About Alice Randall

ALICE RANDALL

Professor and Writer-in-Residence

Department of African American and Diaspora Studies

Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities

Vanderbilt University

DEGREES:

1977-1981 Harvard University A.B. ‘81 Concentration: English and American Literature and Language

2012 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, Fisk University

CONTINUING EDUCATION:

NYU SPS SUMMER FILM INTENSIVE. 2018

TEACHING EXPERIENCE:

2006-Present Writer-in-Residence Vanderbilt University

Fall 2003 Visiting Lecturer Vanderbilt University

COURSES TAUGHT at VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (Created Course**)

African-American Presence and Influence in Country Music **

African-American Autobiography and Biography

Bedtime in the Briar Patch: African American Children's Literature **

Beginning Fiction Workshop

Black Detroit**

Blood Money: the Stories of Coal** (with Cecelia Ticchi)

Country Lyric in American Culture**

Federalist Papers (with Nick Zeppos)

Soul Food: in Text, As Text**

Soul Food: in Text as Text II** (African-American Environmental Justice)

Southern Food: in Text as Text** (With Cecelia Ticchi)

Real to Reel: African American Representation on Film

Reading and Writing Black America**

PUBLISHED NOVELS:

The Wind Done Gone. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Pushkin and the Queen of Spades. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Rebel Yell. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2009.

Ada's Rules. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2012.

Black Bottom Saints. New York: Amistad HarperCollins, 2020.

PUBLISHED CHILDREN’S NOVEL:

The Diary of B.B. Bright, Possible Princess. (Co-Written with Caroline Randall Williams) Nashville: Turner Publishing, 2012.

PUBLISHED NON-FICTION:

My Country Roots. (With Carter and Courtney Little) Nashville: Naked Ink, 2006.

Soul Food Love (With Caroline Randall Williams) New York: Clarkson Potter, 2015

PUBLISHED ARTICLES and CHAPTERS, A SELECTION:

"Washington's Black Elite." Washingtonian Magazine May 1982.

"Ah-ha Moment." O Magazine April 2001.

"The Wind Done Gone — From Scars to a Heart." The Los Angeles Times 2 May 2001.

Review of Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folk-tales from the Gulf States by Zora Neale Hurston. Elle December 2001.

Review of Interesting Women: Stories by Andrea Lee. Radcliffe Quarterly Summer 2003. "A fresh wind blows across Harpeth Hall this graduation season" Editorial. The Tennessean: 25 May 2005.

"The Unstoppable Missy Elliott." Elle July 2005.

"Touch of Eva." Review of Bliss by Danyel Smith. Elle August, 2005.

"Embrace Disaster: What I've Learned." Elle October 2005.

"What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas." The Honeymoon's Over: True Stories of Love, Marriage, and Divorce. Ed, Andrea Chapin and Sally C. Wofford-Girand. Warner Books. (February) 2007. Reprinted Elle March 2007.

“The Meta of Michelle” Elle September, 2007. Profile of Michelle Obama.

“His Voice for the Underprivileged was Strong even when his Body Wasn’t” Editorial. The Tennessean. 19 December 2007.

Review of Gentleman Jigger, A novel by Richard Bruce Nugent. Los Angeles Times. 24 February 2008.

“Barack in the Dirty, Dirty South.” The Speech: Race and Barack Obama’s ‘A More Perfect Union’. Ed., T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting. Bloomsbury USA. August 2009.

"The Sweet Spot" Oxford American. The Music Issue. December 2009. Discussion of black Opry star Lynda Martell.

"The Gritty South" Oxford American. The Food Issue. March 2010. Essay on Olive and Sinclair Chocolate.

"A Letter from Harper Lee." Garden and Gun. June/July 2010.

Why Black Bedtime Stories Matter More. AOL. Black Voices Channel.February 2011.

Out of Safe Hiding. Reflections on Shelby Foote. Chapter 16. April 2011.

Sunflowers and Yellow Roses: Motherlove. AOL. Black Voices Channel. May 2011.

Black History is Sweet Potatoes and Peanuts Huffington Post. February 2012.

"Black Women and Fat" Sunday New York Times the Opinion Pages, May 5, 2012.

"My Soul to Keep, My Weight to Lose" Essence Magazine. September 2012.

"About the Size of It" The Sunday Times (London), July 29, 2012.

“Cartography of Curves” Palimpsest Journal. 2012.

“Afterword.” Contemporary African American Literature the Living Canon. Edited by Lovalerie King and Shirley Moody-Turner. Indiana University Press. 2013.

“The Teachings of Guy Clark” American Songwriter Magazine. Print and Online. 2013

“Nashville” The Guardian (UK) Part of the “America Uncovered series. 2013.

"Lost in Translation" Forward. Bricktop's Paris: African American Women in Paris Between the Two World Wars and The Autobiography of Ada Bricktop Smith, or Miss Baker Regrets. Tracy Sharpley-Whiting. SUNY Press. 2015.

"Commensality" Forward. The Food Activist Handbook: Big & Small Things You Can Do to Help Provide Fresh, Healthy Food for Your Community. Ali Berlow. Storey Publishing. 2015.

"Resurrection Salad" AARP Magazine April-May, 2015.

"Making Beautiful Stories" Chapter 16, Re-published LitHub. 2015.

"Glori-fried and Glori-fied: the Mahalia Jackson Story" Gravy Quarterly. Winter 2015- 2016.

"Wise Ice" Elle Magazine. January 2016 issue.

“Beyoncé’s ‘Daddy Lessons’ is Classic Country.” American Song Writer Magazine. November. 2016

“That’s How I Got to Memphis.”(On Lil Hardin) Woman Walk the Line. University of Texas Press 2017.

“On A Bridge Called Rosetta’s Voice.” (On Rosetta Tharpe)Turning Tables NPR Music. 2019

“The Way They Strut.” Oxford American. Music/Winter/111Issue. November. 2020

“African Americans and Country Music Lil Hardint to Lil Nas X: The Genius of Black Country” chapter in Rivers of Rhythm African Americans and the Making of American Music, Edited by Dina M. Bennett, PhD. National Museum of African American Music. 2020.

Edited the OxfordAmerican Food Spring Issue, wrote “Food is Us”. 2021.

“Music from the Magic Box” Oxford American Winter Issue 2021

RECORDED SONGS, A SELECTION:

Randall, Alice, Mark O'Connor, and Harry Stinson. "The Ballad of Sally Anne." The New Nashville Cats. Perf. Mark O'Connor. Audio CD. Warner Bros. Records. 1991.

Randall, Alice, and Ralph Murphy. "Big Dream." The Thing Called Love: Music From The Paramount Motion Picture Soundtrack. Perf. Samantha Mathis. Audio CD. Giant Records / WEA. 1993.

Randall, Alice, and Adrienne Young. "Blinded by Stars." Plow to the End of the Row. Perf. Adrienne Young & Little Sadie. Audio CD. Addie Belle. 2004.

Randall, Alice, and Walter Hyatt. “Get the Hell Out of Dodge.” Music Train. Perf. Walter Hyatt. Audio CD. Sugar Hill Records. 1993

Randall, Alice, and Mark Sanders. "Girls Ride Horses Too." A Place Called Love. Perf. Judy Rodman. Audio CD. MTM Records. 1987.

Randall, Alice, and Steve Earle. "Halfway Home." Pre-Guitar Town Demos. Perf. Steve Earle. Audio CD. c.1984.

Randall, Alice, and Michael Woody. “A Hundred Years of Solitude.” The Woody’s. Perf. The Woody’s. Audio CD. Rounder. 1998.

Randall, Alice, and Courtney Little. "Little Red Rider." Samuel Springs Children’s Music Perf. Courtney Little. Audio CD. Lord Harry Music. 2005.

Randall, Alice, Carol Etheridge, and Mark Sanders. "Many Mansions." Many Mansions. Perf. Moe Bandy. Audio CD. Curb Records. 1995.

Randall, Alice, and Pat Alger. “Missing in Action.” Notes and Grace Notes. Perf. Pat Alger. Audio CD. Capitol Records. 1994.

Randall, Alice, Carol Etheridge, and Miriam Silver. "My Home Town Boy," All in Love. Perf. Marie Osmond. Audio CD. Curb Special Markets. 1990.

Randall, Alice and Matraca Berg. "The Resurrection." Sunday Morning to Saturday Night. Perf. Matraca Berg. Audio CD. Rising Tide. 1997.

Randall, Alice and Matraca Berg. "The Resurrection." Speed of Life. Perf. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Audio CD. NGDB Records. 2009.

Randall, Alice, Mark Sanders, and Verlon Thompson. "Small Towns (Are Smaller for Girls)." Cornerstone. Perf. Holly Dunn. Audio CD. MTM Records. 1987.

Randall, Alice, and Steve Earle. "She Can't Break My Heart." Uncut Gems. Perf. Steve Earle. Audio CD. Warner Brothers Records. 2001.

Randall, Alice, and Radney Foster. “Went For a Ride.” Del Rio, Texas 1959. Perf. Radney Foster. Audio CD. Arista 1992. Dual Tone 2001.

Randall, Alice, and Bruce Bouton. “Who’s Minding the Garden.” Wings of Victory. Perf. Glen Cambell. Audio CD. New Haven. 1992.

Randall, Alice, and Matraca Berg."Xxx's and Ooo's (An American Girl)." Thinkin' About You. Perf. Trisha Yearwood. Audio CD. UMG Recordings, Inc. 1995.

Randall, Alice, and Steve Earle. "You Tear Me Up." Uncut Gems. Perf. Steve Earle. Audio CD. Warner Brothers Records. 2001.

PRODUCED SCREENPLAYS, A SELECTION:

"Is There Life Out There?" (Music Video). For My Broken Heart. Perf. Reba McEntire. Screenplay by Alice Randall. 1991. ACM Video of the Year.

"XXX's & Ooo's." Screenplay by Alice Randall and John Wilder. Dir. Allan Arkush. Perf. Debrah Farentino, Andrea Parker, Nia Peeples, and Susan Walters. CBS.1994.

“Blue Blazer” Independent Short starring Joseph Edwards and Bjorn DuPaty. 2018.

DOCUMENTARY’S FEATURING ALICE RANDALL, A SELECTION:

Country Music by Ken Burns. PBS. 2019

“I’m Just Me.” American Masters (Charley Pride) directed by Barbara Hall. 2019.

SHORT FILMS FEATURING ALICE RANDALL, A SELECTION:

“Why is Country Music So White?” a film by Isaac Himmelman 2019.

“Cultural Inheritance” a film by LeeAnn Chisolm Morrisette and Elaine McMillion Sheldon. 2021.

TV / RADIO, PODCAST APPEARANCES, A SELECTION:

A Word on Words, with John Seigenthaler, PBS.

A Word on Words (Post Seigenthaler) WNPR

Black Authors Network, interviewed by Ella Curry

“Charley Pride, I’m Just Me” American Masters PBS

Conversations with Byllye and Niga, Black Women's Health Imperative Blogtalk radio

Country Music by Ken Burns (episode one and two) PBS

CNN Live This Morning, CNN.

Dennis Miller Show, CNBC.

First Wednesdays: Conversations with Byllye and Ngina

Fox News Live, Fox News Channel.

Fresh Air, interviewed by Terry Gross, NPR.

Hear and Now, interviewed by Robin Young, NPR

Inside Julia’s Kitchen Podcast

It’s Lit podcast

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Day Google Hangout lead by Jamie Oliver, Google+ Hangout.

Morning Edition, interviewed by Cheryl Corley, NPR.

Morning Joe, interviewed by Mika Brzekinski, MSNBC

Paul Mooney Panel. BET.

Tell Me More, interviewed by Michel Martin, NPR.

Talk of the Nation, interviewed by Neal Conan, NPR.

The Early Show, CBS.

The Evening Exchange, interviewed by Kojo Nnamdi, Howard University Television.

The Tavis Smiley Show, PRI.

The Today Show, NBC.

The Wil LaVeist Show

The Jennifer Keitt Show

Tom Joyner Morning Show

Voices from the Drum, interviewed by Gloria Taylor, WCLM.

What's the 411, interviewed by Sharon Kay, WFSK.

Written Conversation with Alice Randall, interviewed by Michelle Gipson, Blogtalk radio.

Selected PRESENTATIONS OF RESEARCH Since 2006:

"On Brown v. Board, Pushkin and the Queen of Spades, and Segregated Education in Texas"

Dallas Public Library/Tulisoma The South Dallas Book Fair Breakfast Keynote. 2006.

"America's Peculiar Poetry: The Metaphysical Poetry of the Country Lyric" English Speaking Union, National Meeting, Closing Address October 2006

"Reading to Survive: A Novelist recalls Reading as a Child" National Council of Teachers of English Confernce.Closing Address 2006

“On The Wind Done Gone: A conversation with Preston King.”

Race Relations Conference; Race Relations Institute Fisk U. 2006

Reading from The Wind Done Gone with members of Vanderbilt Creative Writing Faculty; AWP Conference, Atlanta 2007

“Recreating Women's History: An Evening With Alice Randall"

“Women in Country Music: Waitresses, Femininity and Class “University of Memphis 2007

Round-Table Discussion of Wind Done Gone and Pushkin and the Queen of Spades with Dr. Barbara Ching and Dr. Leigh Anne Duck. University of Memphis. 2007.

“Country Music 101; Faculty Seminar” Vanderbilt University 2007

“The Wind Done Gone: Conception, Publication, Reception.” Case Western Reserve. 2008.

“Gender and Sexuality in The Wind Done Gone.” Case Western Reserve. 2008.

“Coded Language and Other Cake Walks.” Case Western Reserve. 2008.

“My Country Roots.” Southern Festival of Books. 2008.

“The Female Physician in American Literature. A Second Opinion on Jewett, Howells, Phelps, and Percy.” Address to Tennessee Women in Medicine. 2008.

“Parody, Palimpsest, and Pain: Re-Inventing Dixie by Over-Writing Gone With The Wind.” University of the South. 2009.

“On, and from, Rebel Yell.” Fisk University. 2009.

“Birthing Cynara, Windsor, and Hope: a Novel Reader Turned Novel Writer (at forty) Reflects on: talking back, speaking up, well shaped silences; the scholars who played midwife to her fiction; and the novels her novels talk to from Epitaph of a Small Winner to The Coldest Winter Ever.” Penn State. Contemporary African American Literature: The Novel Since 1988 Conference. Keynote. 2009.

”Mother Maybelle’s Cookbook.” Southern Foodways Alliance, Symposium. U.Mississippi. 2009.

”The Baby Plot”. Tuskegee University. 2009.

“On Literature and the African-American Marriage Crisis” Faculty Breakfast Club (a group of Tennessee State, Fisk, and Meharry faculty founded a half-century ago). 2009.

“On Rebel Yell and the Civil Rights Movement in Nashville” address to Sigma Pi Phi, Chi Boule. Nashville,TN. 2010.

“On The Wind Done Gone, Pushkin and the Queen of Spades, and Rebel Yell.” Address to Nashville Chapter of Les Gemmes. Nashville, TN. 2010.

“Mentors, Muses & Monsters: Writers on Their Influences.” Panel. VA Festival of the Book. University of Virginia. 2010.

“On the African American Novel Post 1987 and Rebel Yell.” VA Festival of the Book. University of Virginia. 2010.

“On Rebel Yell” Short Story Lunch Hour. Nashville Public Library. Nashville, TN. 2010.

“On the State of Black Fiction.” Philander Smith College. Little Rock, AK. 2010.

Forum on African American Fiction. Panel. Mosaic Templars. Little Rock, AK. 2010.

“On Rebel Yell.” Arkansas Literary Festival, Little Rock, AK. 2010.

“Keynote.” Clarksville Writers Conference, Clarksville, TN. 2010.

“Rebels Who Yell” sponsored by the Kelly Miller Smith Institute on Black Church Studies and Black Seminarians. Vanderbilt University. 2010.

“The Color Purple.” Panel Discussion. TPAC Lunchbox Series sponsored by the Vanderbilt Community, Neighborhood and Government Relations Office. Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). 2010.

“On the Road to Epiphany: Alice Randall Reflects on God in the Pages of Her Novel Rebel Yell At the invitation of the Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture Program.” Vanderbilt Divinity School. 2010.

“Abel's Civil War: Confederate Generals Cleburne, Granbury,Adams, Strahl,Breckinridge and Jackson Viewed through the Lens of Blackness.” Public Library. Columbus, Georgia. 2010.

“African-American Foodways.”Crosstie Festival, Cleveland, Mississippi. 2011

“Notes on Standing between Sterling Brown and Donald Bogle” Issues in Critical Investigation Panel. Vanderbilt University. 2011.

“Stereotypes in African American Literature.” Black Academy of Arts and Letters. Dallas, Texas. 2011.

“Is Country Music Dead?” Panel Discussion. Sponsored by the Oxford American. Southern Festival of Books. 2011.

“Foodways as lens into African-American experience a patient-centered clinical experience.” Clinical Brown Bag. Department of Psychology. 2011.

“Women, Writing, and Country Music.”Country Music Television. Women's History Month Panel. 2012

“On Ada's Rules.” Alabama Festival of the Book. 2012

“The Arts in Nashville.” Panelist. Leadership Nashville.

“Uses and Mis-uses of Autobiography When Writing Fiction."Clarksville Writer's Conference. 2012

“Keynote”Essence Festival. New Orleans. 2012

“On Ada's Rules.” Downtown Atlanta Public Library. 2012

“On Ada's Rules.” Day of Eagles. Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 2012.

“Ada's Rules Applied” Tennessee State Fair. 2012.

“Narrative in Digital Age. “Congressional Black Caucus. Washington, D.C. 2012.

“Words with Teeth.” Old Dominion University. 2012.

"What the Food Culture Revolution Means for Your Life and Business." Address to the members of CABLE. Nashville. 2012.

“Keynote” JAMMN(JacksonAreaMinorityMentoringNurses)Scholarship Luncheon. 2012.

“Fairytale to Revive Real Women's Lives.” Keynote. Renewal House. 2012.

“Arts for Health Goals” Go Red for Women Leadership Breakfast. 2012.

“Ada's Rules Applied.”Fort Campbell, Kentucky.Women's Health Conference. 2012

“Watching ‘Yes, Ma'am’” Vanderbilt MLK Day Celebration. Film lecture and discussion. 2012.

“Cartography of Curves: Black Women and Eros in Prose and Pictures."

A Conversation with Rachel Eliza Griffiths [Photographer] and Alice Randall [Novelist]Sex in the 21st Century Symposium. Vanderbilt University. 2012.

“Keynote.” Phi Beta Kappa Induction. 2012

"Ada and The Built Environment.” HEAL Summit (Healthy Eating, Active Living).

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Nashville City Government.

"Ada's Rules and Obesity" Obesity Our National Health Crisis, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

“On "Soul Food Junkies" Panel.Sponsored by WNPT at the Downtown Public Library. Nashville.

"On the Evolution of the Fairytale." InsideOut of the Lunchbox Series. Panel. Vanderbilt at TPAC.

“Keynote.”Women's Health Empowerment Summit. Bridge Crossing Jubilee. Selma Alabama.2013.

"On Ada's App." Introduction of Ada's App to thought leaders at Meharry Medical College. 2013.

"The Academy in the Novel, and the Novel in the Academy" Panel Discussion. Oxford Conference for the Book. University of MS. 2013.

“On Kitchen Libraries." Panel.Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium. University of Mississippi. 2013.

"Are Black People Eating Ourselves to Death?" Invited talk, Vanderbilt NAACP.2013.

"On the uses of Art in the War on Obesity in America" Invited Keynote, General Meeting, Junior League of Nashville.

“Partners in Community Health: Creating Alliances to Help African-American Women Improve Their Health” Webinar designed in conjunction with NIH through the NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) presented by Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE).2013.

"On Living and Learning Communities and the Art of Creation "address to the 'Art Street' community of the University of Dayton. At Vanderbilt. 2014

"On the construction of masculinity and Glover's politics of peace." Introduction of Danny Glover. Vanderbilt. MLK Day Celebration. 2014.

"Constructions of Masculinity Informed by the County Lyric, On the Importance of Friend-Girls, Country Music, and Cowboying Up." International Boys School Conference. Nashville, Tennessee. 2014.

"On the Intersection of the African-American Experience and the Construction of Masculinity in the Country Lyric.” Avon Old Farms School. 2014.

"Changing Deathstyles into Lifestyles" Invited hour-long presentation to leaders in Governor Haslam's administration. Taped and streamed to government workers throughout the state of Tennessee.2014.

“The Black Green Kitchen a food justice conversation” with activist Ali Berlow. Miami Book Fair.

“Atticus Revisited: Reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman while Black.” 2015 Khalaf Al Habtoor Lecture at Illinois College. 2015.

"Mahalia with a side of Minnie" Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium. 2015

A conversation with Food Activist Ali Berlow.: Southern Festival of Books Nashville, 2015

"On Food Justice and the Black Church" Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD. 2015.

"On Food Justice, Soul Food Love, and Baltimore's Broken Heart" Baltimore Book Festival. 2015.

"Food Justice, Soul Food, and the Corporate Counsels of Color Community" Corporate Counsel Women of Color Conference Atlanta, GA 2015.

Leimert Park Village Book Fair. Los Angeles California. August 2015.

"A Mother Daughter Journey" Essence Festival. Women's Empowerment Stage. New Orleans, LA. Panel discussion including actress Lynn Whitfield. July 2015.

"Why Write About Food" University of the South, Panel Discussion, University of the South. 2015.

"Putting Health and History on a Tasty Soul Food Plate" Urban Outlook. Channel 5+. 2 Part Series. 2015.

"On Writing the Family Story, with Family" Salon 615 Nashville Public Library. 2015

"On Soul Food Love, Food Justice, and Food History." Morning Joe. MSNBC. 2015

“Organic Cooking a Food Justice Conversation.” Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Hollywood. Florida. 2016.

“History on a Plate: Soul Food Love.” Smithsonian, National Museum of American History. Washington, D.C. 2016.

“Sweet is the Opposite of the Blues” Panel Organizer and Panelist. Les Dames Des Escoffier International Conference. Nashville. 2019

“Lil Hardin: How Black is My Country” Vanderbilt Woman’s Club Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker. 2020.

Alice Randall & Caroline Randall Williams: Authors of Soul Food Love, Closing Keynote, Let’s Eat! Origins and Evolutions of Tennessee Food Exhibit Tennessee State Museum. 2020.

“Black Country: from Lil Hardin to Lil Nas X” Rotary Club of Nashville. 2020

“Black Presence and Influence on Country Music” Oz Arts.2020.

“Virtual and Virtuous Immersions: TheHistoryMakers Digital Archive a decade @Vanderbilt (2010-2020)” Keynote Address, University of Virginia, 5th Annual History Makers Higher Education Advisory Meeting. 2020

“CreativePower Hour” “How to Write your Own Liberation Story.” 2020

Queering Black History Month with the Black Bottom Saints, Google Fiber National. 2020.

“Introducing Black Bottom Saints” Public Library Association National Webinar

“Each for Equal,” an International Women’s Day Story: A Tale of Three Creatives International Women’s Day International Women’s Day, Keynote Speaker, Meharry Medical College.2020.

Words and Music with Alice (Jazz and Black West Virginia Coal Miners, Randall with Artist Rights Alliance. 2020.

Robert Hayden and the Black Bottom Saints, Fisk University. 2020.

“Lynette Dobbins Taylor and the Black Bottom Saints” Dallas Museum of Art. 2020.

“Alf Thomas and the Black Bottom Saints” Charles S. Wright Museum, Detroit Michigan. 2020.

“Introduction of the Black Bottom Saints” Princeton Public Library, Princeton, New Jersey. 2020.

“Love and Vigilance” Conversation with Angela Davis and Alice Randall hosted by Rosanne Cash. Thriving Roots American Fest. 2020.

“Black Bottom Saints,” Sewanee University Alumni and Faculty Book Club. 2020.

“Black Bottom Saints” Morgan Stanley Literary Brunch with Terry McMillan, Al Roker and more.

Vanderbilt Woman’s Club Black Bottom Saints Book Talk. 2020.

“Black Bottom Saints” Southern Festival of Books. 2020.

“Bricktop, Thomas Bullock and the Black Bottom Saints” John Egerton Award Panel, Southern Festival of Books.2020.

“A Novel Approach to Building Your Anti-Racism Toolkit and Self-Care in a time of Reckoning.” Dean’s Lecture. Vanderbilt School of Nursing.

“Black Bottom Saints in Kansas,” Kansas City Public Library. 2020.

“How to Find Hope, Healing and Unity in a Post-Election America, “Panel, MTSU virtual conference.

“How Did You Write that Book?” Craft Talk. Well Read Black Girl Virtual Conference. 2020.

“From Trauma to Transcendence with Alice Randall,” The Pen Pod, PEN America. 2020.

“Black Literary Arts: We Tell Your Stories Will You Preserve and Tell Ours?” Panel with Alice Randall, Edwidge Danticat, Tracy K. Smith,

moderated by National Book Award Winner Jeffrey C. Stewart. Hosted by the HistoryMakers Digital Archive. 2020.

“Reckoning & Requiem: LaVern Baker & Cultural Appropriation” Co-Moderator. Convener. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2021

“Black Bottom Saints, a conversation between Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Alice Randall.” 2021.

“Black Bottom Saints” Detroit Public Library. 2021.

“Black Bottom Saints” Wayne State University. 2021.

“Black Bottom Saints and Women in Politics.” Women’s Political Caucus, Nashville. 2021.

“Represent This! Black Bodies, Green Space, and Radical Self-Care” with Carolyn Finney. Middlebury College. 2021.

AWARDS, A SELECTION:

Madison Sarratt Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2021

NAACP Image Award Finalist Fiction Black Bottom Saints 2021

WINNER NAACP IMAGE AWARD 2016—Literary Work Instructional for Soul Food Love

WINNER PAT CONROY COOKBOOK PRIZE 2016 for Soul Food Love

BEST FOOD WRITING OF 2016 edited H. Hughes for Glory-fried and Glori-fied: Mahalia Jackson’s Chicken

WINNER Phillis Wheatley Book Award 2013 Young Adult Readers for B.B. Bright

WINNER Vanderbilt University Black Student Alliance Outstanding Faculty Award 2013

WINNER Distinguished Faculty Award from the Department of Athletics Vanderbilt 2013

NAACP Image Award Finalist 2013 –Young Adult Literature for Diary of B.B. Bright

ASCAP’s Silver Circle. Ryman Auditorium Silver Circle, 2008. Inducted (along with 10 others including Reba McIntire and Lyle Lovett).

"Outstanding Fiction" Award from The 1st Annual Mixed Media Watch Image Awards for Pushkin and the Queen of Spades. 2004

2004 Myers Outstanding Book Awards — Honorable Mention (Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights), for Pushkin and the Queen of Spades.

Hurston/Wright Legacy Award — Short list. 2002.

NAACP Image Award — Finalist. 2002.

Neuharth Free Spirit Award, $250,000. 2001.

ASCAP #1 Club Award, for "XXX's and 000's (An American Girl)" on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart and the Radio & Records National Airplay Chart. 1994.

SERVICE, A Selection:

Curb Catalyst Vanderbilt University 2012 to Present

Faculty Head of Stambaugh House, Martha Rivers Ingram Commons (2013-2017)

CEECH Committee Co-curricular Engagement External to the College Halls (2014-2015)

Faculty Standing Committee for Campus Planning Consultation on Campus Building Art Initiatives(2017-to present)

Sports and Society Initiative Charge Committee (2019-present)

Nominating Committee NAACP IMAGE AWARDS (2012 to present)

YADDO selection committee, literature

AFFLILIATIONS:

Member: ASCAP. Links, Incorporated. NAACP. Writer’s Guild of America, East. Southern Foodways Alliance.

CONSULTING:

Country Music by Ken Burns (all eight episodes)

Motown Museum, Detroit Michigan (review of entire museum)

National Museum of African-American Music (review of entire museum, and work on Black Country)

Tennessee State Museum (review of cornerstone exhibit on all Tennessee foodways; and work on African-American foodways in Tennessee)