shaped by her unconventional upbringing, and why she encourages parents to take their children to community libraries.Av Marva Hinton

Awarding winning author Natalia Sylvester discusses her YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From Ten, what it was like to write a book she's been dreaming about her whole life, and whether she'll be going back to writing for adults.Av Marva Hinton

Author Jennifer Rosner discusses her novel, Once We Were Home, which is about children stolen during or immediately after WWII, what sparked her interest in this topic, and how her work was influenced by being the hearing parent of deaf children.Av Marva Hinton

Author Lisa Williamson Rosenberg discusses her debut novel, Embers on the Wind, how her job as a psychotherapist influences her work, and why she doesn't matter that much if a book doesn't include Black characters.Av Marva Hinton

Author Celeste Mohammed discusses her critically acclaimed novel-in-stories, Pleasantview, commonly held myths about Caribbean cultures, and how her former career as an attorney shapes her writing.Av Marva Hinton

Author Leila Mottley discusses her critically acclaimed debut novel, Nightcrawling, which she wrote at 17, why she feels like her age was an advantage in telling this story, and why she's not sweating that she's never read The Great Gatsby.Av Marva Hinton

Author Rasheed Newson discusses his critically acclaimed debut novel, My Government Means to Kill Me, why he wants it to be a guide of sorts for young people, and why he initially called it "an aggressive act of homosexuality."Av Marva Hinton

Author Ayanna Lloyd Banwo discusses her debut novel, When We Were Birds, how her writing was influenced by West African stories about people flying, and why sometimes she has to read "racist fools."Av Marva Hinton

Author Mecca Jamilah Sullivan discusses her debut novel, Big Girl, body shaming in the Black community, and the inspiration of '90s' era hip-hop.Av Marva Hinton

Author Dionne Irving discusses her short story collection, The Islands, how immigration can be so lonely and isolating, and how women are affected by the notion that they can have it all.Av Marva Hinton

Author Meng Jin discusses her short story collection, Self-Portrait with Ghost, why she's interested in death, and the book she finds "infinitely tedious."Av Marva Hinton

Author Toni Ann Johnson discusses her award-winning, linked short story collection, Light Skin Gone to Waste, which is based on her childhood, why she was in a dark place before submitting it, and how her mother reacted to one of the stories that depicted her in a less than positive light.Av Marva Hinton

Awarding-winning author Nikesha Elise Williams discusses her latest novel, Beyond Bourbon Street, why she doesn't give much thought to whether her characters are likable or not, and why New Orleans will always be in her heart.Av Marva Hinton

Children's author Alice Faye Duncan discusses her two most recent books, Evicted: The Struggle for the Right to Vote, and Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, writing about tough subjects for young readers, and why she wants parents, teachers and librarians to be activists.Av Marva Hinton

In this ReadMore Quick Read episode, author Natalia Sylvester discusses her forthcoming YA novel, Breathe and Count Back From 10 and how the pandemic has affected her reading habits.Av Marva Hinton

Author Myriam J.A. Chancy discusses her critically acclaimed novel, What Storm, What Thunder, which is about the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, why it took her so long to write, and how a visual artist was a key influence.Av Marva Hinton

Zaina Arafat discusses her award-winning debut novel, You Exist Too Much. It tells the story of a young, queer, Palestinian American woman who's dealing with internalized homophobia and trying to find her place in the world. We discuss readers' reactions to first-person narrators written by women, finding humor within tragedy, and why she loves tea…

Award-winning author Brandon Hobson discusses his novel, The Removed, which tells the story of a grieving Cherokee family in Oklahoma dealing with the aftermath of their son's killing by the police and past trauma associated with the Trail of Tears. We also discuss his influences, his favorite books, and how he wants to shake up what the industry t…

Saraciea J. Fennell discusses the anthology she edited, Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora, why she wanted Black Latinx writers front and center, and what she hopes readers from outside the Latinx community will take away from this anthology.Av Marva Hinton

Author Peace Adzo Medie discusses her contemporary debut novel, His Only Wife, which explores an arranged marriage in Ghana, how her work as a professor in gender and international politics influences her work, and how much fun it was to write some of the novel's steamier scenes.Av Marva Hinton

Author Patricia Engel discusses her latest novel, Infinite Country, which explores the plight of families with mixed-immigration status, why she she wanted to unpack immigrants' ambivalence about moving to a new country, and which writers from the past she would love to hop on a Zoom call with.Av Marva Hinton

Author Kaitlyn Greenidge discusses her historical novel, Libertie, which explores what it means for a Black woman to be free, why it was important to her to include queer characters in a novel primarily set during Reconstruction, and how a true story influenced her work.Av Marva Hinton

YA author Emiko Jean discusses her new novel, Tokyo Ever After, the story of a Japanese American teenager who discovers her dad is the Crown Prince of Japan, how her life influenced the book, and the disturbing subliminal messages traditional fairytales send to young girls of color.Av Marva Hinton

Focus! with David Essel Best-selling author and life coach David Essel knows a thing or two about addiction. He can trace the roots of his addiction to about eight years old when he began to use food to cope with his feelings. David then recalls having his first beer at twelve in an effort to fit in with some older guys. "It was magical. All of my …

Brian Broome discusses his memoir, Punch Me Up to the Gods, which details his rough upbringing in a small town in Ohio in the 1980s. As a child, he contended with homophobia, racism, colorism and poverty. He struggled to fit in and faced abuse from his father and so-called friends. We discuss why he granted his parents grace, the unusual roommate w…

The Sinclair Method with Claudia Christian Claudia Christian has been in the film and television business as an actress for over 35 years. She has starred in over 50 films and thousands of hours of television. Sci-fi fans around the world know her best from her starring role on Babylon 5. For years Claudia struggled with drinking. She tried many tr…

Funky Brain with Dennis Berry Coach and Author Dennis Berry recalls being full of fear and insecurity from a very young age. When he took his first drink at fifteen, he felt an immediate weight come off of his shoulders. "I didn't have to feel anything anymore." Over the next fifteen years, Dennis's addiction would progress until his life completel…

Coming Clean with Peter O. Estevez Peter's relationship with drugs started at a fairly young age. He recalls sitting in his mom's closet drinking a six-pack of beer when he was about 12 years old. Although Peter grew up in poverty as one of thirteen children, he found great success in real estate and became a millionaire by the time he was 25. "But…

The Art of Tough Transitions with George Kalantzis Like many people who have struggled with addiction, George started to experiment with alcohol and drugs in his early teens. During his senior year of high school, he watched as his friends got accepted to college, but he didn't have any plans for his future. That all changed when he woke up hungove…

My Dirty Little Secrets with Tony Mandarich Former offensive lineman Tony Mandarich is proof that recovery works. Selected second in the 1989 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, Tony had stellar expectations set for him. At 6' 5" and 330 pounds, he was a big guy and admittedly had the ego to match. Although alcohol and drugs weren't initially an is…

Real Housewives with Braunwyn Windham-BurkeAs a Real Housewives of Orange County cast member, Braunwyn gave the entire world a peek into what active alcoholism, early sobriety, and coming out as gay looks like.Growing up, she knew that her dad and aunt were alcoholics, but the family never talked about it.She vividly remembers drinking her first be…

Quitting to Win with Crystal Waltman As a young woman, Crystal was a high-achieving athlete with a competitive drive. At only fourteen, she was already playing varsity volleyball which created a lot of pressure, expectations, and social anxiety. Around the same time, she discovered drinking, which seemed like an easy way to escape these pressures. …

Nobody Cares Except You with Kosha Dillz Rapper Kosha Dillz can trace the roots of his addiction to when he was about twelve years old. Although there were substances like alcohol present, he also felt like his time as a wrestler and years of yoyo dieting were part of the problem. During high school, his substance abuse started to progress and the …

Sober Heart with Greg Johnson Greg learned about addiction at an early age. His father was a Vietnam veteran who started drinking and using drugs to cope with the events he witnessed during the war. For years, Greg noticed his father's frequent erratic behavior, but he didn't understand what was happening. Everything became clear when Greg was in c…

Pregame with Maggie King As a young girl, Maggie planned on avoiding alcohol and drugs due to the negative effects it had on a few close family members. That plan changed as she started to struggle more with her sexuality and the pressure she felt to succeed in school. "Knowing that I was gay and knowing that I would have to fit in and have a boyfr…

A Happier Hour with Rebecca Weller Author and health coach Rebecca Weller says she had always been a binge drinker. In her younger years, she used alcohol as a "social lubricant" to feel less shy and more outgoing. As Rebecca got older, she realized that her excessive drinking had become a habit that wasn't at all in line with her goals and otherwi…

Alcohol Explained with William Porter Author William Porter's relationship with alcohol began around fourteen years old, which didn't feel very odd for a young man growing up in the UK. It wasn't long before he found himself binging and drinking to get as drunk as possible. "Over the years, the amount I was drinking continued to go up as my toleran…

Author Deesha Philyaw discusses her critically acclaimed short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, why she started writing about "church ladies" in the first place, and her love for fantastic first lines.Av Marva Hinton

The Sober Bodybuilder with Brad Jensen Brad recalls taking his first drink around 13 years old. The insecurity and awkwardness he felt as a chubby kid quickly faded as soon as the alcohol kicked in. As he got older, he developed a passion for fitness but realized that drinking would hamper his ability to build a great physique, so he turned to pain…

Sober as F*** with Sarah Ordo Author Sarah Ordo says she was "your typical party girl" starting from the time she was about fourteen years old. For years her entire life was centered around drinking, which also was frequently accompanied by blackouts. Even after a near-fatal overdose, Sarah struggled to leave her old life behind. "I left like my li…

Self Recovery with Dr. Daniel Hochman Dr. Hochman is an award-winning psychiatrist and physician who specializes in the field of addiction. Although not in recovery himself, he recalls seeing family and friends impacted by the pain and damage that addiction can cause. "To me, addiction captures a lot of what of what it means to be on this journey o…

Mary Fran Bontempo is an award-winning author and 2-time TEDx speaker who teaches audiences how to uncover their brilliance and resilience 15 minutes at a time. Although not in recovery herself, she watched for years as her son David struggled with addiction for years. She saw the early warning signs, but like many parents, she justified what was h…

The Normal Album with Will Wood Singer and songwriter Will Wood can trace the roots of his addiction back to his teenage years. Like many teenagers, he used alcohol as a way to escape reality and cope with stress. As Will's substance abuse progressed, he eventually hit rock bottom and felt like the only thing he had to live for was his music. "If I…

Pregnant in Prison with Jessica Kent Jessica's childhood was a constant struggle. She was bullied, suffered from multiple mental health disorders, and came from a home filled with addiction. Jessica recalls taking her first drink at only twelve years old and the instant relief she felt. "Alcohol made me happy, confident, and comfortable in my own s…

Life Transformation Coaching with Omar Pinto Omar looks back on his childhood as a very emotional time. He recalls feeling angry, frustrated, sad, disappointed, and like he was fighting simply to survive daily life. That changed when he took his first drink at sixteen. "It was like the world just stopped and got quiet." Omar found what he thought w…

Reclaiming The Brain with Eric Gremminger For years Eric felt shame and regret because of the poor decisions he made in active addiction. He would wake up day after day, saying to himself, "I can't believe I did that" and then continue to repeat the same behavior. Although he knew he was struggling, it was hard for him to see that his substance abu…

Unraveled(Part 2) with Tom Boldt Tom's relationship with drugs started at a fairly young age. It all began when he had trouble sleeping before his first day of school. Thinking it would help, his parents gave him some anxiety medication. "I felt amazing, all of my fears went away, and I thought my solution was in pill form." As time went on, his ad…

Unraveled(Part 1) with Laura Cook Boldt Laura grew up in an alcoholic family with a mother in recovery. She always promised herself that she wouldn't become an alcoholic, but that was a promise she couldn't keep. It started to become more apparent that she might be drinking excessively later in life after building a career and starting a family. "I…