My Calling

The urge to read, write and recite poetry has grown stronger in the past couple of weeks. I'm checking out a couple of places where I can read my work. I have and internet radio program where periodically I have a show dedicated to poetry. In the future I'm planning to have a one hour show devoted to poetry. 

I have a degree a bachelor's degree in childhood education. I had planned to work on a master's in that area. Then I took up poetry writing. It seems that my calling came into view. I love public speaking, having done it in some capacity in the past. There are some social issues that I am involved in currently. You probably can see where I'm going.

It's odd that I was a quiet and shy individual as a child and teen.Writing is a way I can express myself (my mom's suggestion). Now I'm sharing my feelings to others.      

Words Of Wisdom

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.

~ Edwin Land, Inventor (1909-1991)

Reading @ KGB Bar

This Saturday March 1, @ KGB Bar:

Writers from the MFA writing program at Rutgers University-Newark will be reading at the KGB Bar from 7-9 PM.

Contact www.kgbbar.com for further details.

ChapFest Book Fair

On April 3rd, CUNY Graduate Center will host the annual Chapfest Book Fair. I will be going for the fourth time. The event  runs from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission is free.

CUNY Graduate Center 
Proshansky Auditorium
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY


www.poetsociety.org/events

Vocabulary

Wet- consisting of or covered with or soaked with liquid ; rainy; damp; moist.

Whet- to sharpen by rubbing or with something abrasive (a whetstone)
            
      to make keen. 

Hitchcock Fans

For all of you who are fans of the movies of Alfred Hitchcock, you're in luck. Beginning tomorrow, February 21, the Film Forum will feature 'North By Northwest', starring Cary Grant. Other films by the grand master of horror and suspense are 'Vertigo', 'The 39 Steps', 'Rear Window', 'Psycho', and 'To Catch A Thief'.

For more info go to thier website: www.filmforum.com

Words Of Wisdom

Writing only leads to more writing.

~Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, French Novelist (1873-1954)

Carry a Pad And Pen Always

When I saw this, I smiled and said Yes!! Writing is therapeutic and relieves stress and tension. I encourage young writers to keep a journal of their thoughts and ideas. I carry a pad and pen with me everywhere. Can't count how many times I've written down some thing I saw or thought. It must be frustrating when a thought comes to mind but you don't have anything to write it down. Carrying a pad and pen is a basic of any writer.

Being In A Particular Place Or TIme

Have you dreamed of being in a particular place. France? New York City? Hollywood? Africa?  Or in a particular time frame? Harlem in the 1930s? the Beat Generation of the 1950s and 60s? Seventeenth century Victorian times? How about being on a sailing vessels with Herman Melville? 

If you have a knack for being in a particular place and write about it is a gift. I wish that I could go to some locales and get a feel of the place. New Orleans is such a place I would love to spend time in. The next best thing to do is to thoroughly research a particular palace or time in history. Talking with people who live there or are from there can add originality to your story or article. I'm researching a southern California city where I set a my novella in. 

If you cannot get to your desired destination, do all your research and get the next best thing.

Words Of Wisdom

Breathe in, experience,
Breathe out, poetry.

                                                           Muriel Rukeyser, Poet (1913-1980)

Attention:Ann Arbor

For you film buffs in Ann Arbor, the annual Ann Arbor Film Festival will happen in March 25-30.  For more info, go to www.aafimfest.org.

Writing From Many Perspectives

Writing from one perspective is difficult. Writing from many perspectives is more difficult.As an African American, transgender and Christian woman I incorporate these aspects in my writing. My experiences .are uniquely my own and I can't or will I deny this part of my life. 

From time to time, I reflect on my writing and where it is going. At times, I think that there's the tendency to want to pigeon hole a writer to write a certain way because it's popular at that time, or too political, not political enough, or lack substance. This is something I think writers face. I also believe that  writing in a way that's not natural to me comes off as being artificial. 

I read a number of different authors male and female. There's so many perspectives and viewpoints. As I continue to evolve as a writer I am incorporating much of my own life into my stories and poems. Different perspectives shed light on viewpoints and lives much different than ours. This is what writing is about. 

Words Of Wisdom

I liked to write from about the time I was 12 or 13. I loved to read. And since I only spoke to my brother, I would write down my thoughts. And I think I wrote some of the worst poetry west of the Rockies. But by the time I was in my 20s, I found myself writing little essays and more poetry-writing at writing.

                                                                                          ~Maya Angelou, Poet  (b.1928) 

Poem

All the old haunts are gone.
Dave's record store;
the old deli on Second Avenue
The hot dog stand on Sixth Avenue

So many new places, overpriced and overrated.
Never saw so many frozen yogurt shops.
First of all, how many people are into frozen yogurt?
Second, who wants frozen yogurt on a cold and snowy February day?

Saint Mark's Place is still bustling
The dollar pizza shops remind me
of the days of cheap rents, greasy spoons
And head shops
Dinner could be had for about a dollar
Jazz and rock rhythms emanated from the clubs
Into the humid July air.

The central meeting place is filled
With musicians,gyrating men and women
Poets and orators and philosophers rapping  
Through a haze of marijuana smoke   

Surveying the current scene
I am a stranger in a foreign land.
I once believed that the city belonged to the people
Now it isn't mine anymore.

Seeking Places To Read

I am seeking more venues where I can read poetry. Guess you can say the bug has hit me. I went to check out one such venue last night but the open mic was cancelled due to inclement weather. I know of other venue on the lower East Side and East Village areas and I'll check out other areas.