Hi, I'm Lavar Burton and this is Lavar Burton Reads.

Where in every episode I hand-pick a different piece of short fiction and I read it to you.

The only thing these stories have in common is that I love them and I hope you will too.

Well y'all, today we've got a powerhouse author in store for you.

Someone whose work I have been following for a very long time.

Tanana Rive Du is an award-winning author who teaches Black Horror and Afro-futurism at

the University of Southern California right here in Los Angeles.

You know that sunken place class you've heard about on the internet?

Yep, that's her class.

She is an executive producer on Shudder's groundbreaking documentary Horror Noir, a history

of Black Horror and she writes incredible horror and speculative fiction.

Today's story comes from her short fiction collection entitled Ghost Summer Stories.

I think most times when we think about historical fiction we're not thinking so much about

where it blends with horror but Tanana Rive does that so beautifully in this story which

is set in the South in 1838.

We are following a Black woman escaping from slavery with her love, a Native American man,

and when we meet them they are already part way through their journey.

Now the horror in this story comes from knowledge and with whom that knowledge resides.

So if you're ready let's take a deep breath.

And begin.

Free Jim's Mine by Tanana Rive Du.

May 1838.

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