Links
Stuff
big ups!
I just wanted to say big ups to the talented and beautiful Katy Richey, one of her poems is in the Fall Issue of Torch.
Here is a little bit about Torch:
Torch was established to promote the work of African American women. We provide a place to celebrate contemporary poetry, prose, and short stories by experienced and emerging writers alike. We prefer our contributors to take risks and offer a diverse body of work that examines and challenges preconceived notions regarding race, ethnicity, gender roles, and identity.
Within Torch, we offer a special section called Flame that features an interview, biography, and work sample by an established writer as well as an introduction to their Spark, an emerging writer who inspires them and adds to the boundless voice of creative writing by Black women.
Here is a link to Katy's bio and poem:
http://www.torchpoetry.org/Fall 07/katyrichey.htm
AMIRI BARAKA in DC JAN 11, 2008 @ ALL SOULS
OR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 1, 2008
Contact:
Kenneth Carroll, Executive Director
DC WritersCorps
202 332-2848
202 332-5455
Kenny@dcwriterscorps.org
www.dcwriterscorps.org
DC WritersCorps Presents Award-winning Author Activist
Amiri Baraka - "Role of the Writer in an Era of Terrorism"
Friday, January 11, 2008, 6:30 PM
All Souls Church
16th and Harvard Streets, NW
Washington, DC, 20009
(Columbia Heights Metro)
DC WritersCorps presents the most influential living Black writer, Amiri Baraka, to kick off its quarterly fundraisinig efforts. Amiri Baraka will read, sign books, and discuss the role of the writer in fostering social, political and economic justice. The author of over 30 books, an award winning poet and playwright, and the former New Jersey Poet Laureate, Amiri Baraka will make available and sign a limited number of his groundbreaking book of poetry, “Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note.”
Also featured on the program will be Liani Mataka, youth poets from DC WritersCorps schools and the 2kNation programs, and adult writing instructors.
The program will be held at the historic All Souls Church at 16th & Harvard Streets, NW, and all proceeds will benefit DC WritersCorps programs for DC youth. General admission is $25, $10 for students.
DC WritersCorps is a 501c3 that has been serving DC youth in after school writing programs since 1995, our mission is to use literature to strengthen literacy skills and to provide youth with a lifelong tool for learning and success.
DC WritersCorps, Inc.
2437 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
202 332-2848/202 332-5455fx
http://www.dcwriterscorps.org
INTERSECTIONS in East of River Magazine, story by Alan King
INTERSECTIONS Article from East of the River (click here)
Nina Mercer's Gutta Beautiful returns.....
NEW FEDERAL THEATRE PRESENTS NINA ANGELA MERCER’S
“GUTTA BEAUTIFUL,” AT ABRONS ARTS CENTER
OCTOBER 18 THROUGH NOVEMBER 11
October 2007
Nina Angela Mercer
Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre launches its 38th consecutive season with Nina Angela Mercer’s dynamic drama "GUTTA BEAUTIFUL," opening Wednesday, October 18 through Sunday, November 11, 2007, at Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center / Recital Hall (466 Grand Street--Manhattan).
"GUTTA BEAUTIFUL" tells the searing story of Lola, a young Black woman who finds herself at a crossroads in love and life after discovering her own role in her man Michael’s choice to surrender to popular culture and the drug trade economy. Set in contemporary Washington, DC, Lola’s journey, as well as Michael’s and her girlfriends “Suga Sweet” and “Orchid,” transcend time, exploring the history of love and life for people of color. “The play represents both the imaginary and fantastic landscape of our collective psyche and the hard-core physical reality of our daily lives,” advises Ms. Mercer. “It is both beautiful and painfully ugly. The reality of our lives today is put in conversation with the dungeons of West Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, the Middle Passage, the auction blocks here in the Americas, the Black Power Movement, the Hip Hop Culture, and beyond.”
The talented cast of this impressive *Actor’s Equity Production consists of: *Daria Hardeman; Zuhairah McGill; *Ryne O’Connor; Gil Pritchett; Vanya Robinson; Lamont Stephens; Roxie Trapp-Dukes; David Wright (The Source); and Fauzi (DJ).
It is produced and presented by Woodie King Jr. (NFT Founder and Artistic Director), Directed by Eric Ruffin, and Stage Managed by *Bayo. Completing the exceptional play’s creative team are *Rosita Timm (Assistant Stage Manager); Anthony Davidson (Set Design); Shirley Pendergast (Lighting Design); Reggie Ray (Costume Design); M. Scott Johnson (Video Design); Kimani Fowlin (Choreographer); and Sean O’Halloran (Sound Designer).
Born and raised in Washington, D.C. and now residing in New York, Nina Angela Mercer is a playwright, essayist, fiction writer and visual artist. Her play, "GUTTA BEAUTIFUL" has been produced at D.C.'s Warehouse Theatre (2005), and for D.C.'s first Capital Fringe Festival at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre (2006). She received her M.F.A. from American University and studied Transnational Feminist Literature of the 20th century in the English Doctoral Program at the University of Maryland. She has taught at American University, University of Maryland, and Howard University, and is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Ocean Ana Rising, Inc., a non-profit arts incubator and outreach project. Nina is the proud mother of two daughters.
A must see, "GUTTA BEAUTIFUL" has mass appeal and will forge a new chapter in the world of theatre. We invite audiences (Parental Advisory) from age 17 and above to experience the uniquely honest, realistic depictions of life that speak to every generation.
The renowned artist/activist Harry Belafonte said, "I had the occasion to see the play in Washington DC and the talent revealed by Ms. Mercer is deserving of all support. . . As is indicated by her writing, she is a playwright to be taken seriously. I whole heartedly support your presentation of this very contemporary and provocative play.”
***
Running from October 18, 2007 through November 11, 2007, “GUTTA BEAUTIFUL” performance schedule is: Wednesdays–Fridays (7:30 PM), Saturdays (3:00 PM & 7:30 PM) and Sundays (3:00 PM)
General Admission is $20.00. For credit card orders call Ticket Central Box Office (212-279-4200). To contact New Federal Theatre: 212-353-1176 / Newfederal@aol.com / Web-site: www.Newfederaltheatre.org.
Millennium Arts Salon presents....
Host: Millennium Arts SalonLocation:
10/19: Parish Gallery Georgetown 1054 31st Street, NW, Washington, DC
and
10/20: Busboys & Poets @ 14th & V NW
When: Friday, October 19, 6:00pm
Phone: 301 650 2073
Dear Friends of Millennium Arts Salon,
Please join us as we kickoff the 2007-2008 Millennium Arts season with a weekend Celebration of Film entitled Movin "Pictures". Our Friday and Saturday lineup of events is as follows: Click here to read more
Renee Stout @ HEMPHILL Sept 15 - Oct 27
If you ask Renee Stout about her work she might tell you first that she is a "healer" or a "medicine woman" and in the same breath she might say she is a big picture woman seeking music and metaphor to give voice to the communal energy and exchange that she is a witness to every day of her life. Click here to read more
big ups...
If you don't know about literary force that is Felicia Pride, you better get with it...she has a few new projects out and if i know her as well as i think I do a bunch more in the works.
Check out her latest "The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs"
http://www.feliciapride.com/
News from Kim Roberts of Beltway Poetry Quarterly
*******note from Kim Roberts of Beltway Poetry QuarterlyDear Friends:
I am writing to share some exciting personal news.
My second book, The Kimnama, is newly released by Vrzhu Press. A book-length poem about my experiences living in New Delhi, The Kimnama looks at India's rich religions, history, architecture, and street culture. I was playing with that tension between a long narrative and the lyric, imagistic quality of short sections (the poem is divided into 38 sections)--and I'm very pleased with how it came out. You can read excerpts, reviews, and get ordering information from the press website: http://www.vrzhu.com.
(See my display ad in the current issue of Poets and Writers, on page 158!)
I also want to announce a new web site devoted entirely (and somewhat overwhelmingly) to me. My author site includes a bio, photos, upcoming events, and tons of links. You can find it at: http://www.kimroberts.org.
A Weigh With Words!!!
NEW DOCUMENTARY PUTS D.C. YOUTH IN DIRECTOR'S CHAIR WHILE PUTTING WORDS IN THE HOT SEATWASHINGTON (August 8, 2007) - One Common Unity in association with Straight, No Chaser Productions presents A Weigh With Words, the first film from the ongoing "A Nu View" program.
A Weigh With Words is a documentary film project which calls upon the community to reflect on how language has been and could be used as a tool for conflict or compassion. Featured in the film is a diverse collection of locally and internationally known activists, artists, academics and politicians. The list of contributors includes civil rights icon Dorothy Height, DC Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, recording artist Raheem DeVaughn, author and rhetorician Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, scholar and poet E. Ethelbert Miller, and hip-hop legend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels. The film was produced by the non-profit organization One Common Unity in association with Straight, No Chaser Productions, and will screen for one night only at the Regal Cinema-Gallery Place in Chinatown at 7pm on Wednesday, August 22 nd, 2007. Accompanying this screening will be a panel discussion with the filmmakers as well as a screening of the critically-acclaimed documentary Invisible Children.
A chief component of the production crew for A Weigh With Words was a team of six DC high school students who were selected to participate in the pilot project of "A Nu View", One Common Unity's youth film-making program. The youth shadowed the filmmakers during the production process and were active in every aspect of the film's production, including conducting all of the interviews. Each student was required to complete an essay detailing memorable production experiences, as well as reflections on the power of words.
"This film has potential to have a profound effect on the hearts, minds and actions of those who see it," offers producer Charneice Fox of Straight, No Chaser. "The youth group has had a chance to meet and interact in depth with prominent community leaders and celebrities, not to mention the fact they've contributed to the production of a film that will be seen by their peers, elders and one day their children. It's a tremendous opportunity for a select group of 10th, 11th and 12th graders and we're all excited to have been able to work with them. We hope to do something similar with a different group next year."
The film's focus on how words are used is timely in light of recent controversial gaffes on the part of several high-profile figures, including radio personality Don Imus, retired star athlete Tim Hardaway, university administrator Ralph Papitto, and actors Michael "Kramer" Richards and Isaiah Washington. The film presents an open dialogue on the many topics brought to the fore by these individuals' comments such as race, class, homosexuality and gender identity. The film also explores the issue of censorship versus free speech as it relates to hip-hop culture and homophobia.
One Common Unity (OCU) is a member supported non-profit organization whose mission is to nurture sustainable, caring communities through innovative peace education, arts and media. Since 2000, OCU has been producing community events and offering alternatives to violence and creative outlets for artistic expression.
Straight, No Chaser Productions, a multimedia organization offering consulting and workshops, has written and produced a number of films that have been screened in film festivals across the country. Their award-winning drama Multitude of Mercies, selected as part of Black Entertainment Television's Rap-It-Up Series, has garnered a Cable Positive Award.
A Weigh With Words was underwritten by the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and benefited from support from a number of local businesses and community-based non-profit organizations. Tickets are available at Busboys and Poets, Java Green, and online at www.OneCommonUnity.org.
Contact: Charneice Fox, Program Director, A Nu View, (202) 390-1081 or charneice@onecommonunity.org
Shout Out!! DC WritersCorps Youth perform at GALA, July 27,28
Shout out!!co-directed by quique aviles
&
sage morgan-hubbard
D.C.-area, Black and Latino youth explore
race, culture, and identity through original poetry,
monologues, dance, and music in a
multi-dimensional vision of home.
july 27&28, 2007
-two shows only-
These shows are free from youth under 18!
¡No se pierda esta exploración sincera y poderosa entre
jóvenes de dos razas!
gala hispanic theatre
3333 14th street, nw
call 202-234-7174
www.galatheatre.org
Shout Out! is a collaboration between GALA Hispanic Theatre’s Paso Nuevo program, DC WritersCorps, Spoken Resistance, and the Theatre Lab Shool of Dramatic Arts. The project is made possible with the support of the Mayor’s Office of Latino Affairs, the U.S. Department of Juvenile Justice, the Lynch Foundation, and the Beckner Fund.
from BELTWAY POETRY QUARTERLY
from BELTWAY POETRY QUARTERLYhttp://www.beltwaypoetry.com
Highlights from POETRY NEWS: June 2007
for full listings, please see: http://washingtonart.com/beltway/ponews.html
COMPETITIONS, GRANTS and CALLS FOR ENTRY
The Cultural Development Corporation is now taking applications for artist housing in a former warehouse in the Woodridge neighborhood of NE DC. Forty affordable live/work housing units will be available to artists and their families with a move-in date of 2009. Applications accepted on a first-come first-served basis beginning June 4. For eligibility requirements and an application, see: http://www.culturaldc.org/projects/projects_in_development.html.
DC Commission on the Arts, Artist Fellowship Program grants in Literature and the Performing Arts. Provides support for individual artists who make a significant contribution to the arts and who promote the arts in DC through artistic excellence. Deadline: June 6. http://dcarts.dc.gov.
Towson Prize for Literature. Prize of $1,000 given annually to a MD resident (of at least 3 years) for books of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction published in the last 3 years or scheduled for publication in 2007. Publishers, institutions, or individuals may submit 5 copies of a book or ms. No entry fee. Deadline: June 15. Required application and complete guidelines at: http://www.new.towson.edu/english/index.asp.
Not Just Air seeks submissions for two upcoming issues. Issue 7: "Earth, Fire, and Water" (deadline June 15) and Issue 8: "Pregnant" (deadline Sept. 30). Authors are encouraged to interpret the themes creatively. Seeks verse, fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, reviews, short plays, multimedia works, translations. Previously published material that is not available elsewhere on the web is welcome. Simultaneous OK. Send submissions to transom@notjustair.org. Attach only Word or Rich Text files. Full guidelines at: http://www.notjustair.org.
Gival Press Annual Oscar Wilde Award. Best previously unpublished original poem written in English (any length) which relates GLBT life by a poet age 18 or older. Blind reading format: no identification on poem, cover letter with name, address, phone, email, and title. Include SASE. Winner receives $100 and publication on the press's web site. Judged by previous year's winner. $5 reading fee. Deadline: June 27 (postmarked). Mail to: Robert L. Giron, Oscar Wilde Award, Gival Press, PO Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203. http://www.givalpress.com.
The Nora School Reading Series seeks submissions for its upcoming 8th season. Submit 5 typed pages of poetry with cover letter and SASE. Deadline: July 15. Christopher Conlon, Nora School Reading Series, 955 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. http://www.nora-school.org.
If Poetry Journal, a new print journal edited by Donald Illich, seeks submissions. Send 1-5 poems, any style, previously unpublished. The editor has a particular interest in "humorous and surrealistic poetry, but with some heart and weight to it." Send by email only, no attachments. Deadline: July 31. Mail to: mailto:ifpoetryjournaleditor@gmail.com.
The Amistad, the on-line literary journal of Howard University, seeks submissions for the Fall 2007 issue on the theme Ars Poetica (broadly interpreted to include the craft of creating any art form, not just poetry. Send work that "responds to the impulses of the artist, or how the audience responds to art"). Open to poetry (2-3 poems, 40 lines or less), short fiction (up to 2,000 words), essays (up to 2,000 words), interviews and book reviews (up to 1,500 words), and visual art (in PNG, GIF, or JPG format). Send work in Word, Text, or Rich Text attachment with your full name, title, and genre as the file name. Include a short bio (75 words or less), and full contact info, in the body of the email. The subject line of the email should have your full name and genre. Deadline: Sept. 1, 2007. Mail to: submit@amistadjournal.net. Full guidelines and past issues at: http://www.coas.howard.edu/english/publications-amistad.html.
WORKSHOPS, EXHIBITIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS
Friends Wilderness Center, Birding and Nature Journaling, June 2. The center is on the Rolling Ridge land preserve 20 minutes outside Harpers Ferry or Charles Town, WV, and approximately one hour west of the Beltway in Northern Virginia. "Rise with the birds and join fellow nature enthusiasts for an all-day event." Led by writer and biologist Sarah Snyder. Bring journal and writing implements; all ages welcome. $5 donation requested; $7 additional for lunch. Limited to 25 participants. Gather at Niles Cabin (the main building) at 8am for birding and 11am for journaling. Lunch at 12:30 pm. For more information and to register, call Sheila Bach at (304) 728-4820 or email snbach@earthlink.net. http://www.friendswilderness.org.
Very Special Arts and Liz Lerman Dance present "The Farthest Earth From Thee: A Suite of Sonnets," original dance work inspired by Shakespeare's sonnets, also includes text and video. June 2 & 3. Greenberg Theater, DC. Tickets $12.50 - $25. Features company and guest dancers with and without disabilities; appropriate for all ages. Info and tickets: http://www.vsarts.org.
"Writing the Body: A Poetry Workshop," led by Anne Becker. For those who have experience with life threatening illnesses or chronic conditions, as patients, care-givers or family members. Meets Saturdays and Sundays for 5 sessions. 6/2 and 6/16 from 1-4 pm, 7/1, 7/15, 7/29 from 3-6pm. Limited to 12 participants. $200 fee. Additional information and on-line registration at http://www.bodywriting.org or call (301) 270-8037.
"Inspired Results" exhibition, Takoma Park Community Center, Atrium Gallery, June 2 to June 30. Reception: Friday, June 8, 7-9 pm. Free. (Reception includes music, performance, and refreshments.) Poetry and visual art on display. Participating poets include: Anne Becker, Brian Gilmore, Kathleen O'Toole, Merrill Leffler, Chris Llewellyn, and Ann Slayton. Takoma Park Arts & Humanities Commission, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park, MD. (301) 891-7224.
The Writers Center Summer 2007 classes in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, stage and screen, and youth writing. Fees charged. Instructors include: Anne Becker, Kenneth Carroll, Nan Fry, Daniel Gutstein, Reuben Jackson, C.M. Mayo, Yvette Neisser, Richard Peabody, Stanley Plumly, and Elizabeth Poliner. http://www.writer.org.
"Living on Words: Get Inspired, Get Writing, Get Published," 2007 Washington Independent Writers Conference, Saturday, June 9. Fees charged. Featured writers include: C.M. Mayo, Leslie Pietrzyk, Peter Bowerman, and Francine Prose. Sessions on agents, research, the web, issues of craft, travel writing, health writing, and more. http://www.washwriter.org.
"Mining the Past," Poetry workshop with Patricia Smith. Saturday, June 16, 3-6 pm. "Write new work beginning with a map. The workshop is designed to help poets revisit moments we've paved over, small moments in our past that we've never imagined writing about." Bring notebook; limited to 12. Hosted by DC Poets Against the War and Busboys and Poets. Busboys and Poets, 14th & V Streets NW, DC. $25 fee. Register by sending an email to Sarah Browning: womenarts2@aol.com. http://www.dcpaw.org.
"Critique Your Complete Novel, Not Just a Couple of Chapters," a workshop led by Richard Peabody. Meets every 2 weeks on Wednesday nights from 7:30 to 10:00 pm from June 27 through September 11 (7 sesssions, ending on a Tuesday night) in Arlington, VA. Limited to 5 students. $500 fee ($125 nonrefundable). Students must commit to all 7 sessions. Send a chapter and synopsis of a completed novel (from a ms. in the 250-350 page range). Send queries to: Gargoyle@gargoylemagazine.com.
Hurston/Wright Foundation's Writer's Week, American University, Washington, DC, July 15-21. Panels and workshops in poetry in fiction for Black writers. Faculty includes Kwame Alexander, A. Van Jordan, Chris Abani, and Mat Johnson. Fees charged; financial aid available. http://www.hurstonwright.org.
West Virginia Writer's Workshop, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, July 19-22. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, individual conferences, lectures on craft, and publishing panels. Fees charged. http://www.as.wvu.edu/english/cw.
The Gathering, Keystone College, La Plume, PA, July 26-29. Book discussions, lectures, and workshops. Speakers include Carlos Eire, Katherine Paterson, Molly Peacock, and Francine Prose. Fees charged. http://academic.keystone.edu/thegathering.
AREA READINGS and PERFORMANCES
June 2
Queering Sound 07: local, national and international artists, with a non-exclusive curatorial focus towards gay, lesbian, and post-gender-identified participants, who explore sound, digital arts, noise, and spoken word. Featuring live performances by BLK w/Bear, R.H. Bear, J.R. Logan, Northern Machine, Doug Poplin, Renee Shaw aka VJ Poppins, P.D. Sexton, and Dan Vera. Also digital contributions from Arthur Loves Plastic, Fabiano Cueva & Maria Teresa Ponce, Nick Lopata, Marc Manning, Minibloc, and Ultra-red. Presented by the Triangle Artists Group.
Saturday, 8:00 pm
$8 Admission. The Warehouse Next Door, 1021 7th St. NW, DC. (202) 783-3933.
June 3
Celebration of Ann Darr. Readings of Darr's work and stories about her life and influence presented by Myra Sklarew, Cicely Angleton, Barbara Goldberg, Merrill Leffler, Silvana Straw, and Sunil Freeman
Sunday, 2:00 pm
Free. The Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD. (301) 654-8664.
June 4
Cafe Muse: Bruce Bennett and Joshua Weiner
Monday, 7:00 pm
Free. Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase, MD. (301) 581- 9439.
June 5
Miller Cabin Series: Deborah Ager and Tung-Hui Hu
Tuesday, 7:30 pm
Free. Joaquin Miller Cabin, Picnic Area 6, Rock Creek Parkway, Beach Drive and Military Road Overpass, DC.
June 8
Kim Roberts, author of The Kimnama
Thursday, 6:30 pm
Free. Candida's World of Books, 1541 14th St. NW, DC. (202) 667-4811.
June 8
Book Party for Terence Winch's Boy Drinkers, with live Irish music and guest readers
Thursday, 7:30 pm
Free. The Warehouse, 1017 7th St. NW, Convention Center neighborhood, DC. (202) 783-3933..
June 10
Vrzhu Press reading: Kim Roberts and Hiram Larew
Sunday, 2:00 pm
Free. The Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda, MD (301) 654-8664.
June 10
Iota Poetry Series: Nathalie F. Anderson and Maria Terrone
Sunday, 6:00 pm
Free. Iota Cafe and Club, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Clarendon neighborhood, Arlington, VA. (703) 522-8340 or (703) 256-9275.
June 12
Miller Cabin Series: Nigel Assam and Laura Goldberg
Tuesday, 7:30 pm
Free. Joaquin Miller Cabin, Picnic Area 6, Rock Creek Parkway, Beach Drive and Military Road Overpass, DC.
June 13
Brookland Reading Series: 4th Annual Dog Days Reading, poetry celebrating canis lupus familiaris
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Brookland Visitor's Center, 3420 9th St. NE, DC. (202) 526-1632.
June 17
Sunday Kind of Love: Patricia Smith. Followed by open mic. Hosted by Sarah Browning and Regie Cabico.
Sunday, 4:00 pm
Free, but donations accepted. Busboys & Poets, 14th and V Streets NW, U Street neighborhood, DC. (202) 387-POET.
June 19
Miller Cabin Series: Heather Blain and Shep Ranbom
Tuesday, 7:30 pm
Free. Joaquin Miller Cabin, Picnic Area 6, Rock Creek Parkway, Beach Drive and Military Road Overpass, DC.
June 20
Poesis Series: Mel Belin and Patric Pepper. Music provided by Shep Williams and James "Curly" Robinson. Followed by open mic. Hosted by Cliff Bernier.
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Pentagon City Borders Books, 1201 S. Hayes St., Arlington, VA (703) 418-0166.
June 25
Burlesque Poetry Hour: Gwendolyn Mintz, Shanna Compton, and William Allegrezza
Monday, 8:00 pm
Free. Bar Rouge, Hotel Rouge, 1315 16th St. NW, DC. (202) 232-8000.
June 26
Miller Cabin Series: Young Poets Program
Tuesday, 7:30 pm
Free. Joaquin Miller Cabin, Picnic Area 6, Rock Creek Parkway, Beach Drive and Military Road Overpass, DC.
June 27
Natalie Lobe and James Hopkins. Followed by open reading.
Wednesday, 7:00 pm
Free. Kensington Row Books, 3786 Howard Ave., Kensington, MD. (301) 949-9416.
***PLEASE NOTE: Open mic events are not listed on this page. Please see our full listing of Reading Series for more information***
Information subject to change. Please call in advance to confirm events.
To get your event listed, send complete information during the month prior to beltway.poetry@juno.com.
Artist housing...
from the Cultural Development CorporationArtist Housing Scoop
Thanks for expressing interest in CuDC’s upcoming artist housing opportunities. To keep you in the loop, this monthly update provides project status reports, lists any “to do” items and shares other opportunities. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions.
Project Update
• Douglas Street Work/Live Condominiums – Applications will be accepted beginning MONDAY
Make your dream of home ownership come true. CuDC will begin accepting applications for purchase of the 41 work/live condominium units at 2414 Douglas Street NE, WDC 20018 on June 4, 2007 at 9 am. Applications and instructions are available to download at http://www.culturaldc.org/projects/projects_in_development.html.
Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Applications may be hand-delivered or mailed. If you mail your application and it is received prior to June 1st, you will be asked to resubmit your application. If a mailed application is received on June 1st or 2nd, we will consider it to have been received with the mail on June 4th. Mail is typically delivered to CuDC at 3:30 pm; all applications received in the mail will be date and time stamped at that point. We will accept applications until August 9, 2007 at 5 pm. If you have questions, call 202.315.1324 or e-mail housing@culturaldc.org.
Please Note: CuDC’s office is located in a residential building. Please respect our neighbors and do not “camp” outside the building prior to June 4th. For delivery after June 4th, CuDC’s office is open 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and Saturday 12 – 6 pm.
• Dance Place Arts and Housing Project. CuDC is excited to announce our role as a consultant to Artspace Projects (a national, nonprofit organization) and Dance Place for their development of a new mixed-use arts center in the Brookland neighborhood. CuDC will provide a local arts “voice” and expertise to the project. We need you to help get this project going, please take 10 minutes of your time to complete their online survey, available at www.ArtspaceWashDC.org . This survey will assist in the development of affordable new space where artists may live and work, and a new home for Dance Place in the Catholic University/Brookland area of Northeast DC. Responses will help determine interest in a potential arts community, design the facility, and assess housing and workspace needs. If you have questions please contact us at housing@culturaldc.org or 202.315.1324.
Have you checked out our website? Find eligibility requirements, projects under development and completed projects at http://www.culturaldc.org/projects/artist_housing.html.
Other Opportunities
New Space Roundtable. Join CuDC and invited area experts – Amy Cavanaugh, Associate Director of ARCH for Arts and Culture, ARCH Development Corp. and Patrick Stewart, Executive Director, Atlas Performing Arts Center – for a roundtable discussion on the role location plays in the facility planning process. Following a tour of the new Honfleur Gallery, we will address how to prioritize the factors involved in making a location choice and how to mitigate audience challenges before, during and after. What factors should you consider? How do you balance the needs of your organization with the wants of your audience? What’s the best way to prepare your current audience for the move – and how do you develop a new audience in your new neighborhood? Bring your legends, lessons learned & questions to share with fellow arts administrators. Refreshments will be served. The Roundtable will be held at the Honfleur Gallery 1241 Good Hope Road, SE Washington, DC 20020 on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 9:30 – 11:30 am. To register, visit www.flashpointdc.org or email redcircle@flashpointdc.org by 6:00 pm on Monday, June 4, 2007. Red Circle Members are free, non-members are $40.
Call for Submissions: Words, Beats and Life Journal
It Ain’t My Fault: Blame it on Hip-Hop
Many believe rap music to be culpable for the failing within black communities. Jay-Z and Lil’ Jon have become more popular targets than racism and poverty for political pundits and self-appointed race men. The WBL Journal staff is looking for submissions that address this re-emerging phenomenon. The overarching theme for this issue is “It Aint My Fault: Blame it on Hip-Hop,” but below you will find themes to guide your research. Click here to read more
Journal Release Party at Busboys and Poets , 5:30pm – 8:30pm March 15, 2007!!!
New Issue of Words, Beats, and Life!!!!!!
One Day It’ll all Make Sense: The Roots of a Culture
Journal Release Party at Busboys and Poets
2021 14th St. NW Washington DC
5:30pm – 8:30pm March 15, 2007!!!
You can’t miss this!!!
The Journal will be available for order at wblinc.org after March 15, 2007.
For further details call Mazi Mutafa at Words, Beats, and, Life (202) 667-1192.
Dissident Display Gallery presents Jati Lindsay's SCENE (at) NIGHT
Note: OK, i don't even have to tell y'all you know the work, the vision and the man. If you are not at this show... you stupid....be there or be square. This show is long, LONG overdue come out and support my brother from another mother!
Dissident Display Gallery
416 H Street NE. Washington, DC
Runs March 16 – April 22, 2007
Jati Lindsay’s SCENE (at) NIGHT: Places, Performances and Personalities
Jati Lindsay’s Scene celebrates the hip-hop soul set of the U Street corridor.
On display are images of singer/actor W. Ellington Felton, Raheem DeVaughn, Esthero, J’Davey, Saul Williams as well as other Djs and nightlife regulars. An established Washington photographer, Lindsay’s camera finds the artists where U. Street regulars always find them, and where most came of age, creatively: Bar Nun, Bohemian Caverns, the Black Cat. The photographs seem to evoke a sense of belonging, nostalgia and ownership to a unique subculture. At the time many of these photographs were shot,(primarily between 1997-2003), the physical and economic realities of gentrification had yet to set in. Thirteen silver gelatin prints color the gestalt of this era.
Adult Playground: Strip Club Stories in Words and Pictures
A deeper investigation into the nightlife theme is uncovered by the photos
of Steven Cummings in Adult Playground. Steven’s controversial images
take him into a popular Washington strip club to document the everyday
workings of the average stripper. These tasteful, yet risquÈ images are presented as art, in context with interviews by patrons telling their deepest and darkest stories of experiences visiting these public yet, very private venues. On display are a total of 8 large format silver gelatin prints and video interviews.
Milloy on PG County
Courtland Milloy talking about wealth, quality of life and character in the the nation's most affluent African American settlement. Although i cannot agree with his comments on Steele, i think his critique of Prince George's County is fairly accurate. With regards to Steele, I think that what Milloy refers to as "flash and flair" is an effort to appeal to African American voters, I remember Ehrlich and Steele's campaign from before and Steele was not nearly as flashy as it has become. I think most (those that i spoke to) African Americans found that in his previous campaign his was a little subdued and lacked the charisma that they were used to in a politician's "rap" and presentation. I think Steele is an intelligent man and is trying to adjust his campaign to appeal to a wider range of people.Furthermore, I am not totally sure how I feel about Cardin not making comment on his boy Hoyer's "slavishly" comments; that is a little troubling too, Cardin too is an intelligent man he should be mindful the potential consequences of those type of comments(on second thought maybe he was, being that there has been no African American Democrats jumping on him for the remark. Perhaps he knew that to some Steele is considered a house negro so using such a word to describe him and his actions would bring no backlash amongst African American Democrats).
Milloy's article here
Don't wait until February to celebrate Black History Month!
Don't wait until February to celebrate Black History Month!If you live in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area or may just be visiting, you are invited to attend a Wreath Laying Ceremony to kick-off the introduction of the 2007 Black History Theme on November 2, 2006.
10:00 a.m., at the Historic Lincoln Memorial Cemetery 4001 Suitland Road, Suitland, MD.
This is a ASALH Program.
Wreaths will be layed at the following gravesites:
DR. CARTER G. WOODSON -Father of Black History
VAN MCCOY- composer, producer
DR. CHARLES DREW- surgeon and scientist
PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS AND JOIN US TO CELEBRATE, AFRICANS IN THE AMERICAS.
THE 2007 BLACK HISTORY THEME IS-- FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM: AFRICANS IN THE AMERICAS.
art stuff
DC-based artist Allen Uzikee Nelson (http://www.uzikee.com/), has a show that just opened at the Wilmer Jennings Gallery (NYC, info below). Uzikee has sculptures all over the city including one right around the corner from my house in front of theAnacostia Community Museum. Check out his website. The exihbit is called the Ancestral Garden Sculpture.October 22-Dec 23, 2006
Wednesday to Saturday 11am-6pm
Wilmer Jennings Galery at Kenkelba
219 East 2nd Street (at Ave B)
New York, NY 10009
closed Nov 23, 2006
info on Wilmer Jennings, the artist the gallery is named after:
http://www.artgallery.umd.edu/driskell/exhibition/sec3/jenn_w_01.htm
Wilmer Jennings
Born Atlanta, Georgia, 1910
B.S., Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia, 1933
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, 1940s
Jewelry Designer, Imperial Pearl, Rhode Island, 1948-1979
Died 1990
Major Exhibitions
Black Printmakers and the W.P.A., The Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, New York, 1989
Against the Odds: African-American Artists and the Harmon Foundation, Newark Museum, New Jersey, 1989
Alone in a Crowd: Prints of the 1930s by African-American Artists; From the Collection of Reba and Dave Williams, American Federation of the Arts, 1993
some cool october birthdays
October 7: Imamu Amiri Baraka is a prize-winning playwright, poet, critic and activist who was appointed poet laureate of New Jersey. Among his many books are Preface to a Twenty Volume Suicide Note, Blues People, Dutchman and The Slave, and The LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka Reader.October 12: Alice Childress (1920-1994) was a playwright and novelist. Her plays include Florence, Mojo, Wedding Band, and Moms.. In 1978, she wrote the screenplay for the film based on her novel, A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich.
October 12: Ann Petry (1908-1997) was a novelist and children’s book writer. Her first novel, The Street, was the 1946 winner of the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship. Her children’s books were Harriet Tubman and Tituba of Salem Village.
October 13: Arna Bontemps (1902-1973) was in the forefront of the New Negro Movement. He published over 20 books of poetry, plays, children’s books, and literary anthologies, most of which were related to the Harlem Renaissance. A museum in his birthplace—Alexandria, Louisiana—is dedicated to his work.
October 18: Terry McMillan is the author of the bestselling novels Disappearing Acts, Mama, Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, A Day Late and a Dollar Short,and The Interruption of Everything. She edited an anthology of contemporary African-American writing, Breaking Ice.
October 18: Ntozake Shange is a playwright, poet, novelist, and children’s book author who is well known for her “choreopoem,” For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow Is Enuf, which was produced on Broadway and in film.
October 21: Ahmos Zu-Bolton (1946-2005) was a literary and spoken word poet and playwright who founded the arts journal HooDoo. He published several poetry collections.
October 27: Ronald Fair is a novelist and short story writer. The 1975 movie, Cornbread, Earl and Me was based on his novel, Hog Butcher. Three of his other books are Many Thousand Gone, We Can’t Breathe, and World of Nothing.
courtesy of http://africanamericanlit.suite101.com
Dr. Billy Taylor is doing his thing at the Kennedy Center!
Look at all this good music coming to the Kennedy Center!!!Rufus Reid Quintet
Oct 13, 2006 |
One of today's premier bassists on the international jazz scene, "his luscious sound and buoyant swing can levitate an ensemble clear off the bandstand" (The New Yorker).
Cyrus Chestnut Trio
Oct 14, 2006 |
Using gospel roots to transmit a joyful, contagious affinity to early jazz forms, the pianist reveals "an orchestral command of the keyboard and a sophisticated sense of swing" (People Magazine).
Kellylee Evans
Oct 20, 2006 |
The "charismatic" (JazzTimes) Canadian singer has a smooth style that glides through jazz, soul, and R&B. She performs music from Fight or Flight?, her latest CD.
Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio featuring Peter Bernstein and Allison Miller
Oct 21, 2006 |
Dr. Lonnie Smith, a gifted pianist and proponent of the Hammond B3 organ, is joined by guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Allison Miller to perform music from Dr. Smith's latest CD, Jungle Soul, and more.
Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band featuring Jeremy Pelt
Oct 28, 2006 |
Exceptionally gifted bop drummer Louis Hayes was a member of alto saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's original quintet. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt joins the band for this special concert.
Kurt Elling
Nov 3 - 4, 2006 |
Grammy-nominated vocalist/composer Elling is back to showcase more of his "robustly expressive vocals and exquisitely silken phrases" (The Chicago Tribune).
Keter Betts Tribute
Nov 10, 2006 at 7:30 PM |
In a co-presentation with Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, the Center pays tribute to a local jazz legend, the late Keter Betts.
Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE: Blueprint of a Lady: The Once and Future Life of Billie Holiday with Nnenna Freelon (Dec. 7); All-Brown Program (Dec. 8 & 9)
Dec 7 - 9, 2006 |
This American company blends African, modern, ballet, and hip-hop dance styles to tell stories about the human experience. This engagement includes a collaboration with jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon.
A Jazz New Year's Eve: Freddy Cole & the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band
Dec 31, 2006 |
Ring in the New Year in style with a sizzling late-night jazz performance by vocalist and pianist Freddy Cole and the Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Big Band.
An Evening of Duets with René Marie and Kevin Mahogany
Jan 13, 2007 |
Two stunning contemporary vocalists come together for a special concert.
Dave Holland Sextet
Feb 9, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
The Grammy-winning bassist-composer-bandleader returns to the Center with his newly formed ensemble.
The Barber Brothers
Feb 23, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
Twins Rahsaan (saxophone) and Roland (trombone) Barber,named after famed saxophonist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, make their KC Jazz Club debut with music from their CD, Twinnovation.
Jason Moran and the Bandwagon
Feb 24, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
Down Beat critics chose Moran as the winner of Rising Star Jazz Artist, Composer, and Acoustic Piano, and the Bandwagon was awarded Rising Star Acoustic Group.
Jazz in Our Time All-Star Opening Night Concert and Award Ceremony
Mar 3, 2007 at 7:00 PM | On Sale 12/11/06,
The Jazz In Our Time Festival kicks off with a performance featuring vocalist Nancy Wilson with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and a ceremony honoring many living jazz legends.
Ahmad Jamal and special guests Donald Byrd and Jimmy Heath
Mar 9, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
NEA Jazz Master pianist Ahmad Jamal is joined by two fellow NEA Jazz Masters: hard-bop, jazz fusion, and R&B trumpeter Donald Byrd and tenor saxophonist and flutist Jimmy Heath.
Hank Jones Quartet featuring Roberta Gambarini, with special guests Paquito D'Rivera & Clark Terry
Mar 10, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
Since making his debut recording as a leader in 1947, Hank Jones has continued to impress jazz fans for more than six decades. Part of the Jazz in Our Time Festival.
WPAS: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, trumpet
Mar 13, 2007 at 8:00 PM |
Robert Glasper
Mar 23, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
"At 26, Robert Glasper is already impressive--a gifted jazz musician with a brilliant, energetic technique and a fresh, mesmerizing sense of melody and composition" (Baltimore Sun).
Three Tenors: James Moody, Nathan Davis, and Quamon Fowler
Mar 24, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
NEA Jazz Master Moody picks up his tenor sax to join fellow tenor men Davis and Fowler.
Takana Miyamoto Trio with special guest Russell Gunn
Mar 30, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
Pianist Miyamoto brings an unusual sense of storytelling to her emotional improvisations and compositions.
Wallace Roney Sextet
Mar 31, 2007 | On Sale 12/11/06,
The three-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer leads an ensemble that blends "styles into a powerful, almost intimidating whole" (All About Jazz).
12th Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival
May 10 - 12, 2007 | On Sale 2/9/07,
The festival marks its 12th thrilling year with star-studded performances featuring the world's top female jazz artists.
Such Sweet Thunder featuring the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra
May 20, 2007 at 8:00 PM | On Sale 2/9/07,
The SJMO will perform Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's Shakespeare-inspired compositions interspersed with soliloquies, scenes, and speeches from the Bard.
Happy Birthday Monk!!!
In the belly of blackness
or Monk on Frienship...
"The only rose without a thorn is friendhip"
That is a lie, dig.
Bud threw that dope
on my lap when the cops came
they put me in the belly
of blackness for 90 days,
pulled me from the womb
of the only friends
I have ever known,
Nellie and my piano
that hurt like death,
like a cat stepping
on the front of your solo
off key. shit,
if you ask me friendship
is a flower with the most thorns
if you doin it right.
----------------------------------------
I have a few other MONK inspired poems I will post them soon...
late pass...
I know i probably need a late pass on this but Mosaic Literary Magazine is transitioning from a print publication to a online one and are offering their magazine for free download in PDF, check it out here, Mosaic Literary Magazine Archives
VISUAL GRIOTS OF MALI in memory of Nestor Hernandez
VISUAL GRIOTS OF MALIAn Exhibit of Photography by African Youth
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of Nestor Hernandez, creator of Visual Griots.
The Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History
10th Street and Constitution Ave., N.W. - on the
National Mall
Opens: October 2, 2006 - Closes: April 29, 2007
The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. except Christmas
The exhibit is located in the Baird Ambulatory Gallery on the ground floor
Admission is free
The Malian sixth graders photographs are the result of the Academy for Educational Developments Visual Griots project, a series of interactive workshops in Mali led by U.S. and Malian photographers that empower and engage youth in a powerful process of self-exploration and expression through the lens of a camera.
Learn more at
www.aed.org/visualgriots
Patricia Smith, the queen of poetry slams says...
from her blog,read it here"I knew the names of "important" poets, but not necessarily why they were important. (Pick up Ed Hirsch's book "Poet's Choice," and that's all I'm gonna say about that.) I totally ignored form and structure (wrote my first villanelle today!), even when a poem cried out for a life other than the one I'd given it. I broke a line when it was the same length as the one above it, not caring if the word at the end of the line was weak ("a") or strong ("puttanesca"). I didn't explore the genre's rich history and contributions from other cultures. Reading Neruda or Lorca or Fish Vargas doesn't count."
As i read her new book "Teahouse of the Almighty" i find myself a little confused, partially because she already such and awesome poet, so to hear her talk about her lack of knowledge is some what confusing because it does not show in her work. Her poems are very powerful, images are very layered and the poems breath with you. I view her work on the order of any other poet out there, check her book out and judge for yourself. Further proof of here strength as a writer is that the Cave Canem Retreat /Workshop had her as a workshop instructor, if you don't know about Cave Canem go here .
Dr.Tony Medina always says that "poets are not made they are born", I would modify that a little bit and say that some poets are made in MFA programs and workshops, but some of the best poets are born poets; it appears that Patricia Smith is the latter.
check out her book here
Watch Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke tonight (8/21) on HBO
(Click here for image)When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (four hours): Acts I and II debut tonight (8/21/06) at 9; Acts III and IV debut tomorrow night (8/21/06) at 9 on HBO.
Check out Esther Iverem's review at SeeingBlack.com. click here and check out Alternet reporting on ABC's
must see photography exhibit in Phily @ AAMP, August 11 through November 19, 2006
Shootout: Reverberating the Spirit and Legacy of Jack T. FranklinPhotography by 14 of the East Coast's hottest emerging photographers
Opening Reception: August 11, 2006 5:30-8:00 pm
On View: August 11 through November 19, 2006
Featuring the work of :
Betty Alexandra
Phil Asbury
Maria Atubiga
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn
Sarah Glover
Ayana Jackson
Jati Lindsay
Simba Madziva
Michelle Perez
Hannan Saleh
Uraline Septembre
Jamel Shabazz
Sarah Smith
Marissa Weeks
Curated by: Shantrelle P. Lewis
The African American Museum in Philadelphia
701 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
http://www.aampmuseum.org/
Fourteen young photographers were charged with capturing the world around them during an eight week period of Summer 2006. Energized by the courageous and brilliant photographic work of Jack T. Franklin, Shootout proclaims the significance of contemporary history-making through the lens and spirits of a revolutionary generation of artists of African descent. The exhibition recognizes the significance of documenting the extraordinary and simplistic stories of the African Diaspora in the 21st century.
R.S.V.P. ~ 215.574.0380 x.224
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