About
The Beginning: A New Chapter in Life
I am a passionate storyteller who believes that each of us carries worlds inside us, waiting to be explored and shared. On this site, I bring together my many passions, distilled into four categories: marriage, motherhood, madness, and musings. If you’ve noticed a theme centered on the letter ‘M,’ you’re a keen observer!
When I started this blog in 2009, it was to give myself a creative outlet. I was new to motherhood, and quite frankly, the job was kicking my ass. My 20s weren’t too different from those of a typical woman living in a major city. I lived in Atlanta. I went to parties, made a great living, and adapted as the volatile economy would take a job away one week and give you another the next. But this new chapter in my life changed everything. After years of bouncing ideas off peers, solving problems that contributed to other businesses, and getting up to put on a pair of slacks every morning, I suddenly found myself in a space where four little people were completely dependent on me—people who wouldn’t be able to clearly communicate their needs for another 12 to 18 months.
Some days felt like mental torture. Other days were unimaginably fun—blissful, even. There isn’t a single team meeting, no matter how thrilling, that compares to the joy of having a napping toddler breathe softly into your shoulder on a spring afternoon.
The funny thing about those naps is that you never knew what kind of person would wake up on the other side of those first sleepy blinks. Would it be a friendly child or a fiend? You just had to wait and see.
Finding Balance Through Writing
No longer in the corporate world doing the HR management tasks I once loved, my physical world had shrunk to the few rooms of my house and the one standing coffee date I kept with a close friend. To bring balance into my life, I tapped into my first love—writing.
On this site, you’ll see my evolution, as well as the evolution of my kids. You’ll see how my perspective on the world has changed over time. I’m proud to admit that some of my former beliefs no longer hold true for me. One of the great gifts of our human experience is the ability to grow, re-learn, and adapt. Sometimes, I’m asked why I don’t simply delete old posts that no longer reflect my current thoughts. To me, that would be counterproductive. I want to show how opinions—and sometimes even convictions—can change with new understanding. What better way to demonstrate that than through a written record?
A Love for the Many Shapes of Storytelling
I love storytelling in all its forms. I am an award-winning podcaster and have had the honor of interviewing incredible people whose craft and work ethic I respect deeply. I use my voice for storytelling through voice acting and am the author of several books. I refuse to settle on a single genre because, again, I carry many worlds within me. I’ve had my opinions shared on international platforms, something I consider a blessing. I am curious about the world and the lives of the people I share it with. I hope you enjoy discovering the world as I perceive it—and as I hope to see it.
And now: Enter the Mind of Malaka!
Please visit the media links for a curated selection of some of my favorite conversations.
A lively chat about African women and our lusts and passions with Audrey Brown on BBC Focus on Africa (segment begins at 18:05)
A conversation with Emmy-winning journalist, Michel Martin on Tell Me More.
Watch my in-studio conversation with one of Ghana’s veteran journalists and treasured comedians, KSM
What is the science behind orgasms? Hear my takes on the matter on Gimlet’s Science Vs Orgasm!
“How are you gonna burn it all down?” With happiness. Here is one of my favorite interviews with world traveler and fellow curious mind, Campbell Latimer.
