I bought my daddy’s glasses by accident—but every time I put them on, I see his face staring back at me. This episode is about the lenses we inherit: my father, who came from Trinidad in the 1960s chasing the promise of America; my own optimism in 2008 when Barack Obama was elected; and the sharper, harsher vision I have of the world today.Through these glasses, I look at what America once promised, what it is now, and what it could be again.
Along the way, I share books from the 1960s—by Baldwin, King, Malcolm X, Friedan, and C.L.R. James—that help us understand both my father’s era and our own.
📚 This week’s indie bookstore spotlight: Read It Again Bookstore (via Bookshop.org).
📖 Preorder my upcoming historical fiction Fire Sword and Sea—a saga of Black and Indigenous women pirates carving their own freedom. Releases January 13, 2026.✨
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Key Words:
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Episode Notes & Extras
Find my full show notes, behind-the-scenes thoughts, and extras on Substack → vanessariley.substack.com
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