In Conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez

Puerto Rico’s relationship with America is one that has been contentious for many decades. It is deeply rooted in political corruption, colonization, economic exploitation, neglected representation from political leaders, and restricted agency to chart their own future as a country. Subsequently, the Puerto Rican experience in American is heavily influenced by these factors. Olga Dies…

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The Garden of Broken Things

Francesca Momplaisir | Haiti Similar to a plot of land that can grow yams, potatoes, herbs for seasoning food, plantains, and even nourish one’s soul, The Garden of Broken Things grows and harvests multiple disfigured relationships within one Haitian family. Francesca Momplaisir’s sophomore novel explores the complexities associated not only with family resentments and jealousies,…

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In Conversation with Marsha Massiah-Aaron

As a continuation of my special series for Caribbean American Heritage month and Read Caribbean month, I’m pleased to highlight this powerful ally of Caribbean literature: the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival (BCLF), a committed supporter of Caribbean books and storytelling led by its founder Marsha Massiah-Aaron. Marsha and her team are small and mighty: they…

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In Conversation with Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

Afro-Puerto Rican novelist Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa captured me with her second novel A Woman of Endurance, when it was published in April 2022. It led me to back to her first novel, Daughters of the Stone, first published in 2009 and all I can say is both books are important additions to contemporary literature. These are…

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In Conversation with Christabelle Elvin

Welcome to a special edition of In Conversation! June is Caribbean American Heritage Month and in the bookish space we celebrate Read Caribbean Month. This month I will be focusing on very specific allies of Caribbean literature from across the Caribbean region and the diaspora, talking with these creative folks about their dedication to Caribbean…

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A Woman of Endurance

Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa | Puerto Rico I read the first chapter of A Woman Of Endurance, then I put the book down, because my heart was racing. I remember one of the first things that dawned on me was that Ms. Llanos-Figueroa is more than a writer: she’s a storyteller! If you were raised by grandparents…

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Daughters of the Stone

Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa | Puerto Rico I ran to this book after reading A Woman Of Endurance because I had to read everything written by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. Daughters of the Stone follows the lives of five generations of Afro-Puerto Rican women connected by a stone, brought from Africa by a slave woman named Fela. She is…

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Wife Of The Gods

Kwie Quartey | Ghana Ever since I read Jacob Ross’ The Bone Readers that introduced me to crime fiction set in the Caribbean, with an authentic setting, characters, and story line, I’ve been on the lookout for an equally thrilling crime fiction series set in Africa. I recently discovered Ghanaian-American writer, Dr. Kwei Quartey’s (yes,…

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Nearly All The Men In Lagos Are Mad

Damilare Kuku | Nigeria What would you do if your husband urged you to sleep with another man for money? Not prostitution, mind you, but be intimate with an admirer? No? What about join a wives’ club where the husbands are in the closet? Not your cup of tea? Well then you surely would be…

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In Conversation with Raxenne Maniquiz

You may not know her name, but you should! When I first saw the U.S. cover for the book When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, I immediately wanted to know who designed it. Her name is Raxenne Maniquiz and she’s the talented young woman behind the image that powerfully captures the aura of…

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