Welcome to the Vulgar Geniuses Podcast. We are your host Dennie and Veronica. Each month we will be reviewing a different book written by various authors of color.
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When Erika J. Simpson’s essay found its way into Roxane Gay’s newsletter, The Audacity , it set in motion the origins of what would become a beautifully layered memoir about Sallie Carol, a mother who stood so tall and shone so bright that one could be mesmerized by her ability to feel as if she were godlike. In This is Your Mother, Simpson would soon become aware of her mother’s humanness, as she…
Ryan Rivas’ Lizard People is a dark satire told through the voice of the unnamed narrator, who believes that he himself is a lizard person. After an incident at his workplace, the man is sent to a resort for intensive therapy to begin wrestling with his perceived identity. Themes of race and white supremacy are interwoven in this deliciously twisted tale. Ryan Rivas joins us on the show to talk…
In Sky Full of Elephants, a year has passed since “The Event,” where, without warning or known cause, every white person stopped what they were doing, walked to the nearest body of water, and drowned themselves. Charlie Brunton is a Black man rebuilding his life after spending years in prison for a crime he was wrongfully accused of. One day, he receives a phone call from a person whom he has…
In August 2015, James Dukes, known as IMAKEMADBEATS, introduced the world to a groundbreaking movement in Memphis’ burgeoning hip-hop scene when he founded Unapologetic, a music label that has become the blueprint for building community among all types of creatives. Going against the grain allowed IMAKEMADBEATS to forge a new path in the music industry reminiscent of the Harlem Renaissance. His…
Yuri Kochiyama was a revolutionary! The legacy of her life's work as a civil rights activist has been beautifully documented in a children's picture book written by Kai Naima Williams, Harlem-born poet, artist, and Yuri's great-granddaughter. The Bridges Yuri Built: How Yuri Kochiyama Marched Across Movements walks readers through her origin story of becoming one of the country's most important…
Three years have passed since Hanif Abdurraqib's essay collection Little Devil In America tackled the subject of Black performance in American culture. In his newest release, There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, Hanif asks readers to sit with the idea of the common enemy, one which he defines as a person who might interrupt the affection of anyone we love. Hanif presents us with…
Through an examination of queerness, race, and the power that they play within the lives of a Southern Black family, Jennifer Neal's Notes On Her Color is an inventive and vibrant story as mother and daughter share the ability to change the color of their skin. Gabrielle and her mother have a uniquely close relationship, but the opposite is true with her temperamental father. The patriarch's only…
In 2023, we celebrated our third anniversary with Yvette Lisa Ndlovu's debut short story collection, Drinking From Graveyard Wells. Her book captivated us as she worked magic, death, and time travel into stories that explored themes of family, citizenship, and autonomy. Yvette's collection grapples with her country's future with stories that reflect Zimbabwe's past under the ruling thumb of the…
Quietly Hostile is the fifth book by Samantha Irby, and it is truly a love letter to all people who have embraced the power of not giving a fuck what anyone thinks. Her hilarious collection of essays gives us a peek into what Irby's life looks like after the world shut down and left her to take a swan dive into an ocean of QVC merchandise. Samantha opens up about her undying and unwavering love…
We bid adieu to 2023, but not before we take a final walk down memory lane to celebrate the many wins we had during our spectacular Jordan Year. Dennie and I talk about the stellar guests that graced our show, the interviews that were our favorite, and we give our yearly resolution wish list for 2024.
