In today’s conversation, I share the mic with Amanda Martinez Beck, author of Lovely: How I Learned to Embrace the Body God Gave Me, as well as the forthcoming More of You: The Fat Girl’s Field Guide to the Modern World. Amanda shares her unique, incredibly refreshing perspective on how we can love our bodies…
Author: Querida
Sometimes a book is more than just a book
I just finished listening to an audiobook yesterday. I had intended to listen to some books by Sharon Draper, since I’ve seen several of her books on other teachers’ bookshelves but hadn’t read or listened to any yet. Due to library-related availability on the apps I use, I wasn’t able to check out one of…
Word of the Day
Today has been a lot, youse guys. I found hella typos in a draft of something I freelance wrote yesterday, which nearly sent me down a shame spiral. But I had no time to spiral, because I needed to read a book so I could write its description, begin editing the book since I have…
A Brief Word about Vulnerability
No matter how many proposals I submitted for potential freelance editing gigs, how many submission guidelines I looked at for online or print publications, or how many blog posts I started in Google Docs but didn’t finish, vulnerability was required of me.
Undeterred: Dr. Mae Jemison
When I think of Dr. Mae Jemison, the image in my mind is of a smiling young Black woman in an orange astronaut suit, possibly wearing or holding the kind of helmet that astronauts wear when they embark upon a spacewalk. The image in my mind is static, unmoving. It’s lovely and placid.
To Sir, With Love
We are just a few short weeks into 2022, and collectively many of us are mourning the passing of America’s last Golden Girl, a trailblazing fashion icon, and a remarkable actor who to me embodied poise and gravitas. Grief to me is such a strange, intensely personal thing. When famous folks die and I find…
Episode 109: Black Hair with Camille Johnson
The January 17 episode of Something True delves into Camille’s and my personal hair journeys. We talk about our relationship with our hair, and share a few experiences of awkwardness when some people comment on it or touch it without our consent. This episode is about my cousin and me as individuals as much as…
Episode 108: Being Black in Predominantly White Spaces with Catrina Ballard
In the January 3 episode of Something True, I share a candid conversation with my friend Catrina Ballard. We connected years ago as two of a handful of Black students who attended our university. Our conversation centers around our shared experiences as Black women who have lived much of our lives in spaces that were…
Episode 107: She’s M.O.R.E. with Miranda Chism
To end the year, my dear friend Miranda Chism and I have a candid conversation about the end of 2021, and how we want to approach the start of the coming year. We talk setting goals, giving ourselves space for plans to change, and changing careers. https://www.facebook.com/groups/embraceyourjourney2bmore/?ref=share https://www.myshesmore.com/ Appalachian Elegy (Sections 1-6) by bell hooks…
Episode 106: Black Church With Clent Holmes
The December 20 episode is such a treat! I got to sit down with my good friend Clent Holmes to talk about something that holds a special place in both our hearts: the Black church. Twitter: Clent Holmes, II (@clent2) IG: Clent Holmes (@clent2) • Instagram photos and videos The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van…