Fictional & Non-fictional Musings from The Shadow Self
As a debut artist, Alimah rode the old school hip-hop, nu-rave, and hypebeast popularity during the mid-2000’s MySpace days (yes, I’m showing my age). Artists like M.I.A., Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and NERD, Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, Santigold, and Kelis were a big part of the style in this era. In her debut years, at... Continue Reading →
Alimah is the main character of my novel Ungrateful. She is a singer-songwriter, composer, and producer that was signed to Aten from 2006-2015. She recorded music in the genres of alternative rock, industrial rock, R&B, and funk. Starting out as an R&B singer and dancer, she has transitioned into rock alternative on her sophomore album, showcasing... Continue Reading →
This year I teamed up with other literary experts at Literature & Pen to design and lead workshops for writers, readers, and others! So, I'm starting 2022 off pretty well. 👩🏽✍🏽 The title of my workshop is "Un-stereotyping: “Decolonizing” Offensive and Racial Tropes in Ethnic Literature". I will discuss the history of various racial tropes... Continue Reading →
...I was also writing my graduate thesis. 😱😭 I had started writing the novel (which was probably the fifth or sixth freakin' rewrite) back in 2020. That was a lot. But I did it. 🥳🎉 So, I'm sharing the graduate thesis that I have written and finished this past summer. The major theme of my... Continue Reading →
Book talk on Black women in the rock industry and their fight against sexism, misogynoir, and ageism.
Alimah Kebede, a singer-songwriter, breaks barriers in alternative rock with chart-topping hits and high-grossing tours, at the cost of losing her sanity—and almost her life. Inspired by Me Too and its international impact, “Ungrateful” is a tale of a young Black woman’s spiritual battle against drug addiction, racism, and a sexually abusive CEO of a record label.
Kenya Nelson | Writer 