The Reading Culture Unintentional Monsters: Tiffany D. Jackson on Real Horrors and Core Memories
Some of the most unsettling monsters don’t come from nightmares or ghost stories. They walk among us in daylight, smiling widely and blending in. They can be shaped by our environments, our circumstances, or people’s choices—and in stories, as in life, they challenge us to look closer and see the human before the horror.
Tiffany D. Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Allegedly, The Weight of Blood, Blood in the Water, and many more. She received of the Margaret E. Edwards Award, honoring her significant and lasting contribution to teen literature. She blends real-world horrors with the sharp tension of a thriller, always keeping our emotions and nerves on edge!
In this episode, Tiffany shares how her own encounters with “unintentional monsters” have shaped her writing. She opens up about how growing up between Brooklyn and Westchester sharpened her view of the world and the people in it. Tiffany also talks about finding her voice in film school, why stories like Monday’s Not Coming are drawn from real-life cases, and how fiction is her way of building empathy where the headlines fall short. Buckle up for a gripping episode from Tiffany’s very first anecdote about a childhood horror.
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Tiffany’s reading challenge celebrates African-American horrors and thrillers, genres she’s been questioned for writing.
Peruse selected titles and Tiffany’s full reading challenge for free at thereadingculturepod.com/tiffany-d-jackson
This week's Beanstack Featured Librarian is once again Kelly Shelton, an elementary librarian for Garland ISD in Garland, Texas. She shares how building a strong reading culture goes beyond the library—into the hallways, the bus line, and even your students' plays!
Show Chapters
Chapter 1: Unintentional Monsters
Chapter 2: Take Me Back to Brooklyn
Chapter 3: What Happened to You?
Chapter 4: A Safe Harbor
Chapter 5: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Chapter 6: Core Memories
Chapter 7: Reading Challenge
Chapter 8: Beanstack Featured Librarian
Links
- The Reading Culture
- The Reading Culture Newsletter Signup
- Follow The Reading Culture on Instagram (for giveaways and bonus content)
- Tiffany D. Jackson
- Tiffany D. Jackson Instagram
- Their Eyes Were Watching God
- Sister Souljah
- Lockdown TV Series
- Beanstack resources to build your community’s reading culture
- Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Host and Production Credits
Host: Jordan Lloyd Bookey
Producers: Mel Webb and Lower Street Media
Script Editors: Josia Lamberto-Egan, Mel Webb, Jordan Lloyd Bookey