In a park in Harlem, Madison McCaskey reads aloud her essay/story “Come Over.” Afterwards, she and Griffy discuss their philosophies towards the writing craft, the many contradictions of the “publishing industry,” and Madison’s unshakable optimism that people are hungry for good writing.

Madison McCaskey is a writer and multimedia artist born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from Spelman College, she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a writer. She is currently in the MFA Creative Writing Program at the City College of New York. In her free time, she enjoys live music, yoga, and reading Ntozake Shange. Her goal is to create work that resonates with Black women’s lives; exploring vulnerability, relationships, family, and self-determination. Though she is currently focused on completing her first novel, she hopes to continue to share her short stories, poetry, and create interactive experiences for Black women to tell their stories. She is the recipient of the Go On Girl! Book Club’s Unpublished Writer Award and her work has been published by Spelman College’s Aunt Chloe Literary Magazine. You can find her on Substack (Madison We know You) where she writes about self-discovery, grief, and New York City.

Episode Art: Madison McCaskey photographed by Arieanne Evans (⁠@friendsonfilmduh⁠). Ukulele music written and recorded by Griffy.