Speak the Way You Write, She Said

“Jermaine,” Ms. Willard said, as she took the seat beside me. The other students elbowed each other on the way out the classroom. Looking me in the eyes, Ms. Willard asked, “Why don’t you speak the way you write?” I stayed up for nights on end… I tilted my head to the side. At theContinue reading “Speak the Way You Write, She Said”

Self-Care: Taking Care of You First

If you’ve ever been on an airplane, you’ve seen the attendants sashay along the aisles demonstrating what to do in the case of an emergency: secure yourself and oxygen mask first and then your children’s. The logic is, once you’re safe and secure, you can do the same for the little ones. Otherwise, you riskContinue reading “Self-Care: Taking Care of You First”

Six Years a Blogger: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

Six years ago I thought, “There should be a website about me where I voice my opinion.” That thought birthed WhoIsJreed.com AKA TheReedersBlock. This was before I became an Adjunct English Professor. At the time, I was a grad student navigating the nuances of higher learning and finding my voice. I couldn’t have predicted theContinue reading “Six Years a Blogger: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful”

Five Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt in Job Seeking

J Reed, MFA is a college professor and writer from Chicago, who writes fiction, nonfiction and local and national news stories. Subscribe and share to get new self-help articles. Follow him on Twitter @jreed913. For as long as you could remember, you’ve been working in fast food or as a cashier. You’ve thought about changingContinue reading “Five Ways to Overcome Self-Doubt in Job Seeking”

Social Media’s Impact on Black Millennial Relationships

Self-Publishing “Guru” Emeka Ossai’s New… Scam 🤷‍♂️???

A few weeks ago, self-proclaimed self-publishing “guru” Emeka Ossai announced plans to close his My Self Publishing Blueprint course. I had written a blog on Emeka where I questioned his claims of the self-publishing success on which he founded the legitimacy of his course. I was relieved recently to see he was closing the course,Continue reading “Self-Publishing “Guru” Emeka Ossai’s New… Scam 🤷‍♂️???”

F*ck Those People: Take Control of Your Own Life

In life, we sometimes struggle and then have to deal with bad advice from nosey people. We have a problem at home, and our best friend becomes a relationship counselor. Or a coworker overhears you in a disagreement over the phone and feels the need to chime in with their opinion. It’s time for youContinue reading “F*ck Those People: Take Control of Your Own Life”

Abbott Elementary: A Step Back Concerning Women?

Jermaine Reed, MFA is a college professor and writer from Chicago, who creates fiction, nonfiction and local and national news stories. Please join Jermaine’s email list to get notifications on new blog posts, writing advice and free books. Get his recently released Science Fiction novel A Glitch in Humanity by clicking here. Follow J ReedContinue reading “Abbott Elementary: A Step Back Concerning Women?”

Jay-Z and Meek Mill Team Up to Save Rap Music