Write of Passage by Vanessa Riley

Write of Passage by Vanessa Riley

Write of Passage is where history, culture, and creativity meet. Hosted by author Vanessa Riley, this weekly essay podcast unpacks the news and moods of today through the long lens of history.From Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime symbolism to the politics of representation, from lessons on writing resilience to meditations on empathy, each episode blends cultural critique with storytelling and a reverence for history.Part personal reflection, part cultural commentary, Write of Passage is written in love: a place to wrestle with wrong takes, dig into symbolism, and celebrate the power of words to make sense of the world.🎧 What you’ll find here: Cultural & Historical Commentary — current events examined with historical depth. Encouragement for Writers — reflections on the craft, resilience, and community of writing. Booklists & Recommendations — curated reads that expand each week’s themes. Storytelling with Heart — opinionated, thoughtful essays written to inspire dialogue, not just hot takes. If you’re a writer, reader, or thinker who loves connecting dots between past and present, Write of Passage is your table. Pull up a chair. vanessariley.substack.com VanessaRiley.com

Episodes

Tainted Visions: Daddy's Glasses

August 26, 2025 • 11 mins
I bought my daddy’s glasses by accident—but every time I put them on, I see his face staring back at me. This episode is about the lenses we inherit: my father, who came from Trinidad in the 1960s chasing the promise of America; my own optimism in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected; and the sharper, harsher vision I have of the world today.Through these glasses, I look at what America once promised, what it is now, and what it coul...
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Unity with the One Drop Rule

August 19, 2025 • 11 mins
What does it mean to be part of the African diaspora? From the cruel weight of the one-drop rule to the richness of invention, science, and culture, this episode explores the power and resilience of Black identity across generations. Vanessa Riley takes us through the history of Black wealth, music, and innovation while addressing the so-called “diaspora wars” that threaten to divide communities. We look at how artists like Tyla an...
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AI Done Hit the Cousins!

August 12, 2025 • 11 mins
AI Done Hit the Cousins!
As an author, I feel like I’ve been in a never-ending battle with artificial intelligence (AI). It’s everywhere. And somehow, it always manages to pull me in.  
AI’s ability to search crazy things with more context than Google and then check my  mathematics of sextants coordinates used by a pirate captain to sail around Tortuga is unmatched.  Yes, I did this.
That sounds good, but AI and I aren’t always coo...
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A Seat at the Table—Or Not?

August 5, 2025 • 9 mins
In this episode of Write of Passage, bestselling author Vanessa Riley explores the emotional cost of invisibility in publishing—and the deeper longing to belong. Drawing from her own journey and insights from literary voices like Silas House, Nic Stone, and Angie Thomas, she unpacks what it means to be denied space, support, and visibility—and why it’s time to stop asking for permission.Vanessa shares lessons from the Southern Inde...
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Throw Out the Broken Pieces

July 29, 2025 • 10 mins
What’s in your drawer of broken things?
A clasp that can’t be fixed. A lone earring with no mate. A dream you swore you’d get back to someday.In my latest Write of Passage essay, I open the metaphorical drawer we all carry—the one full of broken pieces we’re too sentimental or scared to throw away.Maybe it’s time to let go. Maybe healing begins with clearing space.

 Read (or listen) to Throw Out the Broken Pieces—and ask yourself wha...
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Dead to Words

July 22, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode of Write of Passage, Vanessa Riley honors the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner—best known as Theo from The Cosby Show—by celebrating his layered artistry as a poet, musician, and director. She reflects on his impact on Black masculinity, emotional vulnerability, and the cultural memory of a generation that saw themselves in his performances. With tenderness and reverence, she explores the legacy he leaves behind—not just i...
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Color Me Problematic

July 15, 2025 • 11 mins
In this reflective essay, Vanessa Riley explores the ongoing presence of colorism and classism in contemporary life, from reality TV to historical memory. Triggered by tweets and TikToks around Love Island contestants Nic and Olandria—particularly the racialized critiques of Olandria’s poise and beauty—Vanessa dives deep into how dark-skinned women continue to be policed, misunderstood, or erased in the public eye. 

Through a blend ...
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Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes

July 8, 2025 • 12 mins
Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes
We’re living in a time when AI can steal a writer’s voice, forge an artist’s work, and clone a person’s face or voice—all with a few clicks. In this episode, I dig into the growing threat of AI-driven scams, from fake books published under real authors' names to deepfakes and phishing that targets everyone—not just your grandma. I share my own experience with AI theft, spotlight high-profile victims lik...
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Lessons from Indoctrination

July 3, 2025 • 11 mins
In this episode of Write of Passage, Vanessa reflects on an unexpected lesson learned at 30,000 feet. On a turbulent return trip from the Historical Novel Society conference, she witnesses firsthand how indoctrination quietly seeps into our lives—not through shouting, but through repetition, comfort, and curated fear. From her own journey as a historical fiction writer breaking free of industry expectations, to the quiet propaganda...
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When the Plan Falls Apart

June 24, 2025 • 11 mins
It probably won’t surprise you—at least not once you’ve met me—that I’m a planner. My name is Vanessa Riley, and I’m a serial planner. There isn’t an outline I don’t love, nor a spreadsheet that doesn’t call my name. If I could design a map of a map of a map of systems accompanied by a flowchart—I’d consider it bliss. Come to one of my book events and ask what kind of person or writer I am, and I’ll often tell you: I’m a nerd’s ner...
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Sexual Chocolate Please

June 17, 2025 • 8 mins
If you don’t recognize the phrase “Sexual Chocolate,” then you might be too young or too sheltered—or simply overdue for a viewing of Coming to America. The phrase hails from a hilarious moment in this 1988 cult classic when Prince Akeem (played by Eddie Murphy) attends a church service in Queens hoping to find a “good woman.”He does find one—but not before the audience is treated to a cringe-worthy performance by a band called Sex...
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How to Let Go

June 10, 2025 • 10 mins
Whenever I finish writing a manuscript, there’s always this unexpected wave of sadness that hits me. It shouldn’t be unexpected. This is like my 27th or 28th book.But yes. You heard me right—sadness.Because now I’m done with these characters.Characters I’ve lived with for three, sometimes four months. Characters whose voices echoed in my head, who made me laugh, who made me cry, and made me question everything. And once I’ve typed ...
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Fellowship and Flowers: A Weekend That Filled My Soul

June 3, 2025 • 9 mins
Have you ever not known how empty you were—until a weekend of feasting showed you just how hungry you really are?That was me, this weekend. I spent it in the company of 1,500 readers and fellow authors at the Black Romance Book Fest, and I left with my heart and spirit overflowing. Now, you might say, “Vanessa, I get your newsletter. I follow you on Instagram and Threads. I see the pictures. You go to a lot of events.” And yes, tha...
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Nine Minutes, Five Years – Still Breathless

May 27, 2025 • 11 mins
n 2020, America and the world were spiraling. COVID. COVID shutdowns, high COVID deaths, and the divisive uproar over wearing masks frayed nerves and divided communities. Then, in the middle of the chaos, we witnessed the killing of a man.George Floyd, a man who’d run afoul of the law in the past, was approached by police under the false suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill.At 8:20 p.m. on May 25, 2020, outside Cup Foods in Mi...
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Fire, Frolic, and the Fragile Threads of Humanity

May 20, 2025 • 12 mins
This week, I went through a whirlwind of emotions—yes, whirlwind. That’s the word. It captures the highs and lows, the unpredictable moments, the shared grief, reflection, and the surprising grace that shaped these past few days. All these feelings—they live in pictures.Picture this: an artist gifted in creating larger-than-life floral and celebratory installations-roses, sunflowers, and even huge gift boxes with perfect bows. I fo...
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What in the World

May 13, 2025 • 10 mins
Funny thing happens when you go outside.You notice that everything is still moving—still shifting, still becoming—and no matter how much I want it to revolve around me, the earth does its own thing. That’s humbling. That’s sobering. And yes, at times, alittle infuriating. Because I want to believe that if I just dream hard enough, andwork long enough, and sacrifice deep enough, the outcome will be what I want it to be.That’s the na...
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It’s Hard to Disconnect

May 6, 2025 • 10 mins
To step away from my desk, from writing, usually takes intention—an obligation, an appointment, an event.But this weekend, instead of rushing back to my hotel room to work, I took a walk in the city that never sleeps.New York City is magic. The lights and screens can mesmerize for hours. The hustlers are everywhere, each chasing their own dream with a specific kind of determination. I melted into the crowd—a sea of people, heads ti...
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Time to Move

April 29, 2025 • 12 mins
There is a time and a season for everything.The real question is: Are you ready to move?Right now, it’s a scary time to be a Black creative. Honestly, it’s a scary time for everybody in the arts. I’ve shared in a previous episode how the Canva bots came for me — they told me that the word slavery was political and banned in their system of tools.Banning books is all the rage. Banning concepts or ideas — stopping the writer or artis...
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A Sinner’s Prayer

April 22, 2025 • 13 mins
Last week was a weird one. The algorithms—the bots—seemed to come for me. Canva, of all places, led the charge. It made me feel like I wasn’t just wrong in opinion, but wrong in essence. As if the characters I write—rooted in history, full of breath and heart—were somehow unworthy. Handcuff me now, because it felt like I was being told it was a crime to write them at all.Caption: Two Scaredy-Cats watching the must see movie, Sinner...
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Welcome to Censorship

April 15, 2025 • 11 mins
The Warning That Sparked It AllIt started with a slide.Vanessa Riley trying to find peace and missing it.Nine months away from the release of Fire Sword and Sea, my fourth historical fiction novel, I was using Canva—an online design tool—to create character slides. Each slide was a snapshot of a journey: a woman who rose from enslavement to ship captain, a reimagined heroine defying colonial narratives and gender norms. I hit the “...
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