Authors & Writers Out Loud

The Bronx is Reading

Join us this Fall for Authors &amp; Writers Out Loud Event Series! Listen to best-selling authors &amp; writers discuss and sign their books!

1 Fordham Plaza

Join us for our Authors &amp; Writers Out Loud Series and get to know New York-based authors! At Authors &amp; Writers Out Loud, we will be hosting published authors to read excerpts from their written work, attend a panel moderated by TBIR founder Saraciea J. Fennell, and sign copies of their books. The honored Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will be opening all October events with a poetry reading. We will also be selling books at our pop-up bookstore, Lair of Dreams. All installments of this series are generously sponsored by the Department of Transportation and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. Make sure to RSVP to gain access to this exclusive event!1﻿0/28/23: Celebrate Halloween and Spooky Season with us as O﻿ctober 28th will be devoted entirely to young people. Join us for our 3rd annual Trick or Treat Give Me Something Good to Read giveaway where kids 0-18 can score FREE books (while supplies last), storytime events, and a panel discussion featuring contributors to Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora. The Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will open up the show with a featured performance. Learn more about our spotlit authors below: Kay Bell – Bronx Poet Laureate 2023-25 (Opening Author)Kay Bell is an Educator, Storyteller and music enthusiast. Her poetry aims to weave the language of activism with the voice of the marginalized to confront and interrogate literary spaces of oppression. For her, writing works as a birthing floor for healing, invention, and reimagination— where the poetic voice is responsible for both blessing and bruising the inquiring reader. Through writings such as “Work Sonnet,” &amp; “Watching You Sleep” Kay continues to give rise to poetics that challenge societal norms, promote empathy, and inspires change. Currently, she works as an Academic Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the City College of New York and can be found nurturing her plants and her two sons, in the heart of the South Bronx. IG: @poetesskay. Facebook: I Am Kay Bell. Website: iamkaybell.comZakiya N. Jamal was born in Queens, raised in Long Island, and currently resides in Brooklyn. In other words, she’s a New Yorker through and through. She holds a BA in English from Georgetown University and a MFA in Creative Writing with a concentration in Writing for Children and Young Adults from The New School. Her debut novel IF WE WERE A MOVIE will be published in 2025 by HarperTeen.Cristina Arreola has written about books for Bustle, Elle, Latina Magazine, and more. She now works in publishing. Originally from El Paso, Texas, she lives on the Upper West Side with her partner, two cats, and piles and piles of books.Janel Martinez is a writer and the founder of award-winning blog, Ain't I Latina?, an online destination celebrating Afro-Latinx womanhood. The Bronx, NY native is a frequent public speaker discussing media, culture and identity at conferences and events for Bloomberg, NBCU, New York University, SXSW, Harvard University and more. She’s appeared as a featured guest on national shows and outlets, such as MSNBC's The Culture Is: Latina, BuzzFeed, ESSENCE, NPR and Sirius XM, and her work has appeared in Adweek, Univision Communications, Oprah Daily, Refinery29, Remezcla and The New York Times, among others. The Honduran-American has been nominated for the 20th Annual Rosoff Award in the 20-Something Category and won the Afro-Latino Festival of New York's Digital Empowerment Award and, in 2018, was recognized at City Hall by the New York City Council, the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and the Bronx Delegation to the NYC Council for her contributions as a woman of Garifuna descent. She penned "Abuela's Greatest Gift" in the YA anthology, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, published by Flatiron Books.Kahlil Haywood is writer and editor from Brooklyn, NY whose family hails from Panama on both sides. Much of his work centers around the Black experience as it pertains to culture and entertainment. He has previously worked with publications such as Madame Noire, The Daily Mail, and EBONY. He currently functions as a Sports and Culture Columnist at Blavity.Alyssa Reynoso-Morris is a queer Afro-Latine/x Dominican and Puerto Rican storyteller. Her ability to weave compelling stories has opened many doors for her as an author, speaker, and resume writer. She is also a mother and community organizer. During the day she works with community members, non-profit organizations, and government officials to make the world a better place. Then she puts her writer’s hat on to craft heartfelt stories about home, family, food, and the fun places she has been. Alyssa was born and raised in The Bronx, New York, and currently lives in Philadelphia, PA with her partner and daughter. She is the author of Plátanos Are Love, The Bronx Is My Home, and Gloriana Presente: A First Day of School Book. She hopes you enjoy her stories.1﻿1/4/23:Bronx-native actress and author Andrea Navedo will be joining esteemed poet John Manuel Arias on November 4th to celebrate their newest publications. We'll also be hosting Mercy Tullis-Bukhari, Clarence A. Haynes, and Jonathan Conyers in conversation. The Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will open with a dedicated poetry performance. Learn more about them below:Kay Bell – Bronx Poet Laureate 2023-25 (Opening Author)Kay Bell is an Educator, Storyteller and music enthusiast. Her poetry aims to weave the language of activism with the voice of the marginalized to confront and interrogate literary spaces of oppression. For her, writing works as a birthing floor for healing, invention, and reimagination— where the poetic voice is responsible for both blessing and bruising the inquiring reader. Through writings such as “Work Sonnet,” &amp; “Watching You Sleep” Kay continues to give rise to poetics that challenge societal norms, promote empathy, and inspires change. Currently, she works as an Academic Advisor and Adjunct Professor at the City College of New York and can be found nurturing her plants and her two sons, in the heart of the South Bronx. IG: @poetesskay. Facebook: I Am Kay Bell. Website: iamkaybell.comAndrea Navedo is a Bronx-born-and-raised Puerto Rican American actress best known for her role as Xiomara, a complex and genuine Latina, on The CW’s series Jane the Virgin, for which she received critical acclaim. She is dedicated to various charities, including A Place Called Home in South Central Los Angeles, and the Fresh Air Fund in New York City. Navedo has a passion for self-improvement, growth, and healing, and through her experiences seeks to help those who see themselves on the outside looking in. She and her family divide their time between their homes in Toronto and Connecticut. She has just published her first book, Our Otherness Is Our Strength.John Manuel Arias is a queer, Costa Rican American poet and writer. He is a Canto Mundo fellow &amp; alumnus of the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop. His prose and poetry have been published in PANK, The Rumpus, F(r)iction, Joyland Magazine, and Akashic Books. He has lived in Washington D.C., Brooklyn New York, and in San José, Costa Rica with his grandmother and four ghosts. Where There Was Fire is his first novel. (Headshot Credits: Nicholas Nichols).Mercy Tullis-Bukhari is a poet, essayist, and fiction writer who is Bronx-bred, Afro-Latina, Honduran and Garifuna, of Jamaican descent. She is a Callaloo Fellow, obtained her MA from Herbert Lehman College and her MFA in Creative Writing from The College of New Rochelle. She was named one of the “8 Authors Bringing Afro-Latina Stories to the Forefront” by Remezcla magazine and was a Pushcart Prize nominee in 2016 and 2018. She is also an English Language Arts high school teacher in the Southeast Section of The Bronx. Mercy’s third book, The Little Deaths, is available for purchase by Get Fresh Books. Mercy can be found at mercytullisbukhari.com.Clarence A. Haynes has worked as an editor for a variety of publishers that include Penguin Random House and Amazon Publishing as well as Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. He has edited top-selling fiction titles like The Hundredth Queen, Scarlet Odyssey, Legacy of Lies, These Toxic Things, and The Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller The Vine Witch, along with its two sequels. He is also the author of the nonfiction work The Legacy of Jim Crow.Jonathan Conyers, acclaimed author of the memoir "I Wasn't Supposed to Be Here" (published by Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette) graduated from Stony Brook University as an EOP student in 2017, leaving a profound impact on the campus. During his time at the University, he was known as "Mr. Far Beyond," his towering presence gracing the university library and buses. In addition to his literary achievements, Jonathan Conyers is the founder of Conyers Media and the host of The Professional Winner Podcast. He also plays a pivotal role on the board of the Brooklyn Debate League, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Speech &amp; Debate to at-risk communities. Currently, they are in the process of filming a documentary in collaboration with Vice News, and their efforts have supported numerous students in establishing new teams, competing at tournaments, qualifying for States and Nationals, and participating in debate summer camps. Jonathan gained significant recognition when he was featured in a 12-part story on Humans of New York, resulting in the remarkable achievement of raising 1.3 million dollars for his non-profit, the Brooklyn Debate League, and garnering over 1 million likes. His achievements have also been acknowledged by major publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and appearances on shows like The Kelly Clarkson Show. Beyond his philanthropic endeavors and media career, Jonathan serves as a respiratory therapist, specializing in neonatal and pediatric care at New York University Langone Hospital. He bravely stood on the frontlines during the COVID-19 crisis, contributing significantly to the nation's healthcare efforts. Jonathan has recently committed to a deal with Elliot Page and Pageboy Production who are in negotiations to bring his exceptional life to the big screen. Jonathan currently resides in New York City, with his wife and three young children.A﻿bout the event: D﻿ates: October 28th, and November 4th, 2023. T﻿ime: 2:00pm-5:00pm L﻿ocation: One Fordham Plaza, Bronx, NY 10458Don't forget to RSVP. W﻿e can't wait to see you there!

Agenda

10/28/23: Celebrate Halloween and Spooky Season with us as O ctober 28th will be devoted entirely to young people. Join us for our 3rd annual Trick or Treat Give Me Something Good to Read giveaway where kids 0-18 can score FREE books (while supplies last), storytime events, and a panel discussion featuring contributors to Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora. The Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will open up the show with a featured performance. Learn more about our spotlit authors in our event description

10/28/23: Authors & Writers Out Loud 

1 1/4/23: Actress and author Andrea Navedo will join esteemed poet John Manuel Arias on November 4th to discuss their newest publications with our founder, Saraciea J. Fennell. We'll also host Mercy Tullis-Bukhari, Clarence A. Haynes, and Jonathan Conyers in discussion. The Bronx Poet Laureate Kay Bell will open up the show with a featured poetry performance. Learn more about our featured authors in our event description.

11/4/23: Authors & Writers Out Loud

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