Essah's Way

Episode 127. Essah Cozett discusses her recent publications, dissertation updates, and developing community archive projects. Essah Cozett Diaz is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and PhD candidate at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her research is rooted in migration, memory, storytelling, and African traditional healing practices. Díaz is currently a fellow of the Diaspora Solidarities Lab, a multi-institutional Black feminist digital humanities partnership. She was a 2022 Pathways intern with the Office of Digital Humanities at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Díaz served two terms as Chair of the Caribbean Without Borders Graduate Student Conference. In 2016, she founded Hermanas del Agua, the Puerto Rican chapter of the SisterCARE Alliance, to create a safe space for women and non-binary people to practice strategic self-care. Díaz is a co-editor of the collections Mothering, Community, and Friendship (Demeter Press, 2022) and Distancing as Infinite Entanglement: Healing, Intersectionality and Interstices in the Languages, Literatures and Cultures of the Greater Caribbean and Beyond (University of Curaçao, 2021). She is also an alumnae of the Obsidian Foundation and the Young Scholars of Liberia. Her writing has appeared in several international print and online publications. Essah loves encouraging others to move forward with ease in pursuit of their dreams. https://www.essahcozett.com

Episode 126. Darian “Creative” Harris opens up about his experiences as an entrepreneur and his inspirations as a marketing expert. Darian “Creative” Harris is a Southern photographer, marketing and branding expert. He is also a skilled Digital Content Creator and Philanthropist. His goal is to turn ideas into reality. https://www.instagram.com/iamcreatve/

Episode 125. Effie Nkrumah celebrates her journey by reflecting on her faith, international experiences, and dedication to her dreams. Effie Nkrumah previously known as Benumah, is an energetic and charming performer, interdisciplinary artist, writer and lover of food brought up on Gadigal and Darug countries. She is the voice of Astra, the first Ghanaian Agent in Valorant by Riot Games, creators of League of Legends, a contributor in Maxine Beneba Clarke’s Growing up African in Australia anthology, has played the role of Cleo as a cover in DTC’s production of seven methods of k*lling kylie jenner and holds an MA in Arts Politics from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As Benumah, her practice relies on memory and the archive and is driven by the concept of challenging the single story of Africa through stories of continental Africans in diaspora, creating work that is entertaining, aesthetically pleasing and discussion prompting. Her installation series See What I See has been performed in Sydney, New York and Accra. She is currently a swing in the Australian cast of the reimagined Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the roles of Hermione, the Trolley Witch and Madam Hooch. She is also the owner of Australian-Ghanaian clothing brand Keziah Jemima.

Episode 124. Elly Karamoh highlights various experiences that have defined his journey as a celebrity stylist while sharing insight on his passion and aspirations in the fashion industry. Elly Karamoh is a designer and fashion stylist with an eccentric love for art appliqué. Originally from Paris, France, but Karamoh has left his mark in Atlanta as a Custom Clothier and Creative Director at Hideoki Bespoke. Elly Karamoh is known for bringing class and high fashion in entertainment industry. Instagram: @Elly30

Episode 123. Essah Cozett returns to the mic to discuss the importance of community aid, incorporating rest, and pursuing your dreams. Essah Cozett Diaz is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and PhD candidate specializing in Literature and Languages of the English-speaking Caribbean at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her research is rooted in migration, memory, storytelling, and African traditional healing practices. She is currently a Diaspora Solidarities Lab Fellow. Díaz is also an alumnae of the Obsidian Foundation and the Young Scholars of Liberia. Her writing has appeared in several international print and online publications. https://www.essahcozett.com

Episode 122. Corneal Vernice aka Chef Vee opens up about her food inspirations, hands-on traveling experiences, and hopes as emerging Liberian chef. Corneal Vernice is a Liberian culinary expert, traveling caterer, and a phenomenal mother based in Atlanta. Through her company, Flavors by Vernice she creates savory meals that reflect her African roots. Book her for your catering events below. https://www.honeybook.com/widget/flavors_by_vernice_181938/cf_id/6193dc1b22083c002d464a9c

Episode 121. Tao Leigh Goffe and Tatiana Esh enlighten and empower us by reflecting on their artistic and academic journeys. This conversation honors ancestral remembrances of survival and explores the beauty of alignment.   Tao Leigh Goffe is a London-born award-winning writer, professor, and interdisciplinary artist. She specializes in colonial histories of race, debt, and technology. Based in New York City, her work negotiates Black diasporic intellectual and political life. She studied English literature at Princeton University before pursuing a PhD at Yale University. Dr. Goffe is also an assistant professor of literary theory and cultural history at Cornell University. Her research and curatorial work is rooted in literatures and theories of labor that center Black feminist engagements with Indigeneity and Asian diasporic racial formations. Much of her artistic and sound design practice explores colonial histories. https://www.taoleighgoffe.com   Tatiana Esh is an artist and poet who enjoys thinking about how different mediums can be used to convey story. Her art is inspired by dreamscapes, fantasy, and surrealism often exploring themes such as ecology and love. She has a B.A. in Africana Studies from Cornell University where she met her former professor Tao Leigh Goffe. Since graduating, she has worked with Dr. Goffe as the Lab Manager of Dark Laboratory and the Project Manager of the Diaspora Solidarities Lab. Along with managing the labs, she is a member of an art collective called Queerstar. https://tatianaesh.com https://www.darklaboratory.com https://www.dslprojects.org

Episode 120. Courtney Conrad opens up about her journey as a Jamaican poet in London, the importance of embracing faith, and gives advice on writing about vulnerable experiences.

Episode 119. Essah Cozett comes back after a hiatus to reflect on her adventures outside of Puerto Rico and insight on the 2022 Women of Color Survey in Georgia. Please complete the survey by August 31, 2022: https://www.womenofcolorinitiative.org/ediaz Essah Cozett Diaz is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and PhD candidate specializing in Literature and Languages of the English-speaking Caribbean at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her research is rooted in migration, memory, storytelling, and African traditional healing practices. She is currently a Pathways intern with the Office of Digital Humanities at the National Endowment for the Humanities. Díaz served two terms as Chair of the Caribbean Without Borders Graduate Student Conference. In 2016, she founded Hermanas del Agua, the Puerto Rican chapter of the SisterCARE Alliance, to create a safe space for women and non-binary people to practice strategic self-care. Díaz is a co-editor of the collections Mothering, Community, and Friendship (Demeter Press, 2022) and Distancing as Infinite Entanglement: Healing, Intersectionality and Interstices in the Languages, Literatures and Cultures of the Greater Caribbean and Beyond (University of Curaçao, 2021). She is also an alumnae of the Obsidian Foundation and the Young Scholars of Liberia. Her writing has appeared in several international print and online publications. https://www.essahcozett.com/podcast

Episode 118. Ana Portnoy Brimmer returns to the mic to discuss community organizing, healing in Puerto Rico, and publishing her debut poetry collection, To Love an Island.   Ana Portnoy Brimmer is a poet and organizer from Puerto Rico. She holds a BA and an MA in English Literature from the University of Puerto Rico, and is an alumna of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Rutgers University-Newark. To Love an Island, her debut poetry collection, was originally the winner of YesYes Books’ 2019 Vinyl 45 Chapbook Contest. She is currently working on the Spanish edition, forthcoming from La Impresora. Ana is the winner of the 92Y Discovery Poetry Contest 2020, and was named one of Poets & Writers 2021 Debut Poets. Her work has been published in The Paris Review, Gulf Coast, Society and Space, Sixth Finch, Periódico de Poesía-UNAM, Foundry Journal, Sx Salon, The Breakbeat Poets Volume 4: LatiNEXT, Aftershocks of Disaster: Puerto Rico Before and After the Storm, Centro Journal, among others. Ana is the daughter of Mexican-Jewish immigrants, resides in Puerto Rico and lives for dance parties and revolution. https://anaportnoybrimmer.wixsite.com/mysite

Episode 117. The Repeat Beat Poet reflects on his poetic, personal, and sonic inspirations that shapes his work and his most recent pamphlet, A Testament To Life & Death. The Repeat Beat Poet is Peter deGraft-Johnson, a Hip Hop Poet and broadcaster fusing traditional poetics and Hip Hop culture to capture and extend moments of time, thought, and feeling. He has appeared across the UK and internationally while co-founding the Hip Hop open mic night Pen-Ting, being a house emcee with Hip Hop label and jam night Imaginary Millions, and hosting his Hip Hop/Spoken Word radio show #TheRepeatBeatBroadcast, and the multi-award nominated Lunar Poetry Podcast, which is archived in the British Library. The Repeat Beat Poet has been nominated for a Jerwood Compton Poetry Fellowship, was a BBC 1Xtra WordsFirst poet, part of the Roundhouse Collective 2020, and the inaugural Obsidian Foundation.

Episode 116. Desree opens up about her evolution as a writer, memorable performances, and doing the work for her community. Desree is a spoken word artist, writer and facilitator based in London and Slough. She is currently an Artist in Residence for the poetry collective EMPOWORD, and an Ambassador for MQ; Mental Health Research Charity, Desree explores intersectionality, justice and social commentary. Desree was shortlisted for both the performance and film category in 2020 and recipient of the 2019's Highly Commended Out-Spoken Performance Prize. Also the finalist in 2018’s Hammer & Tongue final and TEDx speaker, Desree has featured at events around the UK and internationally, including Glastonbury Festival 2019, Bowery Poetry Club New York, Royal Albert Hall and Sofar Sounds. A producer for a series of live events called WORD UP! based in the borough of Brent, and Word of Mouth London, a video team who integrate live performances with online videos to collective stories of UK culture; Desree curates both live events and visual media, booking acts from around the world. Also, a spoken word educator and facilitator, Desree uses her art to engage with young people and adults in schools, youth groups, offices and organisations – anywhere people have a story. https://www.iamdesree.co.uk/

Episode 115. Shanay Neusum-James opens up about the importance of embracing love and truth in her acting, writing, and her upcoming pamphlet surrender dorothy. Shanay Neusum-James is a poet, actress and theatre-maker based in London. Her work explores black British identity and mental health. She graduated from The BRIT School in 2018 after performing at The RSC, Brighton Fringe Festival and The Southwark Playhouse and is now a member of The Roundhouse Poetry Collective 19/20. Her pamphlet will be published in August 2022 with Bad Betty Press.

Episode 114. Sierra King encourages us to document, preserve, and study Black women as she curates in real time. Sierra King is an Atlanta-based artist, photographer and archivist. Her creative and arts administration work is dedicated to documenting, preserving and archiving the work of Black women artists. She worked as the Lead Photo Archivist for the Kathleen Cleaver Papers before it was acquired by Emory University and is currently building and preserving the archives of printmaker Jasmine Nicole Williams and director Ebony Blanding. Sierra was awarded the Billops-Hatch Fellowship Award to continue research for Build Your Archive, an interactive assessment plan to help Black women artists build their archives in real time. As of February 2021, she is a Hambidge Cross Pollination Art Lab Studio Resident and National Black Arts Festival Micro-Grant Recipient. She served as the community manager for TILA Studios in Atlanta from December 2016 - August 2021. https://www.buildyourarchive.com

Episode 113. Essah Cozett talks about the importance of self-love and ways to practice daily rituals that bring us closer to our desires. Please consider donating to support the Essah's Way podcast. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/essahsway Essah Cozett Diaz is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and PhD candidate specializing in Literature and Language of the English-speaking Caribbean at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her research is rooted in storytelling, migration, and African tradition healing practices. Currently, she is serving her second term as Chair of the Caribbean Without Borders Graduate Student Conference. In 2016, she founded Hermanas Del Agua to create a safe space for women to practice strategic self-care in Puerto Rico. Her writing has appeared in several international print and online publications. She loves encouraging others to move forward with ease in pursuit of their dreams.  Listen to the full episode here: https://www.essahcozett.com/podcast

Episode 112. Khalliah Bryant opens up about mental health, balancing life as a new mompreneur, and embracing changes towards a holistic lifestyle. Khalliah G. Bryant is a Marriage & Family Therapist serving BIPOC adults and teens in the Florida region. She is a new mom navigating parenthood during a pandemic, as well as a new business owner of her private practice: More Life Wellness, LLC. Her platform advocates for holistic wellbeing, including the promotion of a plant-based and sustainable lifestyle. Her mission is to help others in her community to live more and be well! www.morelifewellnessllc.com

Episode 111. Jewel Tolbert reveals the importance of embracing art while providing progressive tools that sustain art education for youth in Africa. At her core, Jewel is an artist and aesthete who sees the world through a unique lens and has an innate sensitivity toward the beauty in detail. In her spare time, she loves exploring new countries, cities, and cultures and is the founder of a non-profit organization, ART of Hearts, that leverages the power of arts education to help primary school students in rural parts of Sub-Saharan Africa reach their full potential. Jewel holds a Bachelor of Arts in business communication and graphic communication with a minor in social sciences and French from Baruch College in New York City, and a Master of Arts in design management and cultures from the University of the Arts London, London College of Communication. www.artofhearts.org

Episode 110. Essah Cozett returns to the mic to discuss her life updates, 2022 aspirations, and reads a poem by Yrsa Daley-Ward. Please consider donating to support the Essah's Way podcast. https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/essahsway Essah Cozett Diaz is a Liberian-American poet, podcaster, and PhD candidate specializing in Literature and Language of the English-speaking Caribbean at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Her research is rooted in storytelling, migration, and African tradition healing practices. Currently, she is serving her second term as Chair of the Caribbean Without Borders Graduate Student Conference. In 2016, she founded Hermanas Del Agua to create a safe space for women to practice strategic self-care in Puerto Rico. Her writing has appeared in several international print and online publications. She loves encouraging others to move forward with ease in pursuit of their dreams.  https://www.essahcozett.com

Episode 109. Wayétu Moore discusses her journey as a writer, influences as a mother, and new discoveries in her writing process. Wayétu Moore is the author of She Would Be King, released by Graywolf Press in September, 2018. Her memoir, The Dragons, The Giant, The Women was also released with Graywolf on June 2, 2020. She is the recipient of the 2019 Lannan Literary Fellowship for Fiction.   She Would Be King was named a best book of 2018 by Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Entertainment Weekly & BuzzFeed. The novel was a Sarah Jessica Parker Book Club selection, a BEA Buzz Panel Book, a #1 Indie Next Pick and a finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award. The Dragons, The Giant, The Women was a 2020 New York Times Notable Book, Time Magazine 10 Best Nonfiction Books of 2020, Publishers Weekly Top 5 Nonfiction Books of 2020, was longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie medal for excellence in nonfiction, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.   She’s a graduate of Howard University, University of Southern California and Columbia University. She lives in New York. https://www.wayetu.com/

Episode 108. Agnes Sastre Rivera discusses her creative writing process, desires of development, and love for contemporary Puerto Rican poetry. Agnes (she/they) is currently a Ph.D. student at Emory University’s Comparative Literature program. They majored in English Literature and have a minor in Women & Gender Studies from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. Agnes is one of the founders of Fractal Puerto Rico, an educational and artistic project. They have organized creative writing workshops in public schools, literary festivals, and online groups. Their poetry book 'pequeñas catastrofes' was published in March 2021 by La Impresora. In their free time, Agnes enjoys listening to podcasts, playing with their Nintendo Switch, and watching Netflix. http://agnessastrerivera.com/