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<\/p>\nWelcome to \u201cThe Sights + Sounds Show with Jene\u00e9 Darden, ” where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today\u2019s show: award-winning author Deesha Philyaw talks about her long-awaited debut novel \u201cThe True Confessions of First Lady Freeman.\u201d Then, the Bay Area book scene is about to tremble and rumble as Litquake prepares to host their 27th literary festival. Finally, writers and readers from around the world are coming to Oakland for an international fantasy convention.<\/p>\n
Today, we’re in the books and outside.<\/p>\n
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Deesha Philyaw \u201cThe True Confessions of First Lady Freeman<\/a>\u201d is about a woman who grew up poor and becomes wealthy as the first lady of a megachurch. But money doesn\u2019t buy her happiness. She enters a national beauty pageant for first ladies, and gets caught up in a big scandal. Her husband is more married to the church than her. And all kinds of secrets unfold in her life. <\/p>\n Like Deesha\u2019s first book, \u201cThe True Confessions of First Lady Freeman\u201d explores issues such as class, misogyny and sexuality in the Black church. Several years ago, Deesha spent close to a year in West Oakland. Host Jene\u00e9 Darden caught up with Deesha about her new book.<\/p>\n Litquake’s Executive Director Norah Piehl<\/p>\n Norah Piehl Litquake runs from October 8-24. Check out Litquake.org <\/a>for a full schedule of all of their events.<\/p>\n KALW\u2019s Hana Baba and Jene\u00e9 will be co-hosting “Where I’m From<\/a>.” They’ll explore stories of home with folklorist Tim Tangherlini and young adult author Ren\u00e9 Pe\u00f1a-Govea. That\u2019ll be at Monkeybrains in San Francisco on October 24th.<\/p>\n Photo Provided by Audrey T. Williams<\/p>\n Audrey T. Williams, co-chair of the 52nd World Fantasy Convention<\/p>\n Audrey T. Williams
Author Deesha Philyaw<\/a> rocked the literary scene back in 2020 with \u201cThe Secret Lives of Church Ladies<\/a>.\u201d The juicy, short-story collection earned her a PEN\/Faulkner award, an LA Times Book Prize and she was a finalist for the National Book Awards. Her long-awaited, debut novel is here and getting a lot of buzz. <\/p>\n![\"Litquake](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790822050_984_.jpeg\"\/)
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Soon, the Bay Area\u2019s literary landscape is going to shake, rattle and roll. The 27th annual festival Litquake<\/a> is just over a week away. Big headliners this year include writers: R. F. Kuang, Min Jin Lee, Hernan Diaz, Walter Mosley, and the Bay Area\u2019s own Natalie Baszile . That\u2019s just the short list. Other local faves will be part of Litquake. KALW\u2019s Hana Baba and Host Jene\u00e9 have something planned (see below). Litquake\u2019s Executive Director Norah Piehl<\/a> tells us what can book lovers look forward to this year. <\/p>\n![\"Audrey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790822051_365_.jpeg\"\/)
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Writers and artists in the Bay Area are preparing to welcome people near and far to the city of Oakland for the 52nd World Fantasy Convention. Guests of honor include: horror author Stephen Graham Jones, publisher Bill Campbell,, scholar John Jennings and Oakland\u2019s Jewelle Gomez. Writer Audrey T. Williams<\/a> is co-chairing the convention. She tells us what attendees can look forward to and how this convention will have an Oakland vibe. <\/p>\n