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This episode features our conversation with Emely Rumble, LICSW, which was live-streamed on December 2, 2025.

Emely Rumble, LICSW is a distinguished licensed clinical social worker, school social worker, and seasoned biblio/psychotherapist with over 15 years of professional experience. Committed to making mental health services more accessible, Emely specializes in the transformative practice of bibliotherapy.

Rumble is passionate about advocating for the integration of creative arts in psychotherapy, mental well-being, and self-improvement. Emely champions the social model of disability and embraces a neurodiversity-affirming therapeutic approach. Emely’s work has been featured in respected publications such as Parents Magazine, ‘School Library Journal’, Dazed Magazine, Success Magazine, BronxNet News, The Bronx is Reading, Essence Magazine, CNN Health, The New York Times, Bustle Wellness and Therapy for Black Girls among other publications. Her debut book, Bibliotherapy in the Bronx (Row House Publishing, 2025), explores the modality of literature based therapy in healing practice.

In this transformative work, Rumble offers readers an intimate glimpse into her journey as a psychotherapist in the Bronx, where she has spent over 14 years using books to help clients navigate complex emotions, heal from trauma, and find their voices. Through vivid anecdotes and real-world case studies, she demonstrates how literature can serve as a bridge between personal pain and collective healing.

Rich with practical tips, reflective exercises, and book recommendations, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the power of words to change lives. Whether you're a therapist, educator, bibliophile, or simply someone seeking deeper understanding and growth, this book offers a compassionate, culturally affirming guide to the transformative potential of storytelling.

Rumble's work is a testament to the enduring power of books to heal, empower, and liberate. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, Bibliotherapy in The Bronx reminds us that the stories we tell—and the stories we read—can unite us in our shared humanity.

To learn more about Emely and her work, please visit LiterapyNYC.podia.com.

Find Emely on Instagram: @literapy_NYC

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This episode features our conversation with Jodi-Ann Burey, which was live-streamed on November 18, 2025.

Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work (Flatiron Books, 2025), which we discussed during this episode.

Beyond the written word, Jodi-Ann stands out as a catalytic orator, having conducted over 100 keynotes, panels, and interviews - including TEDx. Inspired by her personal journey and professional experience in public health, Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. Jodi-Ann is the co-creator and host of Lit Lounge, a curated book collection and author interview series, and the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a monthly prose and poetry salon.

An alum of Boston College and the University of Michigan, Jodi-Ann has over 15 years of entrepreneurial, corporate, non-profit and start-up professional experience. Her writing has been supported by Voices of Our Nation Arts Foundation (VONA), The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, The Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Vermont Studio Center.

She enjoys snowboarding, oil painting and prides herself on being a cool auntie and a reluctant dog owner.

Jodi-Ann was born in Jamaica, lives in Seattle, Washington and will always call New York City home.

Jodi-Ann’s Authentic delves into the dangers of disclosure in environments that aren’t built for our well-being. With insights from pop culture, academic research, and interviews with other professionals of color, Burey argues that we deserve better than shallow ploys for representation.

To learn more about Jodi-Ann, please visit https://jodiannburey.com/.

Purchase a copy of Authentic.

Watch Jodi-Ann's TED Talk.

Find Jodi-Ann on Instagram: @jodiannburey

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This episode features our conversation with Michael D. Whitney, which was live-streamed on November 9, 2025.

Michael D. Whitney is the author of Annetta's Michael: Living Life After Death Changes Everything. He is a new author on a path to share his profound individual and unrefined journey with the world. Michael's passion and deep love for creative writing evolved from an early adolescent age of 11, writing poetry and short stories, not knowing that his captivation by the power of words would one day be told with such vivid detail based on tragedy. Sustaining his own motivation, Michael's goal is to inspire and encourage the positive outlook on various challenges that individuals encounter throughout their lives.

His debut Memoir, Annetta's Michael: Living Life After Death Changes Everything, is a true testimony to survival, faith and the power of resilence. When not writing, Michael, this Louisville, Kentucky native and youngest of seven enjoys fishing, and cooking.

Find Michael on Instagram: @bookbrutha

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Find Black Writers Read online: https://blackwritersread.com/

Support Black Writers Read on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/blackwritersread

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