EGOT Winner John Legend Appears On This Week’s Episode of “Written Off” Podcast from Lemonada Media

There are some pretty interesting goings on in the podcast world and I just got hip to the Written Off podcast on Apple Podcasts. This one caught my attention because it features formerly incarcerated writers who might not otherwise have gotten a chance to shine. The host of the series, NAACP Image Award-nominee author and journalist Walter Thompson-Hernandez, is the perfect leader for the show as he deftly takes the guest on a journey that revisits their experiences in lockdown as well as celebrating their freedom and accomplishments despite any obstacles.

On this week’s episode of the Written Off podcast from Lemonada Media and “Insecure” star Jay Ellis, John Legend lends his voice as he performs the work of a formerly incarcerated young author, Jimmy Valdez. Following the reading, the host of the series (NAACP Image Award-nominee author and journalist Walter Thompson-Hernandez) opens an authentic dialogue with Jimmy about his experiences in the prison system and how his life has been changed through discovering his love for creative writing. New weekly episodes go live on Wednesdays. LISTEN TO NEW EPISODES HERE

Listen to this week’s episode below:

About Written Off

From Lemonada Media and Black Bar Mitzvah. A 13-part series highlighting formerly incarcerated young writers whose work will be read over the course of the season by notable talent. Vulnerable poems and honest stories play out against a tailored soundtrack with original music composed by Xander Singh of indie-electronica band Passion Pit. The voices of those locked up in the U.S. prison system have been all but written off, but no more. These aren’t voices you’ve missed; they’re voices that haven’t been heard.

Written Off is hosted by Walter Thompson-Hernández (California Love, The New York Times) and featuring notable creatives like John Legend, Issa Rae, Jay Ellis, Keke Palmer, Julio Torres, Karamo Brown, Yvonne Orji, Randall Park, and Jesse Williams reading the work of the young writers.

ABOUT LEMONADA MEDIA

Lemonada is a podcast network founded in 2019 by Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. The company’s podcasts share an unfiltered version of the human experience in a time of increasing polarization, in an effort to make life suck less. Lemonada provides a robust advertising platform, one that is nonpartisan and deeply engaging, with uniquely amiable host-read ads.

Walter Thompson-Hernandez

ABOUT WALTER THOMPSON-HERNANDEZ

Walter Thompson-Hernandez is a Los Angeles-based writer, director and artist. He is a former New York Times writer and author of The Compton Cowboys: The New Generation of Cowboys in America’s Urban Heartland, which earned a NAACP Award nomination for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author. The book is currently in development as a film for Searchlight Pictures. Most recently, Walter created and hosted an audio memoir titled California Love for LAist Studios. Walter was recently named as one of Variety’s 2021 10 Storytellers to Watch.

ABOUT BLACK BAR MITZVAH

Black Bar Mitzvah was started by Jay Ellis and Aaron Bergman in early 2018. The idea behind the company is to champion emerging, underrepresented creators and storytellers to tell stories about worlds we think we know from a unique and fresh point of view. Black Bar Mitzvah focuses on developing everything from digital projects, short films, television shows and features. Since its launch, the company has set up television projects at New Form, Sony, FXX, and HBO as well as a feature at Columbia/Sony.

Jay Ellis

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About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.