S03.07: An Interview with Julie Moody-Freeman from the Black Romance Podcast
Two episodes in one week! We are doing what we can to take care of you, Fated Maters!
This week, we’ve got Julie Moody-Freeman, professor, self-proclaimed romance nerd, and host of the new “Black Romance Podcast” with us! We’re freewheeling about the importance of oral history, Black romance, romance and academia, her life as a romance reader, her favorite books and authors, and her dream interviews. Subscribe to the Black Romance Podcast at Apple, Overcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting service.
(The audio on this one isn’t up to our usual standards. Sorry about that. We’ll do better next time. -Eric)
We’re back on our regular Wednesday schedule next week, and with a deep dive on Alisha Rai’s Serving Pleasure, a fantastic erotic romance. Find it at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Apple Books or Bookshop.org.
Also, we had our first Fated States phonebanking session with Indivisible.org this week — it was great and we loved seeing so many of your amazing faces! Please join us, fellow Fated Maters and special guests for Fated States Phonebanking Part 2 on Saturday, October 3rd at 3pm Eastern to call North Carolina!
Show Notes
This week, we interview Julie Moody-Freeman, a professor of African and Diaspora Studies at DePaul University. She's the host of the Black Romance Podcast. Julie wrote a chatper in the newly released Routledge Companion to Popular Romance Fiction.
The Black Romance Podcast is an oral history podcast which has interviewed some of the greatest voices in Black romance both past and present.
If you're interested readings some books of non-romance oral history, Jen recommends Voices from Chernobyl, Tower Stories, and anything by Studs Terkel. You might also enjoy the podcast Bughouse Square, which pairs interviews from the Studs Terkel Radio Archives and Eve Ewing interviewing poeple today. It's terrific.
The era of the mall bookstore--Waldenbooks and B. Dalton-- is over. But then again, malls might be over.
Vivian Stephens was the woman who revolutionized the American cateogry romance. You should listen to her two-part interview on the Black Romance Podcast, read this terrific profile of her in Texas Monthly, and listen to us read and discuss some of her early aquistions with Steve Ammidown.
Julie teaches a class called Romance, Women, and Race at Depaul. On the reading list: Make it Last Forever by Gwyneth Bolton, Gabriel's Discovery by Felicia Mason, A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole, Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins, and The Brightest Day Anthology.
Although Season One of the Black Romance Podcast will be coming to a close soon, she listed some of the women she'd love to interview: Shirley Hailstock, Donna Hill, and Rochelle Alers.
Rosalind Wells and Francis Ray are two Black romance trailblazers who are no longer with us.
Next week, we'll be reading Serving Pleasure by Alisha Rai.
12.5: Small Town Romance
Small towns! Jen (Chicago) and Sarah (NYC) do not understand them IRL, but we are talking about them in fiction this week! Listen to us talk about their genesis, what they represent, and why Romancelandia can’t get enough of them. Books by Sierra Simone, Vanessa North & Alisha Rai!
Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite podcasting platform — and while you’re there, please leave us a like or a review. Also — if you have a romance loving friend, please let them know that we don’t just talk about vampires & valkyries, and maybe they’d like us, too?
In fact — In two weeks, we’re not talking about vampires at all! (Except we kind of are) The Game Makers series read-along begins with Kresley’s first contemporary, The Professional. Get ready for Wroth Brother fanfic that Kresley herself refers to as “way sexier” then IAD. Get The Professional at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, or from your local Indie.
Show Notes
In case you missed the Signet Regency era of romance.
More about the Regency period, and Sarah would like you to know that she knows “a bunch of people” didn’t come between George IV & Victoria. One person did: William IV.
Everyone's favorite Darcy and Darcy-esque figure.
Jane Austen and her world, Georgette Heyer and hers.
Cleveland DOES rock, and yes the Cuyahoga River caught on fire, but that whole story is kind of a myth.
Y'all know who Jen means when she talks about Kelly, right?
The word Jen was searching for when talking about small town romances was "revisionist."
Maybe it wasn't "some Russian" who talked about the two stories.
Colson Whitehead is amazing and Jen definitely recommends seeing him in person if you ever have the chance. You can read his post 9/11 essay at the New York Times.
All about how Americans live: urban, suburban, or rural.
Nora Roberts was profiled in the New Yorker and talks about her favorite small town: Boonsboro.
Farrah Rochon also writes a great series of small town romances.
As it turns out, there is not a Menage County, KS.
Did you say RITA books?
Jen's favorite cupcake place in Chicago is Sweet MandyB's.
A Roller Derby glossary and some video tutorials for all your favorite moves. Stay safe, kids!
Montagues & Capulets. Hatfields & McCoys. Chandlers & Kanes.
The saddest discovery Jen made while working on this week's show notes is that Hot as Hades is no longer available as an eBook! Oh no!
On Twitter, Bree Bridges of Kit Rocha asked people to reply with the size of a "small town."
In Brooklyn, go to Butter and Scotch for cake, and based on this website, they have some very Romancelandia-friendly swag.
Have you pre-ordered Brazen and the Beast yet?
