Join us to celebrate the release of Shot Clock with authors, Caron Butler and Justin A. Reynolds. 

EVENT DEETS:

When: September 7, 2022 at 7 PM CST

Where: 2015 Berry Street, HTX 77004

How: You can purchase a ticket with book or you can purchase a ticket with book to help support our store, programming and the authors. 

About the Book

Former NBA all-star Caron Butler and acclaimed author Justin A. Reynolds tip off a middle grade series in which each book centers on a different young member of an AAU basketball team coached by a former NBA star in his hometown. In the first book, Tony must work to make the team while dealing with the tragedy of his friend’s death.

Tony loves basketball. But the game changed recently when his best friend, Dante, a hoops phenom and the kid he looked up to the most, was killed by a police officer. Tony and his community—Oasis Springs—are dealing with the grief, even as justice for his friend seems fleeting. Tony hopes he can carry on Dante’s legacy by making the Sabres, the AAU basketball team Dante took to two national championships.

The Sabres are one of the best teams around—after all, not every team has a former NBA all-star as its coach. Coach James likes what he sees from Tony at tryouts, but he still doesn’t make the team. Tony takes the devastating news hard until Coach James offers him another chance: join the team as the statistician.

Tony has a sharp mind for the game, and with help from Kiara, Coach James’s daughter, he makes an impact in this new role, even if it’s hard watching his friends play. As the team finds its stride, Tony faces another setback—the officer who killed his friend will be back on the job. With his community reeling and the team just finding its footing on the court, can Tony find a path to healing while helping to bring the Sabres a championship?

About the Authors

Caron Butler is a former two-time NBA all-star who played for fourteen seasons. He is currently an assistant coach for the Miami Heat and previously was a TV commentator on ESPN, NBC, TNT, and NBA TV. In 2016, his memoir, Tuff Juice: My Journey from the Streets to the NBA, was published by Lyons Press. Tuff Juice is being produced as a film by Mark Wahlberg. Caron is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist. He created the Butler Elite Basketball Program and the 3D foundation. Caron lives in Miami with his family.

Come out and welcome author, Joseph Earl Thomas to Houston as he celebrates the release of his book, Sink: A Memoir.

EVENT DEETS

When: March 22 at 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to grab a free ticket or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your copy of Sink and support this Black owned bookstore and its programming. 

About the Book

Celebrate Texas author, Michelle Stimpson and her newesr book, Sisters with a Side of Greens! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, March 9 at 2 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve you seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our programming. No refunds.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From award-winning author Michelle Stimpson: a Southern story of sisterhood and second chances

Many years ago, Rose Tillman gave her sister, Marvina Dewberry, forty dollars to register a business where they would piggyback on their mother’s amazing spice mixture to make their fortune in fried chicken and other Southern comfort foods. Marvina used that forty dollars for a different reason and the business never got off the ground. It was just forty dollars, but that decision set the course of their lives. Now Rose has retired from a career at the post office and realizes she wants a second shot at her dreams, but she’ll have to go through her sister to get that chance...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MICHELLE STIMPSON has had a distinguished traditional publishing career writing Christian and Inspirational contemporary romance fiction. She has won an Emma Award, two Christian Literary Awards, Best Feature Film at CapCity Black Film Festival and was a finalist for the 2021 Vivian Award. She lives in Dallas, TX.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Norma L. Jarrett, is an award-winning, published writer and creative talent who loves to inspire, entertain and encourage others through impactful storytelling.

Celebrate the release of Somebody's Husband with Robbi Renee!

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, March 8th @ 3PM

Where: Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004) - Hogan Brown Gallery 

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming

ABOUT THE BOOK

A grieving doctor and a nurturing professor join forces on a potentially groundbreaking medical study that sparks a profound connection neither saw coming in this unconventional romantic drama from the author who brought you the book club favorite Somebody’s Wife.

Dr. Dresden Xavier moved his family back to his hometown of Monroe City after an unfortunate tragedy. Searching for an escape from the reality of grief and depression, Dresden buries himself in a grueling medical research project that could yield life-changing results. What was supposed to be a short-term partnership with the professor of nursing at Monroe University quickly morphs into a case study of love . . . or maybe just an experiential error.

Harper Kingsley, a loving wife, mother, and professor, sought tenure and a little peace and happiness in her fast-paced life. In the public eye, Harper is a poised perfectionist, but behind closed doors, she desperately fights to mend the broken threads of her feeble family. Lies, sickness, and secrets that could destroy her family permeate her soul until the healing touch of Dr. Xavier changes her trajectory. What was supposed to be a clinical research assignment evolves into something much greater and beyond their control.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ROBBI RENEE: Loss, grief, & anxiety birthed Robbi Renee in December 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. She pens stories of love, heartbreak & healing. A love for reading transformed into an obsession with writing authentic Black characters, living beautiful Black lives in thriving Black communities that pay homage to her hometown of St. Louis! Robbi Renee enjoys writing contemporary & urban romance that takes readers on a wild ride.

Celebrate Brenda Jackson's 150th book, Spilling the Tea! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, May 15 @ 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP WITH BOOK

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ninety-something Mama Laverne is determined to find all of her great-grandchildren their perfect match before going home to glory. So far, her success rate is 100 percent—and she intends to keep it that way.

Ninety-something-year-old Felicia Laverne Madaris, known in the family as Mama Laverne, is determined to find all of her great-grandchildren the perfect match before she goes home to glory. So far, her success rate is 100 percent, and she intends to keep it that way.

After sustaining injuries in Iraq, US Army Ranger Chancellor (Chance) Madaris was told he’d never walk again. Chance credits his great-grandmother, Mama Laverne, with giving him the will and fortitude to heal and prove the doctors wrong. He has a healthy respect for her meddling ways and knows he’ll eventually end up next on her matchmaker’s list.

When Zoey Pritchard was eight, she survived a car accident that left both her parents dead. She was sent to live with her great-aunt who refused to speak about her parents. Zoey has no memory from before the crash, but she’s been having the same dream over and over…

Guided by nothing but a hunch and images from her dream, Zoey travels to Houston. Searching for answers, Zoey uncovers a scandal involving her parents and the wealthy and powerful Madaris family. Her trail leads her straight to Chance’s door. The dislike and intense attraction are instant and simultaneous. Was it chance or Mama Laverne’s plan to throw this pair together?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BRENDA JACKSON is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than one hundred contemporary multicultural romance novels, including the Madaris Family series, the Westmorelands series, and The Playas series. She was the first African-American author to have a book published under the Harlequin/Silhouette Desire line and the first African-American romance author to hit both the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists in the series romance genre. Many of her books have been adapted into movies. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling. brendajackson.net.

Join us to celebrate the release of TWO books, Storm: Goddess of Dawn by Tiffany D. Jackson and Barda by Ngozi Ukazu! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, June 4 @ 7PM

Where: 2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004

How: Purchase your TICKET ONLY or RSVP WITH STORM or RSVP WITH BARDA or RSVP WITH BUNDLE (with both books)

Please reach out if you, your kids or students would like to attend but are not in the financial place to do so. 

ABOUT THE STORM

Few can weather the storm.

As a thief on the streets of Cairo, Ororo Munroe is an expert at blending in—keeping her blue eyes low and her white hair beneath a scarf. Stealth is her specialty . . . especially since strange things happen when she loses control.

Lately, Ororo has been losing control more often, setting off sudden rainstorms and mysterious winds . . . and attracting dangerous attention. When she is forced to run from the Shadow King, a villain who steals people's souls, she has nowhere to turn to but herself. There is something inside her, calling her across Africa, and the hidden truth of her heritage is close enough to taste.

But as Ororo nears the secrets of her past, her powers grow stronger and the Shadow King veers closer and closer. Can she outrun the shadows that chase her? Or can she step into the spotlight and embrace the coming storm?

ABOUT BARDU

Darkseid is…and life on Apokolips is tough—but then, it is hell after all. And no one knows this better than Barda, Granny Goodness’s right hand warrior.

But Barda has a secret…she is in love. Or she is drawn to the idea of it anyway, whether it be the beauty of a flower, her affection for her closest friend, Aurelie, or the mysterious and fierce enemy warrior, Orion, who is the only match for Barda’s strength.

But when Granny decides Barda is becoming too soft, she assigns Barda a task that might be more than she can handle—to break the seemingly unbreakable Scott Free. And as Barda questions why Scott has such hope and what he might have done to promote such hatred from Granny, she finds herself drawn to him in a way she never expected.

The only thing is, we do not speak of love on Apokolips…

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Event Details:

When: Friday, October 8 at 7:00 PM CST

Where: The Fountain of Praise, 13950 Hillcroft Ave, Houston, TX 77085

How:  Ticket required for entry.  Every ticket includes a copy of Tabitha Brown's book, Feeding the Soul (becasue it's my business), which will be available for pick-up when checking in at the venue. 

Cost: $40 via Eventbrite (includes book)

We hope to see you there!

About the Book:

From the actress and TikTok vegan superstar who became known as "America's Mom" for her warm, upbeat, encouraging messages--a warmth, funny, generous book of life lessons in in trademark style.

Brown's path to stardom was an unlikely one. While pursuing acting, she raised a family and struggled with a painful and debilitating autoimmune disorder that was finally cured by switching to a vegan diet, which she started talking about on TikTok.

Now she's one of the most popular personalities in the world, with millions of fans who follow her homespun wisdom. The book is filled with these stories about her life, career, faith, and family--and is organized around Tab's now-famous catchphrases like "That's your business," "Have the most amazing day," and "But don't go messin' up no one else's."

Marked by humor, warmth, generosity, inspiration and faith, it's a book fans will return to again and again--and want to give others.

About the Author:

Tabitha Brown literally and metaphorically satisfies the hunger of millions with her unique approach to veganism and her wholesome, comedic personality. Whether it be a new recipe, acquiring some imparted wisdom, enjoying a laugh, or melting away to a soulful, soothing voice, Tabitha Brown is home base. The North Carolina born actress, vegan lifestyle personality, mother, and wife, has amassed over 11 million followers across platforms, gaining 2 million followers over a five-week period on TikTok, earning her the coined title of “America’s mom.” Brown’s unique journey to veganism highlights the intersection of personal discovery, food, and health. With a passion for acting, Brown traveled around the States to pursue her career. She landed notable theatrical features including NBC’s hit comedy Will & Grace, ABC drama Switched at Birth and Showtime’s The CHI.

Brown has developed a role for herself, with her own script, direction, and audience. An unconventional way to rise to stardom, Brown paved a path to achieve her dream of being in front of a camera without sacrificing – and, in fact embracing – who she is and the unique, wholesome qualities that make her Tabitha Brown.

Event guidelines subject to change.

Celebrate release of The American Daughters, Maurice Carlos Ruffin's new historical fiction novel!

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 @ 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP Only to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to purchase your copy and support the author. No refunds.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A gripping historical novel about a spirited  girl who joins a sisterhood working to undermine the Confederates—from the award-winning author of We Cast a Shadow

Ady, a curious, sharp-witted girl, and her fierce mother, Sanite, are an inseparable duo. Enslaved to a businessman in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the pair spend their days dreaming of a loving future and reminiscing on their family's rebellious and storied history. When mother and daughter are separated, Ady is left hopeless and direction-less, until she stumbles into the Mockingbird Inn and meets Lenore, a free Black woman with whom she becomes fast friends. Lenore invites Ady to join a clandestine society of spies called the Daughters. With the courage instilled in her by Sanite—and help from these strong women—Ady learns how to choose herself. So begins her journey toward liberation and imagin­ing a new future.

The American Daughters is a novel of hope and triumph that reminds us what is possible when a community bands together to fight for their freedom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is the author of The Ones Who Don't Say They Love You, longlisted for The Story Prize and a finalist for The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, and We Cast a Shadow, which was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the PEN/Open Book Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and International Dublin Literary Award. A recipient of an Iowa Review Award in fiction, he has been published in the Virginia Quarterly Review, AGNI, the Kenyon Review, The Massachusetts Review, and Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas. A native of New Orleans, he is a graduate of the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop and a member of the Peauxdunque Writers Alliance.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR 

Sharon Sochil Washington, PhD is a cultural anthropologist, social entrepreneur, and writer. Her debut novel, The Blue Is Where God Lives, was published last year by Abrams Books. She’s also author of The Educational Contract, and creator of White Space, a Substack newsletter that explores the meaning between the words we use. She’s written for The American Scholar, Huffington Post, Newsday (New York), Dallas Times Herald, and the Akron Beacon Journal; and she speaks regularly at universities and conferences on issues of education, social justice, economic insecurity, and media influences. 

Join us as we celebrate the release of The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport.

Event Deets:

When: Monday, April 8 at 7:00 pm CST

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden

How:  Limited in-person tickets are available. You have the option to grab a ticket for free or purchase the book and ticket (Only books purchased at the event will be eligible to be signed by the author!)

About the Book

With her grandfather assassinated, Ikenna knows two things: that only someone on the Tribunal could have ordered his death, and that only a Praetorian Guard could have carried out that order.

Bent on revenge as much as discovering the truth, Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials—a brutal initiation that only a quarter of the aspirants survive. She subjects herself to the racism directed against her half-Khanaian heritage and the misogyny of a society that cherishes progeny over prodigy, all while hiding a power that—if found out—would subject her to execution…or worse. Ikenna is willing to risk it all because she needs to find out who murdered her grandfather…and then she needs to kill them.

About the Author

N. E. Davenport is the Science Fiction/Fantasy author of The Blood Trials and its forthcoming sequel. She attended the University of Southern California and studied Biological Sciences and Theatre Arts. She also has an M.A. in Secondary Education. She teaches English and Biology to amazing students. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and being a huge foodie. She’s an advocate for diverse perspectives and protagonists in literature. You can find her on Twitter @nia_davenport, or on Instagram @nia.davenport, where she talks about binge-worthy TV, killer movies, and great books. She lives in Texas with her husband and kids.

About the Moderator

Celebrate The Day God Saw Me as Black with Passuh Danyelle! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, January 7 @ 7PM 

Where: 2310 Elgin Street, HTX, 77004

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve you seat and signed copy! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. Danyelle Thomas is a Black faith and spirituality writer, speaker, and digital faith leader. The founder of Unfit Christian, her work and words have been featured in Essence, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, Rewire.News, Splinter, and NBC News. She holds both a master's in Public Policy and a bachelor's in African American Studies from Georgia State University. She is on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) via @UnfitChristian

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Daphne (she/her) is passionate about helping people leave harmful and abusive situations so she shares her experience as a way to offer hope to others who may be in the same position. She created Golden Daph to share the things she's learning to refine her life and build it into something she's proud of. She shares what she's learned from her divorce, emotional and spiritual abuse, and her faith deconstruction and decolonization. She has found so much freedom on my journey and she hopes to share it with you.

In her day-to-day life you can find her working in the social justice field in Houston, Texas. When she's not doing that, you can find her spending time with family and friends, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, or watching reality TV shows. She's also a co-host of the Love is a Trip Podcast with her good sis Ash!

Celebrate the release of The Dead Don't Need Reminding with Julian Randall!

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 @ 6:30 PM 

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP with book to support the author and our programming. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

This brilliant, adult nonfiction debut from the acclaimed MG author and poet weaves two personal narratives of recovery and reclamation, spliced with a dazzle of pop-culture

The Dead Don’t Need Reminding is a braided story of Julian Randall’s return from the cliff edge of a harrowing depression and his determination to retrace the hustle of a white-passing grandfather to the Mississippi town from which he was driven amid threats of tar and feather.
 
Alternatively wry, lyrical, and heartfelt, Randall transforms pop culture moments into deeply personal explorations of grief, family, and the American way. He envisions his fight to stay alive through a striking medley of media ranging from Into the Spiderverse and Jordan Peele movies to BoJack Horseman and the music of Odd Future. Pulsing with life, sharp, and wickedly funny, The Dead Don’t Need Reminding is Randall’s journey to get his ghost story back.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Julian Randall is a contributor to the #1 New York Times bestseller Black Boy Joy and his middle-grade novel, Pilar Ramirez and the Escape From Zafa, was published by Holt in 2022. He has received fellowships from Cave Canem, Tin House, and Milkweed Editions. He is the winner of the 2019 Betty Berzon Emerging Writer Award from the Publishing Triangle, the 2019 Frederick Bock Prize, and a Pushcart prize. His poetry has been published in The New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, and POETRY. His first book, Refuse, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize and was a finalist for an NAACP Image Award. He lives in Chicago

ABOUT THE INTERLOCUTOR

Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English and Creative Writing at Rice University. Laymon is the author of Long Division, which won the 2022 NAACP Image Award for fiction, and the essay collection, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, named a notable book of 2021 by the New York Times critics. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, the Barnes and Noble Discovery Award, the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media, and was named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years by The New York Times. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year. Laymon is the recipient of 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard. Laymon is at work on the books, Good God, and City Summer, Country Summer, and a number of other film and television projects. He is the founder of “The Catherine Coleman Literary Arts and Justice Initiative,” a program based out of the Margaret Walker Center at Jackson State University, aimed at aiding young people in Jackson get more comfortable reading, writing, revising and sharing on their on their own terms, in their own communities. Kiese Laymon was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022.

BUY TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-education-of-kendrick-perkins-with-kendrick-perkins-kiese-laymon-tickets-529431563057

We are extremely excited to be in community with Kendrick Perkins. Come out and celebrate the release of The Education of Kendrick Perkins. "Big Perk" will be in conversation with MacAruthur "Genius Grant" Fellow, Kiese Laymon on February 27 at 7PM CST. 

EVENT DEETS

When: Monday, February 27 at 7 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, Houston, TX 77004)

How: Purchase tickets on Eventbrite. Generally admission tickets are $35 (which includes a copy of the book). VIP Tickets include generally admission along with the book as well as an intimate Meet & Greet with the author. 

Celebrate the release of The Grandest Garden with Gina L. Carroll!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, June 6, 2024

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support our programming and the author. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gina L. Carroll is the author of A Story That Matters: A Gratifying Way to Write About Your Life and editor of Stories Are Medicine: Writing to Heal, An Anthology. A self-pro-fessed story wrangler, Gina founded StoryHouse Texas, a creative space dedicated to cultivating and amplifying the diversity of vision and voice in story. The Grandest Garden is her debut novel. She currently lives in Houston, Texas. To learn more about Gina, visit www.ginacarroll.com.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton is an award-winning writer, director, performer, critic, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, TX. Praised by the NY Times as an artist who “defies categorization”, her genre-bending works span from stage to page, and everything in between. She is the author of Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary, 2019) which was translated into German (Berichtenswert, Elif Verlag, 2020), Black Chameleon (Henry Holt, 2023), and an upcoming children's book, Hush Hush Hurricane (Kokila Books). Honored as part of Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 class, she has been a contributing writer for Glamour, Texas Monthly, Muzzle, and ESPN's Andscape, to name a few.

Her most recent choreopoem, PLUMSHUGA: The rise of Lauren Anderson, debuted at Stages Theater and made the cover of the NY Times Culture Section. Her forthcoming opera, She Who Dared, composed by Jasmine Barnes, will  debut in Spring 2025. Her memoir, Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co, 2023), recently won the the Carr P. Collins award for Best Nonfiction through the Texas Institute of Letters (2024). Order your copy now.

Celebrate the release of The Kiss Countdown with Etta Easton!

Event DEETS

When: Tuesday, April 9 @ 7PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories' Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP to reserve your seat and RSVP WITH BOOK to grab your copy and support our programming. 

About the Book 

A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut.

Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to gamble on her shaky start-up, the last thing she needed was to run into her smug ex and his new, less complicated girlfriend at Amerie's favorite coffee shop. Panicked, she pretends to be dating the annoyingly sexy man she met by spilling Americano all over his abs. He plays along—for a price.

Half the single men in Houston claim to be astronauts, but Vincent Rogers turns out to be the real deal. What started as a one-off lie morphs into a plan: for the three months leading up to his mission, Amerie will play Vincent's doting partner in front of his loving but overly invested family. In exchange, she gets a rent-free room in his house and can put every penny toward her struggling business.

What Amerie doesn't plan for is Vincent's gravitational pull. While her mind tells her a future with this astronaut is too unpredictable, her heart says he's exactly what she needs. As their time together counts down, Amerie must decide if she'll settle for the safe life—or shoot for the stars.

About the Author

Etta Easton is a certified hopeless romantic who now writes contemporary romance. Her stories are full of humor, relatable heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, and Black joy. She lives in Central Texas with her husband and two young kids.

About the Conversation Partner

Naina Kumar is a lawyer by day and a reader and writer of romance at night. She lives in Texas, close to her family whose antics provide endless inspiration. When she’s not writing, she enjoys taking her rowdy rescue dog on walks, rewatching Gilmore Girls on a loop, and shopping at HEB. Say You’ll Be Mine is her debut novel.

EVENT DEETS

When: April 11 at 7PM CST

Where: LRT Gallery (3719 Navigation Blvd, HTX, 77003)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your free ticket or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the store programming and author. 

ABOUT THE BOOK 

An original novel written by New York Times best-selling author J. Elle inspired by Disney upcoming live action reimagining of The Little Mermaid.

After the death of Ariel’s mother, the queen of the sea, the seven daughters of King Triton have grown estranged at best. It’s been years since Ariel’s older sisters have visited home. But this year’s Coral Moon is fast approaching, and it’s a special one for Ariel. Finally fifteen, she will be dubbed the Protector of her very own ocean territory as is tradition, and her sisters have agreed to visit for the celebration.

But the ceremony is halted when Mala, one of the most renowned daughters of Triton, is abducted. The only clue to where she might have been taken is a hastily scribbled seaweed note, which says, “What could have saved Mother could save me, too.” To rescue Mala, Ariel must work together with her siblings, traveling to various seas, outsmarting dangerous ocean creatures, and delving into forbidden waters to find the truth of what happened to their mother. But as Ariel and her sisters begin uncovering new secrets about their family and their kingdom, Ariel will have to face the loss of a mother she never had a chance to know and discover what it means to be both a good sister and a strong leader.

And the clock is ticking, because on the day of the festival, when the moon turns a true shade of coral, her sister will be lost, like her mother, forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J.Elle is the author of the instant New York Times and Indie bestseller Wings of Ebony, a YA novel about a Black teen who must lean into her ancestor's magic to protect her inner-city community from drugs, violence, and crime. Ms. Magazine calls it "the debut fantasy we need right now." Elle is a former educator and first-generation college student with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Master's in Educational Administration and Human Development. When she's not writing, Elle can be found mentoring aspiring writers, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots.

Celebrate the release of The Outsider Advantage: Because You Don't Need to Fit in to Win with Ciera Rogers!

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, June 20 at 7PM

Where: 3719 Navigation Blvd, HTX, 77005

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our programming with book!

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Celebrate the release of They Built Me For Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park with Tonya Duncan Ellis!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, June 9, 2024 @ 2 PM

Where: Project Row House Community Gallery (2521 Holman Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to attend the event or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your copy. 

Note: Outside copies of They Built Me For Freedom will not be allowed inside the event.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A vibrant, moving picture book about the history of Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas—and the origins of Juneteenth.

When people visit me, they are free—to run, play, gather, and rejoice.

They built me to remember.

On June 19, 1865, the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas learned they were free, ending slavery in the United States. This day was soon to be memorialized with the dedication of a park in Houston. The park was called Emancipation Park, and the day it honored would come to be known as Juneteenth.  

In the voice and memory of the park itself—its fields and pools, its protests and cookouts, and, most of all, its people—the 150-year story of Emancipation Park is brought to life. Through lyrical text and vibrant artwork, Tonya Duncan Ellis and Jenin Mohammed have crafted an ode to the struggle, triumph, courage, and joy of Black America—and the promise of a people to remember.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tonya Duncan Ellis is a former journalist and the author of the Sophie Washington series. She lives in Houston, Texas. You can visit her at tonyaduncanellis.com.  

Join us as we celebrate the release of Thieves' Gambit with debut author, Kayvion Lewis! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Thursday, September 28 at 7PM

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden

How: RSVP ONLY to grab your free seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to reserve your copy of Thieves' Gambit and support our programming

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Kayvion Lewis is a young adult author of all things escapist and high-octane. A former youth services librarian, she’s been working with young readers and kidlit since she was sixteen. When she’s not writing, she’s breaking out of escape rooms, jumping out of airplanes, and occasionally running away to mountain retreats to study kung fu. Though she’s originally from Louisiana, and often visits her family in The Bahamas, these days you can find her in New York—at least until she takes off on her next adventure.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Celebrate the release of This Could Be Forever with Ebony LaDelle!

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesday, May 28 @ 7PM CST

Where: 2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming. There is limited number of free tickets so please be mindful before you sign up. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

This compelling and complex romance about love across cultures follows a Black girl and Brown boy who find themselves—and each other—while pursuing their passions the summer before college.

Deja’s got a plan. The first in her large family to go to college, she wants to study chemistry and sell natural skin care products, like the ones she already creates from plants grown on her family’s North Carolina farm. It all starts with the Onward Bound summer program at the University of Maryland, the summer before school officially starts.

Raja’s got a dream. His traditional Nepali parents want him to study engineering and settle down in an arranged marriage, but his passion is art, and he wants to open his own tattoo parlor one day. In the meantime, he’s apprenticing at a tattoo shop in College Park, Maryland.

When Deja walks into the shop where Raja’s working, they both start crushing hard—over the course of the summer, they fall more and more deeply for one another. But the closer they get and the more their lives entwine, the more they find that dating someone who doesn’t match your parents’ expectations is harder than they ever imagined.

Can they bridge the divide between the vision their families have for their futures and the lives—and love—that are starting to feel like destiny?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ebony LaDelle is the author of Love Radio—which was People magazine’s best book of the summer, a 2023 Audie Award Finalist, a 2023 Michigan Notable Book, and was featured on the Today show—and is the editor of the forthcoming romance anthology, You’ve Got a Place Here, Too. Prior to being an author, Ebony was a brand marketing director in book publishing and worked at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, among others. You can visit her online at EbonyLaDelle.com and follow her on social at @EbonyLaDelle.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Celebrate Kennedy Ryan's new book, This Could Be Us!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, March 10 at 2 PM

Where: Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin Street, HTX, 77004)

How: Purchase your ticket here! Each ticket comes with a copy of This Could Be Us. No refunds.

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who's never met a party she couldn't host or a charge she couldn't lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.
 
But there is no time to pout or sulk, or even grieve the life she lost. She's too busy keeping a roof over her daughters' heads and food on the table. And in the process of saving them all, Soledad rediscovers herself. From the ashes of a life burned to the ground, something bold and new can rise.
 
But then an unlikely man enters the picture—the forbidden one, the one she shouldn't want but can't seem to resist. She's lost it all before and refuses to repeat her mistakes. Can she trust him? Can she trust herself?
 
After all she's lost . . .and found . . .can she be brave enough to make room for what could be?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Wale Okerayi is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor working with folks in New York and Texas. She has a double masters degree in mental health counseling from Teachers College Columbia University. After practicing in New York for a few years, Wale moved back to her hometown Houston and started her own therapy practice in 2020. Wale currently works with individuals and couples, writers and creative folks on a weekly basis.

As an avid reader and Kindred Stories aficionado, Wale has moderated various author talks featuring: Lyvonne Briggs, Sochil Washington, Tyriek White, Adorah Nworah, Dr. Joy, and Nicole Walters. 

Come out and celebrate the release of Time's Undoing with author, Cheryl A. Head. 

EVENT DEETS

When: March 9 at 6:30 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden(2304 Stuart Street, Houston, Texas 77004)

How: RSVP for free or with book to support the author and bookstore. 

About the Book

About the Author 

Cheryl A. Head is a writer, television producer, filmmaker, broadcast executive and media funder. When not writing fiction, Head consults on a wide range of diversity issues. She is a Senior Associate at Livingston Associates, a member of Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and a member of the Bouchercon Board of Directors. 

About the Conversation Partner

Jennifer Maritza McCauley is a writer, poet, and university professor. She has been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Kimbilio, CantoMundo and the Sundress Academy for the Arts. She holds an MFA from Florida International University and a PhD in creative writing and literature from the University of Missouri. The author of the cross-genre collection SCAR ON/SCAR OFF, she is an assistant professor of literature and creative writing at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Join for an author talk with award-winning and beloved author, Renee Watson! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, October 28 at 2PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat. RSVP WITH BOOK to grab your seat along with a copy of Renee's newest book, Ways to Build Dreams. There will be additional titles on sale. However, you must purchase her newest book to join the signing line.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Renée Watson continues her bestselling young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart.

Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it’s time to start thinking about the future—and not just how to prank her brother, Ray!
Ryan wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she’ll become. Ryan has always been known for her sunny outlook, but can she keep hoping even when things seem hopeless? During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers and their hopes for the future, for her generation. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her, and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.
Grow and shine and share with Ryan Hart in this series that brings ever more humor, more love, and more fun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renée Watson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. Her novel, Piecing Me Together, received a Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award. Her books include the Ryan Hart series, Some Places More Than Others, This Side of Home, What Momma Left Me, Betty Before X, cowritten with Ilyasah Shabazz, Watch Us Rise, cowritten with Ellen Hagan, and Love is a Revolution, as well as acclaimed picture books: Places Where Hurricanes Happen, and Harlem’s Little Blackbird, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Renée splits her times between Portland, Oregon and New York City.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR 

Jasminne Mendez is a best-selling Dominican-American poet, translator, playwright and award winning author of several books for children and adults. Including the middle grade novel in verse Aniana del Mar Jumps In (Dial) which was released to four starred reviews. Her other books have received prizes from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Writer’s League of Texas and the International Latino Book Awards. She is an MFA graduate of the creative writing program at the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University and a University of Houston alumni. She is the Program Director for the literary arts non-profit Tintero Projects and she lives and works in Houston, TX.

Join us as we celebrate We Below Here: Gentrification, White Spacemaking and a Black Sense of Place with Shani Adia Evans! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesday, May 14

Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin Street, Unit 2, HTX, 77004) 

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author as well as our bookstore. There are free limited RSVP ONLY seats so please be mindful before you RSVP. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shani Adia Evans is assistant professor of sociology at Rice University.

ABOUT THE INTERLOCUTOR

Jaison Oliver is a community organizer who brings people and institutions together to facilitate collaborative policymaking and drive community-led change. He is the Founder & Principal of Selden Resources and leads the Third Ward Cultural District in Houston, TX. Jaison is a Detroit native and an alumnus of Yale University.

Pay homage to We Will Rest: The Art of Escape with Tricia Hersey!

EVENT DEETS

When: Sunday, January 19 @ 4PM

Where: Eldorado Ballroom (2310 Elgin Street, HTX, 77004) 

How: GET TICKETS HERE! All tickets will come with a copy of the book. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A beautifully illustrated “modern sacred object” of a book—inspired by vintage hymnals, prayer books, and abolitionist pamphlets—helping readers escape from grind culture and dehumanizing systems, by the New York Times bestselling author of Rest Is Resistance
 
Give the gift of rest and escape with this exquisitely designed volume of inspiring writings by Tricia Hersey, powerfully illustrated by award-winning designer George McCalman and featuring a silk ribbon marker.

We don’t believe we are worthy of rest unless we burn ourselves out to accomplish it. Our thinking has been limited by disconnection, sleep deprivation, and the unattainable call for perfection. The systems will never give us rest. It is something we must create for ourselves and each other. 
 
Just as the North Star guided the enslaved on their journeys to freedom, visionary artist and founder of The Nap Ministry Tricia Hersey leads us to imagine a new world: one in which we subvert the narrative of productivity at all costs and embrace rest as a healing spiritual practice. 
 
We Will Rest! is a modern sacred object, medicine for a sick and exhausted world. Weaving together meditations and poetry with storytelling and art, Hersey provokes liberation through refusal and trickster rebellion in the face of capitalism and white supremacy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tricia Hersey is a multidisciplinary artist, theologian, escape artist and founder of The Nap Ministry. She is the global pioneer and originator of the “rest as resistance” and “rest as reparations” frameworks, and collaborates with communities all over the world to create sacred spaces where the liberatory, restorative, and disruptive power of rest can take hold. Tricia’s work is seeded within the soils of Black radical thought, somatics, Afrofuturism, womanism, and liberation theology. She is a Chicago native who believes in daydreaming, porch sitting, and poetry.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

Celebrate the release of Where is Africa with author and curator, Anita N. Bateman!

EVENT DEETS

When: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 @ 6:30 PM 

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, Houston, TX, 77004)

How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP with Book to support the author and our programming. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A multidisciplinary illustrated reader unpacking imperialist representations of Africa by promoting dialogue, memory and everyday practice, and reimagining cultural institutions and the arts—from museums to academia, from architecture to art

In 2017, curator and art historian Anita N. Bateman and architect and professor Emanuel Admassu initiated research on the traditional positioning and mispositioning of the arts across the African continent. Where Is Africa has been an extended set of exchanges with contemporary artists, curators, designers and academics who are actively engaged in representing the continent—both within and outside its geographic boundaries. By examining artist collectives, new currents in art history and the rise of contemporary art festivals in and about Africa from the past 10 years, the project unpacks the imperialist foundations of cultural institutions and their anthropological fascination with African objects, people and places.
The interviews in Where Is Africa examine African and African-diasporic identities and spaces through questions of positionality in relation to specific disciplinary, cultural and political contexts. The texts address Afro-diasporic aesthetic practices and the curatorial, museological and artistic matrices that confront epistemologies of dominance and exclusion. The commissioned essays and images offer concise methodologies that expand or complicate issues addressed by the interviewees.
Where Is Africa is a conceptual project that accompanies a conceptual place, driven by the desire to dislodge Africa from categorical fixity and the representational logics of nation-states. Africa can never be fully enclosed by the residue of colonial violence or the totalitarian gaze of neoliberalism; instead, it creates infinite malleability, where place and concept are untethered from each other.

Contributors include: Mikael Awake, Salome Asega, Tau Tavengwa, Anthony Bogues, Jay Simple, Eric Gottesman, Rebecca Corey, Aida Mulkozi, Rakeb Sile, Mesai Haileleul, Mpho Matsipa, Niama Safia Sandy, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Rehema Chachage, Robel Temesgen, Valerie Amani, Meskerem Assegued, Elias Sime, Olalekan Jeyifous, Amanda Williams, Germane Barnes and Mario Gooden.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Celebrate the amazing author (and literary agent) Patrice Caldwell's newest release, Where Shadows Meet! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, April 19 @ 3PM 

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004) 

How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you're coming and RSVP WITH BOOK to secure your seat and copy of Where Shadows Meet.

Note: There are limited free RSVP ONLY tickets available so please be thoughtful about purchasing a ticket. Additionally, copies of Where Shadows Meet from other retailers will not be allowed on the premise. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

The dark and thrillingly romantic debut vampire fantasy that questions what it truly means to sacrifice for love.

You have no idea what I’ve done for love. Just as you have no idea what you may one day do.

Once long ago, a girl named Favre sacrificed her wings for love. Thana, the young goddess she so willingly gave them up for, sacrificed that same love for power. But everything has a cost.

Favre never got over the loss of her wings. And Thana’s choices led to a life of eternal night, and later, their destruction. Favre has bided her time ever since, waiting for the chance to resurrect the girl she loves who turned her into the creature she hates.

Now, a thousand years later, Leyla, the crown princess of the malichora—an ancient race that survives on human blood—must travel to the Island of the Dead when her best friend is captured during an attack on her nation’s capital. Along with Najja, a fierce, beautiful seer, and the last person she expected to help her, Leyla forges down a dangerous path, intent on saving her friend. But nothing is as it seems. The closer she gets to her goal, the more she risks awakening an ancient evil and destroying everything she holds dear.

Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PATRICE CALDWELL is a former children’s book editor turned literary agent and author. She has been named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30”, a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree, and featured on Bustle’s inaugural “Lit List” as one of ten women changing the book world. Patrice is also the editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn, 16 stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope and Eternally Yours. After years living in New York City, she moved to Dallas, Texas (with her two adorable cats). Visit Patrice at patricecaldwell.com and @pncaldwell.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR

We're taking a deep dive into money with Jessica Norwood, author of Believe-in-You Money: What would It Look Like if the Economy Loved Black People? 

EVENT DEETS

When: Wednesday, November 15 at 7PM 

Where: Project Row Houses Community Gallery (2521 Holman Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP today to attend this free workshop! Support the author and the book by RSVPing with Book. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessica Norwood is the founder of RUNWAY, a social enterprise that provides startup capital to Black founders. Her innovative work has been profiled on NPR and Bloomberg Television and in Essence magazine, Next City, Fast Company, and Conscious Company, and she has participated in fellowships at Harvard University, Duke University, and Southern University College of Business for emerging leaders. Learn more about Jessica’s leadership and work at www.jessicanorwood.com.

Celebrate independent author, Mya's first traditionally published novel, Burden of Love! 

EVENT DEETS 

When: Saturday, April 12 @ 2PM 

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004) 

How: RSVP WITH BOOK to secure your copy of Burden of Love or RSVP ONLY to buy your book at the event. 

This is a book signing only so there will be no chairs, etc. You will be able to meet and chat with the author as well as purchase a book to get signed. Outside copies of Burden of Love will not be allowed in the venue. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

She fights for justice; he bends the rules. Together, they break all of them in this scandalously sexy legal drama.

Soon after passing the bar exam, Talia Tate is tasked to assist her father, the head of Tate & Associates, with the controversial State v. Duncan trial. Talia is determined to prove to her father, the firm, and herself that she is a brilliant lawyer worthy of respect. Her stress hits a fever pitch when she realizes she’ll have an unexpected face-off on her first case.

Detective Maddox Reed doesn’t mind cutting corners when closing a case. Since his days in patrol, the locals knew to steer clear of “Speedy Reed-y.” When Donovan Duncan was brought into his squad room, he was ready to send him to prison without an interrogation. He thought the case was cut-and-dried . . . until Talia comes to his office with fingers pointed, ready to get Donovan the justice he deserves.

Representing opposite sides of the law, Talia and Maddox find themselves fighting two battles: justice and lust. How could they fall in love under circumstances so polarizing that the whole world can feel the tension? While both of them are in a race to come out on top, surprising feelings make it difficult to separate business from pleasure. Will these two souls find solace with each other? Or will the burden of love be too hard to bear?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Mya is a twenty-three-year-old, boy-mom and author from Houston, Texas. Since she was a little girl, she was drawn to books. From children’s books to young adult, her love blossomed. Mya's introduction to the literary world came at the young age of sixteen when she published her first book "His Little Secret". Starting with fan fiction and transitioning to African American romance, Mya now has a growing catalog of over 20 books which includes erotic romance and women's fiction novels. Mya’s love for black love has motivated her to create stories that reinforce the idea that regular people deserve extraordinary romantic tales. Through her books, she wants to leave readers with a discussion-provoking dialogue about the Black experience.

Celebrate Nia Davenport's young adult debut, Out of Body! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, February 10 @ 2 PM CST

Where: Kindred Stories Reading Garden (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: Only book purchased from Kindred Stories will be eligible for signing line.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A high-stakes, propulsive young adult thriller with a body-swap twist thoughtfully explores themes of friendship and identity, perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson.

Seventeen-year-old Megan Allen has been jumping from friend group to friend group in her high school, trying on identities like outfits. Nothing ever seems to fit—until she meets LC, the adventurous, charismatic girl who appears at her favorite coffee shop one day like magic. Finally, Megan feels like she’s becoming the person she’s meant to be: someone like LC.

On the night of their friendiversary, what was supposed to be a bonding experience ends in a waking nightmare. Suddenly, Megan is no longer herself. Too late, she realizes that LC has secrets—dangerous ones. Betrayed by her best friend, thrust into another girl’s life, and targeted by LC’s enemies, she must claim what makes Megan Megan to get her life back . . . or die trying.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NIA DAVENPORT is the author of the sci-fi fantasy Blood Gift duology. A lover of both science and literature, Nia has taught English and biology to a diverse public school population in Texas. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and now lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and kids. Find out more at nedavenport.com

Come have a cocktail and mocktail with Tricia Hersey, Founder of The Nap Ministry and author of Rest is Resistance! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Saturday, March 9 @ 6PM - 7:30 PM 

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: RSVP to help us prepare for your arrival or RSVP WITH BOOK to purchase your copy of Rest is Resistance.

ABOUT THE BOOK

What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Far too many of us have claimed productivity as the cornerstone of success. Brainwashed by capitalism, we subject our bodies and minds to work at an unrealistic, damaging, and machine‑level pace –– feeding into the same engine that enslaved millions into brutal labor for its own relentless benefit.

In Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey, aka the Nap Bishop, casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.


Rest Is Resistance is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey’s lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action, a battle cry, a field guide, and a manifesto for all of us who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.

ABOUT THE DECK 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tricia Hersey is an artist, poet, theologian and community organizer. She is the founder of The Nap Ministry, an organization that examines rest as a form of resistance by curating sacred spaces for the community to rest via Collective Napping Experiences, immersive workshops, performance art installations, and social media. Tricia is a global pioneer and originator of the movement to understand the liberatory power of rest. She is the creator of the Rest is Resistance and Rest as Reparations frameworks. Her research interests include Black liberation theology, womanism, somatics, and cultural trauma. Tricia is a Chicago native and currently lives in South Georgia

We've teamed up with one of our favorite artist/artist-teachers to bring you this special DIY collage bookmark workshop! 

EVENT DEETS

When: Friday, November 17 at 6:30 PM 

Where: Kindred Stories (2304 Stuart Street, HTX, 77004)

How: Grab your $30 ticket now! Space is Limited. Tickets are non-refundable. 

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP

We all love a good bookmark but sometimes the market just doesn't do what it's supposed to do. This is the first in a series of bookmark workshops. We'll be using collages as our medium. Get ready to do a little cut and paste between sips. All supplies necessary will be provided. If you want to bring extra magazines, feel free!

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tay Butler is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Houston, Texas. He received his BFA in Photography  and Digital Media from the University of Houston and recently completed his MFA in the University  of Arkansas’ Photography program. After retiring from the US Army and abandoning a middle-class  engineering career to search for purpose, Butler reignited a rich appreciation for Black history and a  deep obsession with the Black archive. Using past and present images to create a historically-layered  body of work, Tay reorients cultural material from the ever-growing Black experience.  

Butler works with photography, collage, video, and sound exhibitions and installations. His solo  exhibitions and installations include RE.Migrant I & II at Project Row Houses, Houston and We Are  Still Searching at the Louise J. Moran Fine Arts Courtyard, Houston. Group exhibitions of his work  have been featured at ArtPace, San Antonio, the Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, and the  Texas Biennial at Fotofest. Performance exhibitions include The Triangle, for The Idea Fund and  CAMH, and Jefferson Pinder’s Fire and Movement for DiverseWorks, Houston. Butler’s awards  include the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Arkansas Arts Council, and First Prize in the 2019  Citywide African-American Artists Exhibition at Texas Southern University, Houston. He has  collaborated with the Houston Rockets, Coca-Cola, and many others. Butler currently teaches Art &  Design for San Jacinto College, Houston and has led both private and community workshops for The  Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative, Virginia and Crystal Bridges Museum, Arkansas.  

Web: www.stayclosetay.com 

IG: @stayclosetay