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This week we're talking with the co-founders of Black Nerd Problems, Omar Holmon and William Evans, about their aptly named new book, Black Nerd Problems. Listen to hear the talented poets and writers talk about how their new collection of essays came to be, their opinions on everything from X-Men's Storm to Candyman, and why it's so important to embrace nerd-dom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're joined by Nathan Harris, whose debut novel, The Sweetness of Water, has been a breakout hit of 2021. Not only was the book an instant New York Times bestseller, but it was also an Oprah's Book Club pick, named on Barack Obama's Summer 2021 Reading List, and has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Listen to hear Nathan talk about how he went about capturing the different characters he created, and why he chose to write about the post-Civil War era of history. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're talking with Emmy Award-winning actress, singer, TV show host, and writer, Keke Palmer. Though Keke is perhaps best known for her roles in films like Akeelah and the Bee, Hustlers and the Scream Queens series, Keke is also an accomplished writer. She's recently partnered with romance novelist Jasmine Guillory to produce a collection of short stories, called Southern Belle Insults, which is available to listen to or read for free on Amazon. Listen to hear Keke talk about how the character of Lady Miss Jacqueline came to be, and where she hopes to take her next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have the pleasure of being joined by the very funny and talented Gina Yashere. Gina is a standup comedian, TV writer, and actress. She has three self-produced comedy specials, is well known as the British Correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and is also known for writing and performing on CBS’s sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola. Now, Gina has a memoir out titled Cack-Handed, which details her Nigerian British upbringing, and her hard-won career success. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're talking with award-winning historian Dr. Keisha N. Blain about her latest book, Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America. Listen to hear Dr. Blain talk about why she felt compelled to tell the story of Fannie Lou Hamer, and what most people don't realize about the significance of the complicated activist's legacy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're talking with the talented fantasy author, Namina Forna, about her debut YA novel The Gilded Ones, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. Listen to hear Namina talk about why she's so passionate about writing for the fantasy and YA genres, and how her upbringing in Sierra Leone and Georgia influenced the stunning first book in her upcoming trilogy, which has already been optioned for a film adaptation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're talking to the talented and hilarious Yvonne Orji on the show. Many people know Yvonne best for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Molly Carter on HBO's Insecure, but Yvonne also happens to be a stand-up comedian and now author as well. Listen to hear Yvonne talk about writing her new memoir, Bamboozled By Jesus: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams, as well as how her faith has carried her throughout her career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have the brilliant author and political commentator Keith Boykin on the show to talk about his 5th and latest book, Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America. Listen to hear Keith talk about what motivated him to write this particular book at this particular point in history, and why it's more important now than ever for both sides of the aisle to take the Black vote more seriously. Keith is CNN political commentator, an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, and the co-founder and first board president of the National Black Justice Coalition. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have Beasts of Prey author Ayana Gray on the show. Ayana's debut novel has already generated a ton of buzz, including from the esteemed O Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, and Netflix—which is already working on the film adaptation. Listen to hear Ayana talk about what inspired the sweeping Pan-African-inspired fantasy, how she feels the YA genre has evolved over the past 15 years, and how she finds the discipline to finish these epic novels.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have the hilarious and multi-talented Phoebe Robinson on the show! Listen to hear Phoebe talk about how she came to write her third and most recent collection of essays, Please Don't Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes, what she hopes broader society starts to realize about women in their 30s, and why she's so excited about her publishing imprint with Penguin Random House, Tiny Reparations Books. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're speaking with the ever-inspiring Alicia Garza. Alicia is an activist who is perhaps best known for co-creating the Black Lives Matter movement alongside Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. She’s also a principal at the Black Futures Lab, and the strategy and partnerships director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Alicia's book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When Things Fall Apart came out in October of last year, and just this month was released in paperback. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we have the brilliant Jill Louise Busby (aka jillisblack) on to talk about her debut collection of essays, Unfollow Me: Essays on Complicity. Listen to hear Jill talk about the experience of being a prominent voice on social media, the social scripts we give to non-Black people and how that impacts us, and the varied ways in which we discuss and use identity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're sitting down with the lovely and multi-talented Gabrielle Union to talk about her latest memoir, You Got Anything Stronger? which is a follow-up to her 2017 New York Times bestselling memoir, We're Going to Need More Wine. Listen to hear Gabrielle talk about the intense experiences that inspired the book, the heavy realizations she's had about her career, and why she felt compelled to be so open and honest about her own life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello, It's Lit listeners! We've been on a bit of a hiatus but we are returning next week with some brand new episodes. Thanks for sticking with us, and we can't wait to bring you some new conversations with some amazing writers next week! RECAST: This week we have the legendary, award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni joining us on It's Lit. Nikki is the author of over 30 collections of poetry including the New York Times bestselling Bicycles: Love Poems, and has a brand new volume out called Make Me Rain: Poems & Prose. Listen to hear the iconic writer talk about her perspective on where we are currently as a country, the advice she gives to young writers, and why food plays such an integral role in her work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're talking with award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Jason Reynolds. Best known as a prolific YA writer, Jason is the author of numerous books including Ghost, Long Way Down, Look Both Ways, and As Brave As You, and he is also the 2020–2021 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Jason's latest book is an adaptation of Ibram X. Kendi's Stamped From the Beginning called Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. Listen to hear Jason speak with Danielle and Maiysha about why he loves writing for middle-grade audiences, the arduous process of adapting an award-winning piece of literature, and the unique magnificence of Black children. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on It's Lit we're joined by author, academic, “crunk feminist” and 2017 Root 100 honoree Brittney Cooper, author of the New York Times bestseller Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower. Listen to hear Brittney talk about Black women's political power, the importance of emphasizing Black feminism, and why she will always ride for Beyoncé in spite of her critics. https://www.theroot.com/c/its-lit See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're speaking with the brilliant Salamishah Tillet to talk about her latest book, In Search of The Color Purple: The Story of an American Masterpiece, which is a deep dive into the history of Alice Walker’s famous novel, as well as an examination of the cultural response to the book, and the movie and musical that followed. Listen to hear Salamishah talk about how the project came to her, the process of researching the beloved book's backstory, and what it was like to interview Alice Walker herself. In addition to being an author, Salamishah is also a professor at Rutgers University, a contributing critic-at-large for the New York Times, and is the co-founder of A Long Walk Home, which is an organization focused on empowering young artists and activists to end violence against all girls and women. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're sitting down with the talented and prolific fiction writer, Tia Williams. Tia is truly a writer in every sense of the word—she’s been a beauty editor for magazines like Elle, Glamour, Essence, and Lucky, and she’s currently the Editorial Director at Estee Lauder. She’s also written five critically lauded novels, including the African American Literary Award-winning novel The Perfect Find. Tia's latest romance novel is the instant New York Times bestseller, Seven Days in June, and we had the honor of getting to talk to her about how the inspiration for the story came to her, her approach to writing sex scenes, and how she musters the discipline to write a full novel while also having another full-time job in addition to being a mother. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're speaking with artist, music historian, and DJ Adrian Loving about his new book, Fade 2 Grey: Androgyny, Style and Art in 80's Pop Music. Listen to hear Adrian and Maiysha dive into their love of '80s music and Gen X culture, and talk about how we can learn to appreciate some of the iconic artists of the decade—from Prince to Bowie to Grace jones—on a whole new level. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.