Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviews Lilliam Rivera about her 2024 novel Tiny Threads, a dark thriller set in Vernon, California, in the fashion world. Rivera discusses the novel's blend of horror, fashion, and personal trauma. She explores the connection between fashion and violence, drawing from her experience as a fashion editor. Rivera delves into the protagonist Samara's journey, her struggle with addiction, and the themes of generational trauma and class issues.  Lilliam Rivera is a MacDowell fellow and an award-winning author of nine works of fiction: a dark thri ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Betsy Leondar-Wright, co-author of Is It Racist? Is It Sexist? Two questions that seem simple on their face, but which invite a host of tangled responses. In this book, Jessi Streib and Betsy Leondar-Wright offer a new way of understanding how inequalities persist by focusing on the individual judgment calls that lead us to decide what's racist, what's sexist, and what's not. Betsy Leondar-Wright, PhD, has been a community organizer, a diversity workshop facilitator, and a sociology professor teaching critical race theory and economic in ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Brea Baker about her new book, "Rooted: The American Legacy of Land Theft and the Modern Movement for Black Land Ownership." Through a close examination of historical events, Brea explores the significance of land ownership and how generations of black families have been impacted by systemic and discriminatory practices that led to the deprivation of land in black communities. You can learn more about Brea at www.breabaker.com. Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:  Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview  Instagram - @d ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed legendary author Walter Mosley about his latest novel Been Wrong So Long It Feels Like Right, his third novel featuring New York private detective Joe King Oliver. In the novel, Oliver's 92-year-old grandmother asks him to find his father, her son, after she discovers she has a tumor that could be fatal. Oliver has been estranged from his father since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in handcuffs. Through his hunt, he gains a deeper understanding of his father.   In the interview, Mo ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review hosts Hopeton Hay and Amanda Moore discuss their favorite novels of 2024 that were featured in author interviews. For Hopeton, his favorite novels were 54 Miles by Leonard Pitts, Jr., Guide Me Home by Attica Locke, and Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josaphat. Amanda's favorite novels were Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Riverro, Skin & Bones by Renee Watson, and What You Leave Behind by Wanda Morris.   Diverse Voices Book Review Social Media:  Facebook - @diversevoicesbookreview  Instagram - @diverse_voices_book_review ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Alex Segura, author of the thriller Alter Ego. In the story, Annie Bustamante, a celebrated filmmaker and comic book artist, gets a chance to work on her favorite superhero, The Lethal Lynx. Despite her excitement, she's wary of the offer, and her suspicions grow when she receives anonymous warnings not to trust anyone. The novel also explores Annie as a single mother with a precocious teenage daughter who has a tumultuous relationship with her own mother. Alex Segura is the bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity, winner ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Joe William Trotter, Jr., author of Building The Black City: The Transformation of American Life. Building The Black City explores the history of African Americans in cities across America from the colonial era to recent times. He emphasized the agency of African people in building their own infrastructure and institutions despite being dispossessed of their labor. Trotter highlighted the importance of understanding the regional dimensions of black urban life, using New Orleans, Charleston, and Savannah as examples. Joe William Trotter ..read more

  Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed Eugene Rogan, a professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Oxford and the director of the Middle East Center at St. Anthony's College, Oxford. Rogan discusses his book, The Damascus Events: The 1860 Massacre and the Making of the Modern Middle East."    The conversation touches on the historical context of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, highlighting its decline and the reforms it undertook to modernize and compete with European powers. These reforms, however, led to social unrest and violence ..read more

Diverse Voices Book Review contributor Amanda Moore interviewed Rafael A. Martinez, author of Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States. Martinez, an assistant professor at Arizona State University, writes a thought-provoking narrative about the obstacles that illegal immigrants face in the United States. By examining various case studies about sanctuary locations, detention centers, and the plight of immigrant families, readers are able to discover how the undocumented youth attempt to fight for immigrant rights through the use of social media, television, and other forms ..read more

Black cultural icon and poet Nikki Giovanni died on December 9, 2024, at the age of 81. On November 15, 2020, Diverse Voices Book Review host Hopeton Hay interviewed her about her book of poetry and prose, Make Me Rain, which was just published the month before. In Make Me Rain, Giovanni calls attention to injustice and racism, celebrates Black culture and Black lives, and gives readers an unfiltered look into her own experiences. In our wide-ranging interview, Giovanni read some of her poetry, discussed an amazing conversation she had with James Baldwin in 1971 that was taped for the public T ..read more