Nov. 15th Rhymes, Views & News Radio Interview with Dr. Haki Madhubuti



On Thursday, November 15th I interviewed both Founder of Third World Press, Haki Madhubuti and Randall Horton, Editor of Fingernails Across the Chalkboard (Third World Press). I initially schedule to speak with Dr. Madhubuti for fifteen minutes or so, but he was quite busy earlier in that day preparing for his trip to New York. My interview on Thursday started off with Randall Horton, a poet, author, Ph.D. student and editor of the April 2007 Third World Press anthology, Fingernails Across the Chalkboard, a work centering upon HIV/AIDS in the Black Diaspora. Randall was quite interesting to talk to and he informed me that he began his relationship with Third World Press while he was an MFA student in Creative Writing at Chicago State University (where Dr. Madhubuti is a Distinguised Professor). Randall spoke fondly of Dr. Madhubuti, as he described how the Third World Press family supported his moving from Washington, D.C. to Chicago, so that he could pursue graduate student. Randall is now a Ph.D. student at SUNY here in New York. Toward the end of my radio segment, Dr. Madhubuti called in and I was able to talk with him for a few minutes and wish him well for the celebration due to take place at The Schomburg the next day. Dr. Madhubuti expressed that Third World Press has a number of new titles coming out soon. It was a great interview segment and I received some positive feedback from my listeners. For those who may not be familiar with Dr. Haki Madhubuti or Third World Press, the legacy of this publishing organization is vast! Third World Press has published the most highly revered African American poets, fiction writers, and intellectual thinkers since 1967. The authors on Third World Press' roster include: Gwendolyn Brooks, Tavis Smiley, Mari Evans, Gloria Naylor, Sonia Sanchez, Pearl Cleage, Sterling Plumpp and many, many others. Many poets, authors and independent entreprenuers, have looked to Dr. Haki Madhubuti as an astounding example of how to build a business and an institution while serving others and walking with dignity.

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