Season 3. Episode 32: Romance in Colour's Pride Month Panel

Season 3. Episode 32: Romance in Colour's Pride Month Panel

Author: Tati R. and Yaki E June 10, 2022 Duration: 1:44:51

Four amazing Black, Queer authors join us for a conversation about the intersectionality of race and sexual identity in romance. Joining us on the panel are: 

  • Jamaican-born Fiona Zedde currently lives and writes in Madrid, Spain. She is the author of several novellas and novels of LesBiQueer love and desire, including the Lambda Literary Award finalists, Bliss and Every Dark Desire. Her novel, Dangerous Pleasures, was winner of an About.com Readers’ Choice Award for Best Lesbian Novel or Memoir. Her novel, Stud Like Her, is available now. Find out more at FionaZedde.com.


  • Chaz L. Cruz is a writer/poet/creative from Los Angeles, Ca with Texan-Louisianan roots. In 2019 Chaz had his author debut with the co-authored novel, In Case You Forgot. Chaz is also the co-author of Busy Ain’t The Half Of It! In addition to being a novelist, he is an actor and a lead writer of Handsome the series. He is a graduate of Cal State LA and the University of San Francisco. Chaz's creative work is informed by his interest in truth telling and sharing the complexities of everyday life. Chaz is Sagittarius with big creative dreams. He hopes his words and art will inspire people to live whole, loud, and free. Chaz can be reached at ChazLCruz.com or social media @ChzCruz


  • Originally from Detroit, Frederick Smith is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, Loyola University Chicago, and Loyola Marymount University. He lives in San Francisco. He is author of five novels centering the lives of Black and Latinx queer characters, including Busy Ain't The Half Of It and In Case You Forgot (both co-authored with Chaz Lamar Cruz), and solo-novels Play It Forward, Right Side of the Wrong Bed, and Down For Whatever. He can be reached at FrederickLSmith.com or Instagram/Twitter at @FSmith827.


  • Aaron Foley is the founding director of the Black Media Initiative at the Center for Community Media at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Previously, he was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, chief storyteller for the City of Detroit, and editor of BLAC Detroit Magazine. He is also an author and veteran freelance journalist, having contributed to This American Life, The Atlantic, Columbia Journalism Review and more. For more go to aaronkfoley.com 


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There’s a particular comfort in losing yourself in a romantic story, whether it’s on screen or on the page. Romance in Colour is that feeling turned into conversation, hosted by real-life friends Tati R. and Yaki E. Tati, a romance author, and Dr. Yaki, a psychologist, share more than just a friendship-they share a deep, abiding love for romance narratives and a specific lens shaped by their experiences. This podcast lives in the space where their fandom meets thoughtful discussion, breaking down everything from beloved TV movies to trending romance novels. They aren’t just reviewing plots; they’re diving into the emotional mechanics, the cultural touchstones, and the specific joys of seeing stories through a Black Xennial perspective. You’ll hear the easy rapport of two friends who get why a certain trope works or why a character’s journey resonates, blending professional insight with genuine fan enthusiasm. It’s for anyone who believes a perfect afternoon involves a great love story and wants to unpack it with some smart, funny people. Tune in to hear them quench that mutual thirst for romance and hand you the glass, episode by episode.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Romance in Colour
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