In conversation with Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts 

Kwame Alexander is the author of The Crossover, a “beautifully measured novel” (The New York Times Book Review) that follows twin brother basketball stars coming to terms with the world. Winner of the 2015 Newbery Medal and the 2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award, it was recently adapted for Disney+ into a television series. Also a poet, educator, and activist, Alexander is the author of 36 other bestselling books, including Rebound, The Undefeated, and The Door of No Return. He is also a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, co-founder of a health clinic and literacy program in Ghana, and is the founding editor of Versify, a publishing imprint focused on changing the world through words. Both a memoir and collection of love poems, Why Fathers Cry at Night brings together the various parts of Alexander’s past and present relationships to offer a larger narrative of his family’s love.

The author and co-author of 15 books that explore topics such as faith, race, social justice, and motherhood, Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts is a professor of English and Black Studies at the Community College of Philadelphia, hosts the podcast HeARTtalk with Tracey Michae’l, and is the founder of HeARTspace, a healing community for those who have experienced trauma. Her writing has been published in The Washington Post, Essence, The Guardian, and Ebony, among other publications. In her recent essay collection, Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration, Lewis-Giggetts celebrates the reaffirming power of Black joy.