"Sneaker culture literature is no different than any other form of literature." - Dr. Jemayne King Jemayne, is creative, insightful, and VERY intentional. He is the founder of Sole Food Brand LLC, sole is spelled S.O.L.E which you will come to appreciate, and among many things, his company celebrates HBCUs (or Historically Black Colleges and Universities). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English/News Media from Elizabeth City State University, a Master of Arts in English-Literature from Virginia State University, and a PhD in English-Literary Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is currently an Associate Professor of English at Virginia State University. Remember how I said creative and intentional? Jemayne is also the creator and Founding Director of the Virginia State University Institute of Hip-Hop and Cultural Studies, which includes a Hip-Hop Studies English minor, and the world’s first collegiate English course dedicated to Sneaker Culture literature and identification within Sneaker Culture. Yeah, I know right? He is the author of Sole Food: Digestible Sneaker Culture and the forthcoming book titled The Big House on Flavian. It’s a bold and poetic exploration of memory, masculinity, and the mythology of America, viewed through the immersive lens of the video game Red Dead Redemption 2. In this engaging and enlightening episode of Curated Questions, host Ken Woodward is in conversation with Dr. Jemayne LeVar King, an associate professor of English at Virginia State University and founder of Sole Food Brand, LLC. Together, they navigate a rich landscape of topics—including the intersection of sneaker culture and literature, the evolution of Southern hip-hop, and the profound narrative depth found in video games like Red Dead Redemption 2. Dr. King discusses the significance of questions in both personal and academic growth, reveals the importance of authenticity in cultural participation, and offers profound insights into adapting educational curricula to meet the needs of future careers. This episode is a feast of ideas, seamlessly blending modern cultural phenomena with classical literary analysis. This Curated Questions episode can be found on all major platforms and at CuratedQuestions.com. Keep questioning!