National Poetry Month Celebration I am the middle son born in the middle passage, I live to bless mics, I write to maintain my sanity. I speak because that is my Divine Purpose. I am The Poetry Man, and if I wasn't; then why would I say I am? They call me a Street Preacher, I tell them that I'm just a P.O.E.T. - defined as Profound Orator, Elevated Thinker!" ~ Christopher 'Poetry Man' Fields *** Poetry Man's style is a hybrid of the Church, the Classroom, and the Corner. Equally comfortable in the basement or the penthouse, he bends words to penetrate and overcome all barriers to effective communication. If you could blend the DNA of a Minister, a Student, and Street Scholar with that of an Inquistive Child, gifted with the courage to dream and the boldness to pursue it, and the audacity to believe it, then you have the recipe to create The Poetry Man. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? My inspiration comes from "life" - I can hear a word that triggers a thought, or witness an event that ignites the creative process. I try to remain open to what the Universe wants to send through me. My fellow Poets/Writers inspire me as well -- with their words of course, but also in what and how they make me feel when I hear them deliver their message. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? If you're not afraid of your own reflection in a mirror, or your shadow on a sunny day, then you have nothing to fear from Poetry. Embrace the emotion that Poetry inspires -- That feeling is Life as it should be experienced. What is an interesting fact about you? Due to chronic back pain issues, I had to have my lower spine fused to correct it. I'm partially bionic… lol Where are you from / Where do you live? I'm originally from Elyria, Ohio - 30 minutes west of Cleveland. I now live in NW DC (Takoma) Who is your favorite poet? My favorite "Poet" is Nikki Giovanni - but I draw inspiration from Poets such as Grandmaster Mele Mel, Common, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, Loaded Lux… and my Expressions Family as well - They are gifted beyond words. Contact: PoetryManDC@aol.com
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National Poetry Month Celebration Bio: As a child, Nikia Chaney read. She read everything she could get her hands on. Her earliest memories involve begging her mother to teach her, then 3 years old, to read. As she grew this hunger to read grew with her and childhood was spent in long hours reading in the library after school and longer hours reading by the bathroom light late at night. Her favorite subjects then and now were science fiction because in those stories of possibilities and speculative futures she could be anything she wanted. Yet even as she strove to hide away with a book, something about the stage called her and she placed third in the Los Angeles City wide elementary speech contest. Nikia Chaney holds two MFAs, one from Antioch University, Los Angeles (2009), and one from California State University, San Bernardino. She was chosen to read for the Literary Uprising for Antioch University. Recently, she competed in the CSU Oral Research Competition for 2012 for her linguistic research, and she was nominated by the English Department for Outstanding Graduate Student at California State University, San Bernardino. Nikia is an English instructor at San Bernardino Valley Community. She teaches poetry, literacy, and art classes for children and adults for the her local community. She is a founding editor of shufpoetry, an online literary magazine for experimental poetry, and an associate poetry editor for Inlandia: A Literary Journey. Nikia's poetry has been chosen by Nikki Giovanni as the winner of the 2012 OSA Enizagam Poetry Award. Of her poem "the fish", Ms. Giovanni writes, "...What power this poem has with showing the difficulty of growing up with a terrible secret. What a powerful song this friend sings for a friend drowning in if not evil, then certainly, difficulty.” Nikia's poetry has been published in Portland Review, Saranac Review, 491, Pearl, Sugar House Review, and Badlands among others. She also has two chapbooks Sis Fuss (Orange Monkey Publishing), and ladies, please (Dancing Girl Press) that will be published in 2013. She lives with her children and husband in Rialto, CA. flesh works flesh works be it a center for control or a needle drawing hunger Shelly makes a doll and we all line up to the disease infatuation with our Haitian greys black eyes naming us creature heads swollen like red grapes sweating rags of simularity and dried blood each stump a heartbeat insisting of a night visit the possibilities of Halperin’s metallic light do sing Carpenter of a seminal fire complex as a stretched a figure dragging delicate body slow miserably needed for Lovecraft was right everything needs to eat published in Blackberry Magazine, 2013 The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? Everything around me. My children's voices, the songs I hear, the sounds and sights. It's funny because in my head I'm always writing something, it gets hard to turn off, I'm always thinking of a new way to change the sentence or the way that lady at the grocery store said "five, ninety five," or how if you listen real close the sound of book closing sounds like the word "sit." Both a blessing and a curse. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? If poetry seems frightening then I suggest approaching it from other angles. Poetry (in my humble opinion) can be music or art or even dance. Most people who are scared usually have a limited view of poetry. They imagine antiquated tomes and indecipherable lines that scream nah nah nah I'm smarter than you are. But an open mind with a sense of the fun is always the best way to approach poetry. What is an interesting fact about you? Even though I need glasses, I wear contacts, I can see very well in the dark. Often I'm doing a task and someone will come along and say, "Why are the lights off?" and I didn't realize that it was that dark. I also get very cold, very easily. An old friend once said that as soon as it hits below 72 degrees, there I go grabbing a blanket and a heater. Where are you from/Where do you live? I was originally born in Los Angeles and I live in the IE (inland empire) of California. Who is your favorite poet? That's an unfair question because there is just so so many. I will say that my favorite writers are Octavia Butler and Ursula K. Leguin. Science fiction, NOT poetry, is my go to for reading. Something about the human and alien, the future and the past, the recognizable and technological other always gets me going. I think that the idea, you know, the big question or great truth is almost... almost... as important as the language. Current ProjectsNikia is a Cave Canem Fellow, and will be going to Millay Colony of the Arts this September. She is also putting together a "call and response" anthology for Black History http://www.callanthology.wordpress.com. Her book Sis Fuss can be found on Amazon. Contact: http://www.nikiachaney.comNational Poetry Month Celebration Bio: André V. Katkov received his Bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from California State University San Bernardino where he is currently finishing up the last few classes required for him to receive his MFA. He owes everything and more to the great parade of people (parents, teachers, family, friends) that has forcibly stormed his life and made it a grand old mess in the process. He believes that every creative work is worth its weight in time if it finds resonance with even just a single individual and hopes that such a resonance might be found with you today. Endangered Me: The Flightless Trapeze Gorilla glue me to the wall And slide sweet nothings Down my throat. Watch your words trickle ‘round this rumbly stomach Side-by-side my many monarchs, Yellowed orange gold. Get a good look ‘cuz I’m all veins Like a human tangle. A one-heart highway masterpiece Inspired by real rhythmic contraction; The dilation of a metaphoric you. Tumbleweed away with me, My darling busybody blue. Spooksalot Sue, You’ve scared me Into transparency. You’ve open-booked Me into some sort Of anatomical learning Dummy, dear. We won’t need blankets for this weathered cold, But we’ll need shoes, I swear it. We’ll run circles and circles of lines And miles and miles of puttied plot Until our soles wear down Into gooey globs of memory Earned As if medals for our minds. We are human machines In automation. We are history books In some silly spill Of distant retrospect. We are you and me And us And love The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? I’ve conveniently been pondering this very question as I work tirelessly (though often tiredly) away at my Statement of Purpose. The simple answer, I suppose, is anywhere. Everywhere. I have this mad sort of theory that everything we undergo as individuals is internalized and painted upon this inner bio-mechanism I call the recollective emotional frame. It’s a sort of skeleton creature that exists presently from the material its gathered from time past, building itself in the way that makes the most sense by reflecting on past patterns to anticipate the most durable form for any given future. As artists, I feel that that’s where many of us draw from. We can unconsciously tap into it and write a poem or paint a painting by drawing from some hidden well in this recollective emotional frame that holds all our past love experiences. In that sense we can create art that aims itself at a vague and wide array of something that feels specific (as that vaguery is composed from a sea of details) or find a specific bit within that ocean of detail and compare it to the waters around it (like isolating a piece of cereal in a cereal bowl). That’s how I feel we tick. Everything we’ve ever experienced is within us. It doesn’t matter if it’s forgotten, repressed, avoided… everything we’ve ever known is still there within us and it can and will speak to us given the opportunity. So life is my greatest inspiration. It doesn’t matter if I’m reacting to something I’m just taking in or reflecting on instances far gone, everything I create relates to something bigger. Everything I do is only a small brushstroke on that recollective emotional frame, that canvas of myself. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? Ah. A poignant question. Well, first off… if you’re reading this particular question and it pertains to you… know that I am sorry. Truly, I am. But take heart! You’re not alone! Most the world is with you, really. Even I—a poet—feel threatened by poetry more often than makes sense. It’s a very scary word, poetry is, and you’re half right to fear it! In my often less-than-humble opinion, the poetic community can be an unfortunately small and atrophied thing, an echo of a great social tradition, or even an echo’s echo. Far too often poets write for their peers’ back-pattings and inner-circle recognition. It can be a world of publishing races and who’s been in which journal and who’s read where. I’ve barely just started as a poet of poetry and I’m already mostly fatigued by watching the rat race around me as I begin to lace my shoes and wonder. It’s a silly, silly world. But it doesn’t have to be. It hasn’t always been. Poetry can hold so much. Stories. Lessons. Feelings. Lifetimes. Without diving too ridiculously deep into the history of the craft, I can tell you that one thing poetry has always been, at its best, is yours. Poetry is a thing for the people, preferably written by folks who are less interested in penning a message than they are by channeling one. As a religious sort, I think of how angels bear God’s message and the prophet speaks it. To the masses it might seem like the prophet’s words, but he is only an instrument for a greater voice. The poet lets the muse speak through her. The muse is not to be mastered, it is an honored guess on our tongues, invoked and released at its pleasure. As we live our lives our recollective emotional frames build with us, and it’s a poet’s duty to share that, not as an image of themselves, but as the bare essence of being that powers us and—when released into a crowd—can give energy to the weary, courage to the fearful, and music to those who’ve sat too long in silence. So (and I apologize for this roundabout answer) if you’re feeling threatened by poetry, remember this: Poetry is supposed to be there for you. If you don’t like some poetry you find, move on. You can always give it another chance later if you’re so inclined. Find a poet that speaks to you. A movement. A period. A single piece. A single line. You can gain an academic appreciation for the craft, but you can’t force that intrinsically kinetic resonance that fits into you like a missing piece before you’re fully aware that it’s there. Read a lot. Read a lot and do so quickly. There’s more poetry out there than you know. Slow down and smile when you find what you like, and branch out from there. What is an interesting fact about you? I’m a Nintendo nut. Super Mario got me some pretty snazzy grades. Long story. Where are you from / Where do you live? Born and raised in beautiful Redlands, California. Who is your favorite poet? As any poet can tell you, this is a nearly impossible question to answer. Luckily, I specialize in the impossible! I’m going to have to go with Shel Silverstein. He’s a poet who always wrote for other people and never forgot to make it fun. How can you not love that? ContactIf you’re interested in my poetry/art/mad ramblings feel free to check out my blog, wherein I’ll be posting my writerly activity, such as forthcoming readings and publishing activity and the like as well as other such nonsense. http://dreyfudojo.blogspot.com and/or feel free to email me with inquiries, hellos, and strange doodles at undeadninjasquirrel@gmail.com Also, while I have the stage....I’d like to thank my parents and my ‘lil bro for always being so supportive of me and my crazy artistness, Connie for being a ridiculously good friend and pointing out my smug mug in the crowd mugly smugness, and—of course—Yvonne Brown for being so kind as to feature my work and me for an Aprilly day during this glorious monthful of poetry!
National Poetry Month Celebration BIO: Jessica Nolasco is a High School Senior, an International Baccalaureate Programme Diploma Candidate, and President of the National Honor Society at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, Maryland. In her leisure, she crafts her passion for the spoken word. She’s been a member of the youth poetry group Lyrikal Storm since 2010 and is published in “A Celebration of Poets Anthology 2011-2012.” She recently participated in the Emancipation Proclamation “Freedom Competition” and the Rosa Parks Memorial and Breast Cancer Awareness Programs. In 2011, she won a speech contest from the annual Hispanic Youth Institute. In Fall 2013, Jessica will attend the University of Maryland College Park. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry?
Anything. I tend to write my poetry spontaneously. Anything I observe, whether something that has occurred to me or something that has occurred to someone around me. I tend to do a lot of introspection, and draw muses from past experiences. I attempt to look at the big picture, or at small corners of different aspects of my personal life, or from school and home. I challenge myself to be open to my greatest muse- the world around me. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? Poetry is not a box. It does not confine you to a small definite space of thinking. A common thing I hear is “I can’t write poetry because I can’t rhyme.” But poetry is so much more than wordplay. It’s exploration of thoughts. When I began to write, I wasn’t the best at playing with vocabulary and vernacular, but the more one explores their style, the more they discover. Before they know it, their vocabulary expands far beyond their expectations. Poetry is an art, and one can discover an unknown passion. Soon a threat can become a safe haven. What is an interesting fact about you? My favorite word is “Serendipity.” Where are you from/Where do you live? I was born in Washington D.C., but have been raised in Maryland. My parents are from El Salvador, so I’m Salvadorian American and I live in Maryland. Who is your favorite poet? I read and enjoy whatever I find that captures me. National Poetry Month Celebration Lamont Carey is an internationally known and award winning spokenword artist, filmmaker, and author. In 2005, Mr. Carey began his career in the arts performing as a spoken word artist, earning him an appearance on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and B.E. T.’s “Lyric Café.” In that same year, he formed LaCarey Entertainment, LLC which was instrumental in casting over 200 actors including himself on HBO’s series “The Wire.” In 2010, Mr. Carey embarked upon his career as a playwright and producer with two plays, “Laws of the Street” (a play he is currently developing into a TV series) and “Learning to be a Mommy,” both of which were performed at the John F. Kenedy Center’s “Terrace Theatre” in Washington, D.C. In addition to the TV series, Mr. Carey is producing and directing a powerful documentary detailing the successful transition of four ex-offenders; a story with personal meaning to Mr. Carey as he successfully reintegrated into society in 2001 after spending 11 years in prison. Mr. Carey has received numerous awards including the 2012 National Black Caucus of State Legislators Visionary Award; the first U.S Parole Commission’s Re-Entry and Service Award and the One Degree of Seperation Community Service Award; 2008 Senate Congressional Award, Congressional Achievement Award and The Good Black Man Award; 2007 NUPSA and 2005 Poet of the Year Award. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? My Inspiration to write poetry comes from my desire to explain something that troubles me. An example would be a piece I created entitled, "Ineffective as a Dad." I often hear women tell stories about how no good their children father's are but I often hear the heartbreak of men who feel in adequate as a father because they can't provide financially for this child so they believe their love isn't enough. Hearing men admit this truth was so moving that I came up with the poem. It was away for me to expose a man's deepest and sincerest fear about fatherhood and manhood. It helped me understand my own fears of not always having enough money when my son was first born. So my work is created to address issues or challenge them. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? I think people should feel threaten by poetry. Poetry is supposed to challenge a person's way of thinking. It's supposed to empower people who feel trapped within them or prosecuted by society for wanting to be who they are or deny them there right to exist and prosper. Poetry is supposed to be an instrument of change. We'll at least I think so. What is an interesting fact about you? Spokenword helped change my life. It made me more relevant. It gave me a platform to begin discussions on the struggles of at risk youth. It provided me a voice to talk about issues that effect people involved in the penal system, to assist children that desperately want answers to solve life-changing issues and to empower individuals who feel defeated. Poetry gave me hope and I in turn try to pass that on to others. Where are you from? I am from Washington, DC, I still reside in the Washington, DC area. Who is your favorite poet? My favorite poet is One Wise African. This is the man responsible for making me see spoken word/poetry as a tool. He made poetry exciting and relevant for me. At first, I saw poetry as too complicated and Shakespearean. It didn't think it had value. Through this man's work, he showed me myself. He showed me the power of personal experiences, hopes and how words can inspire someone who doesn't read or can't read. He took me to school and educated me through his mastery of words. Now every piece I create, I aim to capture individuals like he did me. He changed my life by changing the way I use my words. Contact: http://www.lamontcarey.comNational Poetry Month Celebration PAGES, is a multi-lingual spoken word artist originally from Cameroon, central Africa, which is only a portion of his diverse background. Founder of Da Movement Poetz, Org - a performance group promoting youth advocacy through the creative arts - he has the ability upon grabbing a mic to take his audience into layers of painful past experiences, the poverty and turmoil which plagues Africa, women’s rights and issues, politics, and love & heartache in a beautiful amalgamation of words and sounds. As both an emcee & spoken word artist, the same versatility in his pen is also embodied in his performance. As a “Movement” poet, his features have included The Kennedy Center; numerous colleges and universities such as Columbia University; He has appeared on BETJ’s Lyric Café; and worked in collaboration with various organizations such as CWA (Brave New Voices), Teaching for Change, Words Beats Life,Inc, & being the 2009 youth spokesperson for D.C. Vote. In addition to winning multiple local slams, he is also the 2010 & 2012 DC Grand Slam Champion. He was nominated for a NUSPA award as Best Performance Poet male. He is one of the permanent hosts for Busboys and Poets Open Mics, and also co-hosts GraffitiDC, one of D.C.’s newest ground-breaking premier Slam Series. Currently, if he is not somewhere rocking a stage, he works as a creative writing teacher and leads workshops throughout various universities, and elementary to high schools. Pages, is an avid bow tie enthusiast, gummy bear elitist, and an anime & manga fanatic. He has opened for Chrisette Michelle, Raheem DeVaughn, Afrika Bambaata, Andrea Gibson, and has shared the stage with Common, Mos Def, Chris August, Rudy Francisco, Rachel McKibbens, Saul Williams, Oveous Maximus, Shanelle Gabriel, Sonya Renee, Rosario Dawson, Amiri Baraka, Gayle Danley, Bassey Ikpi, Ainsley Burrows, Holly Bass, Asia Samson, Eboni Hogan, Brook Yung, Joshua Bennett, Talaam Acey, Michelle Meyers of Yellow Rage. In addition to being a spoken word artist, he is also an educator and teaching artist, working through numerous schools from Elementary to High school levels, teaching creative writing and performance, and mentoring young kids throughout the D.C. and Maryland area. He is also assistant coach for the D.C. Youth Poetry Slam team, a Teaching Artist and Assistant coordinator for Youth Programs of the non-profit organization, Split This Rock. "Most Days (when waiting for superman isn't enough"Most days, my students are crippled dogmas cracked open from cycles of history, often not their own. But what joy in seeing an origami of creative intellect unfold from their hands! They bear lips full of curses, yet their smiles remain metaphors reminding us that there are still good things left in this universe. Even as they search for love in the stampede of vacant pages, Finding purpose in words, making lovers out of the clicks of a mouse. While we, on most days, make phone booths of our arms and spin change from educators To therapists, fathers, brothers, & anti-depressants at the speed of circumstance. Faster than a standardized system that will never show how beautiful they are. Most days they just want somebody to listen to their orchestra of pain When razors made violins out of their wrists From fathers making drums of their mother's ribs And mothers' resentment holding on tight to their necks like trombones. Some of these children go back to a crackhouse, Some go to an apocalypse of gunshots, their pulse sounding of ambulance lights, but most days some don't even go home at all. They chase their hearts in stars and mud puddles building fortresses out of their skin, because it's the only way they've learned to survive. But the fire in their bones reflected in their eyes reminds me that most days, every light at the end of a tunnel isn't always an oncoming train. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? Inspiration could come from something as simple as the sound of construction outside, to the death of a good friend. Inspiration for me has always come from every and anywhere, from a random thought, to my environment, or an experience past or present. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? Part of me wants to say- don't be, it's such a harmless cat with Puss n' boots’ eyes. The other part of me wants to say, run far away! Poetry is a tiger foaming at the mouth with a lust for the flesh and bone and soul of you. I'd say poetry is all of the above, people are threatened by its ability to draw the emotion out of someone. It's usually because people fear to show their true selves. Confront that fear! Harness those emotions with poetry and witness the growth that will come of it, not just as a writer, but as a person. What is an interesting fact about you? I eat a pack of gummy bears a day (seriously). I have 36 bowties (and counting). I spent close 12 months in my mother's womb before being born instead of usual 9 months. I am fluent in 4 different languages. I have never played a single game of spades. Where are you from/Where do you live? Originally from Yaounde, Cameroon, which is where I was born. I moved to D.C. (NE to be exact) when I was about 10/11, then moved to multiple parts of MD. Currently I live in Silver Spring, MD. Who is your favorite poet? That's like asking what's my favorite bowtie! Just off the top of my head, literary/slam/performance poets in no particular order: e.e. cummings, Beau Sia, Jeanann Verlee, Queen Godis, Ainsley Burrows, Patricia Smith, Audrey Lorde, Saul Williams. For Booking PAGES please contact:Pagesofle@gmail.com / (240) 604-8357
Booking rates are negotiable on a case-by-case basis dependent on client National Poetry Month Celebration Bio: J. Joy Matthews Alford, a.k.a. “Sistah Joy" is a poet and the author of 3 books: Lord I’m Dancin’ As Fast As I Can, This Garden Called Life, and From Pain to Empowerment – The Fabric of My Being. Sistah Joy received the Poet Laureate Special Award from the Washington, DC Office of the Poet Laureate in 2002. She originated and co-produces/hosts the award-winning cable television program, Sojourn with Words. In 1995 Sistah Joy founded the socially-conscious poetry ensemble, Collective Voices, which continues to perform locally and has performed nationally and abroad (London, England). She is also co-founder of Sounds of Empowerment, a poetry-based ensemble that performs and conducts poetry workshops primarily geared to women and survivors of abuse. Sistah Joy is also a co-founder of Lyrical Rhythmzz, a poetry and jazz performance ensemble. In 2003, Sistah Joy helped to establish and has served as president of the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church Poetry Ministry for the past 10 years. Sistah Joy is a full-time poet who writes, publishes and performs her poetry at all types of venues. During its entire 6 year run, she served as the poetry editor for ACE-Dialogue literary quarterly. She is an arts events consultant who coordinates and develops programs for individuals, companies and organizations. Sistah Joy also serves as Poet-in-Residence at Annie’s Art Gallery (www.anniesartgallery.net) in Camp Springs, Maryland where, among other activities, she hosts a monthly Family Night Poetry Open Mic from 6 to 9 PM on 3rd Thursdays. Poets and non-poets of all ages are welcomed to attend and participate in this free community-based arts series. Duet at DawnThe mystery of this new day Beckons me With my third eye I seek to understand and And embrace the chance to dance again Mine has been solo for so long What must I do to prevent Yesterday’s pitfalls Memory of them Feels foreign in this place Today I choose steps Scripted by faith So I shall not falter This new music we share Belongs only to us No echoe exists in this Our sanctuary of discovery I claim ours as virgin For never before Has this moment been unveiled We take our cues From one another and God Giving and receiving Bending and weaving Creating our own unique fabric We wrap ourselves in this Glorious garb of anticipation Together we test each new strand And stand firm for trial and storm Sure come our way We welcome and embrace the mystery Dancing this wondrous new Duet of love © 2009, J. Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? My spirituality, life experiences, observations and prayer. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? I encourage all persons to embrace poetry rather than feel threatened by it. Poetry reveals truth, either the poet's truth or the reader's/listener's truth. Truth is power. To be threatened by one's own power is inconsistent with creation. As a spiritual woman, I embrace the reality that "In the beginning was The Word..." What is an interesting fact about you? There are many inconsistencies and incongruities in the universe. I firmly believe that as unique as each of God's creatures are, there is truly nothing new under the sun. I was born into a family of great dysfunction and equally great love. Despite what some would claim as insurmountable obstacles and statistics that would yield my undoing, I am blessed today with a rewarding life of abundance through God's divine gift of poetry. Where are you from / Where do you live? Born in Washington, DC, currently live in Prince George's County. Who is your favorite poet? So many. Gwendolyn Brooks probably still tops my list. Sterling Brown and Jill Scott are favorites as well. Upcoming Events"Paper Dolls" Exhibit & Poetry Discussion - On Wednesday, April 10, 2013, the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center will present poet Sistah Joy, who will discuss her work as a featured Poet in "Paper Dolls", a poetry and visual art exhibit highlighting the visual art of the renowned Prince George's artist, Ulysses S. Marshall in partnership with 5 county poets. Mr. Marshall's work explores different aspects of southern Black life and intertwines themes of limited freedom, spiritualism and Africanisms in Black American culture. Sistah Joy will discuss her most recent work and perform her original poetry with the accompaniment of musicians Doc Powell (Djembe), Ben Sands (vocals and sax) and Lorenzo Sands (bass). This segment of the "Paper Dolls" art exhibit and poetry discussion series takes place from 7 pm to 9 pm at the Prince George's African American Museum's Gallery 110, at 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood, Maryland. The event is free to the public and is co-sponsored by the American Poetry Museum.
Ebenezer AME Church Poetry Ministry - on Friday, April 12, 2013, Ebenezer AME Church will host its Poetry Ministry's 10th Anniversary Celebration from 6:00 - 8:30 pm. Poetry performances, praise music, awards and more will mark this 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Ebenezer AME Church Poetry Ministry. The Ministry and individual ministry members will be recognized for their service to the church and community at the celebration. This multi-tiered event will also include the Church's 2013 National Poetry Month celebration. Members of area churches, community poets, musicians, arts enthusiasts, supporters of the arts and members of the community are invited to attend this free Christ-centered celebration at which guest poets and artists will perform. Refreshments will be served and a free-will offering will be accepted. Annie's Art Gallery Poetry Open Mic Family Night - A monthly recurring free arts event with a focus on poetry and visual art takes place at Annie's Art Gallery from 6-9 pm each 3rd Thursday. This free-to-the-community poetry and arts series, which is now in its 5th year and hosted by gallery Poet-in-Residence, Sistah Joy, will maintain a particular, but not exclusive, focus throughout 2013 on youth and teen poets and artists. Annie's Art Gallery (www.anniesartgallery.net) is located at 5814 Allentown Way, Camp Springs, MD 20748. April is National Poetry Month (NPM). The gallery's NPM celebration takes place from 6 to 9 pm on Thursday, April 18. Persons of all ages from throughout the community are invited to attend this family-friendly Open Mic event on 3rd Thursdays. Flyer attached. Intergeneration Mother's Day Breakfast - "Pearls of Wisdom From Three Generations" have announced their 2013 selected honorees, which include mothers, daughters and granddaughters to receive a special "Pearls of Wisdom Multi-Generational Award" to be presented at the upcoming “Pearls of Wisdom from Three Generations Mother’s Day Breakfast” on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the National Country Club (Formerly Tantallon Country Club), 300 Saint Andrews Drive, Fort Washington, Maryland. The breakfast honors all generations of women and girls from 5 to 95 in an effort to foster communication, encourage fellowship and develop relationships. This year's Invited Honorees to be recognized at the breakfast include Poet, J. Joy "Sistah Joy" Matthews Alford, daughter, Joy Danielle Gregory and granddaughter Jordan; Maryland State Secretary of Aging Gloria Lawlah and daughter Gloria Lawlah-Walker and granddaughter, Gloria. Special Honoree Awards: The Pearls of Wisdom Diamond Award - Ida St. Hill; The Pearls of Wisdom Pearl Award - Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter; and The Pearl of Wisdom Ruby Award - Ameerah Sabreen. These women are being recognized as women who epitomize the multi-generational unit. This will be a celebration of family, motherhood and legacy. Persons wishing to purchase tickets and well-wishers who would like guidelines for submitting a “Message of Love” to be included in the commemorative program may visit www.pearlsofwisdom3.com, contact PearlsofWisdom3@aol.com. or call 301.203.0929. National Poetry Month Celebration Jonathan B. Tucker told stories of ancient and contemporary to his young nephews recently and it felt as great as winning National Poetry Slam competitions. He has coached the DC Youth Slam Team for the last 2 years as the Youth Programs Coordinator for Split This Rock, a national network of poet activists organized through a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC and has represented Washington, DC on 2 National Poetry Slam Teams. Jonathan hosts at Busboys and Poets Open Mics on the 3rd Wednesdays of each month and was published alongside Amiri Baraka in Howard University's Amistad Journal. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? I was first inspired by women, and then by choices, and then by justice, and then by influence, and then by inspiration. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? Do not mistake the dragonfly for the dragon. What is an interesting fact about you? I used to have a blue mole on my face. Where are you from / Where do you live? I'm from Crofton, MD and I live in DC. Who is your favorite poet? Gowri Koneswaran, Henry Mills, Drew Anderson, Anis Mojgani, Saul Williams Braided & Baked braided and baked like challah my identity is constantly turning and being read like torah different interpretations of the same living thing and idea an artifact we can study it is my breath on the bar’chu calling me up to be my tongue on tekiah waking up those who sleep i speak my purpose i am my words my deeds my dreams and my bloodline swimming in ashkenazi rivers looking for a solid home drowning in survivor’s guilt and windsurfing in a poem i am only the food i eat literally but there is much more inside me spiritually i am divided between ancient and fresh right and left spirit and flesh hashem and nefesh between hip and hop there is a hyphen a chai fitting between jewish and white between erev and night between misappropriation and my natural right i lay flat putting my body on the line like my ancestors did when it’s time to stand for justice time to sit-in and protest for fairness time to speak up and lay down our arms for peace my identity guides and reminds me that i cannot cease until all are free for we were once slaves now comfy and prosperous in our post-post-modern age our obligation remains burning like the eternal flames in our temples but many in our diasporic tribe bring us terrible shame it’s simple know mercy do justice be not pharaoh be not goliath do not create ghettos tear down walls love your neighbors love! because we are a people braided and baking together constantly turning being read and reinterpreting ourselves and struggling to not forget where we’re from struggling ever so hard to tikun olam our ability to heal the world does not come from violence it is not born in security threat analysis or border wall military check points check again check your holy books your history and your heart check yourself my friend my sister my brother my identity our identity is deeper than skin so check the weather you will see a change blowing in the wind on the backs of a diverse new generation bringing together the right and the left the spirit and the flesh hashem and nefesh ancient and fresh to build the bridges we need to save our identity Upcoming EventsLouder Than A Bomb-DMV Teen Poetry Slam Festival May 4-5, 2013 Split This Rock & PoetryNOW present LTAB-DMV in partnership with the George Washington University English Department and Africana Studies Program. Over 20 High School Poetry Slam Teams from DC, Maryland, and Virginia will participate in a weekend-long festival of performance poetry open to the public. Email SLAM@SpliThisRock.org for more info. Contact: www.Jonathanbtucker.comNational Poetry Month Celebration Bio: Connie A. Lopez-Hood is a poet and founding editor of Shuf Poetry (www.shufpoetry.com). She spear-headed and edited the chapbook anthology, Blankets & Other Poems: Poetry for the People of Japan, in which all proceeds were donated to Red Cross Japan Relief. Her work appeared or is forthcoming in The Newer York, Apercus, Gaga Stigmata, Our Stories, Polari Journal, Lingerpost, Tongue Magazine, and others. She is the daughter of Cuban immigrant parents and is the first person in her family to go to and graduate from college. Connie holds an MFA in Poetry and lives in the Southern California mountains where she makes jewelry for her shop at Skyward Earth (www.facebook.com/SkywardEarth ).  any number of memoryi lost my job the promise of many pots to piss in the system we are all numbers exchanging life for death recycling social security numbers abuela was never a citizen not of any number of countries i know the number of wrinkles in her face memorized any memory of number the plates on my car my driver’s license credit score bank account hmo member i.d. she has an hmo too but doesn’t remember those things not her telephone number nor how many houses she’s lived in nor how many pills she takes a day not even her age only her dead brother’s name unpasteurized cow’s milk a red bicycle the first time she ever made love the World’s Fair rice pudding how my eyes look like mom’s look like hers mojitos and cigarillos chicks hatching in the incubator any number of memory i write my social on an application doesn’t ask me who i am asks me who i am________. *This poem was featured in Apercus Quarterly (1.4). Can be re-printed with citation/referencing information. The InterviewWhere do you draw your inspiration from to write poetry? For me, inspiration for writing comes from just about anything—nature, technology, injustice, love, grief, ANYTHING! If something strikes me (or even if it doesn’t strike me), I’ll write about it. There is great discovery in writing and I often don’t know how I truly feel about something until I write about it. What advice do you have for someone that is threatened by poetry? If you feel threatened by poetry, threaten it back. Tell poetry to take its elitism and go home. There are many ways to enjoy poetry (in the mind, in the body, in the spirit heart); so linger over what brings you close to it and keep an open mind about the other stuff. What is an interesting fact about you? I used to be so terrified of spiders as a kid, that I couldn’t even touch the page where a picture of one was printed! I’ve been able to kick that extreme fear, though now ants freak me out—they never seem to go away! A poetry-related random fact is that as a kid I used to set an egg timer and have mini writing marathons. I was surprised when during my undergrad education I read Natalie Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones” and learned that she recommended writing marathons to break through writer’s block! Where are you from / Where do you live? I live in Big Bear, a mountain community in Southern California. It’s always gorgeous, green, and crisp—the perfect recipe for creating poetry and art. Who is your favorite poet? I tend to read poems not poets, so I don’t have a favorite poet! (Is that just sheer craziness!?) This is how a POET Graduates! |
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