Here are 15 books that Black Women Writers at Work fans have personally recommended if you like
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I’ve had a passion for poetry since my early childhood, when I fondly remember listening to my elders recite—specifically, my teachers reading rhymes by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. As I grew into my adolescence and adulthood, my interest in literature only amplified with my introduction to works by Maya Angelou, R.H. Sin, and Rupi Kaur. Now, as a self-published poet and self-proclaimed enthusiast of the genre, I continue to spend my time browsing shelves, attending readings, and supporting writers/artists debuting work into the world. I hope you enjoy the books on my list.
I love this book for many reasons, but to start, I love that the title is a poetic metaphor, I love that the story is almost a hundred years old but still speaks to the rebellious spirit alive within young readers, and I love that the book is loosely based on Zora’s real life and the real place of Eatonville, Florida.
I love that readers get to experience the past and can envision their own future while reading this book. I laughed, cried, and found pieces of myself within the quotes snitched to this story.
Cover design by Harlem renaissance artist Lois Mailou Jones
When Janie, at sixteen, is caught kissing shiftless Johnny Taylor, her grandmother swiftly marries her off to an old man with sixty acres. Janie endures two stifling marriages before meeting the man of her dreams, who offers not diamonds, but a packet of flowering seeds ...
'For me, THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD is one of the very greatest American novels of the 20th century. It is so lyrical it should be sentimental; it is so passionate it should be overwrought, but it is instead a rigorous, convincing and dazzling piece…
The All-Girl, No Man Little Darlin's
by
Mary Albanese,
Unwanted Anabel finds an unexpected ally in her "crazy" Grandma Maisy who isn't crazy at all but harbors a secret past. Anabel coaxes her story out, thrilled to discover that Grandma Maisy had been a famous cowgirl in the American Wild West.
I’ve had a passion for poetry since my early childhood, when I fondly remember listening to my elders recite—specifically, my teachers reading rhymes by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. As I grew into my adolescence and adulthood, my interest in literature only amplified with my introduction to works by Maya Angelou, R.H. Sin, and Rupi Kaur. Now, as a self-published poet and self-proclaimed enthusiast of the genre, I continue to spend my time browsing shelves, attending readings, and supporting writers/artists debuting work into the world. I hope you enjoy the books on my list.
I loved this book by K.Y Robinson because the short collection possessed power on every page, and K.Y’s exploration of vulnerability, navigating emotions, and expressing sexuality helped me understand myself in a way that I didn’t before being introduced to her work.
The Chaos of Longing provided company during a time when I believed I was alone in this world and grew into a lifelong poetic companion as I continue to grow into myself.
The Chaos of Longing is a brutally honest exploration of desire-physical, emotional, and spiritual. This revised and expanded edition contains over 50 pages of all-new material.
Organized in four sections - Inception, Longing, Chaos, and Epiphany - K.Y. Robinson's debut poetry collection explores what it is to want in spite of trauma, shame, injustice, and mental illness. It is one survivor's powerful testimony, and a love letter "to those who lie awake burning."
I’ve had a passion for poetry since my early childhood, when I fondly remember listening to my elders recite—specifically, my teachers reading rhymes by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. As I grew into my adolescence and adulthood, my interest in literature only amplified with my introduction to works by Maya Angelou, R.H. Sin, and Rupi Kaur. Now, as a self-published poet and self-proclaimed enthusiast of the genre, I continue to spend my time browsing shelves, attending readings, and supporting writers/artists debuting work into the world. I hope you enjoy the books on my list.
I was actually introduced to this title due to its 2010 film adaptation by Tyler Perry of the same title. I was captivated by the different points of view, characters, and lives that unfolded on the screen, so much so that I sought out a physical copy of the publication it was based on.
I loved this book because it taught me strength—told and shown from the points of view of multiple women in different challenging circumstances. I loved that there was an exploration of love, lust, happiness, tragedy, and ultimately becoming and accepting the version of woman that you are.
This publication was actually very instrumental and inspirational in my own journey of writing and publishing. This story inspired me to tell my own, out loud and unapologetically.
'A revelation. I am so thankful to Ntozake Shange for seeing us, reflecting us and showing us how beautiful we can be' JESMYN WARD
'Encompassing, it seems, every feeling and experience a woman has ever had' NEW YORKER
The Lady in Red has adored her lover for eight months, 2 weeks and a day, but now she is leaving. The Lady in Blue has an abortion, all alone. The Lady in Brown can read fifteen books in three weeks.
The Lady in Purple has met a man, and is finally being real. The Lady…
In 1964, the FBI found smoldering remains of the station wagon that James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman were driving before they disappeared at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. Shortly after, Julie Kabat’s beloved brother Luke arrived in Mississippi as a volunteer to assist Black civil rights…
I’ve had a passion for poetry since my early childhood, when I fondly remember listening to my elders recite—specifically, my teachers reading rhymes by Shel Silverstein and Dr. Seuss. As I grew into my adolescence and adulthood, my interest in literature only amplified with my introduction to works by Maya Angelou, R.H. Sin, and Rupi Kaur. Now, as a self-published poet and self-proclaimed enthusiast of the genre, I continue to spend my time browsing shelves, attending readings, and supporting writers/artists debuting work into the world. I hope you enjoy the books on my list.
I first fell in love with Alex Grey’s art before I found his book that described his career and experiences that solidified the themes he has chosen to explore throughout his craft.
The Mission of Art was an incredible read that took me on a journey of art appreciation, self-discovery, and the concept of creativity. My favorite part of the book includes the illustrations and backstory behind their conception.
I appreciate that Alex reminded me and other readers that all art deserves to exist as evidence of humanity & culture and should not be limited to what is “good” or “bad,” but it should all be accepted for what it is. (Cause it says a lot about who we are as people and the current time we live in)
This is an inspirational book about art's power to bring about personal catharsis and spiritual awakening. Alex Grey's reflections combine his extensive knowledge of art history and his own first-hand experiences in creating art on the boundaries of consciousness. Included are practical techniques and exercises that can be used to explore the spiritual dimension of art. Challenging and thought-provoking, The Mission of Art will be enjoyed by everyone who has ever contemplated the deeper purpose of artistic expression.
As a longtime outdoors editor of a Mississippi newspaper, I actually got paid to paddle local rivers. Over the decades, I expanded my territory to adjacent states, the South, the continent, and other countries. I parlayed my experiences into several books on rivers. As a paddler and writer, I naturally love to read about adventures on the water–not only classics like Mark Twain's Life on the Mississippi River and Paul Theroux's Happy Isles of Oceania but also the many less-known but highly praiseworthy books like those listed here.
I grew up near the Mississippi River, and my father and older brother worked on it for many years, so I was thrilled to run across this in-depth look at the world they inhabited. As the wife of a riverboat pilot, Melody Golding had unparalleled access to the inner workings of river life.
Over the course of a decade, she interviewed more than 100 men and women and let them tell their own stories. An acclaimed photographer, she illustrated this project with fabulous color photos. Thanks to her, I got to ride along the vessels that ply the Mississippi and other waterways, just like my dad and brother once did.
Life Between the Levees is a chronicle of first-person reflections and folklore from pilots who have dedicated their lives to the river. The stories are as diverse as the storytellers themselves, and the volume is full of drama, suspense, and a way of life a "landlubber" could never imagine. Although waterways and ports in the Mississippi corridor move billions of dollars of products throughout the US and foreign markets, in today's world those who live and work on land have little knowledge of the river and the people who work there.
In ten years of interviewing, Melody Golding collected over…
I’m an entrepreneur and investor. I’ve been obsessed with financial independence and wealth creation for the Black community for 30 years. I wrote my book, below, to invite Black and white Americans alike onto the playing field of what I believe to be an existential crisis—closing America’s racial wealth gap. I wanted to share my story of living through the gap. I also elevate the work of Black leaders who are tackling the problem in different ways. I’ve created an easy way for readers to understand the depth and nature of the problem…and know how they could take small and big steps to help solve it.
I devoured this book in three days. I found it after a Google search on “wealth inequality.” I was trying to get smarter on the topic. This is a data-rich explanation of much of what I’ve experienced growing up Black in America. I’d often hear parents, aunts, and uncles talk about the “black tax.” Here, Shapiro was providing the receipts.
I was also struck by the fact that a Black person did not write the book, but simply someone who was trying to understand and reveal the crux of the issue. I felt seen when I read his reframing of conversation from solely focusing on black disadvantage to bringing white advantage into focus.
When I finished this book, I was even more fired up to be a part of solving the problem.
Over the past three decades, racial prejudice in America has declined significantly and many African American families have seen a steady rise in employment and annual income. But alongside these encouraging signs, Thomas Shapiro argues in The Hidden Cost of Being African American, fundamental levels of racial inequality persist, particularly in the area of asset accumulation--inheritance, savings accounts, stocks, bonds, home equity, and other investments-. Shapiro reveals how the lack of these family assets along with continuing racial discrimination in crucial areas like homeownership dramatically impact the everyday lives of many black families, reversing gains earned in schools and on…
Mothering a child with special needs was a journey I didn’t expect to be taking and one that has been immensely challenging. I am always seeking ways to become my best self and the best mother I can be, helping my children be their best selves. I want my children to feel supported, loved, and like they can be their truest, fullest selves. These books helped me connect with my children in the ways that were the most helpful, impactful, and loving. They guided me in running a Son-Rise Program, which was by far the most influential thing I ever did to help my daughter with autism and developmental delays.
I was so deeply moved and inspired by reading this book that, even as a young student in college, I almost hoped I would have a child with autism so that I could have the experience of running a Son-Rise Program. I loved how Bears and Samahria charted their own course when there were no mapped parenting paths that appealed to them. I loved their optimism, love, joy, and determination.
They decided not to stop Raun’s repetitive behaviors but used those behaviors as the bridge to connection, whereas the professionals seeing Raun at the time wanted to stop the behaviors so that they could force Raun to connect. The forcing didn’t work, but joining the behaviors brought miraculous changes.
What moved me the most was how much Raun changed and grew in response to the internal work Bears and Samahria did to be clear and present. They invited Raun to…
In 1979, the classic best-seller Son-Rise was made into an award-winning NBC television special, which has been viewed by 300 million people worldwide. Now, Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues presents an expanded and updated journal of Barry and Samahria Kaufman's successful effort to reach their once "unreachable" autistic child. Part one documents Raun Kaufman's astonishing development from a lifeless, autistic, retarded child into a highly verbal, lovable youngster with no traces of his former condition. Part two details Raun's extraordinary progress from the age of four into young adulthood. Part three shares moving accounts of five families that successfully used the…
I’ve always been curious about people and the way they interact. When I was a small child, all our neighbors had their back doors wide open to catch the summertime breeze; they’d get the sense they were being watched… by my small face pressed against the screen door, listening and learning. My parents would get called..” She’s doing it again.” As an introvert, a performing artist, and a coach, I’ve learned to tune my ears to the messaging beneath the words—the unspoken truth in the interaction. And I truly believe that if we can learn to be more effective and compassionate listeners—our world will change for the better.
This book is a celebration of experiences, told not by Hollywood, not by “the rich and famous,” but by people who might live next door to you and me. Pulled together from the massive archives of the highly esteemed StoryCorps project and edited by its Founder—Dave Isay, this bookis dedicated to the power of true stories told by ordinary Americans.
I love the sheer variety offered in this collection. I did not expect this book to be a page-turner, but each story held such unpredictability and emotional range that I simply could not put it down! The book is a rich reminder that once we establish the time and space to listen deeply, people will offer stories that unfold like stunning flowers on a time-lapse video.
“As heartwarming as a holiday pumpkin pie and every bit as homey . . . what emerges in these compelling pages is hard-won wisdom and boundless humanity.” —Seattle Post-Intelligencer
As heard on NPR, a wondrous nationwide celebration of our shared humanity
StoryCorps founder and legendary radio producer Dave Isay selects the most memorable stories from StoryCorps' collection, creating a moving portrait of American life.
The voices here connect us to real people and their lives—to their experiences of profound joy, sadness, courage, and despair, to good times and…
I grew up with a Republican mom and a Democrat dad. I learned that asking, “Am I a Demolican or a Republicrat?” was not considered funny. Ironically, as an adult, I’ve developed an aversion to both parties and prefer an unrestrained style of leadership. I was born long after the suffrage movement, but I’m familiar with inequality towards women. In 1973, I wanted a credit card, but without a man’s co-signature, I was denied. I’m also a foodie who loves to try new recipes and push the boundaries of kitchen science. Combining my interest in history with my culinary curiosity leads me down some interesting rabbit holes.
When I’m upset or frustrated, it helps me to tackle a physical project that gives quick results. The sense of satisfaction helps temper my feelings.
Sometimes I crochet. But usually, I bake. The warmth, the aroma, the physical actions, and the anticipation of a tasty treat all work in harmony to help me pull myself together again. The recipes in here are really good ones, and there’s plenty of baking advice for novices, too.
I love that there are political essays included. They’re perfect for reading while your comfort food bakes.
50+ recipes, short essays, interviews, and quotes from some of the best bakers, activists, and outspoken women in our country today
The 2016 election. The January 6th insurrection. Impeachment, twice.
For many women, baking now has a new meaning. It's an outlet for expressing our feelings about the current state of American politics and culture. It's a way to deal with our stress and anxiety, and, yes, rage and fury.
Rage Baking offers more than 50 cookie, cake, tart, and pie recipes-with beautiful photography by Jerelle Guy-to help relieve these emotions. And it goes further. Inside you'll also find inspirational…
The world is fraying. Art is disappearing. And one woman sets out on the river before everything changes forever.
A few years into the future, society is unraveling. Violence is rising. The aftermath of a devastating pandemic still lingers. And across the country, a phenomenon known only as the Vanishing…
After I was sent for a breast biopsy in 2008, my twin sister and I began the very real work of researching our closed adoption. My health, my sister’s, and our collective six children depended upon it. For nearly five decades, I had placed my adoption in an internal lockbox, one I had promised myself I would get to “one day.” At 48, that day had finally come. Concurrent with my search, I absorbed many of the books I mention here. These works became foundational in how I came to view my adoption, and they provided the support I needed during the search and reunion process.
Because of my own work as an adoption writer and advocate for open adoption records, I knew each of these writers from webinars, podcasts, conferences, and social media. Combining their varied backgrounds and experiences–Sara is an adoptee, Kelsey is a birth parent, and Lori is an adoptive parent–was thrilling to read.
I devoured each of the thoughtful interviews and the candid responses the authors compiled and presented. Like these authors, I believe that by working together with truth and transparency, it is possible to move adoption forward toward a healing place.
Reveals the candid thoughts and feelings of those most directly involved in adoptions: the adoptee, the adopters, and the birth parents.
Adoption Unfiltered authors Sara Easterly (adoptee), Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard (birth parent), and Lori Holden (adoptive parent) interview more than 30 adoptees, 20 birth parents, a dozen adoptive parents, and several industry professionals-all sharing candidly about the challenges in adoption. While finding common ground in the sometimes-contentious space of adoption may seem like a lofty goal, it reveals the authors' optimistic aim: working together with truth and transparency to move toward healing.
