For the very first Of Monsters Podcast ep, Nicole kicks it with Ibi Zoboi, the New York Times Bestselling author of books for children and teens, including American Street, Pride, and the Walter Award and LA Times Book Prize-winning Punching the Air, co-written with Exonerated Five member Yusef Salaam. Ibi is the winner of the 2024 CSK Author Award for Nigeria Jones. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young and Black in America and has written Okoye to the People, a Black Panther novel for Marvel. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, Ibi lives in New Jersey.

In this convo, Ibi and Nicole chop it up about Ibi's latest book, (S)kin, the merging of the personal and professional life, the challenges of authenticity in the age of social media, and the importance of cultural identity and representation in literature. Ibi reflects on her journey to becoming a prolific writer, the intersection of personal experience and writing, and the role of folklore and spirituality in storytelling.

(S)kin by Ibi Zoboi is Ibi's groundbreaking fantasy novel in verse about the power of inherited magic and the price we must pay to live the life we yearn for. Purchase (S)kin at all major booksellers, including Bookshop.org.

Oracle Cards: Lies from the Classic Horror Oracle Deck & Qetesh from the African Goddess Rising Oracle Deck.

Chapters
00:00 Merging Spiritual and Professional Lives
02:57 Authenticity in the Literary World
04:23 Cultural Identity and Personal Aesthetics
06:34 Navigating Image and Authenticity
08:22 The Journey of a Prolific Writer
10:10 Contextualizing Identity in Literature
12:40 Reflections on Growing Up in Brooklyn
22:03 Navigating Identity and Expectations
27:46 The Impact of Education on Self-Perception
32:49 Discovering Literary Passions
44:03 Monsters and Inspirations in Writing
46:54 Exploring Cultural Horror and Folklore
49:38 Identity and Cultural Roots
57:02 The Power of Poetry in Storytelling
59:00 Understanding Intra-Community Issues
01:02:06 The Role of Folklore and Spirituality
01:06:51 Crafting Human Stories in Fantasy
01:09:28 15s - Ibi Answers the OM Closing Five

Of Monsters: A podcast with Nicole Shawan Junior features intimate chats with speculative fiction masterminds and the characters they create.

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Written and performed by Nicole Shawan Junior, the Of Monsters intro music was created by Ben Ford, produced by Caits Meissner, and engineered by Tatenda Dizha.