Conversation with Maurice Broaddus & Januarie York

An award-winning Afrofuturist, editor, and librarian, Maurice Broaddus has had more than a hundred short stories published in such places as Lightspeed Magazine, Black Panther: Tales from Wakanda, Out There Screaming (edited by Jordan Peele), The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand, Asimov’s, Weird Tales, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Apex Magazine. Broaddus has more than a dozen novels in print; his latest include Black Panther: T’Challa Declassified, Unfadeable, Sweep of Stars, Breath of Oblivion, and A City Dreaming. Born in London, he moved to Franklin, Indiana, when he was six years old and to Indianapolis a couple years later.

Januarie York is a freelance writer, published author & poet who, in addition to performing original poetry regularly, has produced several spoken-word theatrical shows focused on uplifting and inspiring women. She resides in Indianapolis, IN, where she has partnered with several local organizations to bring awareness to issues such as sexual trauma, domestic violence, and racism. She released her first EP in 2008, followed by a full album in 2012 and a chapbook in 2013; she’s also been featured on a host of hip-hop, R&B, and jazz albums, notably alongside "the Mayor of Jazz" himself, Rob Dixon. Januarie is a freelance writer, having held space in the Indianapolis Recorder, as well as several magazines and national websites. In 2020, she was named Poet Laureate for the Center for Black Literature and Culture at the Central Library. In 2021, she released her first full-length poetry collection, nomaD, through VK Press.

In addition to poetry, Januarie curates small events that foster relationship building, storytelling, and joyful celebrations. She graduated in 2023 with her Master’s in Arts (positive psychology) and combines her education with her creativity to craft intentional spaces that gather people around food, themes, and conversation. A lover of the arts and a proud Black woman, Januarie uses her passion for writing and inspiring to create living poems from life experiences. Driven by the Maya Angelou quote: “People will forget what you say, they will forget what you do, but they will always remember the way you made them feel," Januarie’s goal, through writing, storytelling, and creative curation, is to make each person present remember the impact of how they felt in the moment.