Hey y’all, it’s Ava (Founder/Editor-in-Chief) here! Welcome to The Vine premium, an expanded version of Ebony Tomatoes’ monthly newsletter focusing on all things Black, queer, and decolonial.

Issue 24 is almost here!

The dog days of summer are in full swing, but the grind has not stopped here at Ebony Tomatoes Collective. We’re working hard to finalize our 24th issue on grief across the Black diaspora, which is coming out next month. I know I’m not supposed to choose favorites, but I’ll be honest. This is my favorite ETC issue. The quality of the writing, the depth of the stories, the ecstatic beauty of the artwork by Ava Angelin has blown me away. There’s a special nook in my heart for this one, and I’m confident it’ll carve out a space in yours, too. Here’s a first look at all of the writers featured in Issue 24:

Leïssa Romulus (She/her) is a Haitian immigrant who grew up in New Jersey. She graduated from Emerson College and majored in Writing, Literature, and Publishing. She currently works part time as a Bookseller at Giovanni’s Room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Kwyn Townsend Riley is a Black Queer womxn from the Southside of Chicago—a poet, educator, and activist who channels grief, joy, and justice into her work. She is David Kwynton's Mama, a mother to an angel, and her poetry honors both personal loss and collective healing. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, BLAVITY, ForHarriet, and The Chicago Reader, and she has performed at the Furious Flower Poetry Conference and universities nationwide. Kwyn is the author of two books, an award-winning poetry album, and is currently writing in Los Angeles.

Asia Follensbee (she/her) lives in Lexington, Kentucky, where she builds school finance systems by day and book nook models by night. A self-proclaimed blerd and takeout enthusiast, she’s happiest curled up with her husband, a good book in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other—unless her two clever, chaos-minded daughters are plotting mischief nearby. Simmer Low is her first officially published story, and hopefully not her last.

Noor Tannir (she/her) was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon and is currently based in New York, where she is pursuing her MFA in Creative Nonfiction at Sarah Lawrence College. She has previously worked as a Junior Curator for independent art initiative Barjeel Art Foundation in Dubai, UAE. She graduated from the American University of Beirut in 2018 with a BA in Art History and minors in Philosophy and Film & Visual Culture. Her personal essays have appeared in Haven for Artist’s 'ManbouZine,' UAE-based 'Postscript Magazine,' Şerābi Zine's latest zine-anthology, Northern Arizona University’s 'Thin Air Magazine,' Ohio University’s 'Quarter After Eight,' and miniskirt magazine.

JoliAmour DuBose-Morris is a writer and editor from Jamaica Queens, New York. Her work can be described as evocative, energetic, and experimental; an intentional voice that adheres to the experiences of Black women and girls. She is currently a 2025 Fellow for Brooklyn Poets, a 2025 Scholar for the Lewis Latimer Museum, and a 2024 PEN America Emerging Voices Finalist.

Marvelyn Ramirez (she/her) is an actress and artist born, bred, and based in East Harlem, New York. She is also the Executive Director of Dyke Theater Co, a lesbian theater collective and community space.

Amaya Branche (they/them) is a 22 year old creative writer and multimedia artist from Richmond, Virginia. They write mostly about queerness, Blackness, femininity, mental health, body dysmorphia and intimacy. Their work has been featured in Ouch! Magazine, Phase Zero, Daughter Zine, Breadfruit Mag, and more.

Eve Woldemikael (she/her) is an artist and Master of Divinity graduate from Southern California. As an Eritrean-American, she proudly draws from her African roots and ancestors in her work and life. As a writer, singer, and songwriter, Eve believes in the power of creativity and the joy of art-making to transform the way we relate to our world, the environment, and each other.

Shel (they/them) is Black/Chinese/non-binary poet and herbalist living on Kumeyaay land, chaos gardening their way into remembering. Read Shel’s poetry in For the Wild, Lucky Jefferson, Braided Way and New Words Press.

Adrian Leigh (they/them) is poet and designer with roots in Jersey. The topics they discuss have largely to do with personal identity, nature, love, lust and complex relationships. At the core, Leigh’s work is an open diary of the things black queer people hold dear — love and community.

Joré Aaron is a multi-disciplinary artist and cultural curator born and based in Los Angeles, CA. Her work includes prioritizing authenticity, consistency, and the goal of continuing to be a resource for fellow creatives.

Cheyenne Edwards (she/they) is a screenwriter, essayist, & narrative filmmaker whose artistry typically builds on the undisputed principle that representation matters, but dares to take things a step further by putting their Black and queer—often lesbian-identified—characters in audacious situations bolstered by the sharp, ironic humor of their generation. In a world fascinated by traumatic marginalized experiences, Cheyenne subverts expectations and forgoes respectability politics in favor of telling authentic, provocative stories woven with intersectionality derived from universal human experiences — identity, love, sexuality, and morality. Her debut short film “A Duel Between Dykes” is currently in pre-production.

Ebony Tomatoes Collective x Between the Covers

This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with golden lionheart, the new co-host of Between the Covers, a literary-focused community radio station in Portland, Oregon. We spoke about Ebony Tomatoes’ new issue, our general submissions process, the importance of maintaining Black archives, and much more. If you’re looking for a good podcast episode to kick back with, you can listen to the full episode here.

Upcoming Events

Meanwhile, Arianna (our NYC events coordinator), has been cooking. Clear your calendars for our social hour fundraiser at Boyfriend Co-Op on August 7th at 7PM! Bring friends, lovers, and perhaps even funds to go towards the writers and editors at Ebony Tomatoes Collective. It’ll be a good time, and it’s only the first of the events we’re planning for late summer/early fall. Be sure to follow our Instagram, Ebony Tomatoes Collective, for updates.

Black and Indigenous Writers Group

Lastly, our Black and Indigenous writer’s group is ongoing. Bring your inquiring mind and creative thoughts in exchange for a supportive community of storytellers and writing exercises to deepen your practice. A $5 donation via Venmo (@ebonytomatoescollective) is greatly appreciated, but not required. Our next meeting will be on Monday, August 6 at 7PM EST. You can join here.