{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 139 \u2013 Desiree Cooper \u2013 Being \u201cGenre Agnostic\u201d","description":"Desiree Cooper was once a Detroit Free Press columnist, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, a  Kresge Artist Fellow, an attorney and now she\u2019s a children\u2019s book author \u2013 which explains why she considers herself \u201cgenre agnostic.\u201d   The latest author to share her story on  the Make Meaning Podcast, Desiree started writing professionally before social media was a thing, and readers regularly sent her letters and pictures in response to her columns. Her children\u2019s book  NOTHING SPECIAL was three years in the making \u2013 and it might be her best creation yet. &amp;nbsp; In this episode, host  Lynne Golodner interviews  Desiree Cooper about how much books ignited her when she was a child, the friendship between her grandson and her father, moving from Detroit to Virginia to care for her parents, and the fabrication artist who helped bring her book to life. &amp;nbsp; In this episode, Lynne and Desiree discuss:&amp;nbsp;  Launching the book in her yard The joy of being a featured book at the  Miami Book Fair  The Great Migration away from  Jim Crow &amp; the terrorism of the South The Great Reverse Migration trend of African-American families to gather for reunions in the South despite segregation and white supremacy All the touchpoints in the book \u2013 including a USAF hat, a University of Michigan shirt and a UVA pennant Author branding Themes of motherhood, family and one life making way for another  &amp;nbsp; Links and Resources:&amp;nbsp;  Booklist Know the Mother The Choice film Marilyn Nelson Flash fiction  &amp;nbsp; Find Desiree Cooper: Website&amp;nbsp; Facebook Instagram&amp;nbsp; TikTok &amp;nbsp; If you enjoyed this episode, you\u2019ll like these other  Make Meaning Podcast episodes: &amp;nbsp;   Episode 127 \u2013 Ly Tran \u2013 Writing Unapologetically  Episode 121 \u2013 Stephanie Steinberg \u2013 On Personal Passions &amp; Creating Communities  Episode 118 \u2013 Elizabeth Gowing \u2013 How to Know a Place by Living Its Stories  Episode 102 \u2013 Patrick Hicks \u2013 How to Write Historical Fiction  Episode 97 \u2013 Eric Hale \u2013 How to Give Every Child a Chance, Even in the Most Poverty-Stricken Communities  Episode 70 \u2013 Elena Reads \u2013 How to Stoke a Love of Reading in Kids  ","author_name":"The Make Meaning Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/makemeaning.org","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/25500414\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/143645691"}