Permission to Write is a community for Black writers. This podcast invites writers to talk about publishing, craft, life and culture.
permissiontowrite.substack.com (https://permissiontowrite.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)
Ashley M. Coleman opens with a publishing roundup before moving into a wider conversation about what it means to tell the truth on the page when the internet is ready to react in real time. She reflects on the Nicole Hannah-Jones essay about public schooling, the responses it triggered, and the risks writers face when personal writing becomes public discourse.
Key topics
* Ashley Coleman discusses a New York Times opinion piece about awards, DEI, and the backlash around literary recognition.
* She highlights Kennedy Ryan’s expanding success, including her Hoops romance series being optioned by Netflix after news about her Skyland series. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/kennedy-ryan-having-hollywood-moment-222909182.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
* She discusses Nicole Hannah-Jones’ New York Times Magazine essay about choosing public school for her child in New York City. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/20/magazine/ny-public-schools-black-students-segregation.html
* Ashley reflects on the tension between individual parenting choices and collective responsibility, especially for Black families navigating unequal school systems.
* She shares how the essay prompted her to think about her own public-school experience in Philadelphia and the sacrifices her parents made.
* She questions whether readers are willing to extend grace to Black women writers when their work is vulnerable but not universally popular.
* She considers the consequences of writing truthfully, especially when personal essays become internet discourse.
* Ashley connects the conversation to a broader tradition of Black writers, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Nikki Giovanni, who wrote boldly about injustice.
* She ends by asking listeners what it means to write vulnerably and whether writers are ready for the attention their work can bring.
Edited by @officialdilemma
Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe (https://permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
15 Sept 2026
Episode 44: Writing with a 9 to 5
Ashley M. Coleman opens with a quick publishing roundup, including Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go series being greenlit at Peacock, and then shifts into the main salon topic: what it really looks like to write while holding down a full-time job. This episode pushes back on the romanticized myth of the full-time author lifestyle and makes the case that a day job can actually protect creativity, discipline, and lived experience.
This Week in Publishing
Romance powerhouse Kennedy Ryan announced that the series based on her book Before I Let Go has been greenlit at Peacock with an all-star team at the helm. Attica and Tembe Locke are the showrunners, and Malcolm D. Lee will be directing alongside the acclaimed author.
The best-selling Before I Let Go is the first novel in Ryan’s three-book Skyland series. It centers on a divorced couple, Yasmen and Josiah Wade, who are still drawn to each other.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kennedy-ryan-before-i-let-go-series-peacock-1236696830/ (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kennedy-ryan-before-i-let-go-series-peacock-1236696830/)
Ryan has the first, first look deal of its kind as an author and will be able to not only support her own books, but she will be able to champion others as well.
Ashley M. Coleman will be moderating a conversation with Dr. Latorial Faison and Deesha Philyaw on Oct. 13th as they discuss Writing the Women of the Black Church on Oct. 13th. This free event is a collaboration between the Wintergreen Women’s Writers Collective and Torch Literary Arts. We hope to see you there for a great discussion. https://wintergreenwomenwriterscollective.com/news/welcome-table-talk-6 (https://wintergreenwomenwriterscollective.com/news/welcome-table-talk-6).
Here at PTW, we just wrapped up our Read Like a Writer series in partnership with Rep Club here in LA, and what phenomenal conversations we had with authors Angela Nissel and Rasheed Newson. If you missed it somehow, you can head over to our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@permissiontowrite) to view the recordings.
Salon Topic
The advantages of writing with a 9 to 5:
* Takes the pressure off the art.
* Can help you take your writing time more seriously.
* Gives you experiences that you can take into your work.
Edited by @officialdilemma
Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe (https://permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
25 Aug 2026
Ep. 43 | We're Back!
Okay, life starts happening and the first thing to go is often projects we love the most. But we’re back. This podcast has been such a labor of love, and we need more spaces to talk about Black books. But this podcast is much more than books. We talk about publishing news, our read like a writer concept, craft and much more.
If you’re looking for something literary, but where we can laugh, incorporate pop culture, and deep dive business and books, you’re in the right place!
This week in publishing: We discuss Tomi Adeyemi and adaptions and hiring outside editors.
Our Salon Topic: Working towards a sophomore book release.
Edited by: officialdilemma
Get full access to Permission to Write at permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe (https://permissiontowrite.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
328
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
28
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
60
Contact Permission to Write Podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Permission to Write Podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
