Past Events

  • MARCH 2026: Fiction Book Club - March 26 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss Homemade Love by J. California Cooper!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Thursday, March 26 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT HOMEMADE LOVE

    In one of the best-loved volumes of her work, J. California Cooper tells exuberant tales full of wonder at the mystery of life and the hardness of fate. Awed, bedeviled, bemused, all of Cooper's characters are borne up by the sheer power of life itself.

  • MARCH 2026: Non-Fiction Book Club - March 17 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss 107 Days by Kamala Harris!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Tuesday, March 17 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Non-Fiction Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT 107 Days

    For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.

    Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer.
    You are the first woman in history to be elected vice president of the United States.
    On July 21, 2024, your running mate, Joe Biden, announces that he will not be seeking reelection.
    The presidential election will occur on November 5, 2024.
    You have 107 days.

    Written with candor, a unique perspective, and the pace of a page-turning novel, 107 Days takes you inside the race for the presidency as no one has ever done before.

  • MARCH 2026: Mystery & Thriller Book Club - March 24 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss The Exes by Leodora Darlington!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Tuesday, March 24 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Mystery/Thriller Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT THE EXES

    Who hasn’t wanted to murder an ex—figuratively, at least? In this explosive debut thriller, a woman’s seemingly perfect romantic life is on the verge of collapse as she uncovers a hidden history surfacing dark secrets that have deadly consequences.

    Natalie has only ever wanted to find “the one.” The perfect man, the happy family she never had. But each time she thinks she is finally getting somewhere, she’s bitterly disappointed. Another red line through a list of exes. And that was before the night of the Big Fallout that left her even more alone.

    Then along comes James—wonderful, handsome James—and Natalie thinks her luck has finally turned. Maybe he’s the one for her. Maybe he’s the one she’s been waiting for all along. Maybe he won’t wind up dead.

    But the harder Natalie tries to be a “normal” wife, the more world-upending truths are brought to her door, leaving her unsure of who she really is, and much less what she’ll do . . . leaving her to question whether there is a monster within her or whether there is a villain toying with her from the outside.

    What’s the secret story behind Natalie’s dead exes? Will she and James survive their marriage? And do either of them deserve to?

  • MARCH 2026: Romance Book Club - March 10 @ 7PM - Reschedule
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    We're meeting to discuss Restore Me by J. L. Seegars!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Wednesday, March 25 @ 7PM CST (Rescheduled Date)

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here! 

    * If you already RSVP'd for the original date, you do not need to RSVP again.

    ABOUT RESTORE ME

    Dominic Alexander is my late husband's best friend and the last man on Earth that I should want. He's arrogant, dismissive, and up until recently has only ever used those dark eyes of his to look right through me. For the last twelve years, he's taken a sick pleasure in making me feel paper thin, like my entire existence is of no consequence to him at all.

    But now, things are different.

    After one drunken night and a surprisingly sexy act of heroism, he's started to be...nice. Treating me like something other than the physical embodiment of his annoyance, which would be nice if it didn't make me feel all the things I swore to never feel for another man after my husband died.

    Dominic

    Sloane Kent is going to be my undoing.

    What's worse: I think I'm going to enjoy being unraveled by the gold flecks in her hazel eyes and the adorable little way she scrunches her nose up when we're arguing, which we've done a lot of over the past decade. She thinks it's because I hate her, and I've always let her think that because the alternative is...untenable.

    But something is changing between us, and I don't know how to stop myself from breaking every promise I've ever made to myself regarding my best friend's wife. Promises that include never telling her that there's a long list of things I feel about her, but hate isn't one of them.

  • FEBRUARY 2026: Romance Book Club - February 10 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss All The Men I've Loved Again by Chrisine Pride!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Tuesday, February 10 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT ALL THE MEN I'VE LOVED AGAIN

    From Christine Pride, the beloved coauthor of the Good Morning America Book Club Pick We Are Not Like Them, comes a dazzling solo debut novel about a woman who finds herself in the impossible situation of being in love with the same two men who won her heart in her early twenties again as she nears forty.

    It’s 1999, TLC’s “No Scrubs” is topping the charts, y2k is looming on everyone’s mind, and Cora Belle has arrived at college ready to change her life. She’s determined to grow out of the shy, sheltered girl who attended an all-white prep in her all-white suburb. Cora is ready to conquer her fears and find her people, her place in the world, and herself.

    What she’s totally unprepared for is Lincoln, with his dark skin, charming Southern drawl, and that smile. Because how can you ever prepare yourself for the roller coaster of first love with all its glorious, bewildering contradictions? Just when Cora thinks she’s got things figured out, a series of surprises and secrets threaten to upend everything she thought she understood about love and loyalty.

    In the wake of these developments and a shocking tragedy, a new man enters Cora’s life—Aaron—further complicating everything. He’s the only one who seems to get her, and the letters she writes to him when the two are separated reveal the truth of their inescapable connection. There’s only one problem—how can she fall in love with one man when her heart belongs to another?

    Twenty years later, and Cora is all grown up, or mostly, and has cloaked herself in loneliness like a warm blanket. It’s the safest choice. But then an unexpected reconnection and a chance encounter puts her right back where she started. The same two men, the same agonizing decision.

    Finding herself in this position—again—will test everything Cora thought she knew about fate, love, and, most importantly, herself. All The Men I’ve Loved Again is a big-hearted coming-of-age story for anyone who’s thought what if about a past love and what it would be like to have a second chance.

     

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Slavery, Segregation, and the Second Founding of Rice University with Alexander X. Byrd and W. Caleb McDaniel - February 11 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of Slavery, Segregation, and the Second Founding of Rice University with Alexander X. Byrd  and  W. Caleb McDaniel!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Wednesday, February 11 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (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.

    Please note outside copies of the book will not be allowed in the bookstore and you will not be eligible for the signing/photo line. You must buy a book from Kindred Stories or purchase the RSVP (BUT I HAVE THE BOOK) ticket. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    During the first quarter of the twenty-first century, more than one hundred institutions of higher education in the United States launched projects to study and share their histories concerning slavery, segregation, and racial injustice. Slavery, Segregation, and the Second Founding of Rice University joins these wider efforts. Authored by award-winning historians Alexander X. Byrd and W. Caleb McDaniel, the book engages questions specific to Rice’s history as the last major private research university in the country to begin desegregation. Although Rice did not open its doors for classes until 1912, it was connected to the history of slavery through the life of its first founder and namesake, William Marsh Rice, whose fortune was deeply intertwined with the enslavement of Black people.

    Byrd and McDaniel place the history of one of the nation’s most renowned universities within a longer and larger context, showing that desegregation required changes to Rice so fundamental that they amounted to a “second founding” of the school. Following the story from slavery through segregation to the second founding, they highlight pivotal points of intersection between the history of Black Houston and the history of Rice University, revealing the seldom acknowledged roles of Black students, Black communities, and HBCUs in creating change at and around Rice. Their study challenges readers to consider anew who counts as a university’s founder—a question relevant to ongoing discussions about statues, naming, and the history of higher education. They also reveal what higher education institutions do at their best: create new knowledge and forge solutions to trenchant social problems, thus providing guidance for those committed to doing the valuable work of the “second founding” at colleges and universities today.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Alexander X. Byrd is associate professor of history and Vice Provost at Rice University. He is the author of Captives and Voyagers: Black Migrants across the Eighteenth-Century British Atlantic World, which won the Wesley-Logan Prize.

    W. Caleb McDaniel is the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of the Humanities and professor of history at Rice University. He is the author of Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    April M. Frazier is a native Houstonian and a graduate of Prairie View A&M
    University, and Rice University. She spent 15 years as an IT professional with Shell
    Oil company and managed global implementations of enterprise systems. April is
    the creator of research projects, exhibitions, and other visual presentations that use
    photography and other art mediums as a vehicle to share history. Her dedication to
    research and authentic storytelling was rewarded with a Texas Historical Marker and
    designation in 2024 for her family’s land in Wharton, Texas.

    April regularly contributes to projects that broaden access and appreciation to
    diverse historical narratives such as partnering with Getty Images to launch their
    Black History and Culture Photography Collection, providing art and insight to the
    SlaveVoyages website redesign project, and published texts including, “Frame of
    Reference: A Socio-Economic View of the African American in Texas Through the
    Lens of Photography, 20th Century to the Present”. April is the current Assistant
    Director of the Community Artists’ Collective and is a member of several
    organizations that support equitable access to artistic and educational opportunities.

  • IRL EVENT: "The Writer's Table" - Writing Workshop - January 28 - 6PM
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    Join us for a community-centered writing workshop that blends craft, creativity, and conversation. Led by Dr. La-Toya Scott, professor and founder of In House Scholar, this series brings the structure and depth of a college-level writing class into an accessible and supportive public space. Each session includes a short craft lecture, guided discussion of a sample text, dedicated writing time, and space to share work with fellow writers. Whether you’re new to writing or returning to the page, The Writer’s Table offers tools, prompts, and encouragement to help you develop your voice, sharpen your craft, and write with intention.

    Workshop 1: “Intro to Writing: Who Am I as a Writer?”

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Wednesday, January 28 @ 6 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP reserve your spot 

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: This Ain't Our First Rodeo with Liara Tamani - February 6 @ 7 PM
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    Celebrate the release of This Ain't Our First Rodeo with Liara Tamani!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Friday, February 6 @ 7 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (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. Please note that only copies of This Ain't Our First Rodeo purchased at Kindred Stories will be permitted at the event.

    *Western wear highly encouraged.

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    When life lassoes Josie and Shawn back together three years after their dreamy first date, their second chance at love is anything but easy. A big-hearted rodeo romance set in Houston, Texas, by the critically acclaimed Liara Tamani, author of What She Missed, All The Things We Never Knew, and Calling My Name. This bold first-love story is for fans of Nothing Like the Movies and Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute.

    This ain’t Josie’s first rodeo. Her parents own several fancy restaurants in Houston, and they just opened a new one right outside the stadium. Josie is expected to stay inside the restaurant and help, and maybe take over their growing empire one day, but that isn’t what Josie wants. She’d rather be at the rodeo itself than in a high-end restaurant next to it. Or eating funnel cakes and Texas-sized corn dogs at the carnival on the grounds. Or better yet, riding her horse at her grandparents’ ranch, the very place her mom wants to sell.

    It ain’t Shawn’s first rodeo either. He’s been riding bulls since his mom died, doing everything he can to live up to his rodeo-champion stepfather’s sky-high expectations. But as Shawn’s stardom rises, so do tensions in their relationship. His stepfather’s drinking and gambling problems sure don’t help.

    After one unforgettable night leaves Josie and Shawn wanting nothing but each other, their lives become entwined in increasingly complex ways. Can they save Josie’s family land? Or will Shawn’s stepfather and his shady plan be the ranch’s ruin? Will one wrong move cost them everything? Rodeo after rodeo, year after year, can Josie and Shawn keep their hearts open through the secrets, twists, and turns?

    This Ain’t Our First Rodeo is a contemporary western love story full of bulls, brawls, and horses. It’s a tender second chance cowboy romance about family, friendship, mistakes, and the blessings of choosing to love anyway. Black cowboys and cowgirls like Josie and Shawn have long helped shape the American West—a legacy that shines in Liara Tamani’s storytelling. Her writing is quick-witted, swoony, and authentic, with characters who are easy to love and hard to forget.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    LIARA TAMANI grew up in Houston, Texas, where every spring meant one thing: rodeo season. She loved getting decked out in her best cowgirl gear and soaking up the music, food, and electric energy of the rodeo, a joy she now shares with her daughter and husband. Her deep Texas roots shine through her storytelling, capturing the spirit and rhythms of the state in all her acclaimed novels: Calling My Name, All the Things We Never Knew, and What She Missed. Before becoming a writer, she attended Harvard Law School and worked as a marketing coordinator for the Houston Rockets and Comets, television production assistant, home accessories designer, floral designer, and yoga and dance teacher. She holds an MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from Duke University.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Wale Okerayi is a licensed mental health therapist and a passionate literary enthusiast, uniquely blending her professional insights with her profound love for literature. Her work as a book influencer, particularly through her platform @theehottgirlbooks, focuses on celebrating and sharing BIPOC stories. Wale’s dual role enriches her contributions to both fields, making her a valuable voice in discussions around mental health and literature.

    When she’s not reading or in the therapy room, you can find her building lego sets and watching the real housewives. 

  • JANUARY 2026: Mystery & Thriller Book Club - January 27 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss In Deadly Company by L.S. Stratton!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Tuesday, January 27 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT  IN DEADLY COMPANY

    An incisive workplace satire and twisty murder mystery featuring a young executive assistant who realizes the peril in being diligently attentive to her boss's whims.

    As the assistant of the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Nicole Underwood has plenty of tasks on her to-do list—one of which is the blowout birthday celebration for her nightmare, one-percenter boss, Xander Chambers. But when the party ends in chaos and murder and Nicole is one of the survivors, suspicion—from the investigators to the media—lands on her. Was she the reason for all the bloodshed?

    A year after those deadly events, Nicole tries to set the public record straight by agreeing to consult on a feature film based on her story. However, on the set in LA, she's sidelined by inappropriate casting and persistent, bizarre script changes, while also haunted by the events of that party weekend with visions of her now-deceased boss. It seems clearing her name isn't so simple when the question of guilt or innocence is...complicated.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK AND WORKSHOP: Dear Cycle Breaker with Dusah Wiseman - January 30 @ 6:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of Dear Cycle Breaker with Dusah Wiseman! Join us to learn about Dusah’s new book and participate in a workshop featuring practices highlighted in the text.

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, January 30 @ 6:30 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat and participate in the workshop or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming. Please do not bring 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Transformational rituals and channeled messages for unlocking your true potential, healing through the divine feminine, and making the everyday sacred.

    The practices and channeled messages within this book support you in going deep within your shadows to unlock the potent medicine of combining your light and dark, reclaiming your inner magic, and unmasking the true potential of your wild, wise, and whole self. When you reconnect with the divine feminine and tap into the ancient wisdom of the powerful women who came before you, you become a walking embodiment of love, magic, compassion, and power.

    Writes Dusah, "My divine mission is to be a guiding light for those who are ready to unmask their true power and potential. This is the book that would have saved me from repetitive unwanted cycles. It is a beacon that will resurrect the Goddess who has been playing small for reasons that span previous lifetimes. It will empower the Queen who is finally ready to claim her legacy."

    Peel back the layers covering up your true greatness: the lies, the past experiences, the trauma, the masks that your family or society has forced you to don. This is your initiation into a divine co-creation with Spirit—a pathway back to your highest self and a deep connection with Source.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Dusah Wiseman, also known as Serpent Goddess, fell in love with shamanic practices as a child, and they have laid the foundation for her well-being. She has trained with indigenous elders and notable industry leaders, and her medicine bag includes yoga, pranayama, meditation, qigong, herbalism, music, and somatic healing through a trauma-informed lens. She believes in the art of inner alchemy and facilitates these tools to assist others who are looking to go deep within their shadows to unlock the potent medicine of combining both their light and dark to unmask their true power and potential. Sitting in ceremony is her favorite way to connect with the Divine.

  • VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK: Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette - January 14 @ 6:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around with LaQuette!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Wednesday, January 14 @ 6:30 PM

    Where: Virtual! Sign up and we'll send you the link to the Zoom. 

    How: RSVP ONLY to get the link to the Zoom! RSVP WITH BOOK to get a copy of each of the authors' book and support the bookstore!

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A single mom gets a second chance at love with her high school sweetheart.

    Wary of love after divorce, Janae Sanders focuses on the best things in her life: her son James and her besties in the Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club. As for romance? Not today, Satan. That is, until high school heartthrob Adam Henderson crashes back into her life at their 20-year reunion. Sparks fly, but just when Janae considers dating again, the new superintendent of James’ school district slashes his beloved arts program. Instead of getting her groove back, Janae gets her protest on.

    Returning home after twenty years, Adam jumps at the chance to reacquaint himself with Janae, the one who got away. But he’s nearly reached his limit, juggling a meddling father, school politics, and—unbeknownst to him—Janae’s ire. If he can’t get the head of the PTA off his back after cutting programs that were costing the district money, his debut role as superintendent and his love life hang in the balance.

    When a school board meeting is called and they both realize they’ve been dating the enemy, Janae gives Adam two choices: restore the program or lose her. Adam proposes a third option: one weekend at his cabin to talk it all out—funding the arts, and old feelings too. When her girls cheer her on, Janae must decide if she’s willing to risk it all. Armed with sass, sarcasm, and a suitcase full of emotional baggage, Janae and Adam discover that sometimes love shows up in the most infuriating and unexpectedly sexy ways.

     

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    LaQuette writes sexy, stylish, and sensational romance—the kind of sentimental-and-steamy stories that feel like Hallmark movies… if Hallmark suddenly ramped up the sexy and gave us the hawt love scenes we deserve. Expect big emotions, bold choices, and characters who strut through the pages like the book is their own personal runway. 

    A proud Brooklyn native, she crafts unapologetically bold, character-driven Black and interracial romances where Black women are joy-filled, desired, and absolutely treasured. These women know they belong on the page—and dare you to try telling them otherwise.

    When this current Ph.D. student isn’t writing, reading, or studying, she’s probably trying on (or hunting down) her next must-have makeup find. And honestly? No one would be surprised if it’s yet another shade of red or pink lipstick. At this point, it’s basically a personality trait. 

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Nikki Payne is a Civic anthropologist From Houston, Texas building accessible government services for vulnerable populations, by night she dreams of ways to subvert Canon literature. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Washington Post, Nikki Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest was a Phenomenal Book Club pick And was selected by the Library of Congress to represent the District of Columbia for the National Book Festival. featured in the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Oprah Daily and BuzzFeed, Nikki Payne is writing black women into their happily ever after.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Where The Wildflowers Grow with Terah Shelton Harris - February 22 @ 5:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of Where The Wildflowers Grow with Terah Shelton Harris!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Sunday, February 22 @ 5:30 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories( 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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.

    Leigh is the last of the Wildes. She knows this because she watched them all die.

    Grief never truly fades and even as the tragedy haunts her, Leigh carries on, because survival is in her blood. So, when the transport bus taking her to prison careens off the road, killing everyone onboard except her, she does what's in her nature. She survives. 

    While searching for a place to hide, Leigh stumbles upon an unexpected sanctuary: a flower farm in rural Alabama tucked away from the world. What Leigh doesn't expect is the found family there who have built something from the wreckage of their own lives. Especially Jackson, the farm's owner, who sees through Leigh's defenses, offers her small moments of tenderness, encourages her to face her own tragedies. Slowly, Leigh finds peace with the hard pace and soft nature of the farm, taking comfort in the life blooming around her. Maybe she's not beyond redemption, not too broken for something good. And maybe, just maybe, Leigh starts to heal.

    But the past isn't so easily buried.

    No matter how far she runs, the truth of who she is and the ghosts of the Wildes follow. And when those secrets catch up to her, threatening everything she's come to love, Leigh will have to truly face what she can survive.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Terah Shelton Harris is an author and former librarian, who now writes upmarket fiction with bittersweet endings. She is the author of One Summer in Savannah and Long After We Are Gone. Her books have been chosen as a Target Book Club pick, LibraryReads pick, Kobo Best Book, Together We Read pick, Publisher’s Marketplace Buzz Book, and a Goodreads Choice Awards nominee for Best Debut. Terah was also named Target’s first Author of the Year. She lives in Alabama with her husband.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Wale Okerayi is a licensed mental health therapist and a passionate literary enthusiast, uniquely blending her professional insights with her profound love for literature. Her work as a book influencer, particularly through her platform @theehottgirlbooks, focuses on celebrating and sharing BIPOC stories. Wale’s dual role enriches her contributions to both fields, making her a valuable voice in discussions around mental health and literature. When she’s not reading or in the therapy room, you can find her building lego sets and watching the real housewives.

     

  • VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK: Sisters In Suspense - Virtual Mystery Panel - January 26 @ 6:30 PM
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    Let's celebrate a few of the who's who of Black women mystery writers! 

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Monday, January 26, 2026 @ 6:30 PM CT

    Where: Virtual! Sign up and we'll send you the link to the Zoom. 

    How: RSVP ONLY to get the link to the Zoom! RSVP WITH BUNDLE to get a copy of each of the authors' book and support the bookstore!

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS

    Valerie (V. M.) Burns is a mystery writer whose novels and short stories have been finalists for the Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She is the author of the Mystery Bookshop, Dog Club, RJ Franklin, and Baker Street Mystery series. Valerie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, Mystery Writers of America, and the Crime Writers' Association. She is also an adjunct professor in the Writing Popular Fiction Program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA. Born and raised in northwestern Indiana, Valerie now lives in the southeastern United States with her two poodles. Connect with Valerie at VMBurns.com.

    Valerie Wilson Wesley writes mysteries, novels and children’s books. She is the author of the Odessa Jones Mysteries including A Glimmer of Death (2021)A Fatal Glow (2022) and A Shimmer of Red (2023). She has also written nine mysteries in the popular Tamara Hayle Mystery series, including When Death Comes Stealing, named by Time magazine as one of the 100 best mysteries and thrillers. She has written three stand-alone novels and two paranormal romances under the pen name Savanna Welles. Her books for children include seven titles in the Willimena Rules! series and the Afro-bets Book of Black Heroes co-written with Wade Hudson. Her novels and mysteries are published in Germany, France and the UK and her nonfiction has appeared in journals including Poe Studies History, Theory Interpretation 2023.  She is a former executive editor of Essence magazine. Wesley is a proud member of Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America.

    Carolyn Marie Wilkins is a practicing psychic medium, a Santeria priestess, and a professor at Berklee College of Music Online. An accomplished jazz pianist and vocalist, she has toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the U.S. State Department. She is a member of Crime Writers of Color and Sisters in Crime New England. When she is not writing, performing, or offering Reiki to students at Berklee, Carolyn maintains a private practice in healing and mediumship. She lives in the Boston area and can be found online at CarolynWilkins.com.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Dr. Michelle Watts is a native Houstonian and humanities educator who is committed to using humanist literature to bring diverse groups of people together to find common ground. Over the years, Dr. Watts has taught a full range of students – from Kindergarten to graduate school- and delights in her students’ achievements and efforts to effect substantive change in the world around them.

    Mount Holyoke College which was fertile ground for her interests and activism and while there, she began her lifelong journey with the theory and practice of Black feminism. After graduating from Mount Holyoke College, Michelle returned to Houston to study American Literature and Culture at Rice University, where she earned both a Master’s and Doctorate. She went on to teach at Miami University in Oxford, OH and the University of Cincinnati. While at Miami, she was recognized as an Honored Professor for her ‘remarkable commitment to students.’ She has extensive experience in the public sector where she has worked to advance educational equity and social justice causes in youth-serving organizations. She is currently at work on a research project on African American children’s and young adult literature, and is the New Member Coordinator for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Houston Chapter.

  • JANUARY 2026: Romance Book Club - January 13 @ 7PM
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    We're meeting to discuss The Echo of Forever by Asia Monique!

    BOOK CLUB MEETING DEETS

    When: Tuesday, January 13 @ 7PM CST

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP ONLY to let us know you plan to attend! Support the Romance Book Club by purchasing a copy of the book from Kindred Stories here!

    ABOUT THE ECHO OF FOREVER

    The King of Rejectors

    The Collective took from me…

    Demetrius Cannon had everything to lose and nothing to gain if he allowed the society to walk all over him. He was determined to eliminate every threat to his family’s bloodline, even if it meant going up against a group more powerful than he could ever be.

    …and it was time I took it all back.

    The Broker of Assassins

    I bled for the Collective…

    Forever James had the world at her fingertips, but couldn’t fathom what real freedom looked like. She was determined to break away from the society her family had been loyal to for generations, even if it meant she died trying.

    …and it was time I made them bleed for me.

     

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Cord Swell with brittny ray crowell - January 7 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of CORD SWELL with brittny ray crowell!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Wednesday, January 7 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (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.

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A pilgrimage of poems, stories, voices, and mixed-media collage through the lives of three generations of Black women.

    How can we memorialize our dead? How can that memorialization rend the veil between the dead and the living? In her debut volume, brittny ray crowell sifts through decades of obituaries, journals, and other ephemera to exhume the generations of her family from her hometown of Texarkana, Texas. She preserves her relatives’ stories in writing and in works of collage, a style of archive that layers the past and the present literally and poetically.

    This unique approach transforms Cord Swell into an altar, an artistically enshrined space where crowell communes with the past and looks to the future. The title poem, in which crowell speaks to an aunt who passed away, poignantly asks, “if there’s any such thing / as paradise . . . / better than the warmth / of your neck . . . / how close am i / to that context of space?” Her question acts as a provisional thesis statement for this collection, a poetic attempt to reveal, redress, and interpret those who came before her, especially in the absence of physical traces. Each poem imagines ways to access family members who have died and calls out to ancestors crowell never met.

    In the process, crowell demonstrates capacious syntactical range, nimbly leaping from haibun to erasure poems, interviews to sonnets. She also invents forms she calls “grooves,” which are structured as album tracklists. These techniques marry form with meaning, echoing the voices of lost loved ones in indelible verse. Rhapsodic, inventive, and ambitious, Cord Swell establishes crowell as one of the most creative and dynamic new voices in poetry.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    brittny ray crowell is an assistant professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, where she teaches courses in poetry and composition. She is a recipient of the Inprint Donald Barthelme Prize in Poetry and the Lucy Terry Prince Prize. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Aris Kian (she/her) is a Houston enthusiast and student of abolition. Her poems are published with Button Poetry, West Branch, Obsidian Lit, and elsewhere. As an Inprint C. Glenn Cambor Fellow, she received her MFA from the University of Houston. Her team Smoke Slam coached by Ebony Stewart ranked #1 at the 2025 Bigfoot Regional Poetry Slam and #1 at the 2024 Southern Fried Poetry Slam. She previously served as the 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate and was chosen as a 2025 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellow.

  • NOVEMBER 2025: NO NAME BOOK CLUB - November 30 @ 1 PM CST
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    No Name is a Black-owned worker cooperative connecting community members both inside and outside carceral facilities with radical books. Each month, No Name uplifts two books written by Black, indigenous, and other people of color. No Name believes building community through political education is crucial for our liberation and should be accessible to everyone—which is why all programming is free. 

    MEETING DEETS

    When: Sunday, November 30 @ 1 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP to let us know you're coming! 

    ABOUT HOMEGOING

    Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana.

    Effia is married off to an Englishman and will live in comfort in the palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle, raising children who will be sent abroad to be educated before returning to the Gold Coast to serve as administrators of the empire. Esi, imprisoned beneath Effia in the Castle’s women’s dungeon and then shipped off on a boat bound for America, will be sold into slavery.

    Stretching from the wars of Ghana to slavery and the Civil War in America, from the coal mines in the American South to the Great Migration to twentieth-century Harlem, Yaa Gyasi’s novel moves through histories and geographies and captures—with outstanding economy and force—the troubled spirit of our own nation. She has written a modern masterpiece.

  • IRL EVENT: Community Puzzle Night - November 20 at 6:30PM
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    We're using puzzle making as an excuse to be in community with you all!!!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, November 20 at 6:30PM

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

    How: $5 to reserve your spot and libations. 

    ABOUT THE EVENT

    Join us as we explore puzzles that celebrate fall energy and community spirit!

    We'll provide the puzzles, trays, and drinks. We encourage bringing your favorite snacks or anything to make you feel cozy and comfortable!

    Note: This event is intended for adults!

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Coloring with Coco: Rest and Reflect with Andrea Ballo - November 4 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of Coloring with Coco: Rest and Reflect with Andrea Ballo!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Tuesday, November 4 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming.

    *There will be a coloring station available before the event and during the signing, with provided markers and coloring sheets

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Celebrate the beauty, confidence, and style of Black women with this empowering coloring book, designed to inspire rest, reflection, and creativity. With illustrations by Andrea Ballo, the founder of The Coco Michele Illustrations brand, this coloring book is perfect for self-care or as a thoughtful gift, offering a relaxing space to color and embrace your true self. Andrea Ballo began making coloring books as an ode to her inner child, who never saw herself reflected in the coloring books that she enjoyed.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Andrea Ballo is the founder of Coco Michele Illustrations. After nearly a decade in the retail buying industry, Andrea left her corporate job to pursue her passion for the arts. Andrea founded Coco Michele in 2018 with the mission to make the black woman the protagonist of her work - celebrating their beauty, values, and accomplishments. Andrea has built an audience of over 900K engaged members across her social platforms and her content brings in well over 1M monthly impressions. Coloring with Coco: Rest and Reflect, is her first published book. Coloring with Coco: Sisterhood in Solidarity, will be released in January.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Safon Floyd is executive editor at Callisto Publishing, an imprint at Sourcebooks. Prior to joining Callisto Publishing, she was the digital editor at Black Enterprise Magazine and editor for the Girl Scouts of the USA. She hosts monthly book club, Books & BS, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Chronicles of Ori with Harmonia Rosales - November 21 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of Chronicles of Ori with Harmonia Rosales!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Friday, November 21 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories(2310 Elgin St, Unity 2, Houston, TX 77004)

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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    From the acclaimed fine artist Harmonia Rosales, a sweeping retelling of African myth illustrated throughout with Rosales’s spectacular paintings.

    In Chronicles of Ori, her debut book, Harmonia Rosales retells the African myths she has long treasured, crafting an enthralling epic that spans the birth of the universe to the modern world of colonialism and resistance. She writes of the powerful, temperamental deities called the Orishas; of the founding of Yorubaland by the shrewd leader Oduduwa; of the young heroine Eve, born in a time of violence and despair, who would help her people regain their past splendor; and of shimmering serpents and monstrous shadows who stalk the lands of mortals. At the center of these linked tales is the bond, sometimes fraying, between the Orishas and the humans who worship them. It was the Orishas who made humans, and who gave them their most precious resource: their Oris, or destinies. Vividly brought to life by Rosales’s artwork, Chronicles of Ori will enlighten and delight readers for years to come.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Harmonia Rosales is a Chicago-born, Afro-Cuban American artist and author whose work centers the visibility and empowerment of Black women in Western art. Growing up visiting the Art Institute of Chicago, Rosales was captivated by Renaissance painting—but years later, her daughter’s simple observation that “they don’t look like me” exposed the exclusion at the heart of that tradition.

    That moment sparked Rosales’s artistic journey: reimagining Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces with Black protagonists and centering West African spirituality. Since 2017, her work has visualized the Orishas, the deities of the Yoruba tradition, and explored the survival of their stories across the Middle Passage. With bold, uncompromising imagery and prose, Rosales challenges Eurocentric ideals of beauty, power, and divinity, reshaping both art history and cultural consciousness. 

    Rosales has previously been the subject of exhibitions at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN; the Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta, GA; the Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA; the Wright Museum, Detroit MI, among others. Her work is held by numerous public and private collections across the United States, including the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, Washington D.C.; Spelman Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta, GA, and others.

    Her debut novel, CHRONICLES OF ORI: An African Epic, will be available beginning October 14, 2025; it is published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Janice Bond is a visionary cultural strategist, curator, and multidisciplinary leader whose work operates at the nexus of art, architecture, and experiential design. Her practice bridges continents and disciplines, reshaping how communities, institutions, and markets engage with art, space, and storytelling. From Texas to Japan, Europe, and West Africa, her work reveals the deep connections between culture, consciousness, and place while advancing a philosophy rooted in the emotional and spatial intelligence of design.

    As Executive Director of the Chicago Public Art Group (CPAG), one of the nation’s most historic public art organizations, Bond leads a new era of innovation and access. She is expanding CPAG’s legacy through immersive installations, technology integration, and strategic partnerships that unite artists, architects, and civic leaders. As CEO and Chief Curator of Bond Cultural Architects, she has guided landmark projects across sectors, from citywide public art programs to bespoke cultural initiatives for luxury brands. Her previous leadership roles include Deputy Director at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Director of Music and Social Programming at Kimpton Hotels, and International Director of Civic Art and Immersive Experiences at SEISMIQUE, where she pioneered multisensory storytelling in contemporary art.

    As both artist and producer, Bond’s practice explores sacred geometry, sound, and the metaphysics of design, mapping the invisible relationships between form and human experience. Through her firms PUBLIC CANVASBOND CONTEMPORARY, and ART IS BOND, she continues to develop art-centered strategies and exhibitions that promote healing, equity, and cultural exchange. Her vision is defined by an enduring belief that art has the power to transform spaces, deepen understanding, and elevate the collective imagination.
  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Bitter Honey with Lolá Ákínmádé - November 6 @ 7:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of Bitter Honey with Lolá Ákínmádé!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, November 6 @ 7:30 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St., #2, Houston, TX 77004)

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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story about a mother and daughter divided by long buried secrets, struggling to understand each other as they forge their own paths, from the internationally bestselling author of In Every Mirror She’s Black.

    1978: A scholarship draws Nancy from Gambia’s warmth into Stockholm’s frigid winter. When her friendship with charismatic scholar Lars blossoms into something more, she thinks she may have finally found her place. But there’s more to Lars than his charming persona, and Nancy is about to discover the danger of being drawn into his world… 

    2006: Tina has had her taste of fame as Sweden’s sweetheart pop princess, representing her country at Eurovision. But beneath her glittery façade, she’s uncertain who she really is. Her mother, Nancy, seems desperate to keep the past under wraps, but will the unexpected appearance of Tina’s father—a man she has long thought dead—help open the door to self-discovery?

    Nancy just wants to protect her daughter from making the same mistakes she did, but Tina longs for the freedom to mess up, knowing her mother will always be there to support her. The two women love each other unconditionally, but can they learn to trust each other as well?

    This poignant novel delves deep into the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters and delivers a warm, heartfelt story of love, forgiveness, and women finding their voices.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Nigerian-American Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström is an award-winning travel writer, speaker, photographer, and author of the international bestseller In Every Mirror She’s Black and Everything Is Not Enough. She is based in Stockholm.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Antonia Adams is an educator, avid reader, and proud Houstonian. She runs the platform BlackGirlThatReads, which aims to connect a wide range of readers with books by Black women. When she is not reading, she spends her time traveling to visit museums and bookstores across the country. 

  • IRL SIGNING AND Q & A: Beverly Jenkins and Brenda Jackson - October 25 @ 7PM
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    Join us at Kindred Stories to celebrate two legendary authors: Beverly Jenkins and Brenda Jackson!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Saturday, October 25 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, #2, Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and our store programming

    *Attendees are required to purchase at least one recent release by one of the attending authors.

    ABOUT THE BOOKS

    Calling All Blessings

    Tamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi “Mal” July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joel’s legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.

    Tamar isn’t the only one being tested. Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, he’s decided to be a variant of James Brown—wig included—rather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?

    As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Curry’s monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but there’s never a dull moment either. 

    Spilling the Tea

    After sustaining injuries in Iraq, Chancellor Madaris was told he’d never walk again. Chance credits his great-grandmother Mama Laverne with giving him the will 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 matchmaking list.

    When Zoey Pritchard was eight, she survived a car accident that took the lives of her mother and father, and 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…

    Searching for answers, Zoey travels to Houston, where she 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. But to help Zoey restore her memory, he grudgingly introduces her to his great-grandmother…

    Was it chance, or Mama Laverne’s plan, that threw this pair together?

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS

    Beverly Jenkins is the recipient of the 2018 Michigan Author Award by the Michigan Library Association, the 2017 Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance. She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature and was featured in both the documentary Love Between the Covers and on CBS Sunday Morning. Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from the likes of The Wall Street JournalPeople magazine, and NPR.

    Brenda Jackson is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and traveling. Email Brenda at authorbrendajackson@gmail.com or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Talk To Me Nice with Minda Harts - October 23 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of Talk To Me Nice with Minda Harts!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, October 23 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, #2, Houston, TX 77004).

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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    “A game-changer for workplace dynamics” ―Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play

    The author of The Memo helps you discover what you need to navigate every workplace communication challenge with confidence.

    We are living in a world of broken trust, especially in the workplace. Employees have heard too many empty promises and are unmotivated. Managers are scrambling to keep eyes on direct reports in demanding environments. Nobody knows how to talk to one another. Trust is the central pillar of any functioning workplace. But without it too many of us are unhappy, fed up, and ready to walk out the door.

    Minda Harts knows from years of experience as a highly sought-after workplace consultant how a lack of trust between colleagues, managers, and executive leaders is bad for business and our own professional well-being. That’s where the seven workplace trust languages come into play. Earning trust is different for every one of us. Some respond well to verbal affirmations of their contributions, while others need visibility to see how business decisions are made. By understanding the seven languages of trust―transparency, security, demonstration, feedback, acknowledgment, sensitivity, and follow-through―we can all learn to navigate conflict, be more productive, and communicate more effectively.

    In Talk to Me Nice, you’ll learn what workplace trust languages work for you and how to show colleagues, managers, and direct reports that they are valued. When we’re talking one another’s languages, we can rebuild a more equitable, sustainable, and profitable workplace that works for us all.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Minda Harts is a bestselling author, workplace consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker, helping organizations turn trust into their most significant competitive advantage. Through her groundbreaking Seven Trust Languages® framework, she equips leaders, teams, and professionals with actionable strategies to build high-trust, high-impact workplaces.

    Minda has shaped conversations on workplace equity, self-advocacy, and leadership as the author of The Memo, Right Within, and You Are More Than Magic. Her impact spans boardrooms and conference stages worldwide, with companies like Nike, Google, Best Buy, and JPMorgan Chase calling on her to redefine leadership and workplace culture. LinkedIn has recognized her as the #1 Top Voice in the Workplace and by Business Insider as one of the top 100 People Transforming Business.

    Minda’s next book, Talk to Me Nice: The Seven Trust Languages for a Better Workplace (July 22, 2025), is set to revolutionize how leaders and teams harness trust as their most valuable asset.

    In addition to her work as a speaker and consultant, Minda is an assistant professor at NYU and the founder of The Memo LLC, where she is shaping the next generation of leaders.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Keisha Nicole is a nationally recognized radio personality, cultural impacter, and host whose voice moves markets and her energy moves people. She currently hosts The Keisha Nicole Show, which airs in major cities like Houston and Indianapolis, and she's also the imaging voice for top radio stations in Atlanta, Cleveland, and more. 

    Her journey began in Los Angeles as an intern and receptionist at KDAY and evolved into one of the most respected careers in urban radio. From 2010 to 2017, Keisha dominated the airwaves in Louisville and Indianapolis, leading multiple #1 shows in primetime. After making the leap to Houston, she became the lead host of Good Morning H-Town on 97.9 The Box - earning the show the title of Best Morning Show. Today, her midday show The Keisha Nicole Show is a staple across multiple markets, known for its real conversations, cultural commentary, and unmatched connection with listeners. 

    Beyond radio, Keisha has hosted for the NFL team Houston Texans for the past two seasons, and frequently serves as an emcee and on-air personality for local TV and major national brands. Her voice has been heard in campaigns for Legacy Community Health, Mint Dentistry, and numerous commercial brands across the country, making her one of the most in-demand voiceover artists in Houston. 

    In 2023, Keisha launched her personal brand Say It With Your Heart - a product line featuring affirmation journals and tools for mental and emotional wellness. She's also deeply involved in the community through mentoring, nonprofit partnerships, and school outreach, always committed to empowering the next generation. Keisha Nicole is more than just a radio host - she's a trusted voice, a cultural connector, and a woman on a mission to uplift, inspire, and leave a legacy that goes far beyond the mic.

     

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Toni At Random with Dana A. Williams - October 13 @ 7PM
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    Celebrate the release of Toni At Random with Dana A. Williams!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Monday, October 13 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories ( 2310 Elgin St. , #2, Houston, TX 77004)

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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    An insightful exploration that unveils the lesser-known dimensions of this legendary writer and her legacy, revealing the cultural icon’s profound impact as a visionary editor who helped define an important period in American publishing and literature.

    A multifaceted genius, Toni Morrison transcended her role as an author, helping to shape an important period in American publishing and literature as an editor at one of the nation’s most prestigious publishing houses. While Toni Morrison's literary achievements are widely celebrated, her editorial work is little known. Drawing on extensive research and firsthand accounts, this comprehensive study discusses Morrison's remarkable journey from her early days at Random House to her emergence as one of its most important editors. During her tenure in editorial, Morrison refashioned the literary landscape, working with important authors, including Toni Cade Bambara, Leon Forrest, and Lucille Clifton, and empowering cultural icons such as Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali to tell their stories on their own terms.

    Toni Morrison herself had great enthusiasm about Dana Williams's work on this story, generously sharing memories and thoughts with the author over the years, even giving her the book's title. From the manuscripts she molded, the authors she nurtured, and the readers she inspired, Toni at Random demonstrates how Toni Morrison has influenced American culture beyond the individual titles or authors she published. Morrison’s contribution as an editor transformed the broader literary landscape and deepened the cultural conversation. With unparalleled insight and sensitivity, Toni at Random charts this editorial odyssey.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Dana A. Williams is Professor of African American literature and Dean of the Graduate School at Howard University. She is former president of the College Language Association and the Modern Languages Association, and is the author of In the Light of Likeness—Transformed: The Literary Art of Leon Forrest. She is also the editor of several books. Her work has been published in prestigious journals, including PMLA, CLA Journal, African American Review, Early American Literature, American Literary History, and the Langston Hughes Review. Her research has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She co-directs the Center for Medical Humanities and Health Justice, a Mellon Foundation-funded collaboration between Howard and Georgetown universities. Williams lives in Maryland.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Dr. Tara T. Green is the CLASS Distinguished Professor and Chair of African American Studies at the a University of Houston. She also has a joint appointment in the English department. Dr. Green is a literature and interdisciplinary scholar with degrees in English. She is the award-winning author and editor of six books, including Love, Activism, and the Respectable Life of Alice Dunbar Nelson and See Me Naked: Black Women Defining Pleasure During the Interwar Era as well as the co-curator of the Triad Black Lives Matter Collection housed at University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: Design Against Racism with Omari Souza - October 9 @ 7 PM
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    Celebrate the release of  Design Against Racism : Creating Work That Transforms Communities with Omari Souza!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, October 9 @ 7PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (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.

    *Copies of Design Against Racism that were not purchased at Kindred Stories will not be permitted at the event. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A historical and philosophical exploration of the impact of design on underserved communities, examining the field’s shortcomings as well as its potential to create positive change. Through essays that delve into history and practice, and case studies that demonstrate practical strategies, Design Against Racism explores how designers of all disciplines can address, through their work, the legacies of racism and oppression.

    Design profoundly influences culture. The heart of this book is its powerful blend of essays on design history, illustrated case studies, and discussions of practical methods to approach design work, adapted from the restorative justice movement. It explores how design as a professional practice and academic discipline directly affects historically excluded communities, offering frameworks and examples that foster collective improvement.

    Topics from author Omari Souza, founder of the annual State of Black Design conference, and contributing design professionals include:

    • Unveiling the White Gaze: The Narrative of Whiteness and Colonial Nostalgia
    • Language as a Tool for Marginalization—and Resistance
    • Hip-Hop Architecture: Transforming Spaces through Culture and Innovation
    • Afrofuturism as a Design Strategy
    • Whose Knowledge Is It? Reclaiming Histories, Narratives, and the Plurality of Knowledge
    • Nonhierarchical Engagement with Communities—Anti-Racist Design Community Pop-Up

    This is a critique of design and a practical handbook that will teach designers and educators how a restorative justice approach can transform their design practice to counteract and fight racism.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Omari Souza is a first-generation American of Jamaican descent who was raised in the Bronx, NY. He is an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at the University of North Texas and organizer of the State of Black Design conference. He received his BFA in Digital Media from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his MFA in Design from Kent State University.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Tracey L. Moore is an Associate Professor and Interim Director of the Digital Media Arts Program at Prairie View A&M University. She holds a BA in Advertising Art from Prairie View and an MFA in Studio Art from the University of Houston. Moore teaches upper-division courses, including Layout, Typography, and Branding, and has developed the DesignView Media Center, a student-run studio offering graphic design services and real-world experience for Digital Media Arts majors. One of her studio projects was featured in Anthology of Blackness: State of Black Design, and a second project won the Texas Association of Schools of Art 2024 Excellence in the Field Award.

     

  • Black Studies Writing Cafe - September 23 @ 9:30 AM
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    Join fellows from the University of Houston-Downtown's Center for Social Inquiry and Transformation for a three-hour session of writing, reflection, and community. This writing cafe is hosted in support of our Mellon-funded writing project, Reimagining Black Studies Research and Teaching in an Age of Backlash.  We welcome scholars and graduate students in Black Studies or related disciplines, as well as independent scholars and creatives whose work speaks to or intersects with Black Studies. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to submit an abstract for consideration to be included in our forthcoming anthologies on research and teaching.

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Tuesday, September 23 @ 9:30 AM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, #2,  Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP to reserve your spot.(Limited Space Available) 

     

  • Black Studies Writing Cafe - September 9 @ 9:30 AM
    Sold out

    Join fellows from the University of Houston-Downtown's Center for Social Inquiry and Transformation for a three-hour session of writing, reflection, and community. This writing cafe is hosted in support of our Mellon-funded writing project, Reimagining Black Studies Research and Teaching in an Age of Backlash.  We welcome scholars and graduate students in Black Studies or related disciplines, as well as independent scholars and creatives whose work speaks to or intersects with Black Studies. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to submit an abstract for consideration to be included in our forthcoming anthologies on research and teaching.

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Tuesday, September 9 @ 9:30 AM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St, #2,  Houston, TX 77004)

    How: RSVP to reserve your spot.(Limited Space Available) 

     

  • Moonlight Revel Party with N.E. Davenport - October 27 @ 9 PM
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    Join us for this epic party in celebration of Our Vicious Oaths with N. E. Davenport and special guest Gabi Burton! 

    Don't forget your most enchanting Fae attire to compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place Best Dressed prizes. (Costumes are optional)

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Monday, October 27 @ 9PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin St., #2, Houston, TX 77004)

    How:  RSVP to reserve your spot.

    RSVP Includes:

    • Signed Book 
    • Author Talk and Signing 
    • Exclusive Art Print
    • Cocktails and Light Bites

    *If you Pre- Ordered Oath Vicious Oaths from Kindred Stories, there is a special discount ticket price. You must provide your order # in the notes of the order. Make sure to check out using the same email as your Pre-Order. This Ticket can only be used for the same # of books you purchased in your PRE-ORDER. (Ex. 1 Book -1 RSVP). If order # is not included your order will be rejected. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Enter a new world of romantic fantasy from award-winning author N.E. Davenport—a journey of powerful magic, enemies-to-lovers, and political intrigue—as a warrior-princess and a vengeful king from rival fae courts form a fierce alliance to take down a merciless despot.

    Princess of the Aether Dominion, Kadeesha wants nothing to do with fae politics. She is a warrior, first and foremost, and believes her greatest strength is leading her squadron of elite winged serpent flyers to protect her homeland. But bound since infancy to be betrothed to the Hyperion High King, ruler of all Dominions, she has no choice but to do what men have chosen for her.

    Repulsed by the idea, she decides to spend one last night of freedom—in the arms of a dangerous stranger who takes her to sexual heights she’s never experienced before…but who is only using Kadeesha to set a trap for the High King.

    For the High King and the kings of his six Dominions were responsible for the decimation of the Apollyon Court, and its new king, Malachi, wants his pounds of flesh.

    On Kadeesha’s wedding day, Malachi and his special forces attack. Her father is killed, and Malachi wounds the High King, ultimately taking Kadeesha as hostage back to his land.

    But she is no true hostage. The two form a pact: she will help lure the High King so Malachi can kill him once and for all, and he in turn will not harm Kadeesha or the Aether people. And as much as Kadeesha hates politics, she is now the Queen of her folk. Fae bonds are unbreakable…and so, perhaps, is the attraction Kadeesha and Malachi feel for each other. For even as they must publicly display their connection to provoke the High King’s jealousy, they struggle to resist the powerful allure between them in order to achieve their ultimate goals.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    N.E. Davenport attended the University of Southern California and studied Biological Sciences and Theatre. She has an M.A. in Secondary Education, and she teaches English and Biology. She is also the author of Out of Body and the adult sci-fi novel The Blood Trials and The Blood Gift. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys vacationing with her family, skiing, and is a huge foodie. She lives in Texas with her husband and kids. You can find her online at www.nedavenport.com, on Twitter @nia_davenport, or on Instagram @nia.davenport.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Gabi Burton is the Sunday Times bestselling author of Sing Me to Sleep and Drown Me with Dreams. She grew up reading and writing in St. Louis, Missouri. She majored in English and Government at Bowdoin College. When she’s not working or writing, she’s probably watching Netflix, mindlessly scrolling on Tiktok, or finding beautiful places to walk—preferably near a body of water. 

     

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: The Wilderness with Angela Flournoy - October 6 @ 7 PM
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    Celebrate the release of The Wilderness with Angela Flournoy!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Monday, October 6 @ 7PM

    Where: 2310 Elgin Street, Unit 2, Houston, Texas, 77004

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

    Please note that only copies of The Wilderness purchased from Kindred Stories will be allowed in the signing line. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    An era-defining novel about five Black women over the course of their twenty-year friendship, as they move through the dizzying and sometimes precarious period between young adulthood and midlife—in the much-anticipated second book from National Book Award finalist Angela Flournoy.

    Desiree, Danielle, January, Monique, and Nakia are in their early twenties and at the beginning. Of their careers, of marriage, of motherhood, and of big-city lives in New York and Los Angeles. Together, they are finding their way through the wilderness, that period of life when the reality of contemporary adulthood—overwhelming, mysterious, and full of freedom and consequences—swoops in and stays.

    Desiree and Danielle, sisters whose shared history has done little to prevent their estrangement, nurse bitter family wounds in different ways. January’s got a relationship with a “good” man she feels ambivalent about, even after her surprise pregnancy. Monique, a librarian and aspiring blogger, finds unexpected online fame after calling out the university where she works for its plans to whitewash fraught history. And Nakia is trying to get her restaurant off the ground, without relying on the largesse of her upper middle-class family who wonder aloud if she should be doing something better with her life.

    As these friends move from the late 2000’s into the late 2020’s, from young adults to grown women, they must figure out what they mean to one another—amid political upheaval, economic and environmental instability, and the increasing volatility of modern American life.

    The Wilderness is Angela Flournoy’s masterful and kaleidoscopic follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut The Turner House. A generational talent, she captures with disarming wit and electric language how the most profound connections over a lifetime can lie in the tangled, uncertain thicket of friendship.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Angela Flournoy is the author of The Turner House, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next pick, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her fiction has appeared in The Paris Review, and she has written for The New York TimesThe New YorkerLos Angeles Times, and elsewhere. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Flournoy has taught at the University of Iowa, Princeton University, and UCLA. She lives in New York

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon does battle with the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, and the genre-defying novel Long Division.

    Laymon’s memoir Heavy won the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the 2018 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, and the Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media. Heavy was also named one of the 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years and one of the 100 Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times. A personal narrative that illuminates national failures, Heavy is defiant yet vulnerable—an insightful, often comical exploration of weight, identity, art, friendship, and family. In a starred review, Kirkus wrote, “Laymon skillfully couches his provocative subject matter in language that is pyrotechnic and unmistakably his own…. A dynamic memoir that is unsettling in all the best ways.” Heavy was named a best book of 2018 by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly. The audiobook, read by the author, was named the Audible 2018 Audiobook of the Year.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: The Princess and the P. I. with Nikki Payne - September 21 @ 5:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of The Princess and the P. I. with Nikki Payne!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Sunday, September 21 5:30 PM

    Where: 2130 Elgin Street, Unit #2, Houston, Texas, 77004

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

    Only copies of the The Princess and the P. I. purchased from Kindred Stories will be allowed inside the venue. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Fiona Addai is ready to set her plan in motion. To honor the anniversary of her brother’s death, she’s going to steal back his brilliant invention from the ruthless corporation that stole and claimed it as their own. As a famed Reddit detective known as @Princess_PI, Fiona has used her online connections and sleuthing skills to time every step down to the minute. But with one disastrous misstep, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.

    Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.

    However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: she wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership, rife with tension and unexpected chemistry, unravels a dangerous web of corporate crime and familial secrets. To bring the real killer to light, they'll need to trust each other and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Nikki Payne is a Civic anthropologist From Houston, Texas building accessible government services for vulnerable populations, by night she dreams of ways to subvert Canon literature. Hailed as "incandescent" by the Washington Post, Nikki Payne's debut novel Pride and Protest was a Phenomenal Book Club pick And was selected by the Library of Congress to represent the District of Columbia for the National Book Festival. featured in the New York Times, NPR, Elle, Oprah Daily and BuzzFeed, Nikki Payne is writing black women into their happily ever after.

    ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

    Ali Hazelwood is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of multiple romance novels, as well as a writer of peer-reviewed articles about brain science, in which no one makes out and the ever after is not always happy. Originally from Italy, she lived in Germany and Japan before moving to the US to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. When Ali is not at work, she can be found running, eating cake pops, or watching sci-fi movies with her three feline overlords (and her slightly-less-feline husband).

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: The Story of My Anger with Jasminne Mendez - September 19 @ 6:30 PM
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    Celebrate the release of The Story of My Anger with Jasminne Mendez!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Friday, September 19 @ 6:30PM

    Where: 2310 Elgin St #2, Houston, TX 77004

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

    *Only copies of The Story of Anger purchased from Kindred Stories will be allowed inside the venue. 

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Yulieta Lopez is angry. Angry at her racist drama teacher who refuses to cast Black students in lead roles. Angry at the school board threatening her favorite teacher for teaching works of literature that they deem “controversial.” Angry that she has to keep quiet until she can head to college and leave Texas forever.

    Yuli is accustomed to playing various roles: the diligent daughter, the honorable hija, the good girl who serves everyone else before serving herself. But as the fire of Yuli's rage spreads and lights her up, she can no longer be silent. Determined to find a way to fight back, Yuli and her friends start a guerilla theatre club which stirs things up and gets people talking, and finally, Yuli steps into the role she was always meant to play.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Jasminne Mendez is Pura Belpré Honor Award recipient and a Dominican-American poet, playwright and author of several books for children and adults. 

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Huda Fahmy grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, and has loved comics since she was a kid. She attended the University of Michigan where she majored in English. She taught English to middle and high schoolers for eight years before she started writing about her experiences as a visibly Muslim woman in America and was encouraged by her older sister to turn these stories into comics. Huda, her husband, Gehad, and their children reside in Houston, Texas.

  • IRL AUTHOR TALK: You've Got A Place Here, Too with Ebony Ladelle, Kiese Laymon & Farrah Rochon- September 15 @ 7 PM
    Sold out

    Celebrate the release of You've Got A Place Here, Too with Ebony Ladelle, Kiese Laymon, and Farrah Rochon!

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Monday, September 15 @ 7PM

    Where: TBD

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

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    A heartwarming and unforgettable collection of love stories set at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, exploring hope, endurance, and what it means to leave a legacy, from some of today’s most prominent Black writers and edited by the acclaimed author of Love Radio

    Love can be messy, painful, and heartbreaking, but it can also be revolutionary, profound, and hopeful. For Celine, a forbidden crush on a professor evolves into a second chance at romance years later. Myra’s focus on a coveted audition for the Fisk Jubilee Singers is challenged by the handsome music major determined to help her. Kiese investigates the darker side to academia, love, and identity. Like most blessings, love emerges in the most unexpected places—in a training cockpit for new pilots, during a Mardi Gras celebration, or while gathering signatures to start the first-ever LGBTQ+ student organization officially recognized at an HBCU.

    These are just a few of the heart-searing, tender, and transporting love stories collected in You’ve Got a Place Here, Too—a true celebration of Black love and the profound impact of HBCUs on the community.

    Featuring stories by Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasmine Bell, Carla Bruce, Aaron Foley, Kai Harris, Ebony LaDelle, Kiese Laymon, Christine Platt, Farrah Rochon, Kennedy Ryan, Dawnie Walton, and Nicola Yoon.

    ABOUT THE AUTHORS

    Ebony LaDelle (she/her) is the author of Love Radio—which was People magazine’s best book of the summer, an Audie Award Finalist, a Michigan Notable Book, an Apple Books’ best book, and featured on the Today Show. Prior to being an author, Ebony was a brand marketing director in book publishing and worked at Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, and HarperCollins. Ebony holds a BA in journalism from Howard University and an MS in publishing from Pace University.

    Kiese Laymon is a Black Southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. Laymon is the author of the genre-bending novel Long Division and the essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America. Laymon’s bestselling memoir, Heavy: An American Memoir, won the 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, the 2018 Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose, 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. He was also the recipient of the 2020-2021 Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard and a MacArthur Genius grant. He currently teaches English and creative writing at Rice University.

    Farrah Rochon is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of 40-plus adult romance and young adult novels, novellas, and short stories, including the popular Boyfriend Project series from Forever Romance. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows.

  • IRL AUTHOR: Resting Bitch Face with Taylor Byas - September 4 @ 7 PM
    Sold out

    Celebrate Taylor Byas' new poetry collection, Resting Bitch Face! 

    EVENT DEETS

    When: Thursday, September 4 @ 7 PM

    Where: Kindred Stories (2310 Elgin Street, Houston, Texas, 77004) 

    How: RSVP ONLY to reserve your seat or RSVP WITH BOOK to support the author and the bookstore!

    ABOUT THE BOOK

    Resting Bitch Face is a book for women, for Black women, for lovers of art and film criticism, and for writers interested in work that finds a middle ground between poetry and prose. Taylor Byas uses some of our most common ways of “watching” throughout history (painting, films, sculpture, and photographs) to explore how these mediums shape Black female subjectivity.

    From the examination of artwork by Picasso, Gauguin, Sally Mann, and Nan Goldin, Byas displays her mastery of the poetic form by engaging in intimate and inventive writing. Fluctuating between watcher and watched, the speaker of these poems uses mirrors and reflections to flip the script and talk back to histories of art, text, photography, relationships, and men. From Polaroids to gesso primer to sculpture, Byas creates a world in which the artist calls out and the muse responds. For not only does she enter the world of the long-revered classic artist, but she also infuses her poems with such iconic pop culture works as The JokerWandaVision, and Last Tango in Paris.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

    TAYLOR BYAS is an award-winning poet and a Black Chicago native currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her poetry collection I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times won the Maya Angelou Book Award, the Ohioana Book Award, the CHIRBy Award, and the BCALA Best Poetry Honor.

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