Good Grief and Good Times: Convo with Angela Nissel + Aja Graydon Dantzler

ABOUT THE EVENT

Join us on Sunday May 24th for a lovely mid day celebration for the book release of Angela Nissels' Good Grief, Pass The Bread Mom is Dead.

Enjoy a funny and inspirational conversation with Angela led by Aja Graydon of Kindred The Family Soul. You'll also enjoy a DJ set by Flygirrl.

This is an indoor and outdoor event at Annex at The Divine Lorraine with cash/card bar and lite bites. Incase of rain, the event will move indoors.

TICKET OPTIONS

TICKET w/ BOOK: This ticket guarantees a seat including a book available for pick up at the event.

TICKET (No Book Included): This ticket DOES NOT include a copy of the book but guarantees a seat. Books may be available for purchase in-store.

SIGNED BOOK: Angela will be signing books at the event.

ABOUT THE BOOK

TELEVISION WRITER, PRODUCER, AND BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE ACCLAIMEDTHE BROKE DIARIES AND MIXED CHARTS HER UNEXPECTED ROLE AS HER TERMINALLY ILL MOTHER'S CARETAKER IN THIS FUNNY, MOVING, AND UNFORGETTABLE MEMOIR.

Angela Nissel always wanted her mother’s approval. But two defining events created a barrier between them: renouncing Christianity and being admitted to a psychiatric ward— events that mirrored failed parenting to her mother.

Beating her depression, Angela moved to Los Angeles where she quickly achieved success as a television writer but soon after found herself dead broke and enduring a painful divorce. It was at this low point that she received heartbreaking news: her mother had cancer. Angela moves her mother to Los Angeles where she attempts to hide foreclosure notices and her live-in boyfriend while also trying to save her mother’s life with everything from crystals to celebrity doctors. Still, her mother succumbs to her cancer.

In this poignant and hilarious memoir, Angela chronicles her odyssey as she tries to remain “strong” like her mother in the face of grief. Delightfully self-deprecating, unsparing in its honesty, yet filled with wacky humor and joy, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead, is an unforgettable portrait of love, yearning, loss, and resilience that reveals the indelible power of introspection to save our lives.

ABOUT ANGELA NISSEL

Angela Nissel is the author of the national bestselling comedic memoirs The Broke Diaries and Mixed, and a prolific television producer and writer whose credits include The Other Black Girl, Mixed-ish, and Scrubs. Prior to her television career, she had illustrious careers as a temp for the IRS, a stripper, and a “sleep apnea auditor” watching people snore overnight in a local hospital. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys beating people half her age in video games.

ABOUT LAIYA ST. CLAIR

Laiya St. Clair is an award-winning on-air personality, content creator, and talent booker with a career spanning more than 25 years across radio, podcasting, live events, and cultural storytelling. A native of Washington, DC, Laiya began her journey in media at just 13 years old, volunteering for Cathy Hughes, founder of Urban One. After graduating from Clark Atlanta University, she moved to Philadelphia where she went on to host and produce multiple radio time slots and morning shows, making history as co-host of Radio One’s first all-female morning show. Her impact on the airwaves earned her a Proclamation from the City of Philadelphia.

Laiya later served as a Consultant and Content Producer for the Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (Visit Philly), where she curated and produced a visual library celebrating the city’s vibrant arts and cultural landscape.

Building on her radio foundation, Laiya expanded into the podcast space as co-creator, host, and producer of award-winning shows including Questlove Supreme, Visit Philly’s Love + Grit, and Jill Scott Presents: J.ill the Podcast, earning multiple Webby Awards and NAACP Image Award nominations.

Her work extends far beyond podcasting. Laiya has appeared as featured talent on platforms including Music Choice and has led conversations for institutions such as the National Museum of African American Music and the Recording Academy’s MusiCares. A dynamic live host, she annually serves as master of ceremonies for DJ Jazzy Jeff’s Playlist Retreat and other cultural gatherings. Her voiceover work can be heard in national campaigns and on the Emmy-nominated animated series The Jam Van. Yes, in the words of Queen Chaka, she is every woman.....

ABOUT AJA GRAYDON DANTZLER

Aja Graydon and her husband have garnered critical acclaim for their work as "Kindred the Family Soul." In 2003, the duo garnered a Soul Train nomination. Three years later, Kindred was nominated for a BET Award. Graydon and Dantzler have worked with Grammy Award-winning recording artists like Jill Scott, India.Arie, The Roots and Snoop Dogg. Fatin and Dantzler reside in Philadelphia and have six children.

ABOUT FLYGIRRL

Stacey Wilson, also known as Flygirrl, has been an integral part of the Creative Arts and Nightlife industries in Philadelphia for 30 years. Her career has been shaped by her work in Marketing, Event Planning, Production + Promotion, Graphic and Web Design, Visual Arts, Murals, Teaching and most recently, DJing.

In addition to the countless events she has planned and produced over the past three decades, she’s the co-producer of the longest running weekly party in Philadelphia, Tastytreats, along with her partner, Questlove from The Roots. She’s produced private parties for Prince and Janet Jackson and public events with Artists like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Q-Tip, Biz Markie, Mos Def, De La Soul, Bilal, MC Lyte, Crystal Waters, Gang Starr and so many more.

She’s been named a Philadelphia Creative Ambassador by The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Board and has recently been awarded a citation from The City of Philadelphia for her dedication to the Arts and Nightlife scene over the past 30 years..Stacey has had her Artwork featured on MTV’s The Real World Philadelphia and UPN 57’s Half & Half, and she curated and has several pieces of Art published in Jill Scott’s book of poetry, The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours. Her murals currently live on the walls at The Fillmore in Philadelphia and One Art as well as numerous Amazon locations in Philadelphia and South Jersey. Her work is owned by friends like Amanda Seales, DJ Jazzy Jeff and television Producer, Yvette Lee Bowser

Her Graphic and Web design work has also been an integral part of the nightlife and restaurant industries throughout her career as she was a go to designer for many promoters, Artists, DJ's and entrepreneurs as well as being the Manager (Zanzibar Blue + Brave New World) and Creative Director for the Bynum brothers (Zanzibar Blue, SOUTH, Warmdady's, Brave New World, Green Soul etc) for 20 years.

ABOUT HARRIETT'S BOOKSTORE

Harriett’s Bookshop is a small, black-owned business located in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Its mission is to celebrate women authors, artists, and activists in honor of historic heroine, Harriet Tubman. Six weeks after the store’s grand opening on February 1, 2020, Harriett’s was forced to close their doors indefinitely as the COVID-19 virus ravaged communities throughout the world. Many small businesses were unable to survive this devastating time, but shop owner Jeannine A. Cook employed unconventional methods to keep the business afloat—she moved the inventory outside and sold books on the honor system; she delivered books on horseback to children throughout the city. In the following year, business expanded to open Ida's Bookshop in Collingswood, NJ and, most recently, Josephine's Bookshop in Paris. In 2024, Harriett’s continues to thrive on the corner of Girard and Marlborough where the story first began.

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