Experience Radiance's Poetry
From a collection of hundreds of original poems, these selected works have been featured on CNN, NPR, and prominent podcasts. Explore performances and samples below.
CNN Feature: An Interracial Love Story and a Poetic Tribute
In 2019, I wrote a series sharing the love stories of interracial Baha'i couples— never imagining that two years later, the producer of CNN’s “This Is Life With Lisa Ling” would reach out after reading it.
Moved by how open, accepting, and encouraging the Baha'i Faith is of interracial marriage, they asked for my help connecting them with Baha'i couples. Lisa Ling’s team later traveled to our state to interview Maxine and Jim Oliver—the couple featured in the very first article of my series. We spent a beautiful, joy-filled day honoring their 55-year marriage, surrounded by a spirit of love, unity, and celebration.
In the CNN segment, you can also hear me reciting the first stanza of my poem, “A Love at First Sight Story,” written in tribute to Maxine and Jim. Watch to see the full segment.
Podcast Feature: How I Created Beauty From Pain
What does it mean to, as I call it, create beauty from pain? The more I humble myself to tests and learn from the lessons they give, the more I notice their potential to create repercussions of beauty—if we let them.
Join me in this episode of the Moments of Meaning podcast, hosted by Sean Hinton, as I share spiritual quotes that change the way I approach hardship, discuss how poetry healed my heart and empowered my voice, and recite poems I wrote about the significance of having patience, faith, and steadfastness as we navigate our life’s journey.
NPR Interview: Misogynoir, Mental Health, and Poetry
What happens when racism and sexism intersect? The result is misogynoir—a unique form of discrimination that endangers Black women and girls.
In this conversation on NPR's "Analyze This," my mother, Barbara Talley, and I discussed the traumatic realities of missing and murdered Black women, maternal mortality disparities, and the mental health toll of living under constant hostile sexism. I shared my poem "The Mask," which explores the pressure to hide our pain and the courage it takes to be authentic.
Listen to hear our full conversation and learn about our poetry event in St. Thomas.