| This is The Black Urbanist Monthly. I’m Kristen Jeffers and I’m making this monthly digital newsletter to share my Black, Spiritual, Diasporic North Carolinian, Working/Lower Middle-Class, Educated, Queer, Non-Binary Femme thoughts on how places and communities work. Think of this as my monthly column, the one that flaps open as you start browsing that coffee table magazine or printed alt-weekly newspaper or as so many other of your favorite newsletters do, in your inbox. This newsletter will be in just in time for its author to get their second Covid-19 shot on the first of May, but not for us to hang out maskless at a concert of one’s choosing. I am an author. That’s probably not news to anyone reading this, because after all, you’re reading this.However, owning this part of myself has been a challenge over the years. Despite this being the 27th anniversary of my first writing contest win and the conference where I got my award, shared the book I wrote and got to meet Walter Dean Myers, the Jason Reynolds of our millennial time. Despite having wrote a book and even doing a book signing and reading this very week in 2015. And of course, this entire platform.But today, I’m not going back.Today, if you’re a Patreon, you’re already set to receive a copy of my next book A Black Urbanist Journey. If not, join me over there and receive either an e-book or a signed hard copy, depending on what level you’re signed up at. There will also be paperback copies and an audiobook. Unlike my prior book, it will also have a proper ISBN and any bookstore that uses ISBN will be able to order it in bulk. You’ll be able to order it for your school, conference, church and other community bookstores. The manuscript is finished and I will be reaching out to folks to review, share and grow the audience of this book and this platform. If you’re interested in doing so and want to go ahead and reach out, book a time to talk about what it would take to be on my book launch and sharing team. While I couldn’t release the book on October 17, 2020, the tenth anniversary of The Black Urbanist Platform, I’m all set to do so on October 17, 2021. Plus, as we get vaccinated and events both inside and outside resume, I’m looking forward to coming to your venues and sharing this story on the keynote stages and in smaller group breakouts.Book me for a keynote, workshop or book talk. Finally, I’m excited to launch into this new normal. This time last year we didn’t know what to expect and now, I can’t wait for the future. I hope you’ll continue to join me in one or more ways above. |
