Sandra Moran Alphabet Soup Radio Book Club

We will discuss “Jam on the Vine” by LaShonda Barnett for Black History Month. Annette Billings, Stuart HInds, and Mercedes Lewis will join Elizabeth Andersen in discussing this novel during Black History Month. We will be inviting LaShonda to participate either during the show or in an interview beforehand.

THE BOOK:
In LaShonda Barnett’s novel, Ivoe Williams is a black lesbian journalist from Texas who comes to Kansas City in the 1920s to start a newspaper. Barnett, who was born in Kansas City, spoke at the Plaza Library here this past April about her book. For information on the book, please check outwww.jamonthevine.com/

THE AUTHOR AND BOOK CLUB PANEL:
LaShonda Katrice Barnett: www.lashondabarnett.com/

Annette Billings is known as “the Maya of the Midwest” to many of her readers. She is an award-winning poet, playwright and actress from Topeka, Kan., and she recently published her first collection of poetry, A Net Full of Hope. She recently retired from a long career as a nurse to become a full-time writer.

Stuart Hinds is the curator and a co-founder of the Gay and Lesbian Archive of Mid-America at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. This past June Camp Magazine had an interesting article on StoryCorps OutLoud. the LGBT-focused oral history initiative and GLAMA: www.campkc.com/campkc-content.php?Page_ID=2419

Mercedes Lewis is on the board of directors of the Golden Grown Literary Society as the director of events. Mercedes served more than 20 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Master Sergeant. Her bio can be found atwww.goldencrown.org/resource/collection/CFF2F010-7810-4639-AE81-02A8C66B5A2D/GCLSBoard_2015-v2.pdf

Host Elizabeth Andersen has two degrees in English literature; founded and participated in lesbian book clubs for a dozen years and was the only lesbian in a gay men’s book club. She has served on the LIKEME Lighthouse LGBT community center board, the production team of Kansas City’s LGBT film festival, and has house managed at women’s music festivals. She taught English composition at two universities and has been a full-time copy editor for more than 30 years.

Radio Book Club creator Sandra Moran:
Sandra Moran was an award-winning novelist who passed away Nov. 7, 2015, as the radio book club was set to begin. Sandra co-hosted on The Tenth Voice radio show and was invited to take over hosting the second week of every month. Sandra had picked themes, authors, and guests seven months in advance and was very excited about her radio book club. A lovely tribute to her was written by her dear friend and author Ann McMan in Lambda Literary: http://www.lambdaliterary.org/features/rem/11/10/in-remembrance-sandra-moran/Sandra Moran


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