Radio Interviews with Authors from 1998

[Troy]

Lee E. Meadows, Ph.D interviewed many authors in the late 90's on his “The Book Beat” radio program, which broadcast on Detroit’s WPON 1460 AM.  Some of the interviews he did are archived in AALBC.com and include:

Evelyn Coleman, J. California Cooper, Eric Jerome Dickey, Tananarive Due, Lolita Files, Linda Dominique Grosvenor, Hunter Hayes, William July II, Renee Killingsworth, Lisa Saxton, Camika C. Spencer, Roger M. Davis, Delores Thornton, and Omar Tyree.

Lee used to send me audio cassettes of each interview and I would convert them into Real Audio files. Back in the 1990's Real Audio was one of the most popular ways to deliver audio content on the web, but today one can provide audio using standard HTML and mp3 files.  After converting the tapes to Real Audion files, I would then upload the files to the web server, and place the code on a web page to allow visitors to listen the audio files.  It was a labor-intensive process.

When Real Audio, became obsolete, I never got around to converting these files to mp3 files and these interviews were unavailable for the better part of a decade.  The current website's upgrade has made it much easier for me to converted these files (and many others) and they are now available. 

The other thing that strikes me about these interviews is much how much we things have changed.  18 years ago there was a radio station, in a major city that broadcast a program dedicated to Black books.  The program's host was willing to work with a variety of others including AALBC.com to help promote and expand the reach of these broadcasts.  This was just one small aspect of a landscape in which Black books are not celebrated as much.

Because of Lee Meadows work a portion of our history, our stories have been chronicled and preserved.  Thanks Lee!

Lee actually did several interviews with me; the first almost 18 years ago.  

Listen to an Interview of Troy Johnson Interviewed by Lee E. Meadows on Detroit’s WPON’s “Book Beat” February 4, 1999