I just finished reading Three Times a Mourner: Personal Essays on Grief and Healing by Fredericka R. Maister. I had the pleasure of meeting this author on a panel for debut authors back in the spring. As a therapist, I was drawn to her writing about three very distinctive losses: one sudden and natural, one violent and premeditated, and one...[ read more ]

Hey! Since my VIP presale sold out, I decided to offer a general presale for all three versions of Mixtape: A Memoir. You can now preorder a signed paperback, Ebook, or audiobook. The links are below: Signed paperback Ebook Audiobook The presale of Mixtape: A Memoir will assist with covering the costs of hybrid publishing, audiobook production, and promotion. You will receive...[ read more ]

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Dear Bi Men: A Black Man's Perspective on Power, Consent, Breaking Down Binaries, and Combating Erasure, read by the author, J.R. Yussuf. This book was incredibly validating and informative. As a reader of memoir and nonfiction, I appreciate that the author presents himself as an imperfect protagonist who's still figuring things out. What...[ read more ]

          Because I'm a fan of Beyoncé and her entire family of talented individuals, I pre-ordered her mother, Ms. Tina Knowles' memoir, Matriarch, as soon as it was announced a few months ago.           Though this review won't be exhaustive, I'll share some takeaways that I found relevant. Ms. Tina suspects that...[ read more ]

When I learned that Emely Rumble was a fellow therapist who uses books as healing tools in her clinical practice, I was thrilled to read her debut book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx! It’s no secret that stories (music, books, and poetry) enable us to empathize, educate, and comfort. But most people aren’t familiar with the term, bibliotherapy. In bibliotherapy, therapists...[ read more ]

I learned of Joanna "JoJo" Levesque in 2004 when her debut song, "Leave (Get Out)" blew up on the charts. I was eleven at the time, so seeing a twelve/thirteen-year-old make such a splash at damn-near the same age as me was inspiring. I BEGGED to get JoJo's debut album when it came out and, thanks to Grandma's Kmart employee...[ read more ]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While working on my memoir yesterday, I found myself reflecting on my earliest memories of mental illness. My first encounter with a diagnosed mental health disorder happened when I was 11. My mother was dating Bryce, who would later become her husband. One afternoon, my mother, Bryce, his son, and I were in the...[ read more ]

Acamea Deadwiler is a gifted storyteller, and her new memoir, Daddy’s Little Stranger, made me feel understood and even brought me to healing tears. “Releasing my tears would only compound the humiliation. I knew there would be no consoling hugs. We weren’t that kind of family.” Daddy’s Little Stranger takes readers on a journey set in Gary, Indiana, which for a...[ read more ]

As a Black and biracial person, I was thrilled when Mya Jayn, my mixed-race daughter, was gifted a copy of More Than Peach by Bellen Woodard to add to her library. I'm excited to share what I learned as I read this book to MJ. More Than Peach is a story written by a child about her experiences in elementary...[ read more ]

Johnzelle speaks with Jessica from The Mental Health Emergency Fund about the stigma surrounding mental health. Check out the episode here: https://mentalhealthemergencyfund.com/johnzelle-anderson-2/ Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this, consider supporting my creative work by buying me a coffee or a book from my wishlist. Thanks in advance!