A happy 2024 to you and thanks for visiting my website!

These webpages contain information about my broadcast productions, along with details about Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio, and Freedom (University of Illinois Press). Word Warrior is an engaging biography of Chicagoan Richard Durham (1917-1984), an inventive writer who was inducted into the  National Radio Hall of Fame posthumously in 2007. Please click on the video below for more information about my book.

Word Warrior was one of four nonfiction finalists nominated by QBR, The Black Book Review for its 2016 Phillis Wheatley Book Awards.  According to the African American Literary Book Club (AALBC), the Wheatley Awards recognizes “literary work and literary advocacy that transcends culture, boundary, and perception.”

And…check out the Word Warrior audiobook.  

It features the “Golden Voice” of award-winning narrator, Robin Miles.  To listen to a sample from this audiobook, click Here.

Murray Horwitz, host of WAMU-FM’s weekly The Big Broadcast show, interviewed me about the Word Warrior audiobook and Richard Durham’s fascinating life and writing.

Click below to hear the interview.

Want to enjoy a sample from the “Negro Cinderella: The Lena Horne Story,” the Destination Freedom radio drama that Murray and I talked about? Then click below. This clip reveals what happened to Lena Horne (1917-2010) during her first train ride into the segregated south from her Brooklyn, N.Y. hometown.

To hear the entire “Negro Cinderella” drama, as written by Richard Durham, click HERE.

MY BLOG

On my Blog page, I’ll offer what I hope will be interesting articles other information.  [Read More]  

Word Warrior was listed as one of  theroot.com’s Top (Ten) Nonfiction Books in 2015.  Click here for more details.

Attendees at one of my past book events said:

• Sonja D. Williams gave a dynamic presentation…[she is] an outstanding speaker.
• Great subject matter. Great author. Great Book.
• I really knew almost nothing about this writer, his times, etc. prior to the program. Excellent presenter.
• I want to thank Sonja Williams for illuminating why Richard Durham was a literary legend.
• Prof. Williams was amazing.Excellent! Very informative and interesting. Great talk!
• Little known media personality & history well worth knowing about.
• Good story about a heroic artist.