Lisa Braxton is the author of the novel, The Talking Drum, winner of a 2021 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards Gold Medal, overall winner of Shelf Unbound book review magazine’s 2020 Independently Published Book Award, winner of a 2020 Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, and a Finalist for the International Book Awards. She is an Emmy-nominated former television journalist, an essayist, and short story writer. She is on the executive board of the Writers Room of Boston, a writing instructor at Grub Street Boston, and the president of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in mass media from Hampton University, her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern University and her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Southern New Hampshire University.

The Talking Drum 

Reviews

“A book that is sensual, fraught, and above all, human.” —The Boston Globe

“Themes of race, class and culture are skillfully woven throughout.” — Ms. Magazine

“Bridgeport native’s novel depicts a distant, but familiar, time.” — The Connecticut Post

“With an insider’s eye for nuance, Lisa Braxton captures both the powerlessness and the resilience of communities threatened by urban development. At once tragic and hopeful, The Talking Drum is a heartfelt exploration of the deep roots of gentrification, brimming with vitality and richly drawn characters.”
–Wil Medearis, author of Restoration Heights

“The Talking Drum, set in the early 1970’s, deftly weaves the stories of three young, struggling couples living near Petite Africa, a community of African and West Indian immigrants. Issues of gentrification, race, gender politics, and class inform this propulsive story, but at its heart, this is a novel about who you love and who becomes your home. A moving and skillful debut.”

–Stephanie Powell Watts, author of No One Is Coming To Save Us