Love Note #5: January 2025 Recap
We made it, beloveds! It's Black AF History Month!
Whew, Jesus. Can y’all believe it? January was one of the longest years of our collective lives. It meandered along with deliberation and a carefree ambivalence that, I think, most of us could have really done without. The orange demon was reinstalled as President of the United States. And, on day one, he started in on dismantling the very fabric of global society.
But, I honestly can’t spend each day speaking about his efforts to annihilate us. Instead, I am redoubling my efforts to be in community with Black queer and trans folks, envisioning a freer world for us all and helping lay the foundation to make it a reality. I am narrowing my focus this year to build networks and community power with Black queer and trans people. And, I’m working to support the work of Black and queer content creators and writers.
Though it wasn’t in the month of January, I am choosing to begin this newsletter and recap with a focus on a beautiful experience I had on February 1st, 2025 at the first ever Zora Neale Hurston Summit at Barnard College. I was lucky enough to be on an incredible panel with Christina Platt, Autumn Womack, and Cameo King about the ways Zora Neale Hurston’s trailblazing and pathbreaking work shapes us today. We discussed the importance of both self- and community care in this moment.
The Summit was probably the absolute best way to start my Black History Month. Through performances, dramatic readings, featured interviews with elders, and communal sharing about the ways Zora has shaped us, this Summit was a balm in a dark and uncertain time. We sang together. We hugged. We laughed. And, we honored our good sis, our cherished mother, our beloved ancestor, Zora.
That is how I intend to spend all of February and the rest of the year. I don’t need anyone’s permission to honor my people and their unique role in shaping the world. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.
xoxo, Dr. J
New Podcast Announcement!
I have been discussing the unique challenges facing first-time Black women and queer authors both here and on my various social media platforms. Unfortunately, large podcasts, book promoters, and publishers often overlook first-timers. Not only that, many authors find themselves confronting the hidden expectations in publishing only after they have embarked on the process. For many authors at the intersections of race, gender, and class, these barriers can be significant enough to keep them out of the industry altogether.
To help make this process smoother for new and aspiring Black women and queer authors, I am launching a new podcast called We Published, Beloved! I will be interviewing new and seasoned authors about their earliest experiences with publishing.
When should someone secure an agent and how?
What is the pitching process like?
What are the expectations of authors on book tours?
We’ll be answering these questions and more. Season 1 drops on May 5th, 2025!
Follow We Published, Beloved! on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads for updates.
Book Notes:
On Thursday, January 30th, 2025, I held a book anniversary party for Black Women Taught Us at the Black Gotham Experience in Manhattan. It was a beautiful and intimate event with deep and loving conversation, good food, and champagne toasts courtesy of Penguin Random House.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support this book and everyone who has been out to a book event over this past year. I will be in my hometown of Oakland in two weeks! And later this spring, I’ll be visiting Seattle. Stay tuned for event updates and follow me on socials for the latest and greatest.
Event Notes:
I am so excited to have finally scheduled a book event back in my hometown, Oakland, California. In two weeks, on Sunday, February 16th at 6pm PT, I will be holding a rich and thoughtful book conversation about Black Women Taught Us at Womb House Books in Temescal Alley, right down the street from the high school I attended as a kid.
When: Sunday, February 16th at 6pm PT
Where: Womb House Books, 470 49th Street, Oakland, CA, 94609
Register for the event HERE.
Podcast Notes:
In this episode, we celebrate the milestone of reaching 2025 with an untraditional year-in-review format, reflecting on the tumultuous events of 2024. We kick things off by sharing our personal and podcasting achievements, including my book launch and our feature in The Huffington Post.
We also look ahead to the future of the podcast, announcing exciting changes including the transition to a video format and the launch of the new podcast "We Published, Beloved!", focused on supporting Black and queer authors. Tap in!
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