# episode lissa (audio feeds) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 1 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover episode lissa. Page: Feed: --- ## [Literacy and Benjamin E. Mays Afrocentric Academy](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/literacy-and-benjamin-e-mays-afrocentric-academy) _2026-08-10 · Black Market Reads_ In this special episode of Black Market Reads , Lissa Jones turns the conversation from the authors who write our stories to the young readers who will carry them forward. Recorded at Benjamin E. Mays Afrocentric Magnet School in St. Paul, the episode begins with Freedom School scholars sharing the books they love and reflecting on reading, history, and community. Lissa then sits down with… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Benjamin_E._Mays_Show_81026.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 108 - Justin Ellis, The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-108-justin-ellis-the-cruelty-of-nice-folks-why-minneapolis-is-the-story-of-america) _2026-06-25 · Black Market Reads_ In this powerful hometown conversation, journalist Justin Ellis returns to Minneapolis to discuss his debut book, The Cruelty of Nice Folks: Why Minneapolis Is the Story of America . Joined by host Lissa Jones , Ellis unpacks the contradiction at the heart of Minnesota's reputation: how a place celebrated for progressivism, politeness, and quality of life can also produce some of the nation's… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Justin_Ellis_Edie_Edit_2_.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 109 - 100 Years of Black Freedom with performance by Phillis Wheatley](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-109-100-years-of-black-freedom-with-performance-by-phillis-wheatley) _2026-06-23 · Black Market Reads_ To mark the 100th Anniversary of Carter G. Woodson's Black History Month (previously known as Negro History Week) and the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence the community came together to join The Givens Foundation for African American Literature and The Givens Collection of Literature and Life in celebration. In this episode Lissa welcomes esteemed guests, and leads a tour with… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Phillis_Weatley_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 107 - Kevin Lindsey, Minnesota Humanities Center](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-107-kevin-lindsey-minnesota-humanities-center) _2026-06-16 · Black Market Reads_ Welcome to a very special edition of Black Market Reads, brought to you by the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, in proud partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center. In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson introduced Negro History Week to build a durable, year-round engagement with Black history and cultural memory. One hundred years later, we are honoring that exact vision by… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Kevin_Lindsey_Show.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 106 - Michael Richards, Are You Down?](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-106-michael-richards-are-you-down) _2026-04-25 · Black Market Reads_ Recorded live at Franconia Sculpture Park, this episode of Black Market Reads brings listeners into a powerful, place-based conversation about the life, work, and legacy of artist Michael Richards. Host Lissa Jones is joined by curator Esther Callahan and book editors Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin to explore Are You Down? , Richards' monumental sculpture created during his 2000 residency at… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Franconia_Michael_Richards_Show42526.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 105 - Michael Kleber-Diggs, Worldly Things](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-105-michael-kleber-diggs-worldly-things) _2026-04-15 · Black Market Reads_ In this powerful episode of Black Market Reads , host Lissa Jones sits down with award-winning poet Michael Kleber-Diggs to explore the depth and intention behind his collection Worldly Things . Their conversation moves fluidly between poetry, fatherhood, community, and the responsibility of bearing witness, as Diggs reflects on writing as an act of care—rooted in intimacy, empathy, and presence.… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Michael_Kieber-Diggs_Show_41526.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 104 - Vanessa Riley, Fire Sword & Sea](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-104-vanessa-riley-fire-sword-sea) _2026-03-27 · Black Market Reads_ In this episode, recorded during Women's History Month, Lissa talks with author Vanessa Riley about her latest historical novel. Riley—whose works have received high praise from New York Times , NPR, Washington Post , and Entertainment Weekly, among others—pushes historical fiction into bold new territory. She reveals the often-erased stories of Black, Indigenous, and women pirates, weaving in… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Vanessa_Riley_Show_32626.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 103 -Antonio Michael Downing, Saga Boy and Black Cherokee](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-103-antonio-michael-downing-saga-boy-and-black-cherokee) _2026-03-10 · Black Market Reads_ Antonio Michael Downing is an author, speaker, and musical artist. His memoir Saga Boy was called "singularly dazzling" by Kiese Laymon and "the triumph of Blackness everywhere" by Scotiabank Giller Prize–winner Ian Williams. He is also the author of the children's picture book Stars in My Crown and his debut novel, Black Cherokee . He writes and performs music as John Orpheus. In this Episode… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Antonio_Michael_Downing_Final.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 102 - Ethelene Whitmire, The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-102-ethelene-whitmire-the-remarkable-life-of-reed-peggram) _2026-02-26 · Black Market Reads_ The Remarkable Life of Reed Peggram by Ethelene Whitmire tells the true story of Reed Peggram, a brilliant Black, queer Harvard scholar who went to Paris in 1937 and stayed through World War II for love, eventually escaping Nazi-occupied Italy with his partner, Arne Gerdahn Hauptmann, with the help of an all-Black American regiment . This episode was recorded before a live audience at Magers &… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Ethelene_Whitmire_Final22626.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 101 - C.J. Farley - Who Knows You By Heart](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/cj-farley-who-knows-you-by-heart) _2026-02-10 · Black Market Reads_ Kicking off Season 11 and Black History Month- This conversation could not be more timely. Part social thriller, part modern love story, Who Knows You by Heart by CJ Farley is a sly, witty, and endlessly discussable tale of Big Tech, new money, relationships, race, and discovering what's real in an age of artificial intelligence. C.J. (Christopher John) Farley is a Jamaican-born author,… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/CJ_Farley_Final_Show.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Earn crypto from idle GPUs (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/coXSditC9uQd) _2026-02-10 · **Sponsored**_ Run one CLI command, connect your GPU, and start receiving crypto payouts. ## [Episode 100: A Landmark Celebration of Black Stories, Voices, and Legacy](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-100-a-landmark-celebration-of-black-stories-voices-and-legacy) _2025-12-02 · Black Market Reads_ Hosted by Lissa Jones , the 100th episode is an expansive, deeply moving celebration that honors the elders, the artists, the activists, and the community that built—and continues to fuel—the Black literary tradition. Highlights include: • A newly released archival segment featuring J. California Cooper Recorded before the podcast officially launched, this rare conversation hosted by elder… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/BMR_100_Show_12225.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 99 - Debra Stone, The House on Rondo](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-99-debra-stone-the-house-on-rondo) _2025-10-02 · Black Market Reads_ In Episode #99 Lissa talks with Author Debra J Stone about her new middle grade novel, The House on Rondo (University of Minnesota Press). Rooted in the lived histories of Minnesota's Black communities, The House on Rondo offers a deeply personal window into the destruction of a thriving neighborhood through the eyes of a young Black girl coming of age during an era of national civil rights… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Debra_Stone_Final_10225.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 98 - Leila Mottley, The Girls Who Grew Big](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-98-leila-mottley-the-girls-who-grew-big) _2025-08-24 · Black Market Reads_ Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant. Her parents banish her from her comfortable upbringing in Indiana to her grandmother's home in the small town of Padua Beach, Florida. When she arrives, Adela meets Emory, who brings her newborn to high school, determined to graduate despite the odds; Simone, mother of four-year-old twins, who weighs an abortion in the heart of the South; and the rest… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Leila_Motttley_Final.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 97 - Valerie Burns, Icing on the Murder](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/valerie-burns-icing-on-the-murder) _2025-07-15 · Black Market Reads_ Looking forward to an intriguing summer read, Lissa talks with author Valerie Burns about her latest work. Packed with a delicious mix of cake, chaos, and crime, Icing on the Murder is a page-turner that's sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and leave them craving more! In this fourth installment of the Baker Street Mystery series, influencer-turned-bakery-owner Maddy Montgomery is… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Valerie_Burns_Final.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [BONUS EPISODE: Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/ink-identity-and-imagination-literature-as-a-catalyst-for-black-determination) _2025-06-20 · Black Market Reads_ Ink, Identity, and Imagination: Literature as a Catalyst for Black Determination was the plenary discussion for From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading, The Givens Foundation's Annual Conference held June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Moderator: Gevonee Ford, founder of the Network for the Development of Children… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Givens_Plenary_Panel_Disscussion.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [BONUS EPISODE: Banned Books: The Duchess Harris Collection](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/banned-books-the-duchess-harris-collection) _2025-06-19 · Black Market Reads_ Duchess Harris, professor and author, was a presenter at From Resistance to Resilience: The Evolution of African American Reading , The Givens Foundation for African American Literature's annual conference, held on June 3, 2025 at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. In this engaging workshop, Dr. Harris addresses The Unwritten Curriculum: How Erasure in Literature… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Duchess_Harris_Workshop.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 96 - From Resistance to Resilience, Dr.Luke Wood](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-96-from-resistance-to-resilience-drluke-wood) _2025-06-18 · Black Market Reads_ Dr. Luke Woods was the Keynote speaker at the Givens Foundation's annual conference conference, Dr. Luke Wood returned to his alma mater, Sacramento State to become its ninth president on July 16th, 2023. A nationally renowned scholar on racial equity with a specific focus on early childhood education and community colleges. Dr. Wood has authored or co-authored 16 books and published nearly 200… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Dr._Luke_Wood_Final.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 95 - Rickey Fayne, The Devil Three Times](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-95-rickey-fayne-the-devil-three-times) _2025-05-23 · Black Market Reads_ In this episode Lissa talks with author Rickey Fayne about deep philosophical questions inspired by his latest novel The Devil Three Times (Hachette Book Group, May 2025). Rickey Fayne is a fiction writer from rural West Tennessee whose work has appeared in American Short Fiction, Guernica, The Sewanee Review , and The Kenyon Review , among other magazines. He holds an MA in English from… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Rickey_Fayne_Final.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 94 - Pearl Cleage, The Nacirema Society](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-94-pearl-cleage-the-nacirema-society) _2025-04-21 · Black Market Reads_ In this episode, Lissa Jones welcomes playright Pearl Cleage back to Black Market Reads as they talk about her play The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First 100 Years, playing at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis April 19-May 29, 2025. SYNOPSIS Grande dames Grace Dunbar and Catherine Green prepare for the Nacirema Society's 1964 centennial cotillion… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Pearl_Cleage_Final_2.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 93 - Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Rx for Racial Healing: A Guide to Embracing Our Humanity](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-93-dr-gail-c-christopher-rx-for-racial-healing-a-guide-to-embracing-our-humanity) _2025-04-02 · Black Market Reads_ In this episode Lissa talks with Dr. Gail C. Christopher —a nationally recognized leader in health equity, a pioneer in integrative medicine, and the visionary architect behind the Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative (TRHT). Dr. Christopher has spent decades designing and leading national programs that advance racial healing, community well-being, and policy change—including her… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Gail_Christopher_SHOW.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Ultra-Quiet Business Mini (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/RCsPUD7lpnaH) _2025-04-02 · **Sponsored**_ Compact business mini, ultra-quiet for focused work. ## [Episode 92 - Lisa Williamson Rosenberg, Mirror Me](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-92-lisa-williamson-rosenberg-mirror-me) _2025-03-20 · Black Market Reads_ Join Lissa and Lisa as they delve into subjects psycological and literary. Lisa Williamson Rosenberg is the author of Embers on the Wind and Mirror Me (Little A Publishing 2024) . She is a former ballet dancer and psychotherapist specializing in depression, developmental trauma, and multiracial identity. Her essays have appeared in Literary Hub, Longreads, Narratively, Mamalode, and The Common .… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Lisa_Williamson_Rosenberg_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 91 - Publishers Roundtable](https://blackmarketreads.com/) _2024-11-19 · Black Market Reads_ In 2021, 83.2 percent of editors in the U. S. were White and less than 5 percent of editors were Black. According to the career website, Zibia, this coincides with only 5.9 percent of published authors being Black. Today, Lissa talks with three prominent publishers in the Twin Cities who believe that Black authors deserve to collaborate with editors who understand and appreciate their work. Our… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Publishers_Round_Table_show.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 90 - Sarah LaBrie, No One Gets To Fall Apart: A memoir](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/sarah-labrie-no-one-gets-to-fall-apart-a-memoir) _2024-10-24 · Black Market Reads_ Sarah LaBrie was in her early thirties when her mother was found on a highway outside Houston, screaming at passing cars and paranoid that she would be murdered by invisible assailants. She was ultimately diagnosed with schizophrenia—and in an instant, the entirety of LaBrie's childhood came into sharp focus. In her harrowing, clear-sighted, and painfully honest debut memoir, NO ONE GETS TO FALL… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Sarah_LaBrie_Show_mixdown.mp3?dest-id=317142) ## [Episode 89 - Danez Smith, BLUFF](https://givensbmr.libsyn.com/episode-89-danez-smith-bluff) _2024-09-20 · Black Market Reads_ In this episode of Black Market Reads: On Health Lissa and Bukata talk with poet Danez Smith about his latest work, BLUFF. Written after two years of artistic silence, during which the world came to a halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Minneapolis became the epicenter of protest following the murder of George Floyd, Bluff is Danez Smith's powerful reckoning with their role and responsibility as… [Listen](https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/givensbmr/Danez_Smith_2024_Show.mp3?dest-id=317142)