Explore every episode of the podcast The Ethically Immoral Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume Six: Chapter Fifteen - Our Conversation with Barbara Fant | 05 Jan 2026 | 02:00:22 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Fifteen of The Program, we welcome Educator, Community Activist, Poet, Performance Poet, and Author Barbara Fant, who is making her third appearance on the podcast. Born in Youngstown, Ohio and now based in Los Angeles, Barbara is the author of three poetry collections Paint, Inside Out, Mouths of Garden, and her newest collection, Joy in the Belly of a Riot. For over a decade, she has led poetry workshops for incarcerated youth and adults, people in recovery, and survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence. In this conversation, we talk about the journey of releasing a new book, returning home for her Ohio book launch, and the creative relationships that have shaped her path — including long-standing friendships formed through performance poetry and slam. Barbara also shares what it means to be named a Recording Academy 2025 New Member, becoming a voting member for the Grammys, and how poetry, music, and performance continue to intersect in her life. We dive into her slam and performance history, finding joy on the other side of trauma, and how Joy in the Belly of a Riot helped her arrive at a clearer understanding of who she is — fully embracing faith, poetry, and purpose without compartmentalizing any part of herself. A thoughtful, honest, and wide-ranging conversation about art, healing, joy, and becoming. Contact Barbara: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Sunshine Lombre – Daydream Tonya Ingram – Monster Theresa Davis – Why I Do This Barbara Fant: Brown Bodies Bending Barbara Fant: Medicine | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Fourteen - Our Conversation with Candace Green | 15 Dec 2025 | 01:19:49 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Fourteen of The Program, we welcome Candace Marquez Green, a Chicago-born and Chicago-based community activist, entrepreneur, writer, poet, and author of the new poetry collection, "In Glimpses and Reminisces". Candace holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entertainment Business, a Master of Arts in Public Relations, and a Master of Business Administration. She is the recipient of the 2022 Chicago Defender Woman of Excellence Award, was named one of Crain’s Chicago Business and Black Women’s Professional League 40 Under 40, and currently serves on the board of the Chicago Poetry Center, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to poetry across diverse communities throughout Chicago. Our conversation explores the many layers of Candace’s creative identity, beginning with her long history in pageantry. She reflects on what pageantry taught her about discipline, confidence, access, and leadership, while also addressing the more complicated narratives often associated with the pageant world. From there, we transition into her creative history and examine the parallels between pageantry and poetry — performance and vulnerability, composure and truth — and how those worlds have shaped, rather than contradicted, one another. Candace speaks openly about growing up on Chicago’s South Side, witnessing addiction, loss, and trauma within her family, and how writing became her earliest and most honest form of self-expression through journaling and poetry. The conversation then turns to her newest poetry collection, a deeply personal work shaped by love, grief, resilience, and self-discovery. Candace shares the significance of writing much of the book during an intense creative period, and she also discusses the experience of self-publishing the collection and the pride she feels in releasing a book rooted in lived truth rather than polished performance. This episode is a thoughtful conversation about identity, growth, and the long journey from learning how to be seen to learning how to speak — honestly and on one’s own terms. Contact Candace: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Porsha O – Trigger William Evans – For My Wife Who Fell In Love With A Ship Buried At Sea Ephriam Nehemiah – Inheritance of a Broken Home Alyesha Wise: Untitled: To Black Women Kenneth Something: Rape Poem | |||
| Volume Six - Chapter Break | 17 Aug 2025 | 00:43:08 | |
No guest this week — instead, it's our Chapter Break episode. For this one, We’ve pulled together six of our favorite live readings and spoken word performances from past guests on the program. Think of it as a chance to pause, revisit, and really sit with the words that have stayed with us — and hopefully with you too. We’ll be back next week with a brand-new conversation. Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Sabrina Ali - I Want You Back (Appearance: Volume Three - Chapter Seventeen) Nicoli The Poet - Who Hurt You (Appearance: Volume One - Chapter Two) Kennie Sings - I'm Just Sayin' (Appearance: Volume Four - Chapter Two) Michael Phillips - Freedom (Appearance: Volume One - Chapter Nine) Dr. Tara Betts - Stay Lit (Appearance: Volume Four - Chapter Thirteen) Bashar Abou Hawili - Good For Me (Appearance: Volume Three - Chapter Nine) | |||
| Chapter Eighteen: Our Conversation with Yerusalem L.D. | 06 Sep 2020 | 01:13:50 | |
This week we welcome New York based Poet, artist and author or the book Crashing, Yerusalem L.D. | |||
| Chapter Seventeen: Our Conversation with Zoe Sumner | 30 Aug 2020 | 01:50:07 | |
Contact Zoe: _untangledthoughts Shanelle Gabriel – Aim High | |||
| Chapter Sixteen: Our Conversation with Knight Krawler | 23 Aug 2020 | 01:18:27 | |
In Chapter Sixteen we welcome Hybrid (Spoken word artist, Poet, rapper, and Author) Knight Krawler to the program. The author of three books (Endless Night, The Rules of Poetry and his latest, Another Endless Knight), he discusses the struggle being accepted as a rapper, his transition into poetry then as a spoken word artist, and his books. Edwin Bodney – Good Morning Shea Vaughan Gabor – Living While Black and Girl | |||
| Chapter Fifteen: Our Conversation With Lydia Cook (Born To Write) | 16 Aug 2020 | 01:34:49 | |
In Chapter Fifteen, we we welcome Performance poet, Poet, Motivational Speaker and Author of two books - From Pain to Power and Blue Fire: A Poetic Journey, Lydia Cook. | |||
| Chapter Fourteen: Our Conversation with Lyrical Faith | 09 Aug 2020 | 01:15:56 | |
For Chapter Fourteen we welcome back to the Podcast, New York based Poet and Spoken Word artist Lyrical Faith. Lyrical is the founder of Poetry for Service, Black Greek Poets, and is the the co-founder of the Harlem Bomb Shelter. In our conversation, Lyrical discusses her online presence since COVID, performing live for the first time after quarantine, how she leverages virtual appearances to her benefit, and how she plans to approach virtual appearances after COVID after physical venues re-open. Jared Singer – Just Take A Shower Arianna Brown – We Never Did This To Be Beautiful | |||
| Chapter Thirteen: Our Conversation with Drew Carroll | 02 Aug 2020 | 01:06:32 | |
We welcome Poet and short fiction Writer Drew Carroll to the Podcast for Chapter Thirteen. In our Conversation, Drew talks about his journey into Poetry, his thoughts as to why Poetry is the method of writing that Creatives are drawn to to express their negative thoughts and experiences, and he shares his work. | |||
| Chapter Twelve: Our Conversation with Kendra Blondell | 26 Jul 2020 | 01:28:13 | |
We welcome Poet and Spoken Word Artist Kendra Blondell to the Podcast. Kendra discusses her process to prepare for performances, how Spoken Word is what she is supposed to do and what some of her goals as a Creative. | |||
| Chapter Break: One | 19 Jul 2020 | 00:32:52 | |
Spoken Word performances included in this Chapter Break: | |||
| Chapter Eleven: Our Conversation with L3thal Po3t | 12 Jul 2020 | 01:42:28 | |
In Chapter Eleven of the Podcast we welcome back Poet, Spoken word artist L3thal Po3t. L3thal is the author of the best selling book No Cappin' Dont Test Africa: A Worldwide Message, available now on Amazon and via her website lethalpoet.net. | |||
| Chapter Ten: Our Conversation with Lyrical Faith | 05 Jul 2020 | 01:18:17 | |
Our featured Creative this week is spoken word artist, poet, and activist Lyrical Faith. She is the founder of Poetry For Service, a non-profit focused on providing a voice to marginalized people through spoken word. | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Five - Our Conversation with Story Teller Gordon | 03 Aug 2025 | 02:06:01 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Five of The Program, we welcomed Story Teller Gordon —a New York-based Community Activist, Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Author of the poetry collection "Don't Speak For Me", and founder of FORM NYC, a nonprofit that blends poetry, public health, and community healing. With a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management, Gordon is a multidisciplinary creative who uses his art and voice to create spaces for connection, conversation, and care. In our conversation, we discuss his poetry origins in 2020 during the height of the virtual open mic era, how he discovered poetry as a form of emotional clarity, and why relatability—not just catharsis—is central to his work. Gordon opens up about his unique writing process, the discipline it takes to create with intention rather than emotion, and how performance, for him, is more about conversation than theatrics. We also explore FORM NYC, the community-centered nonprofit he founded in 2018. From campaigns like "Stop Street Harassment" to "My Brother is Calling" and "Safe Space", Gordon shares the motivations behind creating programs that support the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of young men—especially in a time where masculinity is being redefined and often misrepresented. Contact Story Teller Gordon: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Khalil Saaqiq – Who Am I Kelsey Bigelow – A Grandfather's Hands Shanelle Gabriel – Daddy's Girl Story Teller Gordon – New Year's Resolution | |||
| Chapter Nine: Our Conversation with Michael Phillips | 28 Jun 2020 | 01:31:26 | |
Our featured Creative this week is spoken word artist, poet, and activist Michael Phillips. In our conversation, Mike discusses how he got started in poetry, his transition to spoken word, his major influence, and the reasons why a particular poem brought tears to his eyes. He also performs two poems. | |||
| Chapter Eight: Our Conversation with William Washington | 21 Jun 2020 | 01:28:38 | |
Our featured Creative this week is spoken storyteller and author of the book "The Nigger Chronicles" William Washington. In our exclusive conversation, William discusses his book, his writing process, this four inspirations for writing, and he performs four of his poems. | |||
| Chapter Seven: Our Conversation with Mecca Morphosis | 14 Jun 2020 | 01:59:56 | |
In Chapter Seven of the Podcast, we welcome social justice advocate, poet, spoken word artist, actress and teacher, Meccamorphosis. Mecca is the author of the upcoming book "Things to Unlearn, is the 2016 winner of Brave New Voices, 2016 and 2017 Southern Fried poetry Slam, and is currently ranked the 2nd best port in the world. | |||
| Chapter Six: Our Conversation with lifeof.don | 07 Jun 2020 | 01:08:23 | |
Chapter Six of the Podcast welcomes poet and spoken word artist lifeof.don. In our conversation, Don discusses his poetry origins, why he believes that is poetry resonates with his fans, how deciding to write a mental health poem forced him to discover more about himself, and why he was reluctant to share the resulting piece. Recorded Spoken Word performances featured in Chapter Six includes: | |||
| Chapter Five: Our Conversation with Khalil Saadiq and special guest Symbolik | 31 May 2020 | 02:13:49 | |
Chapter Five of the Podcast features our Conversation with Khalil Saadiq. In it, he discusses honing his creativity by expanding knowledge of the production side of spoken word projects, taking time away from writing and performing, and believing that his best work is yet to come. | |||
| Chapter Four: Our Conversation with Celine Prendergast | 24 May 2020 | 01:45:14 | |
Chapter Four of the Podcast features Celine Prendergast, Poet, and Author of the book A Heart of Love: A Poetry Chapbook. In our exclusive conversation, we discuss her book, why poetry seems to be a writers default writing style when venting or expressing feelings, and more. | |||
| Chapter Three: Our Conversation with Nicoli the Poet | 17 May 2020 | 01:25:10 | |
In Chapter Three of the Podcast, we welcome Poet and Spoken Word artist Nicoli the Poet. In this chapter, Nicoli discusses his writing process, when and how he knew he had more control of his audience, how he pushes through any doubts and nervousness surrounding his performances, whats behind his obsession of Mangos, and other topics in this ranging conversation. | |||
| Chapter Two: Our Conversation with Cambridge Jenkins IV | 10 May 2020 | 01:26:51 | |
Chapter Two features our Conversation with Poet, Spoken Word artist, and Author Cambridge Jenkins IV. Cambridge is the author of four books, including his most recent release, Give Me Your Face, a collection of love poems. In this Chapter, Cambridge discusses his inspiration for writing, other passions that stimulate his creativity, and his tea brand Great Day Tea. | |||
| Chapter One: Our Conversation with L3thal Po3t | 03 May 2020 | 01:11:07 | |
Chapter One features our exclusive in-depth conversation with Spoken Word artist L3thal Po3t. In it, she discusses her transition from being a quiet child, earning her stage name in college, to becoming a spoken word artist who works to inspire those with social anxiety through her performances. | |||
| Preface | 10 Apr 2020 | 00:18:37 | |
Our Preface Episode is our introduction to you, the audience. The purpose of the Podcast, what's included, and our goals are all packed in this, roughly 19 minute episode. | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Four - Our Conversation with Natasha Ria El-Scari | 28 Jul 2025 | 01:43:26 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Four of the podcast, we welcome Poet, Spoken Word Artist, and Author Natasha Ria. Natasha Ria has been writing and performing poetry for three decades. Whether it is performing with live musicians in Jazz, R&B, or Hip Hop or sharing her quieter literary work, her signature voice soothes audiences and brings them closer to themselves. Personal, political, intersectional, Natasha Ria brings her entire self to her performances. Contact Natasha: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Anita D – And the Psych Ward Says Jae Nichelle – Friends With Benefits Rudy Francisco – Scars To The New Boyfriend Natasha Ria – Shine | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Three - Our Conversation with Alyssa Michelle | 13 Jul 2025 | 02:06:33 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Three of the podcast, we welcome Poet, Spoken Word Artist, and Author Alyssa Michelle for her third appearance on the program. Alyssa, based in Albany, New York, is a mother, motivational speaker, and creative writing consultant who has authored three poetry collections: Growing Pains, The Awakening, and Blooming Season. In our conversation, we ease in with her road trip R&B playlist, then dive into a discussion about introversion, energy, growth, and the personal work behind Alyssa’s creative evolution. We revisit her start as a young writer who turned to poetry for safe expression and trace how her writing has shifted from chronicling trauma to embodying confidence, healing, and self-empowerment. She opens up about the importance of honoring her past without staying bound to it — particularly in her performance work, where she now feels called to reflect joy, strength, and renewal on stage. We also discuss her latest book, Blooming Season, a personal collection of 22 poems that represents, essentially, both a closing of one chapter and the quiet beginning of another. Plus, Alyssa shares her experience participating in the LA Times Festival of Books and offers insight into her new role as a creative writing consultant, supporting writers across a wide range of genres. Alyssa brings honesty, warmth, and a quiet wisdom that makes this conversation both comforting and energizing, and is why she is one of our favorite guests to converse with. Contact Alyssa: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Maya Mayor – Perfect Lyrical Faith – Lay My Edges Shawn William – Tired Alyssa Michelle – Solitude Thoughts | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Two - Our Conversation with Dr. Theri Pickens | 07 Jul 2025 | 02:09:43 | |
This week on the program, we welcomed Poet, Scholar, Educator, and Author of the poetry collection "What Had Happened Was" - Dr. Therí Pickens . Dr. Pickens is a Professor of English at Bates College, where she teaches courses in African American and Arab American literature, disability studies, philosophy, and literary theory. In our conversation, we explore the intersections of Blackness, disability, poetry, and presence — and how she weaves these into both her creative and academic work. We begin with a fun round of word association that touches on everything from “Mad Blackness” to ‘90s R&B and Uno (yes, the card game), before diving into her creative history — from being the “young nerd” with a backpack full of books to her early dreams of publishing poetry. Dr. Pickens shares how she began seriously honing her craft as a poet in 2017, using poetic forms to guide and discipline her creativity. We discuss how her scholarly work in disability studies, particularly Black Disability Studies, informs her poetry — and how she challenges dominant frameworks like “mutual constitution” in understanding Blackness and disability. She offers insightful distinctions between impairment and disability, and how structural barriers—not bodies—create inaccessibility. Contact Dr. Pickens: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Ariana Brown – Supremacy Yaw – Ancestral Ghosts Dasan Ahanu – Conversation With God Ayanna Florence – Boy Calls Me Pretty Ifrah Hussein – Tell Us | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter One - Our Conversation with Sunshine Lombre | 29 Jun 2025 | 01:50:41 | |
In the premiere Chapter of Volume Six, we welcomed Chicago-born and based Educator, Poet, Writer, Spoken Word Artist, and Dancer, Sunshine Lombré . From her early start in ballet at the age of three to her decision to pursue dance and poetry professionally, Sunshine walks us through her artistic evolution—how physics gave way to poetry, how Craigslist led to one of her first choreography gigs, and how an unexpected injury became a spiritual and creative turning point. We talk about the interplay between poetry and movement—how dance, especially fem-centered forms like burlesque and belly dancing, can carry memory and emotion in ways language sometimes can't. Sunshine opens up about how embracing her sensuality and femininity transformed not only her art but her relationship to herself. She also shares her passion for healing through art, both personally and in community. From her work with Poetry for Personal Power to teaching in libraries and arts councils, Sunshine is deeply invested in using creativity to empower others—especially those who might not see themselves as “artistic.” Toward the end of our conversation, we discuss her advocacy and activism, including the emotional weight and responsibility of poems like "For Gaza" and "Living in Portable Caskets". We explore what it means to create art that holds both sensuality and sorrow, joy and justice—and how those things can coexist. Contact Sunshine: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Kyla Janee Lacey– Pulled Out A Knife On Him Zach Goldberg – Blackout Javon Johnson – The Shotgun Sunshine Lombré – For Gaza | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Twenty - Our Conversation with Ajanaé Dawkins | 22 Jun 2025 | 02:11:26 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Twenty, we welcomed Ajanae Dawkins. Ajanaé is a poet, conceptual artist and theologian. She works through poetry, visual art, performance, and audio to explore the politics of faith, grief, and intimate relationships between Black women. As a theologian, she blends cultural criticism, memoir, and theology as autotheory to consider the relationship between Black church history, spirituality, and creation. Her work has appeared in the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day, The Rumpus, Prairie Schooner, the Indiana Review, Frontier Poetry, The BreakBeat Poets Black Girl Magic Anthology and more. Her solo-exhibition, No One Teaches Us How To Be Daughters, debuted at Urban Arts Space in 2024. Her chapbook, BLOOD-FLEX, won the New Delta Review’s Chapbook prize and is forthcoming in Spring 2025. Contact Ajanae: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: FreeQuency – The Seven Deadly American Sins Ya Ya Poet– Ling Ling Black Chakra – Pass Ajanaé Dawkins – When Viola Davis Won | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Nineteen - Our Conversation with Alysia Nicole Harris | 14 Jun 2025 | 02:35:00 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Nineteen, we welcomed Educator, Poet, Writer, Spoken Word Artist, host of the Chasing After Wind podcast, and Author of the chapbook How Much We Must Have Looked Like Stars To Stars, Dr. Alysia Nicole Harris. Alysia has dedicated her life to studying words in their spiritual, social, linguistic and creative capacities. Renowned internationally as a spoken word artist, Alysia has had a professional career as a performance artist and speaker since 2010, amassing over nine million views on YouTube. The author of the prize-winning chapbook How Much We Must Have Looked Like Stars to Stars (2016) received her MFA in poetry from New York University in 2014 and her PhD in linguistics from Yale University in 2019. Alysia has written, performed, and taught workshops in twelve countries for organizations including but not limited to: U.S. Mission to Ukraine, U.S. Mission to South Africa, U.S. Mission to Jordan, NAACP, Yale Center for Faith & Culture, Virginia Theological Seminary, City Seminary New York, The Disrespected Literatures Conference, Morehouse Center for Excellence in Education, University of Birmingham, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, MoMA: PS1, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Big Quiet, Button Poetry, and many schools and universities. She is currently working with members of a Texas community to restore a 108-year-old former CME church in Texas and transform it into an intergenerational space for community storytelling. Through this work she hopes to preserve Black places and celebrate Black stories in the U.S. South. Contact Alysia: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Ebony Stewart – How We Forget (after Loyce Gayo) Sabrina Ali – MisterOgyny Roscoe Burnems – Agnostic Alysia Harris – Situations Like This | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Eighteen - Our Conversation with Margo LaPierre | 09 Jun 2025 | 02:31:27 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Eighteen, we welcomed Writer, Poet, Editor, and Author of the forthcoming poetry collection "Ajar", Margo LaPierre. Margo edits fiction and creative non-fiction. She completed an undergraduate degree in philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, and graduated from the Toronto Metropolitan Chang School’s Publishing Program. She is currently completing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. In her volunteer work, she is the newsletter editor of Arc Poetry Magazine, the interim fiction editor of Untethered magazine, and a poetry selection jury member of Bywords.ca (www.bywords.ca). In 2019, she was the sole recipient of the Claudette Upton Scholarship, an annual, national award that recognizes a promising student editor from among Editors Canada’s student affiliates. She is a member of the poetry collective VII, also comprising Manahil Bandukwala, Ellen Chang-Richardson, Conyer Clayton, nina jane drystek, Chris Johnson, and Helen Robertson. Contact Margo: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Andrea Gibson – For The Days I Stop Wanting A Body Alyesha Wise – Flowers Christopher Diaz – Again Asia Samson – Enough Ania D – Colors | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Seventeen - Our Conversation with Anastacia-Renee | 01 Jun 2025 | 02:02:08 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Seventeen, we welcomed Educator, Writer, Poet, Playwright, and Author of the poetry collection "Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere", Anastacia-Reneé. (From anastacia-renee.com): Anastacia-Reneé (She/They) is a queer writer, educator, interdisciplinary artist, playwright, former radio host, TEDX speaker, and podcaster. She is the author of (v.) (Gramma/Black Ocean), Forget It (Black Radish); Sidenotes from the Archivist (HarperCollins/Amistad, ), and Here in the (Middle) of Nowhere (HarperCollins/Amistad). Side Notes From The Archivist was selected as one of “NYPL Best Books of 2023,” and, The American Library Associations (RUSA) “Notable Books of 2024.” Anastacia-Reneé is a recipient of the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist Award and, she was selected by NBC News as part of the list of "Queer Artist of Color Dominate 2021's Must See LGBTQ Art Shows," for “(Don’t Be Absurd) Alice in Parts” an installation at the Frye Art Museum. Anastacia-Reneé served as Seattle Civic Poet (2017-1019) during Seattle’s inaugural year of UNESCO status. Contact Anastacia-Renee: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Nia Lewis – Closed Edwin Bodney – Good Morning Aleah Bradshaw – Questions Gabrielle Smith – Blackbird Dasan Ahanu – Double Entendre | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Thirteen - Our Conversation with Sadiqa de Meijer | 24 Nov 2025 | 01:51:49 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Thirteen we welcome Amsterdam-born, Kingston Ontario-based Writer, Poet, Author, and Essayist Sadiqa de Meijer. She is the author of two acclaimed poetry collections — Leaving Howe Island, finalist for both the Governor General’s Award for English-language Poetry and the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and The Outer Wards, a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award. She is also the author of two nonfiction collections: the Governor General’s Award–winning alfabet / alphabet: A Memoir of a First Language, and her newest book, In the Field, now available from Palimpsest Press. Sadiqa is also the current Poet Laureate for Kingston, Ontario. This is her first appearance on the program. In our conversation, Sadiqa traces her creative history back to childhood — from immigrating from the Netherlands to Canada at age twelve, and how those early linguistic and cultural shifts shaped both her worldview and her writing. She reflects on experiencing marginalization as a person of color in Dutch society, the challenges of immigration, and the humility and attentiveness those experiences instilled in her as an artist. We talk about the deep imaginative life she had as a child: disappearing into books, being surrounded by storytelling, and how the desire to transform the private experience of reading into “conversation” was her earliest pull toward writing. She discusses discovering poetry in elementary school, becoming more intentional about her craft in high school and university, and the moment writing shifted from something she loved to something that felt essential — a part of her identity. We go deep into her award-winning nonfiction book alfabet / alphabet, where she examines losing — and later reclaiming — her mother tongue, Dutch. Sadiqa discusses how language shapes memory, how certain emotions exist differently in different languages, and why writing this book was personally necessary. She also speaks about the difference between the inward resonance she privileges in poetry and the slightly more outward-facing awareness she brings to her essays. Contact Sadiqa: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Jasmine Mans – You Gon' Get This Work Bianca Phipps – Born To Embody It Lady Brion – I Talk Black Javon Johnson – The Shotgun Rudy Francisco – Honesty | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Sixteen - Our Conversation with Dre Hill | 26 May 2025 | 02:11:14 | |
In Volume Five, Chapter Sixteen, we welcomed Poet, Artist, Writer, and Author Dre Hill. Dre is a Black literary and visual artist. Hill tags himself as an artist, writer, and storyteller. He is a published fiction writer, poet, photographer, painter, and more. He graduated from Trimble Tech High School in 2017, then earned his B.A. in Animation and Writing from Drury University in 2021. While at Drury, he had two pieces published in the literary magazine Currents. His work was featured in the “Race in America” art exhibit. His senior film, “Solace”, won second place in the 2022 MBEA competition. Hill’s work is both individualist and collective, seemingly speaking for and to each reader respectively as well as to and for groups as a whole. His work is vivid, colorful, and animated in nature. There are heavy Afrocentric, and often supernatural or metaphysical themes, in his work. Often exploring the connections between some of life’s mundane experiences and the almost extraordinary ways in which black people engage and grapple with them. Contact Dre: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Alysia Harris – Controlled Burn Bianca Phipps – Born To Embody It Taalam Acey – Seldom Seen Barbara Fant – Brown Bodies Burning Danez Smith – Dear White America | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Fifteen - Our Conversation with Asia Samson | 04 May 2025 | 02:18:20 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Fifteen, we welcome Poet, Writer, and Spoke Word Artist Asia Samson. (From theasiaproject.com): Since 2009, The Asia Project has toured over 2000 colleges with an acoustic music poetry act that has amazed audiences all over the country. On the microphone is Asia Samson: writer, poet and part-time ninja. He has been seen on HBO Def Poetry Jam and has shared the stage with such artists as Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, DMX, Mos Def, Dead Prez and KRS-One. Accompanying him on the guitar is his brother-in-law Jollan who uses music to create an atmosphere that brings poetry to emotional levels you would never expect. They have been featured on HBO Def Poetry, Button Poetry, TEDx, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, SoFar Sounds, Story Conference, and Entrepreneur’s Organization. They have worked with companies such as the US Military, Nokia, Disney, To Write Love On Her Arms and AEvolve. They have broken college-booking records for the most booked poetry act in the college market garnering them the awards of APCA College Performer of the Year and thrice APCA Spoken Word Artist of the Year. Contact Asia: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Sunni Patterson – Black Back Ashley Lumpkin – Inheritance Ephriam Nehamiah – Teaching My Son How To Say No Asia Samson – As I Am Asia Samson – Enough | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Fourteen - Our Conversation with Dream | 27 Apr 2025 | 02:02:35 | |
In Volume Five, Chapter Fourteen, we sit down with Baltimore-based artist Dream—an educator, poet, writer, photographer, and meditation guide. In our conversation, Dream discusses her creative journey, releasing her spoken word pieces on streaming platforms, and talks about the influence that her family’s creativity has had on her. We dive into poetry, writing, the benefits of meditation, and the beauty of helping others. A conversation about art, presence, intentionality, and more. Contact Dream: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Reagan Myers – Depression Is Funny Like That Imani Cezanne – Flowers Marshall Davis Jones – Touchscreen Elizabeth Acevedo – A Love Letter To My Beloved King Yaw – Ancestral Ghosts | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Thirteen - Our Conversation with Natalie Lim | 20 Apr 2025 | 01:45:43 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Thirteen, we welcome Poet, Writer, and Author of the poetry collection, “Elegy For Opportunity”, Natalie Lim. Natalie Lim (she/her) is a Chinese-Canadian poet living on the unceded, traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Peoples (Vancouver, BC). She is the author of a full-length book of poetry, Elegy for Opportunity (Wolsak & Wynn, 2025) and a chapbook, arrhythmia (Rahila's Ghost Press, 2022). Winner of the 2018 CBC Poetry Prize and Room Magazine’s 2020 Emerging Writer Award, her work has been published in Arc Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry 2020 and elsewhere. Contact Natalie: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Timothy DuWhite – The Story of How He Happened Denice Frohman – Accents Kenneth Something – Rape Poem Mike Rosen – When God Happens Javon Johnson – Black and Happy | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Twelve - Our Conversation with Samiya Bashir | 13 Apr 2025 | 02:11:59 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Twelve, we welcome Poet, Writer, Playwright, and Author of the forthcoming poetry collection, "I Hope This Helps", Samiya Bashir. Samiya Bashir’s honors include the Rome Prize in Literature, the Pushcart Prize, Oregon’s Arts & Culture Council Individual Artist Fellowship in Literature, plus numerous other awards, grants, fellowships, and residencies including MacDowell, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the New York Council on the Arts. She is the author of three books, and her fourth “I Hope This Helps” is scheduled to be released May 13th. Contact Samiya: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Melissa Newman-Evans – Nine Things I Would Like To Tell Every Teenage Girl L3thal Po3t – Superhero First Appearance: Here Tucker Bryant – Facts About Myself Meccamorphosis – Thriftshop Natasha Hooper – A Letter To Whomever Is Next | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Eleven - Our Conversation with Ahja Fox | 06 Apr 2025 | 02:33:05 | |
n Volume Five: Chapter Eleven, we welcome Poet, Writer, Performance Poet, and Poet Laureate of Aurora Colorado, Ahja Fox. Ahja is a mother, educator, freelancer, and the current Poet Laureate of Aurora, Colorado for a four-year term which ends Spring of 2026. She has editorial, hosting, unique performance and teaching experience through working with or for the City of Aurora, Art of Storytelling, Poetix University, Copper Nickel, Poetry Brothel Denver, Kallisto Gaia Press, Poetix University, Progenitor Literary & Art Journal and more. Currently, she teaches with Lighthouse Writers as a youth instructor, hosts Poetry Breakfast with Hoffman Library, and is a board member for Soul Stories, and commits to delivering poetry-focused lessons at various schools and public places. Contact Ray Jane: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Lyrical Faith – Bilingual Rudy Francisco – Scars To The New Boyfriend Steven Willis – The Hustle Speaks Ashley Davis – Lesson In Healing Sonya Renee Taylor – The Body Is Not An Apology | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Ten - Our Conversation with Sharnnell Spivey | 23 Mar 2025 | 01:41:50 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Ten, we welcome Poet, Writer, and Author of the new book "Root of the Matter" Sharnnell Spivey. From her Bio: "Sharnnell Spivey was born and raised in Detroit, MI where she first realized her passion for writing. She started at a young age by keeping journals. Sharnnell wrote in her journal about her daily life and feelings that she felt as if she could not express to others. As a preteen, she took an interest in Maya Angelou and her writings. She looked at a woman that was so bold and used emotions and turned them into art; Sharnnell wanted to do the same. She began writing poetry and realized she had a heart for it. She later published her first book of poetry at the age of 15 entitled, “So Many Emotions by One Little Girl”. She wrote her second poetry book “Keeping it Real” however she stopped writing for 6 years after experiencing a domestic violence situation. After coming out of her writers block, she spent 3 months writing about her experience in her nonfictional book entitled, “Domestic Drama: Her Truth”. It was hard to express the things that she experienced at that time however, she wanted to get her story out, hoping others come forward and remove themselves from such situations." Contact Sharnnell: Recorded Spoken Word Performances featured in this Chapter Included: Taalam Acey – Willie Lynch LLC Sherrika Mitchell – Crescent Love Roscoe Burnems – Metaphysics for White Privilege Alex Dang – What Kind of Asian Are You Thea Monyee – For Little Girls | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Nine - Our Conversation with Rebecca Salazar | 16 Mar 2025 | 02:30:29 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Nine, we welcome Activist, Poet, and Author of the forthcoming poetry collection "antibody". Rebecca (she/they) is a queer, racialized Latinx writer, editor, and community organizer. Published works include sulphurtongue (McClelland & Stewart), the knife you need to justify the wound (Rahila’s Ghost) and Guzzle (Anstruther). Rebecca edits poetry for The Fiddlehead and Plenitude magazines, is a co-founder of BIPOC Pride Fredericton, and works as a graduate researcher for the Cymbeline in the Anthropocene research project. Rebecca is currently completing a PhD on trauma, queerness, and ecopoetics, while living on the unceded territory of the Wolastoqiyik people. Contact Rebecca: Bluesky: @rsalazar Featured Performance Poets in This Chapter: Jasmine Combs – Monster Darius Simpson – Genocide Christopher Michael – Purse Clutchers GiGi Bella – Slut | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Eight - Our Conversation with Ray Jane | 09 Mar 2025 | 02:11:51 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Eight, we welcome back to the program Educator, Advocate, Poet, Spoken Word Artist, and Author of the book "Black Like That: Poems from a Conduit" Ray Jane. Ray is a Brooklyn-born poet raised in Far Rockaway, Queens. She uses her poetry to lift herself and other women of color. Always aiming to strengthen her voice, Ray Jane was also the winner of the Verb Benders slam poetry team’s inaugural poetry slam. Some of her feature performances include: “Digital Verse,” sponsored by The Nuyorican Poets Café and The Green Space. You can find her expressing her perspective as a Black female artist on several podcasts, including We Be Imagining/Black Siren Radio and Sound Minds Podcast’s “Potent Women Wordsmiths.” She has moderated her own workshops with ¡Oyé Group! Poet’s Corner (2021- 2023) and Art Defined, and hosted The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Thursday Night Online Open mic (2022-2023) and “Freestyle Friday” for The Word Is Write. Contact Ray Jane: Purchase Black Like That: Poems for a Conduit here and here Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Jared Singer – Just Take a Shower Jahman Hill – White Heaven Loyce Gayo – How We Forget Ray Jane – Sobering | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Seven - Our Conversation with Lalo León | 03 Mar 2025 | 01:53:27 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Seven, we welcome the Author of the book "Las Bugambilias: A Bilingual Queer Novel" Lalo León. Lalo was born and raised in Southern New Mexico near the U.S. Border with Mexico. He holds a structural engineering degree from New Mexico State University, a Master's Degree in architecture from Arizona State University, and is a retired Mariachi. “Las Bugambilias" is a work which reflects on his experience of being a conversion therapy survivor and how the interplay of Latino and American cultures have an impact on immigrant stories. Contact Lalo: Instagram: @thelaloleon Featured Performance Poets in This Chapter: Anna Maria Morris – A Love Poem For Myself Danez Smith – Waiting On You To Die So I Can Be Myself Jasmine Mans – You Gon'Get This Work Jay Ward – Gentrification Website: jwardpoetry.com | |||
| Volume Six: Chapter Twelve - Our Conversation with Melissa Powless Day | 17 Nov 2025 | 01:58:25 | |
In Volume Six: Chapter Twelve of the Program, we welcome Melissa Powless Day — a London, Ontario–based educator, writer, poet, and author. She serves as Chair for Western University’s Indigenous Writers Circle, is a Visiting Cultural Teacher for the London District Catholic School Board, and is currently completing her PhD in Indigenous Education at Western University. A Pushcart Prize nominee, she’s the author of the 2023 chapbook Secondhand Moccasins — shortlisted for the bpNichol Chapbook Award — and her debut full-length poetry collection, A Bow Forged From Ash, released through Palimpsest Press. In our conversation, Melissa reflects on the past few months of sharing her new collection with readers and communities across Canada, and what this season has meant for her as a creative. We discuss her reclamation journey and the importance of lineage — from the influence of her mother and grandmother, to the deeper meaning of pride in being a proud Indigenous woman. She shares how her sense of heritage began to shape her voice as a writer, the role music played in her artistic growth, and how ’90s artists like Mary J. Blige, Brandy, and Tupac Shakur helped her see parallels between Indigenous and African-American experiences through art and storytelling. We also talk about community, identity, and transformation — from her experiences in gaming and creative technology to the deliberate and deeply personal process of creating A Bow Forged From Ash. Melissa opens up about her writing process, the emotional high of publication, and the lessons learned from navigating both the joy and the business of bringing her work into the world. Finally, she discusses the reclamation of her name, the legacy of the Sixties Scoop, and how her creative work continues to be a powerful act of rewriting, healing, and self-discovery. Contact Melissa: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Ajanae Dawkins – For the Blonde Girl and the Classroom of Ghosts Ephraim Nehemiah – Afrofuturistic Fairy God Being Ayana Albertson – Her Rights Crystal Valentine – Black Privilege Matt Capone – Learned with Love | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Six - Our Conversation with Robert Lashley | 24 Feb 2025 | 01:53:27 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Six, we welcome Poet, Essayist, Freelance Writer, Critic, and Author of the forthcoming novel "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer", friend of the Podcast Robert Lashley. Robert is a 2016 Jack Straw Fellow, a nominee for a Stronger Genius Award, and an Artist Trust Fellow. This was his second appearance on the program. Contact Robert: Recorded Spoken Word Performances Featured Include: Brandon Alexander Williams – Black Woman Studies Muna Abdulahi – Pronounce Us Correctly Anyrah Shaveh – If We Must Die Young Moody Black – Eight Letters Gayle Danley – Rough | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Five - Our Conversation with Tarika Holland | 16 Feb 2025 | 02:23:57 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Five, we welcome Teaching Artists, Poet, Dancer, Spoken Word Artist, and Author of the book Becoming The Artist Volume One, Tarika Holland. Contact Tarika: Instagram: @tarikaholland Featured Performance Poets in This Chapter: Crystal Valentine – Black Privilege Ebony Stewart – Mental Health Barz Matthew Cuban Hernandez – Challenger Edwin Bodney – Good Morning | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Four - Our Conversation with Kelsey Bigelow | 09 Feb 2025 | 02:22:52 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Four we welcome back to the Program Page Poet, Spoken Word Artist, and Author of the book Far From Broken, Kelsey Bigelow. From Her Website: Kelsey Bigelow is a poet and speaker based in Des Moines. She spends her time working as a mental health poet sharing this therapeutic tool with audiences of all ages across the world. She is the author of four poetry projects, including her latest book "Far From Broken." Her work is published with several small presses and journals. Kelsey is a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, a 2023 Button Poetry Video Contest Finalist, and a 2023 Central Avenue Poetry Prize finalist. As a performer, Kelsey has worked with organizations such as The Mayo Clinic, NAMI, Planned Parenthood, and more. Videos of her work can be found on YouTube, Button Poetry, Ghost Poetry Show, and elsewhere. She's the founder of the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, the chair for the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, a teaching artist in the Des Moines community, the director for the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, and a founding member of the 2025 io-what poetry slam team. Contact Kelsey: Instagram: @kelkaybpoetry Featured Performance Poets in This Chapter: Jae Nichelle – Afro So Big Emi Mahmoud – Window Games God's Ink – Pennies Alexandria Bennett – Sapiosexual | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Three - Our Conversation with Meghan Malachi | 03 Feb 2025 | 02:31:56 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Three of the Program, we welcome Educator, Poet, and author of the chapbook The Autodidact, Meghan Malachi. From Meghan's Website: Meghan is the first-place winner of the Spoon River Poetry Review 2022 Editor's Prize Contest and a 2022 Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her work is published or forthcoming in Milly Magazine, Rabid Oak, NECTAR Poetry, Pages Penned in Pandemic, giallo lit, and Writers With Attitude. Her first chapbook, The Autodidact, was published by Ethel Zine and Micro Press. She lives in Chicago, Illinois. Meghan received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Providence College in 2016 and a Masters of Science in Mathematics from the University of Iowa in 2019. She has an MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing from DePaul University, where she also works as a Graduate Assistant and Peer Writing Tutor. Meghan is the Creative Director of Indigo Sessions, an artistic series highlighting the works of Black women musicians and poets. She is an Associate Editor at RHINO magazine and a Programs Coordinator at the Guild Literary Complex. Contact Meghan: Website: meghanmalachiwrites.com Instagram: @meghanbmal Spoken Word Recording featured this Week: Farah Habad - 2am in Marshall, TX X: @habadfarah Lady Brion - I Talk Black Instagram: @ladybspeaks Website: ladybrion.com X: @ladybspeaks Dasan Ahanu - I Love You Instagram: @dasanahanu Website: dasanahanu.com Ephraim Nehemiah - 5 Stages of Grief for the Living Instagram: @ephraimnehemiah Alysia Harris - Death Poem Instagram: poppyinthewheat Website: alysiaharris.com | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter Two - Our Conversation with M.L Farrell | 26 Jan 2025 | 01:50:08 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter Two we welcomed Writer and Author of the books How Much Can I See and Love Can't Be Measured, M.L. Ferrell With a heart rooted in gratitude and a deep love for God, M.L. Farrell writes stories that inspire, uplift, and encourage readers to embrace their own journey. She knows life isn’t about striving for perfection but about finding those moments of light and laughter, even when things get messy. Her books reflect that spirit—a mix of hope, humor, faith, and the courage to live authentically. | |||
| Volume Five: Chapter One - Our Conversation with Jennifer Bartell Boykin | 20 Jan 2025 | 02:20:49 | |
In Volume Five: Chapter One, we welcome Educator, Poet, Author of the poetry collections Only Believe and Traveling Mercy, and Poet Laureate of Columbia South Carolina Jennifer Bartell Boykin. She is the author of her debut book of poetry Traveling Mercy (Finishing Line Press, 2023) and her second book of poetry Only Believe (The Word Works, 2024) is a 2023 winner of The Hilary Tham Capital Collection. Both are published under the name Jennifer Bartell. Her poetry has been published in Obsidian, Callaloo, pluck!, The Raleigh Review, kinfolks, Jasper Magazine, the museum americana, Scalawag, and Kakalak, among others. She is a 2023 Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellow and organized the Inaugural Soda City Poetry Festival in June 2024. An alumna of Agnes Scott College, Jennifer has additional fellowships from Callaloo and The Watering Hole. She is an award-winning English educator who has taught English for 16 years and was the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year at Spring Valley High School. She is currently a school librarian at Muller Road Middle School in Blythewood, SC. | |||