GBH News Arts & Culture reporter James Bennett II speaks with Simeon Marsalis, co-founder of Lampblack, a collective of Black writers with a mission to serve the Black literary community; and with writer and artist Tatiana Johnson-Boria, recipient of both the 2021 MacDowell Fellowship and the 2021 Brother Thomas fellowship. Presented by GBH. Produced by GBH.

Maybe you’re a grownup who spins bedtime stories so thrilling or hilarious, your kids or grandkids have begged you to turn them into a book. Or maybe you’re a kid who likes to write and draw your own fantasy stories or comic books. This session will help set you on the road toward making those dreams a reality through self-publishing. Joining us for this candid conversation is Candelaria Silva, whose debut picture book is the playful Stacey Became a Frog One Day. We’ll also be joined by two self-publishing veterans. Delanda Coleman is a self-publishing success story; she’s published fifteen books, most recently What’s My Superpower, and her very first self-published book sold more than ten thousand copies! Valerie Foxx is the author of several books for adults but recently published the middle-grade mermaid novel Merissa’s Sea-cret Powers in collaboration with three young cousins, ages eight and nine. Speaking of young people, during this session we’ll also hear from Coleman Luse, who’s following in the family footsteps by self-publishing his own comic book, X•Man and the Big Adventure. This session will be hosted by artist and co-founder of Comics in Color (and Coleman’s dad) Cagen Luse. Show up to learn and get inspired!

Besides having day jobs to help support themselves, most writers face additional demands on their time—from parenting to helping aging or ill relatives or friends to coping with global threats such as the recent pandemic. Creativity can languish when relegated to the graveyard shift. How do you manage an intense day job and personal obligations while still getting a book out...or more? Come hear how writers Desmond Hall (Your Corner Dark), Doris Iarovici (Minus One), Daphne Kalotay (Blue Hours), and Rishi Reddi (Passage West) did it during this on-demand panel discussion, and then share your own experiences during the live Q&A starting at 11:30am.

Besides having day jobs to help support themselves, most writers face additional demands on their time—from parenting to helping aging or ill relatives or friends to coping with global threats such as the recent pandemic. Creativity can languish when relegated to the graveyard shift. How do you manage an intense day job and personal obligations while still getting a book out...or more? Watch the on-demand discussion to hear how writers Desmond Hall (Your Corner Dark), Doris Iarovici (Minus One), Daphne Kalotay (Blue Hours), and Rishi Reddi (Passage West) did it and then tune in at 11:30am to share your own experiences during this live Q&A.

Do you yearn for those moments when words seem to write themselves? Learn to bypass the self-doubt, self-judgment, and perfectionism that cause writers’ block. During the workshop participants will have the opportunity to experience connecting with their deepest writing self and writing from a trance state. Tarot cards, meditation, and ritual will be used to enhance the experience. This one-hour interactive workshop will be led by authors Carolyn Wilkins and Sarah Smith and is open to writers in all genres. No experience is necessary. All are welcome. 

Over the past several years the publishing world (and its readers) have thankfully demanded more diversity within stories. But as welcome as this change is, it can leave many non-marginalized writers with anxiety. How are you supposed to go about it? What if you mess up? Are you allowed to write about marginalized people at all? In this session facilitated by Milo Todd, we'll discuss common worries, some do's and don'ts, engage in self-reflection questions, and more. Writers will leave this session with more insight, awareness, and confidence to produce the most accurate and empathetic work they can.