1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: On Theme is a production of iHeartRadio and fair Weather 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Friends Media. You are the start. 3 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 2: You remember the beginning of twenty twenty four. 4 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: It feels like it's been years since the beginning of 5 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. What exactly are you remembering? 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 2: I was thinking about us talking about what stories we 7 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 2: were looking for to consuming and creating. I said, I 8 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: wanted to read more nonfiction classics, finish my book, and 9 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: write short stories. So thinking about like the new year 10 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: and things we want to see in the future, I 11 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 2: am thinking about like what stories I want to read, watch, 12 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 2: listen to, and just like what I'm going to be 13 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 2: on the lookout for. 14 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I remember that, And I said I wanted 15 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: to read more folk tales and write more about nature 16 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: and the environment. So some of the things that I 17 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: want to explore in the new year are stories that 18 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: are centered around local and regional folklore. And that's because 19 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: I do like fantasy. I like being in imagined worlds. 20 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: I like world building in certain ways, but things that 21 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,039 Speaker 1: have really rich characters in them. And I feel like 22 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: there's so much that I want to learn about the 23 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: world and the people in the world. 24 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 2: I thought it's time of checking on our goals, share 25 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 2: our progress and what we've been writing, and give reviews 26 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 2: on our latest frees. Okay, let's do it. I'm Eves 27 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:53,800 Speaker 2: and I'm Katie. Today's episode, Same year news stories, So 28 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 2: let's hear an update on the writing front. 29 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: The writing front is stressful because I feel like I'm 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: never doing enough for myself. I haven't been writing as 31 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: much environmental and horror fiction and fiction or it just 32 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: works in general about nature as I wanted to. I've 33 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: been able to work on some updates on some old 34 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: stories that I was putting together. I've also been able 35 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:20,680 Speaker 1: to work a little bit on my book, but a 36 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,640 Speaker 1: lot of my time has been taken up with writing 37 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:31,239 Speaker 1: about history and writing about black people too. But yeah, 38 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: that's that's how my writing is going. But it's been 39 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:36,959 Speaker 1: I will say I've gotten a lot of words out. 40 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: I've gotten a lot of words out, but were they 41 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: always the words that I really wanted to be putting 42 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: on the page in the moment? 43 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 2: So tell us more about your stories. 44 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: So I am working on a story that it has 45 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: a beginning and an ending. It's probably about I don't 46 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: know three hundred three thousand words right now, but I've 47 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,640 Speaker 1: been working on it, but it just needs something else. 48 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: It's about the game of knocking on doors and running 49 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: with a group of black kids, and it ends up 50 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: in this kind of like fantastical place that they find 51 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: themselves in in this dilapidated building, and there is a 52 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: group of adults that they meet and they're not really 53 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: sure what's going on. But I really don't like the 54 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: ending right now, like something needs to be refined in it. 55 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: In the story, I'm thinking about abandonment, like I'm thinking 56 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: about like having a close knit group of friends as 57 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: a black child in the South. Specifically, I'm thinking about 58 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: what it means to show up for children in a way. 59 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: But I think some of my themes might shift as 60 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: I like figure out more where I want to go 61 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: with the story. But it definitely needs several more drafts. 62 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: I would say, how many of them are you said 63 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: you're updating it. 64 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: It's one of those stories that I wrote probably like 65 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: a year ago and have been just like touching it 66 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: every now and then since then. 67 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 2: Do you know what you want to do with it? 68 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 2: Is it like you post it online? Are you? Is 69 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 2: it a part of a collection. 70 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: I've sent it out, but I still would like it 71 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: to be in a different place. 72 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 2: So explain to people what you mean when you say 73 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 2: sent it out to some places. 74 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: When I say sent it out, I mean submitting it 75 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: to literary journals to be published in their pages. 76 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, so you wanted to stand on its own Yes. 77 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,119 Speaker 1: That's correct. Yea. I wanted to be its own story. 78 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: I've thought about expanding it for a minute. I thought 79 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: about turning it into like potentially like novel, but I 80 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: don't think I want to take it there. It felt 81 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: right as a story. Once I tried to start doing that, 82 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 1: I was like, nah, this is a story. 83 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, some things are better short. 84 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 85 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,200 Speaker 2: And you said you're writing about history. 86 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,719 Speaker 1: Yes, and that is work that's not for myself, that's 87 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 1: for other people. But so, you know, one of those 88 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 1: obligation things. I mean, I'm not going to complain about. 89 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 1: I'm grateful to be able to write and get paid 90 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: for it. But I have been writing quite a bit 91 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 1: about history, about the civil rights movement, about civil rights leaders, 92 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: about leisure. Yeah. I've been doing some of that work, 93 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 1: and that's been taken up a lot of my time. 94 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,279 Speaker 2: So in this writing process, have you learned anything? 95 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: Yeah? So I think I've learned. Content wise, I've learned 96 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: some things. I feel like it's a never ending process, 97 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: but learning a lot about the craft of writing and 98 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: being able to hone in on a specific moment and 99 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: be able to really get people to step into a 100 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: moment and feel like they're there and be invested in 101 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: the motivations of the characters, and to build an arc 102 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: that is actually one that people want to follow. I 103 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: think a lot of the time I get lost in 104 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: all of the small details and I try to fit 105 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: in as many as possible, and I am unable to 106 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: see the whole for all of the small details a 107 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: lot of the time. And that it's like if I'm 108 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: on deadline or if I'm writing for somebody else and 109 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: there's the word limit me eves, it's probably gonna go over. 110 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: Like you know, that comes first, and then getting down 111 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 1: to the meat and potatoes and like making it something 112 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: that feels alive. I guess comes a little bit later, 113 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 1: which I guess is typical, but you know, just refine 114 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,159 Speaker 1: that for myself. So what about you, Katie, What do 115 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 1: you have going on in writing land? 116 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 2: I have submitted my book, so the first draft and 117 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 2: the second draft are done, and I was looking back 118 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 2: at my book proposal and I really undersold what I 119 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 2: turned in. I was like, girl, you could have get 120 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: some about buddy. I undersold it. And I think it's 121 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 2: interesting because you can see like the the growth I 122 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 2: had and just knowledge. It was a lot of things 123 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:04,240 Speaker 2: that I didn't know until I started researching it and 124 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 2: started talking to people, and it's like, oh, well, there's 125 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 2: no way this can't go in the book. But when 126 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: I proposed it, I just had no idea it existed. 127 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: So I think an exercise in like journalism that I'd 128 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 2: never had before. 129 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: For real. 130 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 2: It was a lot of research, a lot of talking 131 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 2: to people, and then like synthesizing that in a way 132 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 2: that would be interesting. And it's profiles of bookstores from 133 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 2: eighteen thirty six to twenty twenties, and so each profile 134 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: it's like, Okay, gotta say something different about this bookstore. 135 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 2: And I think black bookstores are always like put together, like, oh, 136 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: here's a list of fifty block bookstores. Here's a list 137 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 2: of these block bookstores support these block bookstores. So they're 138 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 2: kind of put all together in a group, and it's like, 139 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 2: what can I say that's interesting about each one? What's 140 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 2: something that's really funny that happened at these bookstores. What's 141 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 2: something that no newspaper, you know, no social media posts 142 00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: has said about this bookstore. And I feel like I 143 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 2: was being like kind of selfish in that way. I 144 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 2: was like, I want all the details tell people. I'm like, well, 145 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 2: don't tell me all the other stuff you told people, 146 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 2: because I already read it when I was researching them. 147 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 2: It's like I want something new. And it's like talking 148 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 2: to people and they have like their stump speech, and 149 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 2: like I have it too when people talk to me 150 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 2: about stuff and I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, what's really going on, 151 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,240 Speaker 2: you know, like trying to break that down for them. 152 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 2: So that's been a lot. And also I learn is 153 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 2: that writing is I would say, like a tenth of it. 154 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 2: It's really editing. I have never edited something so much 155 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: like myself, not like having an editor. I'm like, I'm 156 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: going to edit this like three or four times before 157 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 2: the editor even sees it. And so like seeing how 158 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 2: that has progressed, and seeing just like all the tricks 159 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 2: to make something just interesting, Like you can be saying 160 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:43,520 Speaker 2: giving people the same information, but if you're saying it 161 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 2: in a way that uses all these like rhetorical devices. 162 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:48,559 Speaker 2: It's like way more fun to read. It was more 163 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:51,079 Speaker 2: fun for me to write and like put my name on. 164 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 2: So that is what is going on with the book. 165 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 1: So as you've gone through that editing process, do you 166 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 1: feel like you've gotten more proud of your work. 167 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 2: I wouldn't say I'm a proud a person generally, so sure, Yeah, 168 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 2: I started at zero. Now we're here, and I have 169 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 2: not been writing short stories. I'm gonna go. 170 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: Ahead and admit it. 171 00:09:12,400 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 2: I ain't right. I ain't reading one short story. It's 172 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 2: funny because I'll be having so many ideas for a 173 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 2: short story, like I have a collection, I have the 174 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 2: overall theme, I have each story in my head. They're 175 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 2: so funny. I'm like, I don't know, maybe they're just 176 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 2: for me to laugh at in my head until you 177 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 2: get them on the page. Yeah. 178 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: I don't know. 179 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 2: I've never written fiction for real, and it's just something 180 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 2: that I I don't know. I'm just a real ass 181 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: beach for real, So I don't even know if I 182 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 2: can make it up for it. 183 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: Here we go. 184 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 2: After the break, we'll get into what we're reading and 185 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 2: if we recommend you read it. 186 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:54,600 Speaker 1: Too, stay with us. 187 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 2: So earlier this year, I said I wanted to read 188 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 2: more classic nonfiction, and I ain't gonna hold you. I 189 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: have not been doing that, but I have gotten into 190 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:15,440 Speaker 2: classic fiction. Okay. As someone who's on book talk and bookstrogram, 191 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: it's easy to get swept up in all the new releases. 192 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,559 Speaker 2: But there's definitely a lot of books that were published 193 00:10:20,600 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 2: way before I was born that I never got around 194 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 2: to reading. One of them being The Street by Anne Petrie. 195 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: Have you read it? 196 00:10:26,840 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 1: I think I started that book and didn't finish it. Oh, 197 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 1: you ain't like it. 198 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 2: It didn't hold your attention. 199 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: I want to say that I get distracted, but tell 200 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:35,800 Speaker 1: me where. 201 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 2: Okay, So here's the synopsis. So the Street was published 202 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: in nineteen forty six, and it is among the earliest 203 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 2: novels published by a black American woman to receive national 204 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,199 Speaker 2: critical acclaim in literary prestige. It's set in World War 205 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: two era black Harlem. So the Street is rough, and 206 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,520 Speaker 2: the Street becomes a character itself. It's so present, But 207 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 2: I'm getting ahead of myself. The novel centers Luddy Johnson. 208 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: She's cute, she's hard working. She has an eight year 209 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 2: old son named bub An alcoholic father and a cheating 210 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 2: husband who she quickly leaves after she finds out that 211 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 2: he's using the money she sends back home from working 212 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 2: as a live in maid for white folks to shack 213 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 2: up with another woman, so she finds an apartment and 214 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 2: building in Harlem. The building isn't great. There's prostitution, folks fighting, 215 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: a creepy souper who becomes obsessed with Leuddy and assaults her. 216 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 2: She really is trying to make enough money to move 217 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 2: into a better neighborhood with bub. She tries out singing 218 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,840 Speaker 2: in a nightclub, but the white man who owns the 219 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 2: building she's in has other plans for her, and she's 220 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: forced to stand up against all the bullshit that's been 221 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 2: thrown her way. When I finished this book, I was like, no, 222 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 2: not my gird. 223 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,559 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, I definitely don't say anything because I don't 224 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: want it to be spoiled. I'll probably read it. 225 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,839 Speaker 2: Okay, no spoilers. But I really felt deeply for these 226 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,480 Speaker 2: characters in particular. It felt like they were real and 227 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 2: I want to reach into the book and save them. 228 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 1: And that didn't make you want to write fiction. 229 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 2: No, I it made me not want to because I'm like, 230 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 2: I can't do that. I don't have the range. 231 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: So when you were reading it, did you feel like 232 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: you were paying attention to the craft, like how she 233 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: was building from one moment to the next, or were you. 234 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 2: Just fully I was wrapped up in it. Yeah, I 235 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 2: was wrapped up in the story. I think there's sometimes 236 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 2: when I can do that, but I think I can 237 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 2: do that more with nonfiction. I see what you're doing there, Okay, Yeah, 238 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 2: I got it. I think maybe when I'm like listening 239 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 2: to like comedy specials, I can see what they're doing, 240 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 2: you know, with the callbacks and you know. 241 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: That's a very specific example why comedy specials. 242 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 2: I don't know why I can see it, but I can. 243 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:42,000 Speaker 2: I don't know because like comedy specials, they're presented as nonfiction. 244 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 2: They're not one hundred percent nonfiction but auto fiction. Yeah, 245 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 2: but I don't know. I was wrapped up in the story. 246 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 1: Okay, So tell me more about Letdy. 247 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: I identified with her, like she understands like what she's 248 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,839 Speaker 2: up against as far as you know, the economics of 249 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 2: it all, the sexism of it all. But she's like, 250 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 2: you know, I got my son, and I got to 251 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 2: make it work. Like she doesn't really mention her mom. 252 00:13:08,280 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 2: I think her mom died, and her dad ain't really 253 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: much help. He's like an okay guy. He'll like watch 254 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 2: the baby sometimes, but you know, he got his own 255 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 2: stuff going on. And then her husband's not helping her. 256 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 2: So she's like, you know, I gotta get it out 257 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:20,679 Speaker 2: of the mud. I gotta do what I gotta do. 258 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 2: So you know i'd be getting out the mud. I'm 259 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: just like, oh God. But you can like really see 260 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 2: like she's really trying, like you know, like you you 261 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 2: be rooting for people. She was a central character and 262 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 2: then like all the people like she came in contact with, 263 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 2: you could see how they were like working towards her 264 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 2: betterment or like working against it, and unfortunately there are 265 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 2: more people working against it. And then so you identify 266 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 2: with her and you root it for her. But did 267 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 2: you feel like she was an unlikable character or a 268 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 2: likable one? No, she was likable. I feel like the 269 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 2: author made her likable, Like she wasn't a pushover, but 270 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,559 Speaker 2: you could tell like she had good intentions for her 271 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:04,080 Speaker 2: and her son, and she peeped when people were being weird, 272 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 2: and you know, she wasn't shy about you know, expressing that, 273 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:10,520 Speaker 2: but yeah, she was liable to me. 274 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 1: Okay, So besides Luddy, who are some of the other 275 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: characters that you found compelling or that you really felt 276 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: aligned with? Aligned with? 277 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,840 Speaker 2: None of them, But there was a character. It was 278 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 2: a woman who lived in her same building. And the 279 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,560 Speaker 2: way she's described is she'd just be sitting in her window, 280 00:14:28,680 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: like washing the street. She knows everything's gone on the street. 281 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: And she also was a madam, so she was pimping 282 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 2: out girls out of her apartment, which you would think 283 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 2: is like not that likable, like, but I still liked her, 284 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 2: you know. 285 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 1: Did she feel like a mother figure in there? Because 286 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: that's often how madams are portrayed. 287 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 2: She was by her business, you know that she was 288 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,320 Speaker 2: by her business. But there's, like I want to say, 289 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,360 Speaker 2: like multiple situations in the book where women go to her. 290 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 2: Not women that she pimping out, but women who live 291 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 2: in the building go to her for help and she 292 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 2: helps them and she don't charge them, and she like 293 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 2: protects the women in the building, even the ones that 294 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 2: aren't living with her, and so she like helps out Letty, 295 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 2: she helps out another woman who's like being mistreated in 296 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,359 Speaker 2: the building. So you know, even though she has her flaws. 297 00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 2: I was like, I see what you're doing. Her name 298 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 2: is miss Hedges. 299 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: I think, So what were your expectations when you went 300 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 1: into the book? 301 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 2: They're pretty neutral. It's an older book, and sometimes older 302 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 2: books like will have like outdated language or just like 303 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 2: situations that you really can't relate to as a twenty 304 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 2: first century guawl. So they're neutral. But I do like 305 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 2: books from around this time period too, So I read 306 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 2: like Passings or like around the time period, like the twenties, 307 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 2: So I do like books on that time period. Black 308 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 2: nol More set in that same time period or they're 309 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 2: about so I was like, okay, kind of neutral, just 310 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 2: like open and open mind. I know people have said 311 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 2: they really liked it. It was a classic. Some classics 312 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 2: don't be good, oh no, some don't be hidden. So 313 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 2: that was neutral. 314 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 1: So without spoiling it, what did you make of the 315 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: ending of the book? 316 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 2: Me, personally, I wouldn't have written that ending, okay, but 317 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 2: I think it was an appropriate ending. 318 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: That did not sound like that was positive to me 319 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: because when you say appropriate, that sounds safe, and it 320 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: wasn't safe. Okay, it wasn't safe, but it was. 321 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 2: Like the ending I would have written would have been 322 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: like fantastical, like girl, does ding' happen? Like it's not 323 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 2: like the thing that would happen like something miraculous would 324 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 2: have had to go down from my endings happened. 325 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: Did it seem like other editors or the publisher might 326 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 1: have had their hand in the ending that was written. 327 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 2: It's hard for me to say. I don't know what 328 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,280 Speaker 2: her writing process was. And that was my first book 329 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 2: I've read from her. I know she has a couple 330 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 2: more that i'm that are on my list to read. 331 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 2: But I think looking back and how she set everything up, 332 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:05,160 Speaker 2: it was probably gonna end that way. 333 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:06,359 Speaker 1: Would you read it again? 334 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 2: I don't be reading books twice. 335 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I do know that about you. So I 336 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:12,679 Speaker 1: know there is assault in the book. How did that 337 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: portrayal impact you as a reader. 338 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:19,199 Speaker 2: It was like a very suspenseful scene. I am glad 339 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 2: that it wasn't like so graphic. It was physical assault, 340 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:27,560 Speaker 2: but it was racistin so I'm like, oh, no, it's 341 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 2: gonna happen to my girl. No, no, no, like you know, 342 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 2: trying to race through to see what happens. And then 343 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:35,679 Speaker 2: but in that scene you see like again the women 344 00:17:35,880 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 2: coming to another woman's aid, which I think is a 345 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 2: theme in the book. 346 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,199 Speaker 1: So how do you feel like she was able to 347 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: build that suspense at the moment, Like, thinking back on it, 348 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 1: do you kind of see the moves that she did 349 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: to get there? 350 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean she foreshadowed that the person that was 351 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 2: going to assault her was like obsessed with her and 352 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 2: like creepy and just like leering, So you kind of like, Okay, 353 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,720 Speaker 2: something's going to go down here. And they she always 354 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 2: talks about like how beautiful she is and shapely and 355 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 2: a good singer. She's just like truly the baddest bitch 356 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:14,960 Speaker 2: on the street. Yeah, so you're like, okay, like if 357 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 2: someone just like doesn't respect, you know, another person's autonomy 358 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 2: like they would, she would be the person that they're like, Okay, 359 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 2: I'm going to take you. So she she did some 360 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,120 Speaker 2: foreshadowing for sure. And the version that I read, Tyari 361 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 2: Jones wrote the intro, which I don't always like reading 362 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 2: intros by someone that's not the author, but I think 363 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: TYRII did a good job because she was talking about 364 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 2: like her experience reading it for the first time in 365 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,199 Speaker 2: college at Spelman, and she put it in conversation with 366 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 2: other books that she read during that class and how 367 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 2: they portrayed women differently, and this book portrayed women more dynamically. 368 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,040 Speaker 2: So I think she did like a good setup. She 369 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,520 Speaker 2: gave some like all right, she's gonna get assalted, so 370 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: it wasn't like a shock. But yeah, I liked how 371 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 2: tire you did that. She did that, good job, Tire. 372 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: So ultimately, would you recommend this book to someone else? 373 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think anyone who like fiction, historical fiction, even 374 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 2: though it doesn't read us historical fiction, would like it. 375 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:17,159 Speaker 2: I think if you like character studies plus good plot, 376 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 2: you would like it. And yeah, if you're like me 377 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 2: and trying to read more classics and not just be 378 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 2: on every Tuesday looking to see what new book is out, 379 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 2: this would be a good place to start. After the break, 380 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 2: we'll hear what Ease is reading. 381 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: So I really enjoyed hearing you talk about The Street 382 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: by Anptree. You have recommended it, so now I will 383 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,280 Speaker 1: move it up higher on my list. So yeah, I'm 384 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,919 Speaker 1: excited for that, because, like I said, I do I 385 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:55,200 Speaker 1: need some more fiction in my life. I'm not sure 386 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: if this sounds like the lightest book to bring in now, 387 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: but I'm looking forward to reading it because I already 388 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 1: know about Amptrie and like, you know, started it and 389 00:20:06,840 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: didn't finish it, so I'm going to go back to it. 390 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 1: But as to be expected, what I have been reading 391 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:19,400 Speaker 1: is nonfiction, and I read Black women writers at work. 392 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: I read nonfiction, but I don't read I read craft sometimes. 393 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: And I think I actually kind of revising what I 394 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: said at the beginning of the year want to read 395 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: craft books more. I've actually enjoyed the craft books that 396 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,760 Speaker 1: I have read. I think the thing with craft is 397 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 1: that it can really compound if you don't integrate it. 398 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 1: It's like you get all of this knowledge about craft, 399 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:44,320 Speaker 1: you're like, Okay, Wow, that's a great technique or that's 400 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: a good tactic that I can use in writing. This 401 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: will really help me get my stuff together, and then 402 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,160 Speaker 1: you know, you move on to the next craft book 403 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: and you're like, oh, that's a great idea, Like oh. 404 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:54,199 Speaker 2: I need to implement it. 405 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: You got to implement it. So yeah. But this book 406 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: was edited by Claudia Tate, and I I've never read 407 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 1: it before, so I figured now would be a fitting time. 408 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: It was published in nineteen eighty three and in the book, 409 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: Claudia Tate interviews a bunch of legendary writers, telling me Morrison, 410 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,560 Speaker 1: Alice Walker, and Audrey Lower, just to name a few, 411 00:21:14,840 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: And it is exactly how it sounds like. Tait kind 412 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: of cycles through some of the same questions as she's 413 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,240 Speaker 1: talking to the different writers. There is never any lingering 414 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,439 Speaker 1: too long on a question, like they get in and 415 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,200 Speaker 1: out of the questions and the interviews. They don't really 416 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: dive too deeply in thought depending on the person, because 417 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,679 Speaker 1: some people are more long winded than others. And you know, 418 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,200 Speaker 1: I mean there are fourteen writers featured in the book's 419 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:42,440 Speaker 1: only two hundred pages long, so you know there aren't 420 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: manifestos the writers. They talk about what they're working on, 421 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 1: they talk about how they portray black people in their work, 422 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: and they talk about their process of writing. And it's 423 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: the peak behind the curtain that you get when you 424 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 1: read the book. 425 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,119 Speaker 2: So does any one question and answer stand out to 426 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 2: you from the book? 427 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: I like Maya Angelou's interview and the book. And there's 428 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: a point when Claudia Tate asks her about all of 429 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: the different things that she does, and she's asking her 430 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 1: about what the source of such creative diversity is and 431 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: this kind of question I like, and it's something I 432 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 1: think about a lot with not just writers, but all 433 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: kinds of women in history, Like I'm often researching women 434 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: in history, and this is a question I think about 435 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: a lot. And I'm honestly motivated and inspired by when 436 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: I hear other people talk about how they balance all 437 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: of the other things that they do in their life, 438 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: because sometimes I just want to do stuff, and sometimes 439 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: I feel like, you know, there's not enough time for everything, 440 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:50,959 Speaker 1: or I need to focus on one thing. But I 441 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: think keeping in mind or keeping top of mind the 442 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,919 Speaker 1: idea of experimentation and always being open to being bad 443 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: at things trying new things is something helpful for me 444 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: to keep in mind as a writer for the content 445 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: of my writing work and for the craft of it. 446 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: But just like how I choose to move in life 447 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 1: with all parts of my creativity in my personal life 448 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,440 Speaker 1: and profession. So Angelou talks about it, and she says, 449 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: I don't do the dancing anymore, the rest I try. 450 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:23,840 Speaker 1: I believe talent is like electricity. We don't understand electricity, 451 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: we use it. And then she goes on to say 452 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:30,880 Speaker 1: that it makes no judgment and she talks a little 453 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: bit more about talent. So there are other parts of 454 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,560 Speaker 1: the book that I enjoy, but sometimes some things just 455 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 1: snap for me, like they just click. And I think 456 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,879 Speaker 1: electricity is a good metaphor for me to be able 457 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: to kind of parse that in my mind. Although some 458 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:50,920 Speaker 1: of the questions around talent I think deserve a little 459 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:54,880 Speaker 1: bit more talking about because it's such a nebulous thing, 460 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:57,879 Speaker 1: like talent, where does it come from? Is it something 461 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,639 Speaker 1: you're born with? And all of that, What can you 462 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: grow in your life? What can you work on? What's 463 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,359 Speaker 1: the peak of whatever you're going to do? And all 464 00:24:04,359 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: that subjective any life. But I liked that part. 465 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 2: Were there any interviews where you're like, I ain't picking 466 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 2: out what you're putting down? 467 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:18,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, there were for me Nikki Giovanni's So yeah, I 468 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:21,879 Speaker 1: really respect and admire Nikki Giovanni, but I think her 469 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: you know, different people resonate with you in different ways, 470 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: and for me, and this was also a long time ago, 471 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 1: like this was written in the eighties, I think, so 472 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: I really felt like there were a lot of let's 473 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:34,640 Speaker 1: just say, there were a lot of long paragraphs in 474 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: her interview. There was a lot of poetry in her 475 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: as would make sense in her interview, and I think 476 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 1: sometimes to me it felt a little like instead of like, 477 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: I'm trying to help you as a black woman writer, 478 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: to other black women writers who don't really know what 479 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: they're doing, or who have a lot of growth to do, 480 00:24:51,840 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: who don't have the statue that I do, you know, 481 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,040 Speaker 1: who don't have the experience and knowledge that I do. 482 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: You know, I was kind of hoping to be talked 483 00:24:58,040 --> 00:24:59,399 Speaker 1: to like that, and I didn't feel like I was 484 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,520 Speaker 1: necessarily talked to like that in her interview. It felt 485 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: more like I've been doing this for a long time, 486 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,280 Speaker 1: and why are you not doing it this way? Like 487 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:11,080 Speaker 1: it felt a little judgmental or like speak downy to 488 00:25:11,160 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: me in some. 489 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,920 Speaker 2: Ways, Okay, I feel like you have to back it up, okay. 490 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:19,520 Speaker 1: So I think it's interesting because the writers are talking 491 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:21,320 Speaker 1: to the audience, like the people that will be reading 492 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:23,639 Speaker 1: the book, but they're also talking to Claudia Tate. So 493 00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,320 Speaker 1: it's interesting to see the different dynamics between the writer 494 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,879 Speaker 1: that Claudia Tate's interviewing and Tate herself. And so I 495 00:25:30,920 --> 00:25:36,840 Speaker 1: think in this instance, I was jarred by the relationship 496 00:25:36,880 --> 00:25:41,840 Speaker 1: between or the banter between Nicki Giovanni and Claudia Tate, 497 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:43,480 Speaker 1: like it felt like there was a little bit of 498 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:48,119 Speaker 1: friction there to me, because Niki Giovanni comes in hot, 499 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: in my opinion, she immediately starts questioning her questions. Is 500 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:52,439 Speaker 1: what it feels like? 501 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 2: Okay? 502 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,920 Speaker 1: And so the first question that is in the interview 503 00:25:56,920 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 1: in the book is Claudia Tate asks, the black revolutionary 504 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: fervor of the sixties seems to be gone. We no 505 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,919 Speaker 1: longer even hear the rhetoric. Does this suggest that the 506 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:10,160 Speaker 1: revolution is over? So this book's in the eighties, it's 507 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: about two decades after the sixties. They've gone through the seventies. 508 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: That was a huge cultural shift. The eighties. The whole 509 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: decade was a little weird in general. But so that's 510 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: the question. And then Nikki Giovanni immediately comes back and says, 511 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 1: I bought three new windows for my mother's basement. Have 512 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: you ever bought windows for your mother's basement? It's revolutionary, 513 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 1: it really is. And then she's like, I have a 514 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: problem I think I should share with you. For the 515 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 1: most part, this question is boring. And then she goes 516 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:40,840 Speaker 1: on a takedown and I'm like, okay, like fair like 517 00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 1: she goes on to talk about how she says everybody 518 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:47,280 Speaker 1: looks at a phenomenon as if it were finished, Like 519 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 1: I get it, Like come on, now, you know we 520 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: move in different ways in different decades, Like everybody looks back. 521 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,400 Speaker 1: When you're looking at something in hindsight, then it could 522 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 1: seem so large and like we're not doing the right 523 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,200 Speaker 1: thing anymore. Things have changed so much all of that, 524 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: But I have to say that I was like, I 525 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: might need to put this interview down when I kept 526 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,600 Speaker 1: reading it and she kept calling things boring. She was like, yeah, 527 00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:09,600 Speaker 1: that bores me. I'm bored by that. And there were 528 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: a lot of moments like that in this interview where 529 00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 1: she kind of really pushed back against Claudia Tate's questions 530 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,680 Speaker 1: in ways I think may have been a little bit 531 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,400 Speaker 1: too much and not productive for something where you're trying 532 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: to help other writers learn things. And I bump up 533 00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: against the word boring too, because it takes conditions to 534 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: consider something boring, because you have to think about, like 535 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: what is something that excites you? Or like what is 536 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,959 Speaker 1: it about something that makes you bored about it? Like 537 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: I don't want to get too philosophical about it, but 538 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,000 Speaker 1: bored is not something that I just was expecting to 539 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,439 Speaker 1: see come up so much in the interview that she 540 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,159 Speaker 1: did with her and her responses to her, so I 541 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,240 Speaker 1: was just like, Okay, well that's cool. So yeah, I 542 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: think there were moments like that, and that's what I 543 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: was bumping up against in her interview, and that was 544 00:28:01,320 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 1: so different than all of the relationships, the rapport that 545 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:06,959 Speaker 1: have been formed in the interviews that came before it. 546 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:10,439 Speaker 1: So once I got to that one, I was like, Oh, like, 547 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 1: I'm getting to see Nikki Giovanni in this way that 548 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 1: I've never seen before in you know, other spaces. 549 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,680 Speaker 2: So reading this book, how did you feel as a writer? 550 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: I felt pretty inadequate in a lot of ways. And 551 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:31,920 Speaker 1: I felt that a little bit after reading Nikki Giovanni 552 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,400 Speaker 1: because I was like, Oh, she's a really good writer 553 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:35,160 Speaker 1: and she's saying all this, and I feel a little bad. 554 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 1: But I felt like inspired and also inadequate at the 555 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: same time. So I felt inspired because of the terms 556 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,800 Speaker 1: of phrase. Usually that's what gets me to connect to something, 557 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: even if it's a concept I may have explored or 558 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: thought about before. So if it's like a process of writing, 559 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:57,160 Speaker 1: then somebody just has a different turn of phrase and 560 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: I connect with it. Then I'm like, oh, that makes sense, 561 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,320 Speaker 1: and I think that's inspiring and that makes me feel like, Okay, 562 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: I'm a writer and I understand the language of being 563 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: a writer. I know they're not parameters around that necessarily, 564 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 1: but I'm just saying, like, for my own confidence and 565 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: for how I choose to like uplift myself and considering 566 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: myself a writer, I get to see these terms of 567 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,240 Speaker 1: phrase and be like, oh, I understand that that's something 568 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: that I'm like, Okay, so yeah, I write I've been 569 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: doing this and I understand that language because I've actually 570 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 1: cared about my work and like been in the work. 571 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: As much as I can have doubts around like me 572 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: being an actual writer. Sometimes I have to reel myself 573 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: back in and remind myself that I actually do do 574 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: the work and I still love it. So I think 575 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:46,400 Speaker 1: that was one thing that's inspirational to me. And on 576 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:50,320 Speaker 1: the other hand, it felt like I felt inadequate in 577 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:55,479 Speaker 1: some moments because these people are names that I can say, 578 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: and they feel like really large names because they have 579 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: really prolific bodies of work. Like sometimes I'll be like, 580 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:06,560 Speaker 1: over the last ten years I wrote fourteen novels. I'm like, dang, 581 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: I ain't do that. And I've been writing for ten years. 582 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: So in moments like that, I feel like I'm playing, Like, oh, 583 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: maybe I feel like I could be there if I 584 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 1: had moved differently, and maybe if I had been, you know, 585 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 1: working on novels from ten years ago, I could have 586 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: fourteen right now too. So in moments like that, when 587 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: I start to compare myself to where they are, especially 588 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: this being back in the eighties, then I can start 589 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:39,200 Speaker 1: to feel inadequate. And another thing too, going back to 590 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: the inspiration, is that when people talk about process, then 591 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 1: it's helpful for me to not compare myself to other people, 592 00:30:47,160 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: because you know, some people's process is, girl, I wake 593 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: up at two am every day, I write for three hours, 594 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:59,520 Speaker 1: I drink sixteen ounces of water, and then I go 595 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: and I pay cut my children or I take my 596 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: children to sign. Yeah. So people have these really regimented 597 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: schedules of how they write, and also like not to 598 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:17,920 Speaker 1: not consider the context around that, because oftentimes they were 599 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: writing and that's all they were doing, and they were 600 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: already set up at the points they were talking about writing. 601 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: So those things make me feel inadequate. But on the 602 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: other hand, back to the inspiration, there were moments where 603 00:31:25,920 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: I can't remember who it was, but one of the 604 00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:33,480 Speaker 1: writers said, I don't plan, I don't outline, and I 605 00:31:33,560 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 1: typically don't care to outline too heavily. I know that's 606 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:38,440 Speaker 1: the thing that different writers talk about, is different in 607 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: their process. But I have been trying outlining lately, and 608 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: I've been doing some heavy outlining lately, a lot of 609 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 1: it for other people. But I'm experiencing that in a 610 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 1: very full and total way and realizing. I was always like, oh, 611 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: maybe I should try this, Oh maybe I should be 612 00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: the type of person to do this, I could be 613 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:56,520 Speaker 1: more organized, and I realized, like, it's just probably not 614 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: for me. You know, I can do it for other people, 615 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: but why I want to do it for myself? Probably not. 616 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:04,640 Speaker 1: And so when I see people in the book saying 617 00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: I don't do that, then it makes me feel better 618 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: about my own work and more inspired to move forward 619 00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 1: in whatever way that I choose to. 620 00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,240 Speaker 2: So has the book changed your process in any way 621 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 2: or you're like, oh, I want to take this from 622 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 2: it and try this out or moving forward. This is 623 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 2: the type of writer that I'm going to be Yeah. 624 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: I think I want to be better about studying the 625 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 1: writers that I love and finding more writers that I 626 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: love and that I want to emulate, because that's been 627 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: something that's always been hard for me. I don't know why, 628 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: because I love reading, but for some reason, I can 629 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: never say, like, if somebody asked me, who's your favorite writer, 630 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: I can't answer it, or like, who is you know 631 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: someone who you want to write like, I'm like, I 632 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: don't know. That's the hardest question in the world for me. 633 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: All those questions are always hard kinds of questions for me. 634 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,479 Speaker 1: I tell myself, like, I really want to find that, 635 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,920 Speaker 1: not like I feel like it's necessary to be a 636 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: great writer, but I think it's a beautiful thing to 637 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,680 Speaker 1: have someone that you can turn to when you're writing, 638 00:33:06,840 --> 00:33:10,480 Speaker 1: that can feel like they are your kind of like 639 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:14,320 Speaker 1: support system in a way, to be like, yeah, this 640 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: person did it this way, this is how they moved, 641 00:33:16,920 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: this is what they wrote about, this is what they 642 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 1: cared about. And someone in the book set, you know, 643 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 1: study other people, and I would extend that to, you know, 644 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: study people who specifically and find people and study people 645 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: who I would like to emulate. Take what I want 646 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:35,600 Speaker 1: from it and then leave the rest. 647 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, that's good advice. 648 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. 649 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 2: So we're looking back at our reading and writing goals. 650 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:48,040 Speaker 2: What are your upcoming reading and writing goals? 651 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:52,239 Speaker 1: So right now, I really want to move into more 652 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:57,600 Speaker 1: spiritual reading. Sometimes I do spiritual reading like philosophical reading 653 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,400 Speaker 1: and some self help sometimes and sometimes it's spiritual mixed 654 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 1: with science. I have a lot of spiritual books that 655 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: I would like to get to and I think that 656 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 1: I really that would be really edifying for me in 657 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: my life right now. So that is a reading goal 658 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: for me right now. So, like I said, I would 659 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,880 Speaker 1: really like to delve more into the fiction and I 660 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:22,759 Speaker 1: need to hold myself to it. The next novel that 661 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:27,320 Speaker 1: I'm reading is The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo, 662 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:33,279 Speaker 1: and it's like a historical horror and set in Appalachia 663 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: and about trans romance. So I'm looking forward to reading 664 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,520 Speaker 1: and I think it came out earlier this year. 665 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 2: Okay, by your writing. 666 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:48,279 Speaker 1: Okay, So I am getting back into my novel is 667 00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: really what the goal is right now, and doing that 668 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,760 Speaker 1: really heavily, I think now I'll be able to create 669 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: a little bit more balance in that so that I 670 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: have this space to work on it, like I really 671 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 1: want to. So for writing, that is like my utmost goal. 672 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 1: I have those short stories still in like I have 673 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 1: a lot. I have different ones that I'm working on, 674 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,920 Speaker 1: So I think when I'm uninspired to write the novel, 675 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:17,280 Speaker 1: I'll keep working on those short stories. But I don't 676 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:18,719 Speaker 1: want to start a new one because that's how I 677 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: get caught up. I will start a new short story 678 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: before working on my book. So that's what I have 679 00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:26,959 Speaker 1: for writing goals. So what about you for your reading 680 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: and writing goals? 681 00:35:28,000 --> 00:35:32,359 Speaker 2: Reading, I think I want to read some autobiographies, be 682 00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:37,799 Speaker 2: like desk Tracked on the road my angela, Yeah, it's 683 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 2: like five or six. Yeah, she's like, y'all go no, 684 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:43,680 Speaker 2: me right. So I think that's what I want to 685 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 2: focus on for the rest of the year, autobiographies of 686 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:54,799 Speaker 2: not just writers but even activists. And for writing, I 687 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 2: feel like my true answer is just to like write people, 688 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:01,279 Speaker 2: and I think that is what that I'll actually do. 689 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:03,680 Speaker 2: I don't know if I should keep saying I want 690 00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:05,960 Speaker 2: to write these short stories when I know I'm not 691 00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 2: going to. Yeah, but yeah, like writing letters and cards 692 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 2: to people is my writing goal. And now it's time 693 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 2: for Roll Credits, the segment where we give credit to 694 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 2: a person, place, or thing we've encountered during the week eves. 695 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:24,920 Speaker 2: Who or what would you like to give credit to. 696 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:30,000 Speaker 1: I would like to give credit to ice water because 697 00:36:30,239 --> 00:36:32,720 Speaker 1: I usually don't drink ice water. I'm a hot water, 698 00:36:33,320 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: room temperature water kind of person. When I can get 699 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:39,239 Speaker 1: hot water, then I choose hot water. But you know, 700 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,120 Speaker 1: ice water just come in handy. Sometimes sometimes it just hits. 701 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:44,839 Speaker 1: It's crispy, and it goes right to your soul. So 702 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:46,800 Speaker 1: I want to give credit to ice water today. 703 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:47,799 Speaker 2: You can feel it going day. 704 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'd like. 705 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,919 Speaker 2: To give credit to people who keep their Christmas lights 706 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:58,600 Speaker 2: on well past January. You know who says they are 707 00:36:58,680 --> 00:36:59,399 Speaker 2: Christmas lights? 708 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:02,240 Speaker 1: First of all the evangelical. 709 00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:05,120 Speaker 2: They're just lights on the house, So what if they're 710 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:08,560 Speaker 2: in the shape of a Christmas tree. But yeah, I'm 711 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 2: just like, y'all do not care, and I can appreciate that. 712 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:14,399 Speaker 2: You also clearly don't have HOA and you're smart for 713 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 2: being a neighborhood that don't have h away. So credit 714 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:18,200 Speaker 2: to y'all. 715 00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:21,399 Speaker 1: So you don't buy into the superstition that it's bad 716 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: luck to keep your Christmas lights up. Because isn't that 717 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:24,800 Speaker 1: a thing. I never heard of that. What is it? 718 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: I think it's just bad luck to keep your Christmas 719 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:30,399 Speaker 1: lights up past and once the New yeark starts. 720 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 2: And what was it? 721 00:37:31,080 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: New year starts? 722 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:32,640 Speaker 2: That's not quick. 723 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: I might be wrong. I get it down quick. I 724 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:37,840 Speaker 1: might be wrong. It could be totally wrong, because I 725 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:39,600 Speaker 1: guess New Year's is a thing too, so maybe past 726 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,920 Speaker 1: New Year's Day. I don't know. They're all just lights. Yeah, 727 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: who says they're Christmas? Yeah? 728 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,600 Speaker 2: I ain't heard that one. But I don't know. I 729 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:50,240 Speaker 2: can see people saying that it's like the old interview 730 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:54,320 Speaker 2: or something. But you know, anyway, see y'all next week. 731 00:37:54,600 --> 00:38:04,280 Speaker 1: Bye. On Theme is a production of iHeartRadio and Fairweather 732 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:08,000 Speaker 1: Friends Media. This episode was written by Eves Jeffco and 733 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:11,520 Speaker 1: Katie Mitchell. It was edited and produced by Tari Harrison. 734 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: Follow us on Instagram at on Themeshow. You can also 735 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: send us an email at hello at on Theme dot show. 736 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 1: Head to on Theme dot Show to check out the 737 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:25,919 Speaker 1: show notes for episodes. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 738 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to 739 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.