Abode Feature: An Interview with Founder & Director Diamond Braxton

"... the more we understand, the less we fear, and the more we love." Read on for more about Diamond, Abode's story, intersectional publishing, and cozy home vibes!

Welcome to our first feature! You can check out our first newsletter here.

We’re two months out from our official launch, and we can’t wait to read words that remind us of home. Things are busy behind the scenes, but Founder & Director Diamond Braxton and Senior Poetry Editor & Substack Enthusiast SG Huerta took the time to talk about how Abode came to be. Keep reading for Diamond’s perspectives on intersectional publishing, home, and launching a press that’s a year in the making!

On starting Abode, you said you had an idea for an all-inclusive press back when you were at the University of Houston. Can you talk more about that?

I was completing my undergrad at the University of Houston, and my best friend, Michael Zendejas was volunteering for Glass Mountain, the undergraduate literature journal at UoH, and he talked to me about its operations, what he liked, what he didn’t like… and we started dreaming up our own little version of a press we’d run in the future, when we had our lives together. Although Mike and I didn’t become co-Founders, he did still join me on Abode and is the Senior Hybrid Acquisitions Editor, and it feels so special to have someone who was there with me from the start of this idea be a part of Abode’s masthead.

What ultimately cemented my dream into a reality is the current book banning crisis, attacks on equal representation, and the changing political climate towards marginalized people. To decide to start an intersectional, anti-racist press during one of the most intense political climates with culture wars and book banning was not a coincidence. Most publishing houses are in the North, and the gap needs to be bridged so that QTBIPOC+ writers can be represented by presses that live locally, so that they are not expected to fly up North for events and so that they can be supported by a Press that lives in their backyard. This sense of building community is important so that writers know that they are not alone, and Abode Press is not just a publishing house; it is also a place that will build community, support its people, and be a safe place, while advocating for and publishing books that certain groups would like to see banned. Abode is a form of safety, empathy, and kindness, but also a form of resistance. We stand by the people we represent, and nothing will change that.

Building off of that, how did you choose the name Abode?

There were several ideas I had in mind when it came to naming the Press, however, when it came down to our values, Abode was the perfect match. Essentially, our goal is to publish work that reminds us of home, identity, and culture. When you walk into a person’s abode, you’re getting a deeper, fuller look into who that person is, from the way the home smells, to how it’s decorated, to all the cute posters, books, and knickknacks. Ultimately, when I try to imagine a painting that could depict the “vibe” of Abode Press, I imagine a diverse group of people rocking vibrant colors inside a cozy home filled with plants, love, and games. Abode Press is an inclusive space, and the work we select will embody that sense of home to allow us to further empathize and understand those who are different than us. Because the more we understand, the less we fear, and the more we love.

Is there anything you’ve read, watched, or listened to lately that embodies Abode’s mission and values?

The books that immediately come to mind that I imagine being published by Abode would be Lot by Bryan Washington because of its use of place in Houston and its diverse, queer characters; and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner because of how she unpacks her biracial identity through the passing of her Korean mother. 

In terms of things I’ve “listened” to that embody Abode and its mission, I actually discovered a podcast titled The Sum of Us, which is hosted by Heather McGee as she travels across America to find instances where activism and intersectionality intertwine to combat harmful legislation/practices that are harming marginalized groups. What was important about this podcast was that it wasn’t one group fighting for themselves, but instead, it demonstrated the power of a collective, of Black and White, of bridging the gap to fight together and the power in doing so. It reminded me of Abode because we are an intersectional, anti-racist organization and The Sum of Us holds those similar values and depicts them through masterful storytelling.

What do you hope to see in the queue when we open for submissions?

Great question! I’m hoping to see all kinds of writing. We’ll be accepting poetry, fiction, and hybrid manuscripts to start, and I’m wanting to read works that fall in line with our values and remind us of home, whatever that means to the author. We aren’t anti-genre, so it would be great to see some works with horror coding, speculative elements, and magic to get the message across. Stories with a strong sense of place are along the lines of what we’re looking for because envisioning where we are creates a sense of home, though these lines can be blurred– is home the place you were born? Is home with your chosen family? Is home a different planet that accepts you for who you are? We’re truly excited to read anything our submitters come up with as long as the work is respectful to our readers and avoids harmful content (racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc). Our team is comprised of some of the most diverse, talented writers and readers I know, and I know they are just as excited as I am to see what authors are going to be submitting once we open on August 15.

Who are some of your inspirations? Literary and otherwise.

For literary inspirations, I’ll have to go with writers such as Octavia Butler, Mariana Enriquez, Carmen Maria Machado, and Kali Fajardo-Anstine. Each of these authors uses the speculative, the spiritual, the ancestral, to explain, process, and expand on political climates, identity, inequality, belonging, and activism. Outside of this, I’m really inspired by so many writers, community organizers, and people standing up and fighting for what’s right. It’s challenging to exist in a nation where our identities and beliefs are constantly being attacked, and so right now, any person who is committed to fighting against this rhetoric while demonstrating immense love for their people is inspiring me. The friends who send me positive notes of affirmations inspire me. I’m inspired by all the good I see in the world, because man, it can be easy to be distracted by all the bad. I can only hope that I impact my communities to a similar effect. We need more positivity in the world to keep us fighting for what’s right. 

What’s the last thing you read?

The last book I read was Mariana Enriquez’s new novel Our Share of Night (my review should be forthcoming in Porter House Review soon) and I’m always impressed with how Enriquez blends the supernatural, horror, and the fantastic to demonstrate the brutality of Argentina’s political climate. Though the book is over 600 pages, I was sad when it ended. The characters, the setting, the dark magic, and the discussions on class were so powerful and unique that I couldn’t put the book down. I highly recommend it to everyone!

We all know publishing is very white and very cishet. How does your experience as a queer person of color in Texas impact your writing life?

The interesting thing about being in the South is that it is both White and not. In academic settings, while I tend to be surrounded by cis, hetero, White classmates and instructors, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of professors and writers of color I’ve had the honor of working with and learning from. I’ve traveled to very inclusive, accepting cities such as Seattle, but, there is a reason these safe havens are mostly wWhite. In Texas, yes, our political climate is a nightmare, however, it’s a nightmare for a reason. This state has one of the largest populations of marginalized groups, and our state government will do anything in its power (legal or not) to keep us down, to control us, to prevent us from taking power, so that they can stay in power. To circle back to your question, being a queer person of color in Texas is actually not as lonely as one may think. There are so many people like me, building close-knit communities in the big cities like Houston and Austin, but also, I’m here in Central, TX getting a master’s and have been pleasantly surprised at the number of queer POC out here as well, and we’re all a part of the same fight, the same struggle. The sense of community in Texas is so powerful when you know where to find it. I mean, Texas was originally Mexico, so is it really that surprising?

When you’re not writing, editing, running a press, or taking MFA classes, what do you do to unwind?

Great question, I wish I knew the answer to this too. Haha! The main thing I’ve made sure to maintain daily is being active. Looking at computer screens all day has impacted my vision at an alarming rate, and so I’ve been making it a priority to go to the gym five times a week, take hikes, go on bike rides, and kickbox. Plus, who doesn’t love a serotonin kick?! Other than that, I focus on maintaining my relationships with my partner, my friends, and my community. Making sure I consistently surround myself with love and acceptance is an important fuel to help me keep pushing with the initiatives I believe in. Having that support system is everything. Also, it's the summertime, and there’s a river walking distance from my house. I think I’ll go explore that too, cause why not. 

There’s so much work left to do to make publishing equitable for all of us, but hearing Diamond’s vision and Abode’s place in it fills me hope. August 15th can’t come soon enough!

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Abode Press is a 501(c)3 nonprofit publishing press dedicated to uplifting underrepresented voices. Our values are founded on intersectionality, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, and empathy. We are set to launch August 15, 2023.