Lost in isolation

Eirinie Carson discusses the complexities facing Black mothers in predominantly white spaces in her maternal gothic book, Bloodfire, Baby.

About guest

Eirinie Carson is a Black British writer living in California. She is a mother of two children and sits on the boards of both The Writers Grotto and Mesa Refuge. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Mother Magazine, The Notre Dame Review, Mortal Mag, Electric Literature, The Sonora Review and others. She was the NEA Distinguished Fellow at the Hambidge Center. She and her work have been supported by the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hedgebrook and the Wassaic Project. Eirinie contributes to her local paper, The Argus Courier, via a column, Eirinie Asks. A short story, "One Last Thing," was Highly Commended by the 2025 Bridport Prize.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains strong language and mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

Note: Matrescence is discussed through the lens of Black women. All birthing people and experiences are welcome and celebrated on this show.

During the show, we discuss:

• Navigating motherhood while Black
• Breaking cycles
• Generational trauma
• The Caribbean Gothic
• Building community with BIPOC writers

Connect with Eirinie

Instagram

Buy her books

• Bloodfire, Baby

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting a Black-woman- creator!

Terrible women & the monsters who love them

Roslyn shares how horror, romance, and folktale blend together in her novel, Hemorrhage of Us.

About guest

Roslyn Reed is an adult horror, romance, and speculative fiction author. Her work centres on character-driven stories, feminine rage, body horror, and the terror of falling in love. There is nothing she loves more than writing about terrible women and the monsters who adore them.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains strong language and mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Her writing and creative journey
• Feminine rage beyond societal norms
• Subverting expected tropes
• Crafting narratives for underrepresented voices
• Embracing imperfection in writing and publishing

Connect with Roslyn

Instagram

TikTok

Substack

Buy her book

A Hemorrhage of Us

Support the podcast

Contribute to the Ko-Fi

Send a message

Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting a Black-woman- creator!

Why do some stories remain hidden, and who decides which stories are told?

A nuanced discussion with Ezra Claytan Daniels about dealing with racism, privilege, and struggling with identity in Mama Came Callin'.

About guest

Ezra Claytan Daniels is a mixed-race (Black/white) American multidisciplinary artist. Creator of the award-winning graphic novels Upgrade Soul (Oni Press) and BTTM FDRS (Fantagraphics Books), his work has been featured on the Criterion Channel, at Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art, SXSW, and is in the permanent collection of the Whitney Museum. Ezra's short story, "Pressure", was included in Jordan Peele's NYT Bestselling horror anthology, Out There Screaming, published by Random House. Ezra currently resides in Los Angeles, where he writes for film and television, including Doom Patrol for HBO Max, Severance for Apple TV+, and the upcoming remake of Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs for Monkeypaw Productions. His upcoming graphic novel, Mama Came Callin', with illustrator Camilla Sucre, will be released in 2026 from HarperCollins Books.

Topics discussed

Content warning: This episode contains strong language and mature themes. Listener discretion is advised.

During the show, we discuss:

• Uncovering unsettling truths about racial violence
• Using privilege for good
• Uplifting new voices
• Chosen family and community as tool for liberation

Connect with Ezra

Instagram

Buy his books

• Mama Came Callin'
• Out There Screaming
• Upgrade Soul

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting a Black-woman- creator!

From Ancient Texts to Writing Horror

Dramatic orchestral music. Supernatural characters. The intensity of writing music.

Kailee Pedersen breaks down how opera has shaped her forthcoming novel, The Minimalist.

About guest

Kailee Pedersen writes haunted, unsettling speculative fiction. She graduated with a BA in classics from Columbia University, specializing in ancient Greek. Kailee was adopted from Nanning, China and grew up in Nebraska, where her family owns a farm. She is the author of the queer poetry chapbook Pastorale and the novel Sacrificial Animals, which was named one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2024 and a finalist for Best Horror at the 2025 Libby Book Awards. When not scribbling down her next book, you can catch her studying opera performance at the Mozarteum University, playing video games, or working as a software engineer in New York City. The Minimalist is her second novel.

Topics discussed

During the show, we discuss:

• The Gothic and the Classics
• Her writing and creative journey
• BIPOC and Queer representation in publishing
• Building craft outside of the institution
• Gothic in Sacrificial Animals
• Balancing writing with a career
• Building resilience in writing and publishing

Connect with Kailee

• Bluesky: @kaileepedersen.bsky.social
• Instagram: @kailee_pedersen
• Threads: @kailee_pedersen
• Twitter: @KaileePedersen

Buy her books

• Pre Order: The Minimalist
• Purchase: Sacrificial Animals

Support the podcast

• Contribute to the Ko-Fi
• Send a message

Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting a Black-woman- creator!

What if horror by BIPOC authored wasn’t limited to heritage months and was centred every week.

Talk Your Lit Podcast is a new bookish podcast featuring BIPOC creatives and writers. Join me, Nailah, each week, as we discuss dark fiction including horror, thriller, and crime, through interviews and round table discussions. New episodes drop every Monday. Subscribe so you don’t miss any episodes.