On episode 42 of the podcast, we have award-winning author Laila Lalami on the show, discussing her powerful novel, The Other Americans. The Other Americans was a finalist for the National Book Awards.

Laila is the author of several award-winning novels including, The Moor's Account and Secret Son. A native of Morocco, Laila is a professor of creative writing at the University of California Riverside.

On the show Laila talks about her rigorous research and writing process for her novels, why she had to decolonize her writing voice, immigration, and who belongs in America.

This episode was originally recorded when The Other Americans first debuted in 2019, but since the book is about an unsolved murder of an immigrant man in America, and the story delves into the dynamics of small town-America in flux, we decided this was the perfect time to rerun this riveting episode. It's the perfect book for the moment we're in now.

Lit Links for More

To learn more about Laila Lalami, visit her website at LailaLalami.com. Her new novel, due out in March 2025 is called The Dream Hotel.

If you’re interested in buying a copy of The Other Americans, consider purchasing at the Reed, Write, & Create online bookshop to support our show and your favorite independent booksellers.

If you’re looking for more inspiration and information to optimize your writing life, visit the Reed, Write, & Create website. While you’re there, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get writing inspiration and resources right in your inbox.

One more thing, the doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create, Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications.

If you enjoy our award-winning literary podcast, please leave a review on Apple podcasts or wherever you like to listen to podcasts.

On episode 41 of the podcast, I’m going to be giving you a quick but important pep talk about reading, because you may be doing it all wrong. You see, writers, need an intentional reading habit, not just a reading hobby.

I’m going to break down the important difference between the two, and then share five easy steps, and a message from James Baldwin, to help you cultivate a sustainable reading habit that I promise will make you a better writer.

RESOURCES FOR YOU:

If you're looking for a inexpensive notebook/journal to use to track your reading habit, I like this one, available on amazon.

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025..

Press play on this fan-favorite, rewind episode with award-winning author, Tracey Lewis-Giggetts.

Tracey Lewis-Giggetts has written over 30 books in multiple genres. She writes fiction, nonfiction, poetry and screenplays. She is the author of the award-winning, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration and Then They Came For Mine: Healing from the Trauma of Racial Violence.

Tracey is also an award-winning, celebrity ghostwriter and has penned best-selling books for several public figures including Tabitha Brown, Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five, and Dr. Joy Harden Bradford of Therapy for Black Girls.

During our inspiring conversation, Tracey revisits her 30+ year career as a writer and writing instructor, to share the nuggets of wisdom she’s gleaned along the way. We discuss:

• how she keeps going in the face of rejection,
• how she managed to quit her job in academia to write full time
• why it’s okay to write in more than one genre.

Most importantly, Tracey talks about how and why she is so prolific, why she makes no apology for centering her stories around Black people and Black culture, and why it is so important to stay ready so you can be ready when opportunities arise.

BTW, we’re re-airing this episode this week, because Tracey has a new book coming out on October 29, 2024. If you’re listening in real time, that’s tomorrow!

The book is called The Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally ReClaiming Your Delight. It’s a guided journal and devotional that includes thirty reflective entries on themes like the power of our laughter, the weight of joy in the midst of grief, and embracing our everyday delights. Each section provides meditations, prompts, and actionable steps to help you unearth or reclaim joy in your life. It is a companion title to Black Joy, which we discuss in the episode. Get one for yourself and grab one for a friend for the holidays!

To learn more about Tracey, please visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Tracey mentioned the following useful resources for writers:

The Hurston Wright Writers Workshop is an excellent resource for Black writers.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamontt is a book for writers about writing that Tracey recommends.

If you want more information, inspiration and resources for your literary life, visit the Reed, Write, and Create website.

If you would like a literary pep talk + resources carefully curated for BIPOC authors delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Reed, Write, & Create newsletter. No spam, just inspiration and resources to uplevel your literary life.

The doors are now closed to the Reed, Write and Create Sanctuary, our private community for BIPOC women writers who take their writing seriously. But you can still add your name to the waiting list so you’ll be the first to know when we’re taking new applications in 2025..

Subscribe to @LiteraryLori on YouTube and help Lori launch her new channel.