URSA Live: A Night of Storytelling with Deesha Philyaw, Dawnie Walton, and Kiese Laymon

Join us for a special, live recording of the acclaimed Ursa podcasts, Short Fiction and Reckon True Stories, with hosts Deesha Philyaw (The Secret Lives of Church Ladies), Dawnie Walton (The Final Revival of Opal & Nev), and Kiese Laymon (City Summer, Country Summer). They’ll be joined onstage by debut authors Lawrence Burney (No Sense in Wishing) and Carrie R. Moore (Make Your Way Home).

Journeying from the streets of Baltimore to the concert halls of Lagos, No Sense in Wishing is a kaleidoscopic exploration of Burney’s search for self. This essay collection is a personal and analytical look at his home city of Baltimore, music from the global Black diaspora, and the traditions that raised him.

In eleven stories that span Floridian marshes, North Carolina’s mountains, and Southern metropolitan cities, Make Your Way Home follows Black men and women searching for places to call home. Steeped in history as it explores themes of belonging, inheritance, and deep intimacy, Moore’s debut collection invites us all to examine how the past shapes our present—and how our choices echo for years to come.

A reception and book signings will follow the event.