Q2 & Still I Survive

We're neck deep in the second quarter of the year...everything is fine, but how are YOU doing?

We’re neck deep in the second quarter of 2025! At the end of the first quarter returned to work, and it’s been a wild ride juggling the transition back to work, planning the 8th annual Bronx Book Festival (one of the best year’s yet, yo, so proud of the small but mighty team for pulling this one together!), parenting a freshman in high school, while raising a toddler and caring for a baby. Not to mention I’m gearing up to take driving lessons once again so I can just get this license and be done with chasing this for the past twenty years (yes you read that right!).

Welcome Back to Black Girl Dreaming.

A newsletter where I share notes on life, lessons learned, my big ol’ dreams, and my quest to conquer all of the things. I am excited to have y’all here with me on this journey. If there’s anything you’d like me to discuss, feel free to drop me a line, or hit me up in the comments section. And as always, thanks for reading!

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In my last newsletter I mentioned that “Fortify” is my word and focus for 2025. I love starting the year off with a word to help shape and define my intentions for the year. I’m pleased to say that I’ve been steadfast in strengthening my connections with family and friends. It’s been bringing me so much joy, something that I’m desparately clinging to these days because the current administration in office has me in a chokehold. I never would’ve expected to be living in a nightmare like this. I’ve lived in America all my life, and this is the first time I’m seriously worried about whether or not I will be able to continue to survive in this nation. I worry everyday for my family, especially for the elders who are all immigrants. The way this administration is playing games we need to be prepared for any and everything.

Sacred Time for Myself

I’ve continued to carve out sacred time for myself. As a mother with two children under five, it’s something I’ve been prioritizing more and more. Thankfully I have a partner and family who can care for the children while I have this time to focus on me. Sacred time can look different for me depending on what I need, but it’s basically a day or two where I can just be and not have to care for another human or pet. I don’t consider sacred time “self care” time because the term self care has become so commercialized that it makes me think that I have to “do” something in order to care for myself, i.e. get my hair done, nails done, a massage etc. To me, those things feel like work, even though they make us feel great, let’s be honest, do you really consider sitting in the hair salon for hours self care? To me that is self maintenance, and maintenance takes work, it takes money.

Honduran Garifuna Writers Mentorship!

It’s our time! I’m so thrilled to share that Honduran Garifuna Writers Mentorship program is underway. This is program is so near and dear to my heart, we need more Honduran, and Garifuna writers to be traditionally published and I will do everything I can to help break the door down to get more of this community in the publishing industry. Big thanks to the Highlights Foundation for not only sponsoring this initiative, but for also serving as a fiscal sponsor! With that said, please consider donating to the writers mentorship programs. We’re currently trying to raise $5,000, we’ve got $3,900 to go!

Writing + The Black Girl Survives Paperback on-sale June 17th

At the beginning of the year I plotted out dates for me to go on writing retreats so that I could focus on writing. I’m so thrilled to report that these retreats have been doing wonders for me. Before the pandemic, I would come home from work, eat dinner, and then write. During the pandemic, writing at home was a challenge, after the pandemic, it remained a challenge. I’ve had to come up with creative ways to push myself to write. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always thinking about stories and writing, it’s the pulling the ideas from my brain to the page that’s been an issue. Anyway, I’m excited to be in the swing of writing, and so thrilled to be working on a couple of projects that I’m really excited about! Hope to have more good things to share in the future, but for now, I’m going to blad about the gorgeous anthology that I co-edited THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE!

I’m SO hype because THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE has been listed as a top ten finalist for the Locus Awards, check out the full list here. It was such a to contribute a short story and to edit this groundbreaking collection. Featured stories penned by me, Desiree S. Evans, Zakiya Dalila Harris, Vincent Tirado, Justina Ireland, and so many others (see graphic below!). It makes for the perfect gift for the horror fan in your life, and if you’re looking to celebrate and amplify Black storytellers this is the perfect time to grab a copy because the paperback is on sale June 17th and what better way to celebrate Juneteenth than by supporting Black writers? Cop yours here.

HERE’S WHAT I’M UP TO THESE DAYS

Listening

So I went to my first Beyoncé concert and let me tell you, it was freaking fantastic. I’ve listened to Bey since I was in seventh grade, and to see her in person as an adult was like reaching back to lil Rece to deliver a long awaited gift. 10/10 recommend. The visuals, the homage to the ancestors, reminding us that Blackness, that Black people are the definition of Americana is just chefs kiss. It was also such a joy to see people from all walks of life at the concert, a reminder that doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, we all deserve joy, love, and respect. <3

Watching

Okay, y’all know I love a good show! I’ve devoured so much since January, so I’m going to shout out a few of the things I’ve loved this year, Severance, Forever, Sinners, and Four Seasons just to name a few. I’m really excited for Ginny & Georgia as well, looking forward to that coming back this week!

As always, thank you so much for reading my newsletter! Hope to be in your inboxes real soon with more updates :) That’s all for now folks, follow me on social media for updates, even though I’m mostly on hiatus, I pop online every now and again.

Reading

It’s been a fun season for books! I’ve been reading If We Were A Movie by Zakiya N. Jamal, and This Could Be Forever by Eboy LaDelle.

That’s all for now folks, follow me on social media for updates, even though I’m kinda on hiatus, I pop online every now and again.