The brilliant Dr. Francesca T. Royster joins me to discuss her compelling new book, Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance. We also cover a wonderful array of issues facing us both personally and collectively. Francesca T. Royster is a native of Chicago’s South Side and a professor of English literature at DePaul University in Chicago, where she teaches classes on African  American literature and culture, Shakespeare, and gender and queer theory. She is the author of three academic books, Becoming Cleopatra: The Shifting Image of an Icon, Sounding Like a No-No: Queer Sounds and Eccentric Acts in the Post-Soul Era, and Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions. She received her PhD in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley. Her essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Chicago Literati, and Feminist Studies, among others. She lives in Chicago. Subscribe for Free to Never Miss an Episode Click the appropriate link to follow the show so you get every episode of What Matters Most as soon as they're available! Your Review of What Matters Most Helps the Show Reach More People! If you enjoyed this -- or any! -- episode of the What Matters Most podcast, please leave a review of the show! Reviews help boost the show in rankings, which makes it more visible... and that means more listeners! It's a great way to spread the word about What Matters Most! Create your review - click here! Help Support Future Episodes! What Matters Most is 100% listener supported by generous pledges from people just like you. Did this episode speak to you? Please consider pledging your support for as little as $5.00 per month... or pledge at higher levels and enjoy perks like a guided meditation audiobook, a library of Paul Samuel Dolman e-books... and more! Read the Book That Inspires the Show Paul Samuel Dolman, author, podcaster, and speaker, presents What Matters Most (the book!) a series of interview transcriptions from more than twenty inspirational Nashville and Tennessee residents, including special guest the journalist and author Bill Moyers. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, former Governor Don Sundquist, Academy Award-winning actress Patricia Neal, Grammy Award-winning entertainer Wynonna Judd, and many more share intimate and inspirational aspects of themselves. This twentieth anniversary edition also features bonus material from thirty more notables from Tennessee, including local business owners, spiritual leaders, coaches, radio personalities, authors, and educators.