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Testimonial from a Workshop Participant

Creating a Safe and Nurturing Environment

In my writing workshops, I create an environment that is nurturing and safe. I am dedicated to rigor and excellence and encourage writers to become fearless in the pursuit of the unique beauty and truth of their story.

The Book Business A-Z

Want to be a published writer? Learn how to write and sell your book.

First Draft

Start, recharge and develop your writing practice.

I Want to Write

You want to write but can’t create or sustain a consistent writing life.

Working with Marita Golden was a major turning point in my life as a writer. She saw things in my work that I didn't see myself, and she guided me with the unmistakable skill of a true master. But more importantly, she saw things in me as a writer--as the person I am--that I had yet to claim. She helped and continues to help me toward full confidence in my vision. My voice is stronger and clearer because of her support.
Sarah Trembath
Author of This Past Was Waiting for Me and It Was the Scarlet that Did It

Write Regularly With Confidence

Becoming a skilled writer unleashes demons, doubt, fears and anxieties for which writers are often unprepared. Many who want to write fear they lack the talent or tenacity required of the dedicated writer. I lead workshops where these subjects are not taboo, are discussed openly and where writers find and create community. Through writing exercises inspired by my many years as a master teacher, participants break through the psychological barriers that cripple their attempts to write with regularity and confidence.

WORKSHOPS, CLASSES & SPECIAL EVENTS

This list of creative writing events is in descending date order. Please scroll down to the SPECIAL EVENTS section to see the Creative Conversations and other upcoming special events.

If it is necessary to cancel a workshop, participants will be notified via email before the first day of class. If a class is canceled, registrants will be given the option to receive a full refund or they can use their payment as credit toward another workshop. This credit must be used within one year of the original payment. If you need to cancel your registration you will receive a credit that can be used toward another workshop. Contact [email protected]. This credit must be used within one year of the original payment. No credits or refunds are given for missed classes.

Wednesdays, October 11, 2023 - March 15, 2023

6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

My Life Story: A Six-Month Advanced Memoir Workshop

You’re writing your life story and you want:

  • Professional guidance to write your story with power and skill.
  • A supportive community of writers on the same journey.
  • To meet published authors who have written memoirs to learn how they did it.

As a member of the My Life Story community in addition to workshops, a reading list, coaching, and evaluation of your work by me and feedback from your fellow writers you will meet published memoirists via live Zoom interviews and discussion events.

The authors include:

  • Patrice Gaines author of Laughing in the Dark
  • Bernardine Watson author Transplant A Memoir
  • Michelle Petties author of Leaving Large Stories of a Food Addict
  • Jodi M. Savage The Death of a Jaybird Essays on Mothers and Daughters and the Things They Leave Behind

 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

 

Thursday, August 3, 2023

6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

Self-Publishing A-Z: Everything You Want to Know

You want to self-publish your book but feel overwhelmed and confused just thinking about diving in. You wonder about the cost, how much is involved, how you start, and where you find guidance and support. Join me and Tracy Chiles McGhee for the Webinar Self-Publishing A-Z Everything You Want to Know.

You’ll learn:

  • The qualities that make a book a great read
  • The importance of editing
  • The basics of marketing your book
  • What you must know about and do on social media
  • How to gather a qualified team to guide and advise you

Writers literally from A (Alice Walker) to Z (Zane) and authors as diverse as Walt Whitman, E. Lynn Harris, and Nikki Giovanni have self-published books. The tradition is old and well-established. You can be part of it.

Join us for a presentation that will answer the most frequently asked questions about Self-Publishing.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Wednesdays, July 12 - August 16, 2023

6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

Memoir and The Personal Essay: A Six-week Summer Intensive

  • Working on your memoir?
  • Writing a personal essay?
  • Need guidance on how to publish your essay or memoir?
  • Want to make progress on your writing this summer?

 

Memoir and The Personal Essay: A Six-week Summer Intensive is perfect for
writers at all levels.

 

  • We’ll meet for two hours each Wednesday for six weeks on ZOOM to produce a chapter or essay of up to 15 pages.
  • Your writing will be workshopped critiqued and discussed by your fellow writers and you’ll get my written evaluation.
  • We’ll read nonfiction by James Baldwin and other masters of nonfiction and memoir.

This workshop has limited enrollment.

If you want to get started on your nonfiction or if you want the support you need to continue developing your work, this summer workshop is for you.

Dates of the workshop: July 12, July 19, July 26, August 2, August 9, August 16

Six Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, May 6 & 13, 2023

12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

Get Published! A Workshop on the Publishing Industry and Your Place in It

Would you like to connect with an agent AND a book editor? Would you like to get advice from top literary professionals AND learn how to write a “pitch” a query letter and a Book proposal? I have a very special invitation for you

Get Published! A Workshop on the Publishing Industry and Your Place in It

I’m excited to offer this rare opportunity for you to connect with an agent and a book editor

Sarah Burns of the Gernert Literary Agency and Jarrod Harrison Associate Editor at Broadleaf Books will answer your questions about:

  • How to find an agent
  • What is selling now
  • What an editor does, and
  • What editors are looking for in the current market

If you are writing nonfiction or fiction, you want to self-publish, or with a major publishing house.

If you want to publish in magazines or online this workshop/seminar is for you.

AND

During the two sessions, I will guide you in writing a “pitch” that will sell your story, a query letter, and a book proposal. Whether you are still writing or have completed your project a compelling “pitch,” query letter for an agent and an overview of your project is essential. You’ll write and get feedback and evaluation.

Two Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturdays, March 4 & March 11, 2023

12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST

How to Tell A Story

A six hour writing craft intensive

What is the story you need to tell right now?

The last three years have given all of us experiences that have been challenging and transformative. Our stories now feel urgent and necessary. You may be ready to process and write about what you’ve lived through and where you want to go next.  Writing is one of the most powerful ways to make sense of your life and to give voice to your imagination.  You have a story to tell, maybe it’s fiction maybe it’s fact. 

What is the story you want to tell at this moment?

How to Tell A Story is a six- hour, two-session writing intensive where you’ll get an introduction to the essential elements of skillful writing.

Whether you want to write an essay or a fictional narrative all effective writing requires an authoritative voice, vivid description, and a well-defined point of view.

You will learn:

  • how to begin a narrative;
  • how to develop that narrative; and
  • how to use language to connect deeply with your readers.

 In class writing and feedback on your projects  

OPEN TO NONFICTION AND FICTION writers.

Two Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW>>

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

7 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

I Dreamed a World

A Celebration of Marita Golden, the fortieth anniversary of the publication of Migrations of the Heart and forty years of writing, teaching and literary activism.

Join Marita Golden and writers Tracy Chiles McGhee and Abdul Ali to discuss and celebrate Marita Golden’s impact as a writer, teacher of writing, mentor and institution builder. As a novelist, memoirist, anthologist, and literary activist Marita Golden has created a canon of 21 books, worked with writers in academic institutions and in her individual classes, and built community to sustain and nurture Black writers.

In this program in conversation with novelist Tracy Chiles McGhee and poet Abdul Ali Marita Golden will discuss her influences, her writing process, and how since 1983 with the publication of her memoir Migrations of the Heart she has “dreamed a world” of stories that many readers hold dear.

This event will be Live on Facebook and Twitter.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP >>

Sunday, January 22, 2023

6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT

Black Women in White Spaces

Join me at Busboys and Poets for a program celebrating the new edition of my novel A Woman’s Place.

The book, which became a staple of Black literature classes at colleges and universities and popular with book clubs is the story of the friendship of three young Black women who meet at a White college in the late nineteen sixties and how that friendship endured.

After the reading I will be in conversation with Professor Sarah J. Trembath of American University and three Black female students from A.U. to discuss the pressures, the challenges and the sometimes racially charged environment Black women face on White campuses today.

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW >>

Saturday, January 7, 2023

12 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT

Brunch and New Beginnings

Self-care, Well-being, Time for You

I want to celebrate an important shift in how we think about ourselves so I’m ushering in the New Year with a “soul coaching session” for Black women to prepare for 2023 and you’re invited.

Space is limited!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP NOW>>

Wednesdays, September 14, 2022 - February 22, 2023

6 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST

A Six-Month Memoir Intensive!

Write Fearlessly and with Transformative Power!

This Memoir Intensive will give you the tools to write your unique truth.

All Stories Are True a Six-Month Memoir Intensive is for you if:

  • You have completed your memoir and need feedback as you begin revising.
  • You were writing but have stopped.
  • You have yet to begin your memoir but are ready to write.
  • You want to master the personal essay.
  • You want to write through the fear and self-censorship that accompany writing about your life.
  • You want the guidance of a professional writer and the community of a class.
  • You want to learn how to publish your work.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

PAST WORKSHOPS

Thursdays, May 5 - June 23, 2022

7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST

The Power of Self-Publishing: Get Your Book Published Now!

This is the year to focus on manifesting your biggest dreams!

If publishing your book is one of those dreams, then you are in the right place at the right time.

  • Maybe you’re nearing the completion of writing your manuscript and you need a little push, inspiration, and accountability.
  • Or perhaps you’re worried about the publishing process and the decisions you must make before you can see your book sitting beautifully on your shelf?
  • Or maybe you’re feeling anxious or don’t know how to enter a crowded marketplace and sell books beyond your family and friends?

You don’t have to do everything on your own. We will ease your journey with insightful and strategic guidance.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Saturday, April 2, 2022

12 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST

Self-publishing A-Z

Move from Dream to Book-in-Hand

Join Award-winning author and writing coach Marita Golden and  award-winning
author and indie-publishing consultant Tracy Chiles McGhee for a two-hour
masterclass that will answer the most frequently asked questions about
independently publishing your book. 

You will learn:

  • How to write a well written manuscript that engages the reader
  • How to enlist a team that handles design, graphics, production, and distribution set-
    up
  • How to make your book stand out and sell in a very crowded field
  • How to build your author platform and position yourself for lucrative
    opportunities

2-hour online session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, March 12 & March 19, 2022

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST

All Stories Are True: The Fact and Fiction of Memoir

Writing a memoir is a way to find meaning in our lives and make art of our experiences coming-of-age, struggles with identity, all the “stuff” of life.

In this workshop, we’ll:

  • Explore writing techniques that will allow you to write fearlessly and with transformative power.
  • Discuss your in-progress work and there will be lots of writing.
  • You will create and revise a memoir narrative during the workshop and receive my evaluation.

Two 3-hour Zoom sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, February 12 & February 26, 2022

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Unforgettable: Creating Memorable Characters in Fiction

In this workshop, we’ll explore the characteristics of unforgettable fictional characters. Through close reading of excerpts from novels and short stories, and lots of writing assignments, we’ll create confounding, conflicted, maddening characters, the kind that readers can’t look away from and that they never forget.

Open to beginning and advanced fiction writers.

You will create and revise a fictional narrative during the workshop and receive my
written evaluation.

Two 3-hour Zoom sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturdays, January 8 & 22, 2022

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST

The Deep End: How to Tell A Story

  • You want to write but can’t get started.
  • You write but can’t sustain the process.
  • You need an introduction to the elements and techniques of powerful writing.

We’ll cover how to begin a story, and develop it through vivid description and characters, drama, and conflict, and an authoritative voice.

Open to those writing fiction and nonfiction. You will create a narrative to be read and discussed in the workshop and revised for my evaluation.

Two 3-hour Zoom sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturdays, September 18 & 25, 2021

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST

Get Ready to Write: A Motivational Writing Workshop

Do you need a writing “refresh”?
Are you finally ready to write?

Writing is as much psychological and emotional as it is physical. The stories we want to write require not only technical skill but courage. I’ll introduce you to techniques and exercises to help you defeat self-censorship, self-sabotage of your desire to write, and the belief that your story is too big, simply too much, for you to master.

Participants will have the option of submitting a 500-word narrative after the workshop for evaluation.

In these sessions:

  • We’ll explore the stories you have inherited or created that stall or defeat your attempts to write.
  • We’ll create a vision and blueprint for your writing life.
  • You’ll discover why you write and more importantly how to write with regularity and dedication.
  • I’ll introduce you to the techniques you need to create and sustain your writing life.
  • We’ll explore the tools you will use in your writing.
  • I will show you how to conduct research for your story that goes beyond Google.
  • I will introduce you to the best interview techniques to use no matter the subject.
  • You’ll learn why imagination is the foundation of powerful writing and you’ll learn how to strengthen and increase your imagination.

Two 3-hour Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Wednesdays, June 16, 23, 30 & July 7, 14, 21 2021

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

My Memoir: A Six-Week Memoir Masterclass with Marita Golden

If you are ready to take your memoir to the next level, this is your last opportunity to take a memoir writing course with me in 2021.

Only three openings left.

This is a small class limited in size. This six-week advanced memoir masterclass will focus on thematic development of your narrative, writing, creating structure, revision and editing. Open to those working on individual essays or book-length projects.

Participants must have written a minimum of 25 pages of memoir narrative by the beginning of the workshop. The 25-page narrative or sections of it will be revised, expanded and edited during the workshop.

Features of the Masterclass Intensive:

  • Customized weekly assignments for each member of the workshop
  • Reading and discussion of published memoirs and personal essays
  • Each writer will have an individual conference with Marita to discuss their project.
  • Evaluation of final rewrite and revision

Six 2-hour Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, May 22, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Agent-Ready/The Book Proposal: The Business of Getting Published

Whether you have completed your manuscript or are still writing, whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, whether you want to independently publish or find an agent who gets you a book deal, this workshop is indispensable. We’ll discuss how the publishing business works, what an agent does and how to get one, the job of an editor, and how to get yourself and your story agent-ready. You’ll learn how to write a query-letter, we’ll discuss the role of social media and how to create a book proposal.

3-hour Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, April 17, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

How to Tell A Story: Character, Plot, Drama

Whether you are writing a novel or a memoir, there is only one way to tell it. A character is challenged, tested, changed, in a narrative that reads, and feels like a compelling, remarkable journey. You’ll be introduced to the elements of character, plot, and drama that are the foundation of powerful storytelling. Discussion of your in-process project. Lots of writing.

3-hour Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, March 13 and Saturday, March 27, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

The Naked Truth: Writing A Memoir That Matters

Writing a memoir is a way to find meaning in our lives and make art of our experiences coming-of-age, struggles with identity, all the “stuff” of life. In this workshop, we’ll explore writing techniques that will allow you to write fearlessly and with transformative power. Discussion of your in-progress work and lots of writing.

Two 3-hour Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, February 13 and Saturday, February 27, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Unthinkable, Unspeakable, Unforgettable: Creating Compelling Characters in Fiction

In this workshop, we’ll explore the characteristics of unforgettable fictional characters. Through close reading of excerpts from novels and short stories, and lots of writing assignments, we’ll create confounding, conflicted, maddening characters, the kind that readers can’t look away from and that they never forget.

Open to beginning and advanced fiction writers.

Two 3-hour Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, January 9, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Write Now! 2021: A Creative Writing Intensive to Jumpstart Your Writing in the New Year

  • You want to write but can’t get started.
  • You write but can’t sustain the process.
  • You need an introduction to the elements and techniques of powerful writing.

In this intensive you’ll learn how to tell a compelling, unforgettable story that is compelling and unforgettable. We’ll cover how to begin a story, and develop it through vivid description and characters, drama, and conflict, and an authoritative voice. And you’ll write.

3-hour Zoom Sessions

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

PAST SPECIAL EVENTS

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

7:00 P.M. TO 8:30 P.M. EST

Can We Save the Children? Black Youth and the Post-Covid Mental Health Crisis
A Multigenerational Panel Discussion

We will be celebrating the release of the new and revised edition of Saving Our Sons Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World.
 
Can We Save the Children? Black Youth and the Post-Covid Mental Health Crisis will bring together a multigenerational panel to discuss:
  • the disturbing dimensions of the growing mental health crisis among young people;
  • the role of social media in the lives of youth;
  • what Black youth need now: and
  • how our community can be the village they need.
We’ll seek solutions and engage your questions and concerns.
 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Friday, December 3, 2021

6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST

Sankofa Bookstore

Purchase the book online to enhance the book talk experience.

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

A Special Book Mecca Presentation: Marita Golden, Author of The Strong Black Woman

Marita will be in conversation with Book Mecca Founder Shaylon Scott about her new book, The Strong Black Woman and Black women’s health.

Purchase the book online to enhance the book talk experience.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST

The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women With Author Marita Golden and Tina Jenkins Bell

Marita will read from The Strong Black Woman and be interviewed by writer Tina Jenkins Bell

Purchase the book online to enhance the book talk experience.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Book Talk: The Strong Black Woman with Marita Golden

For generations, in response to systemic racism, Black women and African American culture created the persona of the Strong Black Woman, a woman who, motivated by service and sacrifice, handles, manages, and overcomes any problem, any obstacle. The syndrome calls on Black women to be the problem-solvers and chief caretakers for everyone in their lives. Never buckling, never feeling vulnerable, and never bothering with their pain.

Join the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) as they host me in conversation with IPS Director, Tope Folarin, about my new book “The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women.” Also joining the discussion is special guest Dr. Seanna Leath, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia in the Psychology Department who runs the FHIRE Lab. She uses education and psychology to understand the holistic development of Black girls and women within their families, schools, and communities. Specifically, her work focuses on how individual factors (e.g., race and gender identity beliefs) and contextual factors (e.g., friendship groups and community support) promote wellbeing.

Purchase the book online in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

Two 1-hour Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Saturday, November 13, 2021

12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST

Workshop on the Book Proposal for Well-Read Black Girl Conference

Purchase the book online in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Friday, November 12, 2021

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Reading from The Strong Black Woman and Conversation with novelist Patricia Elam.

Purchase the book to enhance the conversation.

In-person @ Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Street N.W., Washington, D.C.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS >>

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Reading and discussion about Black women’s mental health
presented by Pyramid Bookstore interviewed by writer Janis F. Kearney

Purchase the book to enhance the conversation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS >>

Tuesday, November 2, 2021

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Interview on Black Authors Matter TV discussing Black
women’s mental health.

Purchase the book to enhance the conversation.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS >>

Saturday, October 30, 2021

2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. EST

Well-Read Black Girl Conference Panel Discussion and Reading

On Taking Care of Ourselves

Panelists: Marita Golden, Inger Burnett-Zeigler, Minda Harts, and Dr. Joy

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Friday, October 22, 2021

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. PST

Marita Golden Presents Write Now! 2021: A Creative Writing Intensive

Join author Marita Golden in a 3-hour creative writing workshop, offered online for up to 20 participants. This workshop will include a 15-minute break. You must register to attend this event.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

Virtual session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Friday, October 22, 2021

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Politics & Prose Live! Marita Golden | Reading and Conversation with Dolen Perkins-Valdez About the Current Re-Examination of The Strong Black Woman Complex

Meet Black women who have learned though hard lessons the importance of self-care and how to break through the cultural and sometimes family resistance to seeking therapy and professional mental health care.

In The Strong Black Woman, hear the stories of African American women who:

  • Asked for help when they needed it
  • Built lives that offer healing every day
  • Learned to accept that healing

I will be in conversation with Dolen Perkins-Valdez, the New York Times bestselling author of Wench and Balm. Her forthcoming novel Take My Hand will be published in April 2022. Dolen is the current Chair of the Board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and is Associate Professor in the Literature Department at American University in Washington, DC.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

Two 1-hour Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Baltimore Public Library - Enoch Pratt Free Library Reading and Conversation with Dr. Georgie Willie-Carnegie, cardiologist, Washington Hospital Center about The Strong Black Woman and Black women’s physical and mental health.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

Zoom Session

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER >>

Monday, October 18, 2021

10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. PST

Marita Golden in Conversation - Las Vegas Book Fair Reading and Conversation with Michelle Petties, Author, Speaker and Food Story Finder about Black women’s health.

Author Marita Golden will read from her works while engaging in a discussion with author Michelle Petties before opening up the discussion for questions from the audience. 

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

Virtual session

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION >>

Saturday, October 16, 2021

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST

Discussion of "The Strong
Black Woman" and how Black women can create new definitions of strength on “Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys”, an interactive, live Internet talk-radio show that focuses on providing people with tools to enrich and advance their lives mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Callers are encouraged to call (516) 387-1745 to listen or ask questions. The show is LIVE on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.12:00 p.m. Eastern.

Joy is a licensed social worker, mother, trainer, speaker, mentor, actress, writer, producer and director. Ms. Keys holds a Masters in Social Work.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

1-hour Podcast

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION >>

Thursday, October 14, 2021

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST

Clubhouse Stage Celebration of "The Strong Black Woman" Hosted by Tracy Chiles McGhee on Clubhouse

Reading from The Strong Black Woman, interview by host Tracy and discussion with women interviewed for the book.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the conversation.

1-hour Clubhouse Session

CLICK HERE TO JOIN US >>

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST

Creative Conversations with Marita

Join Marita for the official launch of her new book, The Strong Black Woman How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women.

She will be interviewed by Gwen McKinney founder of McKinney & Associates, the first Black woman-owned communications firm in the nation’s capital dedicated to progressive public policy.

We will welcome your questions after a reading and interview and look forward to a lively discussion about Black women's health, healing and new ways to define strength.

Purchase The Strong Black Woman in advance to enhance the conversation.

1-hour Facebook Live session

CLICK HERE TO RSVP >>

Thursday, October 7, 2021

6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST

Author Talk with Marita Golden

DC Public Library reading and conversation with Dr. Pamela Brewer about the mental health issues affecting Black women.

Dr. Pamela Brewer, a practicing psychotherapist for over thirty years, is also the host of MyNDTALK with Dr. Pamela Brewer, a relationship and mental health program currently airing on YouTube.

Purchase the book online in advance to enhance the book talk experience.

1-hour Facebook and YouTube Live Session

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS >>

Tuesday, September 28 & Wedneday, September 29, 2021

UCA hosts Marita Golden as Artist-in-Residence

I will be a Visiting Writer-in-Residence at the University of Central Arkansas presented by the  College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.

Thanks to novelist M. Shelley Conner, author of the novel Everyman for inviting me to speak with undergraduate writing students, MFA students and to give a public reading.

In-person:

University of Central Arkansas, College of Business Auditorium, room 106

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

Saturday, June 12, 2021

12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST

Black Children's Stories Matter: The Evolution of Children's Literature

Join me June 12 at noon for a Creative Conversation with authors Caroline Brewer and Leslie C. Youngblood.

We'll discuss the growing popularity of narratives for young people that focus on the lives of Black children. These books are winning major literary awards and topping the bestseller lists. We'll discuss why.

Leslie C. Youngblood is the award-winning author of the middle-grade novels, "Love Like Sky" and the forthcoming "Forever This Summer." Her honors include the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Prize and and the Go On Girl! Bookclub Aspiring Writer Award.

Caroline Brewer writes picture books and middle grade books. She is a teacher, the author of 13 books, including children's picture books, and an education consultant. Her books include "Darius Daniels: Game On!" and "Barack Obama A Hip Hop Tale of a King's Dream."

1-hour Facebook Live & YouTube Live session

Click here to RSVP by June 10, 2021

Saturday, May 1, 2021

12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST

Creative Conversations with Marita featuring Lori Tharps, author of Same Family, Different Colors Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families

Colorism is a once-taboo topic that is now openly discussed, challenged, and confronted in personal conversation, on social media, and increasingly in cultural expressions from film to videos. But how far have we come from the tyranny of “the paper bag” test and how is the discussion of colorism shaped by the increasing ethnic diversity of our society?

Lori Tharps is an associate professor of journalism at Temple University and the co-author of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America and author of Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love, and Spain.

1-hour Facebook Live & YouTube Live session

Click here to RSVP by April 28, 2021 >>

Saturday, March 20, 2021

12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST

Creative Conversations with Marita - A Black Women Writer’s Showcase to Honor Women’s History Month

Join me as I host a roundtable with six of today’s most talented, creative and impactful Black women writers.

We’ll discuss the women in our lives who inspired us to write, the women writers who modeled excellence for us, and the challenges and satisfactions of our current projects.

Joining me will be:

  • Novelist Kalisha Buckhanon, author most recently of the novel Speaking of Summer
  • Athena Dixon, essayist and nonfiction writer and author of The Incredible Shrinking Woman
  • Felicia Pride, award-winning filmmaker, writer for Queen Sugar and Grey’s Anatomy
  • DeNeen Brown, veteran Washington Post journalist whose recent investigative reporting on the Tulsa massacre will be featured in an upcoming documentary
  • Imani Perry, Hughes-Roberts Professor of African American Studies at Princeton and author of Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry
  • Zelda Lockhart, author of the forthcoming novel The Trinity: The Story of The Father, The Son and the Black Daughter Who Set Things Up Right Again, and the memoir Recollect: A Black Woman’s Journey to Decolonize Mind, Body, and Soul.

1-hour Zoom session

Click here to RSVP by March 18, 2021 >>

Wednesday, March 10, 2021

12 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. EST

Our City, Our Stories: Author Talk with Sadeqa Johnson and Marita Golden

During this author's talk, I interviewed Sadeqa Johnson LIVE on the DC Public Library’s Facebook page and YouTube channel about her newly published historical novel, "Yellow Wife." "Yellow Wife" is a harrowing story that follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Sadeqa is originally from Philadelphia, and is a former public relations manager, a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow and the author of three additional novels.

1-hour LIVE session

Watch the author talk here >>

Saturday, February 20, 2021

12 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. EST

Creative Conversations with Marita - Special Guest Wil Haygood, Author of The Butler

I had the pleasure of interviewing award-winning biographer Wil Haygood. Wil has written biographies of Adam Clayton Powell, Sammy Davis Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson, and wrote the book that inspired the film The Butler, which starred Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker. He has also written Showdown Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America. Our conversation about Black heroes, Black history, and his forthcoming book "Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Film in a White World" was provocative, informative, and entertaining. We discussed the amazing Black lives he has captured and the trials and triumphs of Black actors since the dawn of the age of film.

You can pre-Order Wil's new book, "Colorization One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World" here >>

1-hour Zoom session

Watch the interview here >>

Saturday, January 2, 2021

12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST

Zoom Q&A: First Page to Finished On Writing and Living the Writer’s Life

Inspired by my nearly 40 years as an author and teacher of writing, in this book I share with you everything I know and everything I have learned about how to write well and how to find community and satisfaction in the process.

Get First Page to Finished today and join me for a half-hour ZOOM discussion -- on Saturday, January 2, 2021 -- of how to get the most out of the book and answers to your most pressing questions.

1/2-hour Zoom session

Purchase the eBook here to participate.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EST

Literary Happy Hour

Let's virtually mix and mingle with our favorite libations (coffee, tea, mocktail ...). I'll take your questions as we celebrate:

  • My new website
  • My forthcoming new books, Black Does Crack Black Women How We Hurt How We Heal and First Page to Finished On Writing and Living the Writer's Life
  • And if you are ready to take the next step in your writing I have a class or service for you in 2021!

1-hour Zoom session

Please RSVP by December 18, 2020