I’m a Venezuelan writer who grew up in Miami and went to school in New York City. No one can pronounce my last name correctly.
Links
- Author Archive: Complex (Complex)
Pirooz Kalayeh
Pirooz Kalayeh received an MFA from the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. He is the founding member and proprietor behind the musical group, The Slipshod Swingers, and the records Orange Lamborghini (2006) and Transistor Radio (2008). Kalayeh has also served as an Associate Producer and Post Production Coordinator with Weller Grossman Productions and Screen Door Entertainment on several television programs, including STRICTLY SEX WITH DR DREW (DISC), CRAFTLAB (DIY), and LOOK WHAT I DID (HGTV). In 2009, Kalayeh’s first solo directorial feature SHOPLIFTING FROM AMERICAN APPAREL (2012) was released under his personal label ILIKENIRVANA and had a theatrical release at select theaters throughout the United States. Kalayeh’s documentary feature about Buddhist teacher Brad Warner, entitled BRAD WARNER’S HARDCORE ZEN (2013) premiered at the Buddhist Film Festival in Amsterdam on October 5, 2013. THE HUMAN WAR (2013) was co-produced and co-directed by Kalayeh and premiered at the Beloit International Film Festival on February 21, 2014. His novel THE WHOPPER STRATEGIES details an advertising executive’s journey to package Enlightenment in a Box. Kalayeh is currently working on several web series and film narratives, including the much-anticipated comedy, ZOMBIE BOUNTY HUNTER M.D. He lives with his wife in Los Angeles and South Korea. He interviews various entertainers and artists on his blog, Shikow.
Links
Locations
Keidra Chaney
Links
- The Evolution of Nerd Rock (Uncanny Magazine)
- In Memoriam: Frankie Knuckles, 1955-2014 (New City Music)
- Cursed: Enemies with the Industry (Alarm Magazine)
- 1871 announces 25,000-square foot expansion (Built in Chicago)
- Hands On With The New Moto X (Paste Magazine)
- Writing Open Code for Justice (The Open Standard)
Topics
Locations
Christina Lee
Killer Mike once said, “Tell him, first of all, that this woman is a genius and he needs to know that.” He was talking about me.
Links
- Straight Outta Stankonia (Creative Loafing)
- Run the Jewels: The New Avengers (Paste Magazine)
- Like Japanese, Chinese or Even Asian: Mapping Asian Stereotypes in a Post-Wu Era (Pitchfork Review)
- Fresh Off the Boat Is Huge For Rap Fans and Asian-Americans Alike (Deadspin)
Topics
Locations
Anupa Mistry
I talk on TV and Radio (Much Music, MTV, CBC’s The Current, Q and Radio 1 news service) and host a monthly radio show on the Toronto Radio Project. Last summer I curated a three-part networking series for young creatives in Toronto called #HustleHard, to facilitate collaboration across scenes and allow people to share their ideas about the cultural economy in Toronto. I am also a juror for the Polaris Music Prize and participate in tons of other readings, panels and talks, when asked. Also, I do all of this and hold down an unrelated day job because I am a boss.
Links
- Website
- Girlhood: Finally, a Film About Black Girls Strengthening Each Other (The Muse)
- Jlin: Dark Energy (Pitchfork)
- Bring the noise: Jeff Chang’s Who We Be chronicles the art behind policy (National Post)
- #TorontoIsFailingMe: My brother was killed outside a bar, and everyone assumed he was in a gang (Toronto Life)
- An Interview with Ava DuVernay, Groundbreaking Director of Selma (Jezebel)
- Warsan Shire Has Beef With Iambic Pentameter (Hazlitt)
- ‘The Musicality of the Prose’: An Interview with Ghalib Islam (Hazlitt)
Micah Peters
I currently write for For The Win of USA Today Sports and occasionally write for The Hundreds.
Links
- Here's what you should do after you've been savagely dunked on (USA Today)
- ASAP Ferg, Kanye West, and the supposed death of racism (USA Today)
- Everything you need to know about Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter V' (USA Today)
- HOW T-PAIN HELPED ME GET OVER MYSELF (The Hundreds)
Giri Nathan
I would like to meet other writers of color (because I don’t really know many “irl”). This would double as a dope invite list for a party!
Links
- Heems At Home (The Awl)
- Giri Nathan (Nassau Weekly)
Locations
Cameron Jernigan
Journalism student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Links
Tahirah Hairston
Links
- Jessie Ware (New York Magazine)
- Lion Babe (Interview)
- A Dance Class With Beyonce's Backup Dancers (Vogue)
- Natalia Kills (Paper)
- Shapeshifter, RL Grime (Paper)
- Personal Website
- Blog
Locations
Natelege Whaley
I am also a developer in training. Looking to use front-end web development platforms (HTML, CSS and Javascript) to take storytelling to the next level in the ever evolving digital era.
I also publish a website called HeartsConverse.com, where young writers can contribute pieces on relationships, life and culture. I host an event series that gathers young adults to discuss those topics as well called The Kickback.
My weekly newsletter I provide more introspective thoughts:
Thanks!
Links
- Travel Noire Connects Young Black Jetsetters With New Digital Community (BET)
- Leon Ford Jr., Shot by Police and Paralyzed, Won't Be Silenced (BET)
- Kickin’ It in Croatia With Action Bronson & DJ Premier: One Writer’s Experience at 2014 Outlook Festival (The Boombox)
- D’Angelo and the Vanguard, ‘Black Messiah’ (The Boombox)
- Commentary: Young Adults Beat Stereotypes One Laugh at a Time Online (BET)
- Weekly newsletter
Vivian Lee
I am currently an editor in publishing (which is why my clips are a little on the older side). However, I would love to keep writing outside of my day job. I also write personal essays (that aren’t published!).
Links
- CMJ 2011: Wild Flag, Eleanor Friedberger (Evil Monito)
- Ponytail excites a small but devoted crowd at UCI (Los Angeles Times)
- Acrobatics Everyday brings musical back flips to Irvine (Los Angeles Times)
- From Sound and Numbers, Art (World Policy Blog)
- Anatomy of a Fareej: Sustainable Urban Design
- Against Oppression—Kianoush Ramezani’s Drawings (World Policy Blog)
- Can Botox Really Treat Depression? (Beauty in the Bag)
- Dating, by the Book (Oyster Review)
- Our Karaoke Could Be Your Life (Oyster Review)
- My TinyLetter
Topics
Locations
Breniecia Reuben
Links
Topics
Locations
Brittany Spanos
I’m full-time at Rolling Stone and am not looking for any freelance work at the moment. However, I’m always available for quotes, panels, etc!
Locations
Dee Lockett
Bylines at vulture.com, slate.com, pigeonsandplanes.com, and (soon) thefader.com.
Links
- Why Is TV’s ’90s Reboot Boom Ignoring All the Great Black Comedies of That Era? (Vulture)
- White Men Don't Catcall. They Harass In Other Ways.
- How Empire Is Changing the Game for “Black TV" (Slate)
- The 50 Best 'Glee' Performances, Ranked (Vulture)
- Interview: Sam Smith (Pigeons and Planes)
- Why 2013 Was a Terrible Year for Women in Hip Hop (Pigeons and Planes)
Locations
Erica Codey-Rucker
Over 20 years experience working in business, print and new media.
Links
Locations
Taylor Bryant
I work in beauty right now but definitely want to branch out into different writing subjects — and plan to start freelance writing soon. Fashion, culture, music, reporting are all things that interest me.
Links
Locations
Justin Michael Carissimo
I’m pretty good at breaking news and have a broad range of genres I’m comfortable writing for. Follow me on Twitter!
Links
- Portraits of Gaza's Children and their Lost Homes (IB Times)
- Did Scott Walker ruin Wisconsin's judicial system? (Legal Funding Central)
- Does the NFL have any Business Telling Black Players to Stop Saying the N-Word? (BuzzFeed)
- Struggles Every DJ Understands (BuzzFeed)
- Justin Carissimo: Clips
Locations
Sara Ilyas
Micah Singleton
Links
- Over 200 black leaders in Silicon Valley gathered in Palo Alto to discuss diversity in tech (The Verge)
- Why is gender diversity in tech so much easier to solve than racial diversity? (The Verge)
- Tradition, timepieces, and the scourge of the smartwatch (The Kernel)
- Defining privacy in the age of wearable cameras (The Kernel)
Topics
Osa Atoe
“Shotgun Seamstress” is a book, zine and blog that is by, for and about Black punks, feminists, LGBTQ, artists and musicians.
Links
- Shotgun Seamstress (Shotgun Seamstress)
Deron Snyder
Links
- The Washington Times archive (Washington Times)
- News Press archive (News Press)
- The Root archive (The Root)
- USA Today archive (USA Today)
Locations
Alison Kinney
My book, HOOD, will be published by Bloomsbury in January 2016: “We all wear hoods: the Grim Reaper, Red Riding Hood, torturers, executioners and the executed, athletes, laborers, anarchists, rappers, babies in onesies, and anyone who’s ever grabbed a hoodie on a chilly day. Alison Kinney’s HOOD explores the material and symbolic vibrancy of this everyday garment and political semaphore, which often protects the powerful at the expense of the powerless—with deadly results. Kinney considers medieval clerics and the Klan, anti-hoodie campaigns and the Hooded Man of Abu Ghraib, the Inquisition and the murder of Trayvon Martin, uncovering both the hooded perpetrators of violence and the hooded victims in their sights.”
Thanks!
Links
- HOOD (Bloomsbury, 2016)
- Vicks VapoRub and Me (The Atlantic)
- Lessons From a "Local Food" Scam Artist (Narratively)
- The Leading Lady v. The Loser (Narratively)
- 'A filthy process in which I was engaged': Revising Frankenstein (Avidly)
- Fifty Shades of Brontë (The Hairpin)
- Jon Stewart cursed me out (Salon)
- Philistine, or What Happens When You Break A Sculpture in a Gallery (Hyperallergic)
- Breasts: Suffrage, Suffering and Cecily McMillan (New Criticals)
- Christoph Schlingensief: Blood, Blackface, and the Total Works of Wagner (The Mantle)
- Disinter & Reconfigure: A Conversation With Composer Philip Miller (The Mantle)
Locations
Akash Chohan
I come from a gujrati background with my mother coming from india and my father from kenya.
Links
Topics
Marcus Jones
I’m a student at NYU Gallatin so I’m basically studying how media is expanding and changing, and making sure it changes for the better (more representation of marginalized groups, acceptable humor, wider definitions of what we may consider a film or television show). Great with video production, public speaking, and social media management too. Also available for internships or fellowships.
Willing to write just about any article involving Kanye West.
Links
- Female directors receive critical acclaim (NYU News)
- All 95 Times Jerry Screws Up on Parks and Recreation (Vulture)
- Lil Wayne’s Daughter’s My Super Sweet 16 Was Out of Control (in a Good Way) (Vulture)
- Chris Rock Wisdom Generator: Let Him Tell You How It Is (Vulture)
- True or False Quiz: Did Winston Do This Crazy Thing on New Girl? (Vulture)
- ARTS ISSUE: ‘Scandal’ cast, plot stretch boundaries of network TV (NYU News)
- Chelsea Peretti talks “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and her new stand-up special (The Highlighter)
- A guide to dealing with your DVR separation anxiety (The Highlighter)
- Video: CirKiz: A Rave For Children (New York Magazine)
Locations
Josh Winters
I have a personal project of tracking music released by queer artists and making lists and stats of what has been released in a specific year.
I’m also making plans to put out an open call for a queer music writers’ anthology of personal essays I’d like to compile and edit, and achieving both gender and racial parity is a top priority of mine.
Links
- On Shura's "Touch" (The Singles Jukebox)
- I Went to a Queer Dance Party Last Night (Tumblr)
- On Javiera Mena's "Otra Era" (The Singles Jukebox)
- On the viral video of Vin Diesel covering Rihanna's "Stay" (Tumblr)
- On 2NE1's "I Love You" (One Week One Band)
- Queer Music Project
Locations
Carina Browder
Soon-to-be graduate at Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s in Communication and Media Studies. Currently seeking freelancing opportunities. Top writer for Candor News, writer for Lucy Out Loud, social media intern at Paste Magazine, Open Our Eyes, and Infectious Magazine. Previously published writer in a poetry anthology in 2008.
My current dream piece would be to interview young activists (and young celebs like Amandla Stenberg, Willow Smith, etc.) on how they became knowledgeable about the issues they are passionate about, and how their politics differ from older generations.
Links
- Recap: #Monumentour @ Atlanta, GA (Candor News)
- Your Concert Essentials (Candor News)
- Behind "Hand of God: the Musical (Candor News)
- On Your Mark, Set Go! with IM5 (Candor News)
- On One Direction Zayn and the Radical Action of Liking things (Carina Blogs)
- "Girl in a Country Song" is a Musical Callout (Carina Blogs)
- Review: The Never Ending- 'ONE' EP (Candor News)
- Review: Taylor Swift-'1989' (Carina Blogs)
Topics
Locations
Vanessa Willoughby
Vanessa is a Prose Editor for Winter Tangerine Review.
Links
- Ugly Girls, by Lindsay Hunter (Bookslut)
- Into the Go-Slow, by Bridgett M Davis (Bookslut)
- Insel, by Mina Loy (Bookslut)
- The White Beauty Myth (The Hairpin)
- Black Girls Don't Read Sylvia Plath (The Hairpin)
- I Am, I Am, I Am: Writing While Black and Female (The Toast)
- Nice Guys (The Toast)
- Welome to Connecticut. Now Go Home. (The Toast)
- Nicki Minaj Shows the Importance of Fighting Abortion Stigma (Bitch Magazine)
- Lemony Snicket and a Series of Predictably Racist Events (Bitch Magazine)
- Vanessa Willoughby (Karma Loop)
- Vanessa Willoughby (Literally, Darling)
- Bloodletting Season (Good Reads)
Locations
Daniel José Older
I write the Bone Street Rumba Urban Fantasy series, which began in January 2015 with Half-Resurrection Blues (Penguin’s Roc Books). My first YA novel is Shadowshaper, from Scholastic’s Arthur A. Levine Books. I co-edited the anthology Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History.
Links
- Diversity Is Not Enough: Race Power Publishing (Buzzfeed)
- Context As Crisis: The Street Is A Book (Model View Culture)
- Anyway: Angie (Tor)
Locations
Adam Hamze
I’m a part of a poetry/writing community that is filled with other people of color who’s talents are among the best in the nation – we are constantly fighting to take up space in the midst of whiteness and trying to halt the perpetuation of erasure. Let us know what we can do!
Locations
Kali Holloway
I’ve written about pretty much everything. Currently serving as the Associate Editor of Media & Culture at AlterNet, and freelance for various pubs on various topics. Welcome new chances to write for even more.
Links
- Kali Holloway (Salon)
- Kali Holloway (AlterNet)
- Were Doing Bigotry Wrong (Time)
- Racism is so insidious, even black people underestimate it (The Guardian)
- When You're a Black Women, You're Never Good Enough to Be a Victim (Jezebel)
- It Happened to Me: I Talked a Stranger Out of Committing Suicide (Xo Jane)