HOW TO BECOME A BLACK WRITER | A Busboys and Poets Books Presentation

A lifetime of stories to tell. Growing up, Marita would listen to bedtime stories of Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and many other champions of Black history. Now a champion herself in the literary world, she shares her story in a motivational autobiography you will never forget. How to Become a Black Writer details Marita Golden's life, career, and the most cherished memories she made along the way. From nurturing her passions during the civil rights movement to celebrating her 40th writing anniversary in D.C., Marita shows that every dreamer can inspire others with their story.

A love letter to Black authors and readers. How to Become a Black Writer is not only just Marita's story, but can also be the start of yours. Inside, you'll find lessons and instructions based on her experiences during the renaissance of Black literature to help you cultivate your voice. Featuring timeless knowledge that helped not only Marita, but bestselling storytellers like Nzotake Shange and Toni Morrison, you, too can make a big change in the book publishing world.

Discover meaningful events and the people behind them that helped Marita Golden to become the leading icon she is today, such as:

• How she was mentored under feminist poet Audre Lorde
• Life as a groundbreaking journalist at Essence Magazine
• Co-founding and leading the Hurston-Wright Foundation to help publish Black stories

So if you're looking for more motivational memoirs like Dear Black Girl, Legacy, or Badass Black Girl, you'll love How to Become a Black Writer.

Marita Golden is joining us on the Busboys stage alongside David Whetstone to share more about her career and why Black stories and storytellers are so important. Copies of the book will be available for purchase during and after the event, and Golden will be signing following the program.

This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of HOW TO BECOME A BLACK WRITER will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is in person and will not be livestreamed.

We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books

Marita Golden is an award-winning author of over twenty works of fiction and nonfiction. Her books include the novels The Wide Circumference of Love, and After and the memoirs Migrations of the Heart, Saving Our Sons and Don’t Play in the Sun One Woman’s Journey Through the Color Complex Her most recent work of nonfiction is The New Black Woman Loves Herself Has Boundaries Heals Every Day a sequel to her book The Strong Black Woman How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women.

Marita Golden is a popular speaker who has presented keynote addresses, presentations and lectures in diverse venues from HBCU’s colleges and universities to corporations and nonprofits. She has been a consultant with John Hopkins Medical presenting quarterly workshops on mental health, radical self-care and writing as a tool for healing. She has spoken on radical self-care at Yale, MIT, and The Kennedy School of government.

She is the recipient of many awards including the Writers for Writers Award presented by Barnes & Noble and Poets and Writers, an award from the Authors Guild, and the Fiction Award for her novel After awarded by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. She has lectured and read from her work internationally. She has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, been featured as a question on Jeopardy, and is a two-time NAACP Image Award nominee. She has been frequently interviewed on NPR.

Co-founder and President Emerita of the Zora Neale Hurston/ Richard Wright Foundation, Marita Golden is a veteran teacher of writing. She taught at the University of Lagos, in Nigeria and has served as a member of the faculties of the MFA Graduate Creative Writing Programs at George Mason University and Virginia Commonwealth University and in the MA Creative Writing Program at John Hopkins University. She has served as Distinguished Writer in Residence at the University of the District of Columbia. As a literary consultant, she offers writing workshops, coaching, and manuscript evaluation services.

David Whetstone is a public policy advocate and writer with decades of national and local experience regarding such issues as civil rights and criminal justice. Presently, he serves as the host and producer of the news magazine, We the People, on WPFW FM (Pacifica Foundation-Washington, D.C.). David also has worked in several publishing and media capacities in support of writers. He is particularly interested in the presence of writers of color in the genres of historical writing, memoirs, mysteries, and speculative fiction.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Busboys and Poets Brookland, 625 Monroe St NE, Washington, United States