Scripted fiction podcasting has reached unprecedented heights with more and more writers moving into the space to tell their stories.
On June 17th, the WGA Audio Alliance will discuss the stories Black male podcasters are telling and how by doing so, they are rewriting the narrative of Black men that is often perpetuated by the ongoing climate of racism in America.
Our panelists’ stories explore a relationship formed during the pandemic – twenty years later; a rebellion in 2185 between an enslaved species of humans and their oppressors; the experience of exploring one’s sexuality while living away from home for the first time; the drama and comedy of working in an American call center; and a young boy’s quest to assist a princess in saving her kingdom after being transported there by a magical book.
Whether or not a story is explicitly about race, it is informed by the writers’ experiences, and the WGA Audio Alliance hopes you will join us in discussing with the panelists why they have chosen to tell these stories as they share their experiences telling them as Black men in the podcast space.
About the panelists:
Mark Millien (Writer, Director, Producer of “COVID39” podcast)
Creator of The Hidden Scribes and COVID39 podcasts, a contributing writer for http://cbr.com/, blacklove.com, and others, and a film screener for the Austin Film Festival. Moderator of various literary events, including the Big Texas Read. Grew up in Brooklyn, matured in the ATL, and parenting two young boys, alongside an amazing, wife in Dallas.
Tavion Scott (Creator and Writer of “Majoring in Me the Podcast”, Founder of According to T)
Tavion Scott first answered his call to storytelling in 2015 when he launched his relationship advice website According to T. The widely celebrated site has become a space where queer men and women of color can seek thoughtful guidance on their love life without fear of judgment. Since that launch, Tavion has self-published the novel Majoring in Me: Acceptance (2016), created television scripts that have placed in numerous competitions, ghost-written for a Bravo TV personality, and developed two seasons of the audio drama Majoring in Me the Podcast (2020-2021), which have earned nothing short of rave reviews among listeners from all over the world. Tavion hopes his projects continue to diversify the representation of the Black American experience, and will be seen as a needed and distinctive perspective in the entertainment industry.
Richard Seneque (Writer, Director, Producer, “Visionaries Audio Drama”)
Richard Seneque is a New York-based writer, director, and producer. His most recent work is his fantasy podcast series, Visionaries Audio Drama, which he released to all podcast platforms in early 2020. Richard won the 2020 Best Producer Award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences for its outstanding production, and Visionaries was featured in Discover Pods’ 71 Best Podcasts of 2020.
Henry Sylverain (Creator and Writer of “How Can I Help You?: A Scripted Podcast, Founder of 8th & Rolle Media)
Born and raised on the island of New Providence, Bahamas, Henry Sylverain grew up in a Haitian household that nurtured his love for music and theatrical performances, spoken word poetry, and writing. This passion gained him a spot on Island/Def Jam’s Street Team, where he became an ambassador for hip hop, promoting artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Jeezy, Nas, Rick Ross, and many more. He has written for TheUrbanTwist.com, where he has a hip-hop column called “The Speakerboxxx”. Under his media and publishing company, 8th & Rolle Media, he wrote, and produced an audio podcast called “How Can I Help You?”; a dramedy series. He currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and recently became a father. Henry is writing his first novel, “Kingdom’s Bones”, under his author name H. Sylver.
Morgan Givens (Writer, Audio Producer, “Dispatches,” “Flyest Fables”)
Morgan Givens is a storyteller, writer and audio producer based in Washington, DC. A former producer for NPRs daily news and talk show 1A, he’s a graduate of the Transom Storytelling Workshop, an AIR New Voices Scholar, and the creator of the podcasts Dispatches and the fantasy fiction show Flyest Fables. Morgan has been featured on NPR, in the Washington Post and was named one of Variety’s 10 Storyteller’s to Watch, in 2021. When he’s not dreaming up new world’s and stories, he can usually be found gaming or lost in a book.
About the moderator:
Monice Mitchell Simms (Writer, Director, Producer, “Address: House of Corrections,” Flower Girl Productions)
Monice Mitchell Simms is an award-winning screenwriter, author, filmmaker, journalist, podcaster and a 2019 Producer Guild of America Diversity alum. “Redeemed,” the film she adapted to the screen, is currently streaming on BET+. And Monice also wrote, produced and directed “Carmin’s Choice” and “Rain,” for Showtime. Her historical fiction novel, “Address: House of Corrections” is currently a fan favorite audio drama on Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Apple scripted podcasts.
This event is open to both WGA members and non-members.