This is a list of how you can tell you’re on the right track to blogger success. — I want to be an expert on this platform, but I’ll settle for being a regular earning contributor. I notice that this place draws highly motivated, intensely creative people. I’m beginning to understand the difference between writers who only believe they’re highly motivated and those who are. I’m slowly—ever so…

Percival Everett’s classic novel opened a door to my triple-consciousness. — Before the first global pandemic of my life, I went to Nigeria to witness a beautiful wedding. That experience changed me in so many ways. I wrote an essay that was more like the story of water and the lacking infrastructure there. …

Is it possible that a show can lose good faith it never had in the first place? — When I think of the great interview shows specifically catered to Black entertainers, few generated as much mass hatred as The Breakfast Club. The beloved stops, like Don Cornelius’s Soul Train, Donnie Simpson’s Donnie Simpson Show, and BET’s 106th and Park, made a tacit agreement with artists and fans: we…

This essay is a “Thank You” letter to a friend. — Pretty, We used to make trips out to the parks where you played. I never knew envy so pronounced as when I saw you play basketball. That was my introduction to envy, actually. You could cross the ball over between your legs consecutively, jab-step, and fly to the hoop. …

How do I fit into both groups? — Basketball is my steadiest habit other than writing. If you’ve been to my blog, you know that. If you haven’t, welcome. I play a lot of basketball. This is my 39th year on the Earth, and I’m better at basketball now than when I was 25 or 30. That’s because…

Here are some useful resources for Black writers specifically. — I write on Medium because I like how it works. While many platforms tout free expression and go up for The First Amendment, they lack the moderation backbone to make it safe for people who endure violent speech. My blog here isn’t like that. …

I debate whether or not I can retire from basketball at a new peak. — The more I write about my life, the more I grasp how little I know about my body. Today, I was in a virtual meditation with the same group I’ve described in other entries here. We’re all Black men studying Tantra practices and their benefits. I consider them friends like…

The basketball star’s plight symbolizes the long history of U.S. imperialism and racism hand in hand. — Brittney Griner now occupies an unprecedented place in history. She’s one of the most accomplished athletes ever. And her imprisonment makes her a totem of America’s struggles with race, class, gender, and sexuality. Sadly, there’s no neat answer when it comes to the dilemma her country faces to free her…

Celebrities like Aaron Rodgers can celebrate drug use, but others can’t. — I read about sports and the goings-on of athletes daily. I like knowing a city’s current mood about the tactics their local teams are using to get better or worse. Athlete careers create strong metaphors for everyday society. That’s why I chose the following prompt. Football and basketball players keep…