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Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.
Episode Summary
Award-winning author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers joins Writer’s Voice to talk about her bold and beautiful nonfiction debut, Misbehaving at the Crossroads—a matrilineal memoir braided with African American history, intersectional feminism, and unflinching truth-telling.
“The crossroads represents… a place where trouble meets possibility or hope.” — Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Plus, a sneak preview of our upcoming conversation with Catherine Coleman Flowers, environmental justice champion and author of Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice and Finding Hope.
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Key Words: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Misbehaving at the Crossroads book, intersectionality, Black women’s memoir, Writer’s Voice podcast, Francesca Rheannon author interview, Catherine Coleman Flowers Holy Ground, environmental justice activism
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Segment One: Honorée Fanonne Jeffers
Honorée Fanonne Jeffers tells us about her new book, Misbehaving at the Crossroads: Essays & Writings. Known for her National Book Award–nominated novel The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois, Jeffers turns to nonfiction to weave together memoir, African American history, political insight, and poetry.
She discusses intersectionality, Toni Morrison’s concept of “rememory,” confronting the truth about historical figures like Thomas Jefferson, and the complex legacies of family.
The conversation also dives into themes of survival, solidarity, and the necessity of grappling with hard truths to create a more just future.
Key Topics
- Matrilineal memoir & family history
- African American oral tradition & storytelling
- Intersectionality (Kimberlé Crenshaw)
- Toni Morrison’s “rememory”
- Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings, and historical truth
- Patriarchy in family and national history
- Purity politics vs. solidarity
Segment Two: Catherine Coleman Flowers
In a brief excerpt from our upcoming fall episode, Flowers talks about how her faith, connection to the land, and deep respect for Mother Earth inspire her activism against environmental injustice. Her book is Holy Ground.
Key Topics
- Climate justice & environmental stewardship
- Faith and activism
- The Holy Ground site