Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.
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Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.
EP.137 Nikki Grimes Rhymes and Reasons: Exploring Children's Poetry
It's Personal Podcast
36 minutes
1 year ago
EP.137 Nikki Grimes Rhymes and Reasons: Exploring Children's Poetry
Nikki Grimes was born in Harlem and spent her childhood moving through various neighborhoods in New York. As a foster child from a broken home, she faced constant farewells to new friends. In this challenging environment, reading and writing became her lifelines. When she had no one to confide in, Grimes poured her thoughts and feelings into poems and stories. An enthusiastic reader, she would check out library books during the day and read late into the night with a flashlight.
Website: https://nikkigrimes.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbURkS2JVWE02d1QtZ2RoTjRQeEUzcm5XS1o5QXxBQ3Jtc0trbVQ3QTBldE90elFodHZfQkhaMDNaNkJfUUFIeERFdmE5NTNJWHFncG1jUk5BZWEwUy1SSDhGZHAtN2Y4LWhfRFNhSER1OFNaNndYZ1NJNXpEbFBrRFh4NjBscS1nV2lyWk83bGJXc2V4bkhmNTM5TQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fnikkigrimes.com%2F&v=oRL3LQcQCfQ]
Instagram: poetrynikki
X: https://x.com/nikkigrimes9?ref_src=tw... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVE4eWZlaUZVWFNoVzZwYVRnQXdUaFhBS1hvd3xBQ3Jtc0traWlfaXRhcnVmWGR5UEI0OGt0TVA2R21mdUVBQ1g1V1BNTHdLWUtMU2FtRjFsZC1FZW8yVklESkNwcHYtcGJRQVd4UnBWMXp3R3VESTZxVldyY0U5X2FXQ0dpM3J0RzVEcUc3bHVuSHpUUTlXSXFlUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Fnikkigrimes9%3Fref_src%3Dtwsrc%255Egoogle%257Ctwcamp%255Eserp%257Ctwgr%255Eauthor&v=oRL3LQcQCfQ]
It's Personal Podcast
Welcome to ItsPersonalPodcast, hosted by Gary R. Gray Jr.—teacher, writer, storyteller, and kid from Preston now teaching in Singapore. This ain’t your typical pod. No fancy edits. No perfect soundscapes. Just real talk. Sometimes it’s Gary, solo, diving deep—into childhood, into choices, into what it means to be growing, moving, becoming. He peels back the layers, questions his “accomplishments,” wonders out loud if he’s living a full life. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. It’s personal.
Other times, he brings folks along—educators, authors, parents, artists, people who carry stories in their pockets and wisdom in their scars. Especially those from the Global Majority. The ones often unheard. The ones worth listening to.
Together, they talk identity, joy, loss, memory, meaning. They ride the back roads of becoming.
This space is human. Unscripted. Yours.
Find Gary everywhere @GaryRGrayJr.
