On the latest episode of Reckon True Stories, Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon are joined by MacArthur Genius and National Book Award Winner Dr. Imani Perry to discuss genre, personal stories and the ethical commitment to those we write about, the utilization of craft to bring the reader close to the experience and the body, the body as political, Black women and silence, mobility, music, and mothering. They ask the question of what we owe of ourselves as writers — and particularly Black writers— to our audience, and they explore what it looks like to maintain boundaries, to self-preserve, and to rest. In Kiese’s words, he calls it learning “the art of not just no, but not now.” Kiese praises Dr. Perry on how she has never written the same kind of book twice, and in this episode, she talks about her inspirations, how she chooses what to write towards, and what questions she is consistently leaning into in her work.Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Books MentionedSouth to America (Imani Perry)Breathe: A Letter To My Sons (Imani Perry)Prophets of the Hood: Politics and Poetics in Hip Hop (Imani Perry)Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry (Imani Perry)May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem (Imani Perry)Percival EverettA Dangerously High Threshold for Pain (Imani Perry)Alice WalkerNikky Finney“She Changed Black Literature Forever. Then She Disappeared.” (Imani Perry, New York Times 2021)“‘Palmares’ Is An Example Of What Grows When Black Women Choose Silence” (Deesha Philyaw, Electric Literature 2021)Palmares (Gayl Jones)Robert SteptoHazel CarbyZora Neale HurstonKatherine DunhamMoms Mabley1000 Words (Jami Attenberg)Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against “The Apocalypse” (Emily Raboteau)How To Live Free In A Dangerous World: A Decolonial Memoir (Shayla Lawson)A Mercy (Toni Morrison)Listening List:Nina SimoneMiles Davis“Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” (Deborah Cox)More from Deesha Philyaw and Kiese Laymon: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw)Heavy (Kiese Laymon)Long Division (Kiese Laymon)How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: Essays (Kiese Laymon)City Summer, Country Summer (Kiese Laymon & Alexis Franklin)Ursa Short Fiction podcast (Deesha Philyaw & Dawnie Walton)Produced by Ursa Story Company in partnership with Reckon. Hosted by Deesha Philyaw & Kiese LaymonShow Producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark ArmstrongAssociate Producer: Marina LeighEpisode Editor: Kelly ArajaReckon Editor In Chief: R.L. NaveReckon Deputy Editor: Michelle ZenarosaAudience Director: Katie JohnstonCreative Strategist: Abbey CrainSr. Social Producer: Sid EspinosaLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices