Joy Keys

Regina Hartfield is CEO and president of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Hartfield served on the association’s board of directors for three years, including as chair of the fundraising committee. Previously, she managed federal, state and commercial contracts for CVP, an information technology consulting firm in Virginia and Maryland. Hartfield was a community affairs professional in the nonprofit arena in New York for more than 25 years where she gained experience as a leader in nonprofit organizations. She graduated with honors from Lehman College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in community outreach.Servio Astacio was born in the Dominican Republic with sickle cell anemia and experienced symptoms from an early age. His condition prevented him from pursuing his dream of military service, but he remains driven to growing in other areas of his life. Now 25 years old, Astacio lives in Miami, owns a business and pursues interests in finance and technology. He advocates for sickle cell awareness and research and has spoken at conferences, symposia and roundtables.

Regina Hartfield is CEO and president of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Hartfield served on the association’s board of directors for three years, including as chair of the fundraising committee. Previously, she managed federal, state and commercial contracts for CVP, an information technology consulting firm in Virginia and Maryland. Hartfield was a community affairs professional in the nonprofit arena in New York for more than 25 years where she gained experience as a leader in nonprofit organizations. She graduated with honors from Lehman College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in community outreach. Servio Astacio was born in the Dominican Republic with sickle cell anemia and experienced symptoms from an early age. His condition prevented him from pursuing his dream of military service, but he remains driven to growing in other areas of his life. Now 25 years old, Astacio lives in Miami, owns a business and pursues interests in finance and technology. He advocates for sickle cell awareness and research and has spoken at conferences, symposia and roundtables.

2022 Sickle Cell Awareness Month with Joy Keys

Catherine Adel West

THIS IS A PRE-RECORDED INTERVEW. Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resides. She graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois - Urbana. Her work is published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket and Gay Magazine. ​Catherine's sophomore novel THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is slated for release September 6, 2022 (Park Row Books). Her debut novel SAVING RUBY KING was published June 2020 (Park Row Books). Her short story ORION'S STAR is featured in the body positive anthology EVERY BODY SHINES (Bloomsbury, May 2021). ​ ​In between writing and traveling, Catherine works as an editor.

THIS IS A PRE-RECORDED INTERVEW. Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resides. She graduated with both her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Journalism from the University of Illinois - Urbana. Her work is published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket and Gay Magazine. ​Catherine's sophomore novel THE TWO LIVES OF SARA is slated for release September 6, 2022 (Park Row Books). Her debut novel SAVING RUBY KING was published June 2020 (Park Row Books). Her short story ORION'S STAR is featured in the body positive anthology EVERY BODY SHINES (Bloomsbury, May 2021). ​ ​In between writing and traveling, Catherine works as an editor.

Joy Keys chats with Author Catherine Adel West about The Two Lives of Sara

Corey Gumbs

Pre-recorded interview Corey Gumbs, the owner of Black Label Media, LLC, has over 20 years of experience in recording as an independent music producer and artist. His experience in the music industry also includes working as an intern at Def Jam Records as a key member of their street promotions team in the mid-late 90s, as well as promotional tour support for Def Jam recording artist Foxy Brown, and Violator Records recording artists CRU during the 1997 Smoking Grooves Tour.  He is currently the founder of Black Label Media, LLC and chief recording engineer of its service imprint: Black Label Podcast Studio, as well as the chief Podcast Development Strategist.  In addition, Corey has a Bachelor of Science in Web Development and Design from Full Sail University. He is also the Founder of The Black Podcasters Association Powered By Afros &amp; Audio, an online community dedicated to black podcast creatives and professionals. His mission is to create a space that offers support, collaboration, and can act as an advocacy body for Black podcaster creatives and professionals within the greater podcast economy. To work with Corey or to learn more about Black Label Media, LLC’s, Black Label Podcast Studio, or our other programs and services, contact the team at: team@blacklabelmediallc.com

Pre-recorded interview Corey Gumbs, the owner of Black Label Media, LLC, has over 20 years of experience in recording as an independent music producer and artist. His experience in the music industry also includes working as an intern at Def Jam Records as a key member of their street promotions team in the mid-late 90s, as well as promotional tour support for Def Jam recording artist Foxy Brown, and Violator Records recording artists CRU during the 1997 Smoking Grooves Tour.  He is currently the founder of Black Label Media, LLC and chief recording engineer of its service imprint: Black Label Podcast Studio, as well as the chief Podcast Development Strategist.  In addition, Corey has a Bachelor of Science in Web Development and Design from Full Sail University. He is also the Founder of The Black Podcasters Association Powered By Afros &amp; Audio, an online community dedicated to black podcast creatives and professionals. His mission is to create a space that offers support, collaboration, and can act as an advocacy body for Black podcaster creatives and professionals within the greater podcast economy. To work with Corey or to learn more about Black Label Media, LLC’s, Black Label Podcast Studio, or our other programs and services, contact the team at: team@blacklabelmediallc.com

Joy Keys chats with Corey Gumbs, Founder of The Black Podcasters Association

Nasheeda Pollard is a wife and proud mother of two beautiful breastfed children! An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, author of Magical Milk, and owner of Lactation Goddess LLC. A brand focused on helping new and expecting families unapologetically define their breastfeeding journey so they can feel confident in their abilities to lactate in a way that fits their lifestyle. Her passion for supporting lactating families of color and normalizing breastfeeding is the motivation behind Magical Milk. Working with breastfeeding families and hearing their stories along with her own experiences pushed her into purpose.

Nasheeda Pollard is a wife and proud mother of two beautiful breastfed children! An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, author of Magical Milk, and owner of Lactation Goddess LLC. A brand focused on helping new and expecting families unapologetically define their breastfeeding journey so they can feel confident in their abilities to lactate in a way that fits their lifestyle.  Her passion for supporting lactating families of color and normalizing breastfeeding is the motivation behind Magical Milk. Working with breastfeeding families and hearing their stories along with her own experiences pushed her into purpose.

National Breastfeeding Awareness Month with Joy Keys and Nasheeda Pollard

In this much anticipated follow up to New York Times bestselling Beasts of Prey, Koffi’s powers grow stronger and Ekon’s secrets turn darker as they face the god of death.Koffi has saved her city and the boy she loves, but at a terrible price. Now a servant to the cunning god of death, she must use her newfound power to further his continental conquest, or risk the safety of her home and loved ones. As she reluctantly learns to survive amidst unexpected friends and foes, she will also have to choose between the life—and love—she once had, or the one she could have, if she truly embraces her dangerous gifts.ABOUT AYANA GRAY: Ayana Gray is a New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy author and a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and magic. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she reads avidly, follows Formula One racing, and worries over the varying moods of her adopted baby black rhino, Apollo, and her mini goldendoodle, Dolly. Her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, is being adapted for feature film.

In this much anticipated follow up to New York Times bestselling Beasts of Prey, Koffi’s powers grow stronger and Ekon’s secrets turn darker as they face the god of death. Koffi has saved her city and the boy she loves, but at a terrible price. Now a servant to the cunning god of death, she must use her newfound power to further his continental conquest, or risk the safety of her home and loved ones. As she reluctantly learns to survive amidst unexpected friends and foes, she will also have to choose between the life—and love—she once had, or the one she could have, if she truly embraces her dangerous gifts. ABOUT AYANA GRAY: Ayana Gray is a New York Times bestselling young adult fantasy author and a lover of all things monsters, mythos, and magic. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, she now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she reads avidly, follows Formula One racing, and worries over the varying moods of her adopted baby black rhino, Apollo, and her mini goldendoodle, Dolly. Her debut novel, Beasts of Prey, is being adapted for feature film.

Joy Keys chats with Author Ayana Gray about Beasts of Ruin

Morowa Yejidé

MOROWA YEJIDÉ, a native of Washington, DC, is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Time of the Locust, which was a 2012 finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize, long-listed for the 2015 PEN/Bingham Prize, and a 2015 NAACP Image Award nominee; and Creatures of Passage, which was short-listed for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and was a 2021 Notable Book selection by NPR and the Washington Post. She lives in the DC area with her husband and three sons.NEPHTHYS KINWELL IS A TAXI DRIVER OF SORTS in Washington, DC, ferrying passengers in a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere with a ghost in the trunk. Endless rides and alcohol help her manage her grief over the death of her twin brother, Osiris, who was murdered and dumped in the Anacostia River. Unknown to Nephthys when the novel opens in 1977, her estranged great-nephew, ten-year-old Dash, is finding himself drawn to the banks of that very same river. It is there that Dash—reeling from having witnessed an act of molestation at his school, but still questioning what and who he saw—has charmed conversations with a mysterious figure he calls the “River Man.”When Dash arrives unexpectedly at Nephthys’s door bearing a cryptic note about his unusual conversations with the River Man, Nephthys must face what frightens her most.Morowa Yejidé’s deeply captivating novel shows us an unseen Washington filled with otherworldly landscapes, flawed super-humans, and reluctant ghosts, and brings together a community intent on saving one young boy in order to reclaim itself.

MOROWA YEJIDÉ, a native of Washington, DC, is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Time of the Locust, which was a 2012 finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize, long-listed for the 2015 PEN/Bingham Prize, and a 2015 NAACP Image Award nominee; and Creatures of Passage, which was short-listed for the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and was a 2021 Notable Book selection by NPR and the Washington Post. She lives in the DC area with her husband and three sons. NEPHTHYS KINWELL IS A TAXI DRIVER OF SORTS in Washington, DC, ferrying passengers in a 1967 Plymouth Belvedere with a ghost in the trunk. Endless rides and alcohol help her manage her grief over the death of her twin brother, Osiris, who was murdered and dumped in the Anacostia River. Unknown to Nephthys when the novel opens in 1977, her estranged great-nephew, ten-year-old Dash, is finding himself drawn to the banks of that very same river. It is there that Dash—reeling from having witnessed an act of molestation at his school, but still questioning what and who he saw—has charmed conversations with a mysterious figure he calls the “River Man.” When Dash arrives unexpectedly at Nephthys’s door bearing a cryptic note about his unusual conversations with the River Man, Nephthys must face what frightens her most. Morowa Yejidé’s deeply captivating novel shows us an unseen Washington filled with otherworldly landscapes, flawed super-humans, and reluctant ghosts, and brings together a community intent on saving one young boy in order to reclaim itself.

Joy Keys chats with Author Morowa Yejidé about Creatures of Passage

Louis Chude-Sokei

Louis Chude-Sokei’s work includes the award-winning, The Last Darky: Bert Williams, Black on Black Minstrelsy and the African Diaspora, The Sound of Culture: Diaspora and Black Technopoetics as well as the acclaimed memoir, Floating in A Most Peculiar Way. He teaches at Boston University, directs the African American Studies Program and is Editor in Chief of the journal, The Black Scholar. He is also founder of the sonic art and archival project, Echolocution and was a curator of Carnegie Hall’s 2022 Festival of Afrofuturism.

Joy Keys chats with Author Louis Chude-Sokei -Floating In a Most Peculiar Way

Special Guest: Dr. Kyra S. O’Brien grew up in Northern Virginia and received her bachelor’s of science in biology from Yale University. She received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and stayed to complete her internal medicine internship and neurology residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focus during medical school and residency aimed to characterize the clinical syndrome of primary age-related tauopathy and identify its potential genetic risk factors. As a clinical fellow at the Penn Memory Center, she hopes to focus her research on improving access to and quality of care within community practices for patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. She is excited to gain more experience with clinical trials and looks forward to working with the staff, patients and caregivers at the Penn Memory Center.

Special Guest:  Dr. Kyra S. O’Brien grew up in Northern Virginia and received her bachelor’s of science in biology from Yale University. She received her medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and stayed to complete her internal medicine internship and neurology residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focus during medical school and residency aimed to characterize the clinical syndrome of primary age-related tauopathy and identify its potential genetic risk factors. As a clinical fellow at the Penn Memory Center, she hopes to focus her research on improving access to and quality of care within community practices for patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. She is excited to gain more experience with clinical trials and looks forward to working with the staff, patients and caregivers at the Penn Memory Center.

2022 Alzheimer's Awareness with Joy Keys

LaSheena Riley-Duvel

Janelle S. Peifer

LaSheena Riley-Duval, MSW, LSW, CCM, is a licensed social worker with more than 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings within diverse communities. LaSheena’s career started as a case manager working with children, youth, and families victimized by sexual abuse.  Additionally, she has worked extensively with adolescents and families in areas of behavioral health, parenting, and life skills training.  LaSheena currently works as a high school social worker in the City of Philadelphia. Her passion is working with teens and their families to combat barriers to success.  In the evenings LaSheena is a therapist working with adults, children, and families impacted by trauma.  Janelle S. Peifer, PhD, LCP is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond. She also leads Peifer Psychology (peiferpsychology.com) as a speaker and consultant for organizations committed to inclusive excellent and mental wellness. In addition, as a licensed clinical psychologist, she founded and leads The Center for Inclusive Therapy + Wellness (inclusivetherapywellness.com). Dr. Peifer earned her PhD in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia and is an alumna of Wake Forest University. Her research examines college student development with a focus on questions of identity, intercultural competence, and mental health with a focus on complex trauma

LaSheena Riley-Duval, MSW, LSW, CCM, is a licensed social worker with more than 15 years of experience working in a variety of settings within diverse communities. LaSheena’s career started as a case manager working with children, youth, and families victimized by sexual abuse.  Additionally, she has worked extensively with adolescents and families in areas of behavioral health, parenting, and life skills training.  LaSheena currently works as a high school social worker in the City of Philadelphia. Her passion is working with teens and their families to combat barriers to success.  In the evenings LaSheena is a therapist working with adults, children, and families impacted by trauma.   Janelle S. Peifer, PhD, LCP is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Richmond. She also leads Peifer Psychology (<a href="http://peiferpsychology.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">peiferpsychology.com</a>) as a speaker and consultant for organizations committed to inclusive excellent and mental wellness. In addition, as a licensed clinical psychologist, she founded and leads The Center for Inclusive Therapy + Wellness (<a href="http://inclusivetherapywellness.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inclusivetherapywellness.com</a>). Dr. Peifer earned her PhD in Clinical and School Psychology at the University of Virginia and is an alumna of Wake Forest University. Her research examines college student development with a focus on questions of identity, intercultural competence, and mental health with a focus on complex trauma

PTSD Awareness with Joy Keys, LaSheena Riley-Duvel, LSW & Dr. Janelle S. Peifer

Alex Jennings

Alex Jennings is a writer/editor/teacher/poet living in New Orleans. He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) and raised in Gaborone (Botswana), Tunis (Tunisia), Paramaribo (Surinam) and the United States. He constantly devours pop culture and writes mostly jokes on Twitter (@magicknegro). He loves music, film, comix, and even some TV. He’s going a little nuts shut up in his Central City apartment, but thankfully he has two of the best roommates on earth (one of whom is a beautiful beautiful dog named Karate Valentino. His debut novel, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is due out from Redhook in 2022. You can also find him goofing around on Instagram: (@magicknegro)Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home.In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot.Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.

Alex Jennings is a writer/editor/teacher/poet living in New Orleans. He was born in Wiesbaden (Germany) and raised in Gaborone (Botswana), Tunis (Tunisia), Paramaribo (Surinam) and the United States. He constantly devours pop culture and writes mostly jokes on Twitter (@magicknegro). He loves music, film, comix, and even some TV. He’s going a little nuts shut up in his Central City apartment, but thankfully he has two of the best roommates on earth (one of whom is a beautiful beautiful dog named Karate Valentino. His debut novel, The Ballad of Perilous Graves is due out from Redhook in 2022. You can also find him goofing around on Instagram: (@magicknegro) Nola is a city full of wonders. A place of sky trolleys and dead cabs, where haints dance the night away and Wise Women help keep the order. To those from Away, Nola might seem strange. To Perilous Graves, it’s simply home. In a world of everyday miracles, Perry might not have a talent for magic, but he does know Nola’s rhythm as intimately as his own heartbeat. So when the city’s Great Magician starts appearing in odd places and essential songs are forgotten, Perry realizes trouble is afoot. Nine songs of power have escaped from the piano that maintains the city’s beat, and without them, Nola will fail. Unwilling to watch his home be destroyed, Perry will sacrifice everything to save it. But a storm is brewing, and the Haint of All Haints is awake. Nola’s time might be coming to an end.

Joy Keys chats with Author Alex Jennings about The Ballad of Perilous Graves

“Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys” is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on providing people with tools to enrich and advance their lives mentally, physically, and emotionally. Callers are encouraged to call  (516) 387-1745 to listen or ask questions.The show is LIVE on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.12:00 p.m.  Eastern. Joy is a licensed social worker, mother, trainer, speaker, mentor, actress, writer, producer and director. Ms. Keys holds a Masters in Social Work. She is a Leeway Art and Change grantee. She is passionate about making a difference in her local and global communities. *Make PAYPAL donations to : https://paypal.me/saturdayswithjoykeys*Follow on TWITTER:www.twitter.com/joykeys. *Become a fan on FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/saturdaymorningswithjoykeys. *Follow on INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/saturdayswithjoykeys. Email me at saturdayswithjoykeys (at) hotmail (dot) com

“Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys” is an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on providing people with tools to enrich and advance their lives mentally, physically, and emotionally. Callers are encouraged to call (516) 387-1745 to listen or ask questions.The show is LIVE on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.12:00 p.m. Eastern. Joy is a licensed social worker, mother, trainer, speaker, mentor, actress, writer, producer and director. Ms. Keys holds a Masters in Social Work. She is a Leeway Art and Change grantee. She is passionate about making a difference in her local and global communities. *Make PAYPAL donations to : <a href="https://paypal.me/saturdayswithjoykeys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://paypal.me/saturdayswithjoykeys</a> *Follow on TWITTER:<a href="http://www.twitter.com/joykeys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/joykeys</a>. *Become a fan on FACEBOOK <a href="http://www.facebook.com/saturdaymorningswithjoykeys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/saturdaymorningswithjoykeys</a>. *Follow on INSTAGRAM: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/saturdayswithjoykeys" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.instagram.com/saturdayswithjoykeys</a>. Email me at saturdayswithjoykeys (at) hotmail (dot) com

Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys

Nate Parker

Nate Parker is an American actor and musical performer who has appeared in Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, and Pride.He was an All-American wrestler in both at Great Bridge High School and at the University of Oklahoma.Parker has been active in charitable work, donating his time both as a volunteer wrestling coach.He is currently developing a feature script to direct and star, THE BIRTH OF A NATION, about slave-turned-revolutionary Nat Turner, through a fellowship with the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program. A Norfolk, Virginia native,Beyond the Lights is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed and written by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Minnie Driver, Nate Parker and Danny Glover. The film had its premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014. and is set for a theatrical release in the United States November 14, 2014.trailer : http://youtu.be/5-NsI8lZ5Lw

Nate Parker is an American actor and musical performer who has appeared in Red Tails, The Secret Life of Bees, The Great Debaters, and Pride.He was an All-American wrestler in both at Great Bridge High School and at the University of Oklahoma.Parker has been active in charitable work, donating his time both as a volunteer wrestling coach. He is currently developing a feature script to direct and star, THE BIRTH OF A NATION, about slave-turned-revolutionary Nat Turner, through a fellowship with the Sundance Institute Feature Film Program. A Norfolk, Virginia native, Beyond the Lights is a 2014 American romantic drama film directed and written by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Minnie Driver, Nate Parker and Danny Glover. The film had its premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014. and is set for a theatrical release in the United States November 14, 2014. trailer : <a href="http://youtu.be/5-NsI8lZ5Lw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/5-NsI8lZ5Lw</a>

Joy Keys chats with Actor Nate Parker

Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson is a public-interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. He's a professor of law at New York University Law School and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based group that has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent prisoners on death row, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.EJI won an historic ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court holding that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger are unconstitutional. He has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, argued six times before the Supreme Court, and won national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and people of color. He has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant. He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government, and has been awarded 14 honorary doctorate degrees.Among the first cases Bryan took on was that of Walter McMillan, a black man from Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case would change Bryan's life and transform his understanding of justice and mercy forever.JUST MERCY (Spiegel and Grau Hardcover) follows the suspenseful battle to free Walter before the state executes him, while also stepping back to tell the profoundly moving stories of men, women, and even children, who found themselves at the mercy of a system often incapable of showing it.

Bryan Stevenson is a public-interest lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping the poor, the incarcerated and the condemned. He's a professor of law at New York University Law School and the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, an Alabama-based group that has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent prisoners on death row, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults. EJI won an historic ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court holding that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger are unconstitutional. He has won relief for dozens of condemned prisoners, argued six times before the Supreme Court, and won national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and people of color. He has received numerous awards, including the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant. He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and the Harvard School of Government, and has been awarded 14 honorary doctorate degrees. Among the first cases Bryan took on was that of Walter McMillan, a black man from Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case would change Bryan's life and transform his understanding of justice and mercy forever. JUST MERCY (Spiegel and Grau Hardcover) follows the suspenseful battle to free Walter before the state executes him, while also stepping back to tell the profoundly moving stories of men, women, and even children, who found themselves at the mercy of a system often incapable of showing it.

Joy Keys chats with Social Justice Advocate Bryan Stevenson

Emily Bernard

Emily Bernard holds a B. A. and Ph. D. in American Studies from Yale University.Her work has appeared in The American Scholar, The Boston Globe Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, Green Mountains Review, Oxtford American, Ploughshares, TheNew Republic, and theatlantic.com.Her essays have been reprinted in Best American Essays, Best African American Essays, and Best of Creative Nonfiction.Her first book, Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.She has received fellowships and grants from Yale University, Harvard University, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Studio Center, and The MacDowell Colony.A contributing editor at The American Scholar,Emily is the Julian Lindsay Green and Gold Professor of English at the University of Vermont.

Emily Bernard holds a B. A. and Ph. D. in American Studies from Yale University. Her work has appeared in The American Scholar, The Boston Globe Magazine, Creative Nonfiction, Green Mountains Review, Oxtford American, Ploughshares, TheNew Republic, and <a href="http://theatlantic.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">theatlantic.com</a>. Her essays have been reprinted in Best American Essays, Best African American Essays, and Best of Creative Nonfiction. Her first book, Remember Me to Harlem: The Letters of Langston Hughes and Carl Van Vechten, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. She has received fellowships and grants from Yale University, Harvard University, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Studio Center, and The MacDowell Colony. A contributing editor at The American Scholar, Emily is the Julian Lindsay Green and Gold Professor of English at the University of Vermont.

Joy Keys chats with Author Emily Bernard about Black is the Body

Leslie Irby

Leslie Irby is a trailblazer, innovator, speaker and avid traveler.Irby hails from East Point, GA. As a 2012 graduate of Fort Valley State University, Leslie was at the starting point of life when she was involved in a car accident in 2013 where multiple fatalities occurred.  Becoming paralyzed, Leslie decided life was worth living, she gave new meaning to “The Phoenix Rises”.Deciding to continue her education, In 2017, Leslie received her Masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for state vocational rehabilitation agencies.During  a flight to France, Leslie had the epiphany to finish a Dream started more than 12 years ago: to become a pilot. Thanks to a program called Able Flight, after 7 long weeks of flying day and night at Purdue University, on June 28, 2019, Leslie accomplished her goal and became a licensed sport pilot. She is now historically known as the First African American Female with a disability to receive a pilot license.

Leslie Irby is a trailblazer, innovator, speaker and avid traveler. Irby hails from East Point, GA. As a 2012 graduate of Fort Valley State University, Leslie was at the starting point of life when she was involved in a car accident in 2013 where multiple fatalities occurred.  Becoming paralyzed, Leslie decided life was worth living, she gave new meaning to “The Phoenix Rises”. Deciding to continue her education, In 2017, Leslie received her Masters in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for state vocational rehabilitation agencies. During  a flight to France, Leslie had the epiphany to finish a Dream started more than 12 years ago: to become a pilot. Thanks to a program called Able Flight, after 7 long weeks of flying day and night at Purdue University, on June 28, 2019, Leslie accomplished her goal and became a licensed sport pilot. She is now historically known as the First African American Female with a disability to receive a pilot license.

Joy Keys chats with Able-bodied African American Pilot Leslie Irby

Singer Sia Tolno

Special guest: Singer Sia Tolno.Sia Tolno was born1975 in Gueckedou in Guinea, Geopolitical this ravaged area had eleven years of civil war, from 1991 to 2002, because of the"blood diamonds", which were taken by warlords. Sia Tolno has long wanted to "seize the Afrobeat, an expression of anger music, which is at the height of what I mean." For her previous two albums, Eh Sanga and My Life (RFI Award 2011), she worked with Guinean guitarist Kante Manfila (a former Ambassadors Salif Keita) first, then Mamadou Camara, guitarist veteran of orchestra Kaloum Star.Sia Tolno advocate for women. "They have a place in Africa today," she said, using the example of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize, which governs Liberia since 2006. "For us, family, husband, children, a belief, it is important. You have to respect it to better denounce the scourge of female circumcision. So I say without aggression, "it must cut anything." Or I talk to women so they no longer tolerate humiliating marriage, but respecting their values. "The album African Woman denounces the machismo (Manu), the imbecility of the warlords (Rebel Leader) and police corruption (African Police). It promotes education of women, inevitably powerful (Waka Waka Woman), against excision (Kekeleh). She also tells the tragic story of Koita and Fode Tounkara Yaguine, two teenagers prospective migrants found dead in the landing gear of the flight 520 of Sabena in 1999. Idjo Weh is devoted to youth "which is locked in Africa, wedged between parental influence and social structures. You can not be master of yourself, because there is always someone better equipped than you, and this generates violence, rebellion, and all sortesde traffic. "

Special guest: Singer Sia Tolno. Sia Tolno was born1975 in Gueckedou in Guinea, Geopolitical this ravaged area had eleven years of civil war, from 1991 to 2002, because of the"blood diamonds", which were taken by warlords.  Sia Tolno has long wanted to "seize the Afrobeat, an expression of anger music, which is at the height of what I mean."  For her previous two albums, Eh Sanga and My Life (RFI Award 2011), she worked with Guinean guitarist Kante Manfila (a former Ambassadors Salif Keita) first, then Mamadou Camara, guitarist veteran of orchestra Kaloum Star. Sia Tolno advocate for women. "They have a place in Africa today," she said, using the example of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Nobel Peace Prize, which governs Liberia since 2006. "For us, family, husband, children, a belief, it is important. You have to respect it to better denounce the scourge of female circumcision. So I say without aggression, "it must cut anything." Or I talk to women so they no longer tolerate humiliating marriage, but respecting their values. " The album African Woman denounces the machismo (Manu), the imbecility of the warlords (Rebel Leader) and police corruption (African Police). It promotes education of women, inevitably powerful (Waka Waka Woman), against excision (Kekeleh). She also tells the tragic story of Koita and Fode Tounkara Yaguine, two teenagers prospective migrants found dead in the landing gear of the flight 520 of Sabena in 1999. Idjo Weh is devoted to youth "which is locked in Africa, wedged between parental influence and social structures. You can not be master of yourself, because there is always someone better equipped than you, and this generates violence, rebellion, and all sortesde traffic. "

Joy Keys chats with Singer Sia Tolno

Lil Rel Howery stars as Jerrod's ever-hustling brother, Bobby Carmichael, in the NBC comedy "The Carmichael Show."Hailing from Chicago, Howery has been seen on his own Comedy Central special, "Last Comic Standing," "Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey," "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up" and "Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy." He has also made appearances on "The Arsenio Hall Show," "Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam" and "Chelsea Lately."In 2009, Lil Rel began his first business, The Lil Rel Company. Initially launched as the holding company for his stand-up comedy material, The Lil Rel Company now houses the entire Lil Rel brand. His new CD, "I Know You Hear Me, But Are You Listening," is available on iTunes.Last year, Howery appeared on BET's "Comic View," Fox's animated series "Lucas Bros Moving Co," Comedy Central's "Comedy Underground with Dave Attell" and the recently renewed TruTV sketch show "Friends of the People," for which he also writes and executive produces.

Lil Rel Howery stars as Jerrod's ever-hustling brother, Bobby Carmichael, in the NBC comedy "The Carmichael Show." Hailing from Chicago, Howery has been seen on his own Comedy Central special, "Last Comic Standing," "Russell Simmons Presents Stand-Up at the El Rey," "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand Up" and "Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy." He has also made appearances on "The Arsenio Hall Show," "Shaq's All Star Comedy Jam" and "Chelsea Lately." In 2009, Lil Rel began his first business, The Lil Rel Company. Initially launched as the holding company for his stand-up comedy material, The Lil Rel Company now houses the entire Lil Rel brand. His new CD, "I Know You Hear Me, But Are You Listening," is available on iTunes. Last year, Howery appeared on BET's "Comic View," Fox's animated series "Lucas Bros Moving Co," Comedy Central's "Comedy Underground with Dave Attell" and the recently renewed TruTV sketch show "Friends of the People," for which he also writes and executive produces.

Joy Keys chats with Comedian Lil Rel Howery from NBC's The Carmichael Show

Noo Saro Wiwa

Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in England. She attended King's College London and Columbia University in New York.Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta, 2012) is her first book. It was selected as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in 2012, and was named The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2012. Shortlisted for the Author’s Club Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award in 2013, Looking for Transwonderland was also nominated by The Financial Times as one of the best travel books of 2012. The Guardian newspaper included it among its 10 Best Contemporary Books on Africa in 2012. It has been translated into French and Italian.She has contributed book reviews, travel, opinion and analysis articles for The Guardian newspaper, The Independent, The Financial Times, The Times Literary Supplement and Prospect magazine, among others.  Noo has also written travel guides for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. Website: http://www.noosarowiwa.com/

Noo Saro-Wiwa was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and raised in England. She attended King's College London and Columbia University in New York. Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta, 2012) is her first book. It was selected as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in 2012, and was named The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2012. Shortlisted for the Author’s Club Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award in 2013, Looking for Transwonderland was also nominated by The Financial Times as one of the best travel books of 2012. The Guardian newspaper included it among its 10 Best Contemporary Books on Africa in 2012. It has been translated into French and Italian. She has contributed book reviews, travel, opinion and analysis articles for The Guardian newspaper, The Independent, The Financial Times, The Times Literary Supplement and Prospect magazine, among others.   Noo has also written travel guides for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. Website: <a href="http://www.noosarowiwa.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.noosarowiwa.com/</a>

Joy Keys chats with  Nigerian Author Noo Saro Wiwa

Chioma Okereke

Chioma Okereke was born in Benin City, Nigeria. She started her writing career as a poet and performed throughout Europe and the United States before turning her hand to fiction. Her work has been shortlisted in the Undiscovered Authors Competition 2006,run by Bookforce UK, and in the Daily Telegraph's 'Write a Novel in a Year' Competition in 2007.Bitter Leaf is a richly textured and intricate novel set in Mannobe, a world that is African in nature but never geographically placed. At the heart of the novel is the village itself and its colourful cast of inhabitants: Babylon, a gifted musician who falls under the spell of the beautiful Jericho who has recently returned from the city; Mabel and M'elle Codon, twin sisters whose lives have taken very different paths, Magdalena, daughter of Mabel, who nurses an unrequited love for Babylon and Allegory, the wise old man who adheres to tradition.

Chioma Okereke was born in Benin City, Nigeria. She started her writing career as a poet and performed throughout Europe and the United States before turning her hand to fiction. Her work has been shortlisted in the Undiscovered Authors Competition 2006,run by Bookforce UK, and in the Daily Telegraph's 'Write a Novel in a Year' Competition in 2007. Bitter Leaf is a richly textured and intricate novel set in Mannobe, a world that is African in nature but never geographically placed. At the heart of the novel is the village itself and its colourful cast of inhabitants: Babylon, a gifted musician who falls under the spell of the beautiful Jericho who has recently returned from the city; Mabel and M'elle Codon, twin sisters whose lives have taken very different paths, Magdalena, daughter of Mabel, who nurses an unrequited love for Babylon and Allegory, the wise old man who adheres to tradition.

Joy Keys chats with Nigerian Author Chioma Okereke

Songstress LIRA, whose music career spans 13 years and includes 6 Studio albums, 3 live DVD’s, an autobiography and a movie; has established herself as the foremost female artist in South Africa and a formidable presence on the global music scene.When asked to elaborate on the significance of the title; “I grew up in a world where I faced so many limitations. I realised defining freedom for myself and subsequently living it was what I needed to do. In exploring this, the concept of “Born Free” became clearer. I want people to realise how powerful they are and that they can own their freedom. This album has become more than a body of musical work, it seeks to inspire and create change – physically and most importantly, mentally “says LIRA.Born Free masterfully blends a new sound with the smooth urban direction synonymous with the LIRA brand. “This is my best record yet, adds LIRA, and listeners should expect to hear the definitive growth and boldness which that brings.”Born Free marks a new direction for LIRA and promises to set an exciting tone for great things to come. www.misslira.com

Songstress LIRA, whose music career spans 13 years and includes 6 Studio albums, 3 live DVD’s, an autobiography and a movie; has established herself as the foremost female artist in South Africa and a formidable presence on the global music scene. When asked to elaborate on the significance of the title; “I grew up in a world where I faced so many limitations. I realised defining freedom for myself and subsequently living it was what I needed to do. In exploring this, the concept of “Born Free” became clearer. I want people to realise how powerful they are and that they can own their freedom. This album has become more than a body of musical work, it seeks to inspire and create change – physically and most importantly, mentally “says LIRA. Born Free masterfully blends a new sound with the smooth urban direction synonymous with the LIRA brand. “This is my best record yet, adds LIRA, and listeners should expect to hear the definitive growth and boldness which that brings.” Born Free marks a new direction for LIRA and promises to set an exciting tone for great things to come. <a href="http://www.misslira.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.misslira.com</a>

Joy Keys chats with Award winning South African Singer Lira

Special guest : Astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds.Samuel F. Reynolds, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 23 years doing charts and studying astrology. Now Samuel consults, writes, and teaches astrology full-time. He currently is the resident astrologer for New York Magazine and Pride Magazine in the UK. He serves on the boards of directors for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the Astrology News Service, and he’s a co-founder of the International Society of Black Astrologers.  His home website is unlockastrology.com

Special guest : Astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds. Samuel F. Reynolds, a former skeptic, had a life-changing visit to an astrologer and has since spent 23 years doing charts and studying astrology. Now Samuel consults, writes, and teaches astrology full-time. He currently is the resident astrologer for New York Magazine and Pride Magazine in the UK. He serves on the boards of directors for the International Society for Astrological Research (ISAR) and the Astrology News Service, and he’s a co-founder of the International Society of Black Astrologers.  His home website is <a href="http://unlockastrology.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unlockastrology.com</a>

Joy Keys chats with Astrologer Samuel F. Reynolds about 2015

Kristen Henry

Kristen Henry King

Special Guest: Singer, Model, and Actress Kristen Henry King  (http://kristenhenryking.com) - Kristen battles with Multiple Sclerosis. She was inspired to write the song IMPERVIOUS chronicling her experience with MS.. listen to the song here on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScJit0ET-pwMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body. Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms.There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

Special Guest: Singer, Model, and Actress Kristen Henry King  (<a href="http://kristenhenryking.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://kristenhenryking.com</a>) - Kristen battles with Multiple Sclerosis. She was inspired to write the song IMPERVIOUS chronicling her experience with MS.. listen to the song here on YouTube:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScJit0ET-pw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScJit0ET-pw</a> Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between your brain and the rest of your body.  Signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Some people with severe MS may lose the ability to walk independently or at all, while others may experience long periods of remission without any new symptoms. There's no cure for multiple sclerosis. However, treatments can help speed recovery from attacks, modify the course of the disease and manage symptoms.

Joy Keys chats with MS Activist Kristen Henry King about her song Impervious

Cynthia Bond

Special Guest: CYNTHIA BOND is a New York Times Best-Selling Author. Her novel RUBY was chosen to be an Oprah Book Club 2.0 selection. RUBY was also a Barnes &amp; Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and an Indie Next Pick. A PEN Rosenthal Fellow, Bond attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, then moved to New York and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She founded the Blackbird Writing Collective in 2011. Cynthia has taught writing to at-risk and homeless youth for over fifteen years, and is on staff at Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center. http://cynthiabond.com

Special Guest: CYNTHIA BOND is a New York Times Best-Selling Author. Her novel RUBY was chosen to be an Oprah Book Club 2.0 selection. RUBY was also a Barnes &amp; Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and an Indie Next Pick. A PEN Rosenthal Fellow, Bond attended Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, then moved to New York and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She founded the Blackbird Writing Collective in 2011. Cynthia has taught writing to at-risk and homeless youth for over fifteen years, and is on staff at Paradigm Malibu Adolescent Treatment Center. <a href="http://cynthiabond.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://cynthiabond.com</a>

Joy Keys chats with Author Cynthia Bond about her book RUBY

Stevens West

Special Guest: Amber Stevens West can be seen starring opposite Jerrod Carmichael, David Alan Grier, and Loretta DeVine on NBC’s The Carmichael Show.  Previously Amber starred opposite Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in Sony’s 22 JUMP STREET, which Chris Lord and Phil Miller directed.For four years, Amber starred on ABC Family’s hit series GREEK and recently recurred on 90210 for the CW.  Last year, she filmed JESSABELLE for Lionsgate and co-starred opposite Laura Prepon and Bryan Greenberg in the independent film THE KITCHEN.

Special Guest:  Amber Stevens West can be seen starring opposite Jerrod Carmichael, David Alan Grier, and Loretta DeVine on NBC’s The Carmichael Show.  Previously Amber starred opposite Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in Sony’s 22 JUMP STREET, which Chris Lord and Phil Miller directed. For four years, Amber starred on ABC Family’s hit series GREEK and recently recurred on 90210 for the CW.  Last year, she filmed JESSABELLE for Lionsgate and co-starred opposite Laura Prepon and Bryan Greenberg in the independent film THE KITCHEN.

Joy Keys chats with Actress Amber Stevens West from NBC’s The Carmichael Show

Bridgett M. Davis

INTO THE GO-SLOW is a novel about sisters, the legacy of the Black Power Movement, and the troubled bond between African Americans and Africans. It’s 1986, and twenty-one-year-old Angie is adrift in her hometown of Detroit. Her older sister, Ella, had disappeared in Lagos a decade earlier, and Angie decides to retrace her steps. Against a backdrop of Nigeria’s infamous go-slow—traffic as wild and surprising as a Fela lyric—Angie begins to unravel the mysteries of the past, and opens herself up to love and life after Ella.BRIDGETT M. DAVIS’s debut novel, Shifting Through Neutral (Amistad 2004), was a finalist for the 2005 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Davis is the books editor at Bold As Love Magazine, a black-culture website, and her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Essence, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The Root.com, among other publications. She is a professor at Baruch College, City University of New York, where she is the director of the Sidney Harman Writer-in Residence Program, and she is the curator of the popular monthly Brooklyn reading series, Sundays @ . . .http://bridgettdavis.com/

INTO THE GO-SLOW is a novel about sisters, the legacy of the Black Power Movement, and the troubled bond between African Americans and Africans.  It’s 1986, and twenty-one-year-old Angie is adrift in her hometown of Detroit. Her older sister, Ella, had disappeared in Lagos a decade earlier, and Angie decides to retrace her steps. Against a backdrop of Nigeria’s infamous go-slow—traffic as wild and surprising as a Fela lyric—Angie begins to unravel the mysteries of the past, and opens herself up to love and life after Ella. BRIDGETT M. DAVIS’s debut novel, Shifting Through Neutral (Amistad 2004), was a finalist for the 2005 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Davis is the books editor at Bold As Love Magazine, a black-culture website, and her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Essence, O, The Oprah Magazine, and The <a href="http://Root.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Root.com</a>, among other publications. She is a professor at Baruch College, City University of New York, where she is the director of the Sidney Harman Writer-in Residence Program, and she is the curator of the popular monthly Brooklyn reading series, Sundays @ . . .http://<a href="http://bridgettdavis.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bridgettdavis.com/</a>

Joy Keys chats with Author Bridgett M. Davis about her book Into the Go-Slow

Pearl Cleage is an Atlanta based writer, currently Mellon Playwright in Residence at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta where her play, “What I Learned in Paris,” opened the 2012-2013 Season. Her works include award winning plays, bestselling novels and numerous columns, articles and essays for a wide variety of publications including Essence, Ebony, Rap Pages, Vibe, The Atlanta Tribune, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club pick and spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the author of thirteen plays, including Flyin’ West, the most produced new American play in the country in 1994. Her Blues for An Alabama Sky was included in Her the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival in Atlanta and will receive a 20th anniversary revival at the Alliance in 2015. other plays include Chain; Late Bus to Mecca; Bourbon at the Border; A Song for Coretta and The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Year. She is the author of eight novels, including Baby Brother’s Blues, which received an NAACP Image Award for Literature.She is also the co-author with her husband, writer Zaron W. Burnett, Jr., of We Speak Your Names, a praise poem commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for her 2005 Legends Weekend. Cleage and Burnett are frequent collaborators, including their award winning ten year performance series, “Live at Club Zebra!” featuring their work as writers and performance artists. Her new book of non-fiction entitled Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs, was published by Simon and Schuster/ATRIA Books in April, 2014.

Pearl Cleage is an Atlanta based writer, currently Mellon Playwright in Residence at The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta where her play, “What I Learned in Paris,” opened the 2012-2013 Season. Her works include award winning plays, bestselling novels and numerous columns, articles and essays for a wide variety of publications including Essence, Ebony, Rap Pages, Vibe, The Atlanta Tribune, and The Atlanta Journal Constitution. Her first novel, What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day, was an Oprah Book Club pick and spent nine weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the author of thirteen plays, including Flyin’ West, the most produced new American play in the country in 1994. Her Blues for An Alabama Sky was included in Her the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival in Atlanta and will receive a 20th anniversary revival at the Alliance in 2015. other plays include Chain; Late Bus to Mecca; Bourbon at the Border; A Song for Coretta and The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Year. She is the author of eight novels, including Baby Brother’s Blues, which received an NAACP Image Award for Literature. She is also the co-author with her husband, writer Zaron W. Burnett, Jr., of We Speak Your Names, a praise poem commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for her 2005 Legends Weekend. Cleage and Burnett are frequent collaborators, including their award winning ten year performance series, “Live at Club Zebra!” featuring their work as writers and performance artists. Her new book of non-fiction entitled Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs, was published by Simon and Schuster/ATRIA Books in April, 2014.

Joy Keys chats with Author & Playwright Pearl Cleage about her memoir

C.J. Farley

Gameworld book: Dylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life.Author C.J. FARLEY was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in Brockport, NY, with stops in Middle-earth, Xanth, Earthsea, and Narnia. Farley’s biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman was a national best seller. A former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a former music critic for Time, Farley is a blogger, columnist and senior editor at the Wall Street Journal. Game World is Farley’s first novel for young readers.

Gameworld book: Dylan Rudee's life is an epic fail. He's bullied at school and the aunt who has raised him since he was orphaned as a child just lost her job and their apartment. Dylan's one chance to help his family is the only thing he's good at: video games. The multibillion-dollar company Mee Corp. has announced a televised tournament to find the Game-Changers: the forty-four kids who are the best in the world at playing Xamaica, a role-playing fantasy game that's sweeping the planet. If Dylan can win the top prize, he just might be able to change his life. Author C.J. FARLEY was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and grew up in Brockport, NY, with stops in Middle-earth, Xanth, Earthsea, and Narnia. Farley’s biography Aaliyah: More Than a Woman was a national best seller. A former editor of the Harvard Lampoon and a former music critic for Time, Farley is a blogger, columnist and senior editor at the Wall Street Journal. Game World is Farley’s first novel for young readers.

Joy Keys chats with Author C.J. Farley about Gameworld

September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month.An estimated 6 million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm, or 1 in 50 people.Special Guest: Survivor Theresa Robinson: She suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) known as a brain aneurysm, however she is a survivor. In March 2012,she suffered a brain aneurysm that caused her to need surgery and extensive rehabilitation. During her recovery period, she experienced more time in the ICU due to seizures and other health issues as a result of (SAH). Although rehab was drilling and painful both physical and emotional she had outstanding therapists and psychologists to help her get back on her feet, literally.Special Guest: Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris MD isan Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She is also the  Neurovascular Fellowship Director, Associate Residency Program Director &amp; Clerkship Director in the Cerebrovascular Surgery &amp; Endovascular Neurosurgery department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Tjoumakaris graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA where she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She is an avid researcher and lectures both nationally and internationally on her division’s research accomplishments.  The Brain Aneurysm Foundation : www.bafound.org

September is Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month. An estimated 6 million people in the United States have an unruptured brain aneurysm, or 1 in 50 people. Special Guest: Survivor Theresa Robinson: She suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) known as a brain aneurysm, however she is a survivor. In March 2012,she suffered a brain aneurysm that caused her to need surgery and extensive rehabilitation. During her recovery period, she experienced more time in the ICU due to seizures and other health issues as a result of (SAH). Although rehab was drilling and painful both physical and emotional she had outstanding therapists and psychologists to help her get back on her feet, literally. Special Guest: Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris MD is an Assistant Professor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She is also the  Neurovascular Fellowship Director, Associate Residency Program Director &amp; Clerkship Director in the Cerebrovascular Surgery &amp; Endovascular Neurosurgery department at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Tjoumakaris graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA where she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. She is an avid researcher and lectures both nationally and internationally on her division’s research accomplishments.   The Brain Aneurysm Foundation : <a href="http://www.bafound.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.bafound.org</a>

Brain Aneurysm Awareness Month with Joy Keys

McKinley Freeman stars as the handsome, sexy, and mischievous LA Devils professional basketball player Derek Roman on VH1’s Hit The Floor series.  Hit the floor airs Monday nights at 9pm ET on VH1. http://www.vh1.com/shows/hit_the_floorFreeman was born David Freeman in Champaign, Illinois. He played NCAA Division I basketball for the University of Illinois. After graduation Freeman decided to trade his NBA dreams for an MBA in Marketing and MIS from his alma mater. IBM recruited Freeman out of the Masters program to become part of their international marketing and business development team.While In Atlanta a friend coaxed Freeman into auditioning for All My Children’s Sexiest Man in America. Freeman made the final five. From there Freeman moved to LA and landed roles in All of My Children, Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Samantha Who. He also guest starred on television in CSI, NCIS, ER, In Justice. Freeman co-starred in the feature film End of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal, Delta Force, and Green Card Warriors.

McKinley Freeman stars as the handsome, sexy, and mischievous LA Devils professional basketball player Derek Roman on VH1’s Hit The Floor series.  Hit the floor airs Monday nights at 9pm ET on VH1. <a href="http://www.vh1.com/shows/hit_the_floor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.vh1.com/shows/hit_the_floor</a> Freeman was born David Freeman in Champaign, Illinois. He played NCAA Division I basketball for the University of Illinois. After graduation Freeman decided to trade his NBA dreams for an MBA in Marketing and MIS from his alma mater. IBM recruited Freeman out of the Masters program to become part of their international marketing and business development team. While In Atlanta a friend coaxed Freeman into auditioning for All My Children’s Sexiest Man in America. Freeman made the final five. From there Freeman moved to LA and landed roles in All of My Children, Days of our Lives, General Hospital and Samantha Who. He also guest starred on television in CSI, NCIS, ER, In Justice. Freeman co-starred in the feature film End of Watch with Jake Gyllenhaal, Delta Force, and Green Card Warriors.

Joy Keys chats with Actor McKinley Freeman from VH1's Hit The Floor

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The best podcast episodes on parenting. Interviewing experts and talking through common issues surrounding parenting. This topic is filled with important lessons and insights for anyone listening. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!