Black Pot Mojo

Journey Well, Gil Scott Heron

2011-05-27T23:20:00.001-05:00

Gil Scott-Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011)

Mo' WisCon 35 - Opening Ceremonies, Mermaids, and Such

2011-05-27T22:58:00.000-05:00

Fine beautiful people, it is nonstop here at WisCon, nonstop, so I'm taking a few minutes of solitary time before heading to the *rest* of the evening's scheduled programming! This includes bustin' a move or two at the Carl Brandon Society's party, crashing the Consuite since I haven't managed to *get there* since we arrived (good grief, and how is this possible?), and heading to Pan Morigan's

WisCon 35 - Celebrating Guest of Honor Nisi Shawl

2011-05-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

We're in beautiful Madison, Wisconsin now for the 35th annual WisCon - The world's leading feminist science fiction convention! This year's GoH is writer Nisi Shawl (FILTER HOUSE). I first met Nisi in 1999 when I was a writer in the six-week Clarion West workshop in Seattle. Our instructors for the workshop were Nancy Kress, Greg Bear, Octavia Butler, Howard Waldrop, editor Gordon Van

FRAGMENTS: Poets and Artists of the South and Southwest

2011-05-27T11:47:00.000-05:00

Fragments: Poets and Artists of the South and Southwest What exactly is ekphrasis? Defined as “the response of one art form to another”, ekphrasis often involves poetry responding to a medium of art. On Friday, October 7, 2011, David Hinske, longtime Memphis resident who currently lives and paints in Taos, New Mexico, and Andrea L. Watson, award-winning poet and performance artist, bring an

"You Can Kill A Man, But You Can't Kill An Idea": I Support Medgar Evers College

2011-05-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

This quote was made by Civil Rights activist, Medgar Wiley Evers, the field secretary of the NAACP and a major figure in our nation's Civil Rights history. Evers' commitment to the cause of civil rights ultimately led to his murder in Mississippi on June 12, 1963. Seven years later, Medgar Evers College was founded in central Brooklyn in 1970 through the collaborative efforts of the

SHOTGUN LULLABIES: Stories & Poems by Sheree Renée Thomas

2011-02-12T14:25:00.001-05:00

My first short story and poetry chapbook, SHOTGUN LULLABIES, is available now from Aqueduct Press (Seattle, WA)! It is Volume 28 in their award-winning "Conversation Pieces Series." Here is a link to it on the Aqueduct Press website:Aqueduct Press is pleased to announce... http://www.aqueductpress.com/books/ShotgunLullabies-Vol28.html And yes, that's a John Biggers painting on the cover!

SHOTGUN LULLABIES: Stories & Poems by Sheree Renée Thomas (new book)

2011-02-12T14:16:00.001-05:00

Excellent Children's Programming this year - yay, Stacey, Angeli, and n'em!

2011-02-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 2009 PROGRAM PROGRAMMING AND VENUES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ALL EVENTS FREE Target Children’s Area (Borough Hall Plaza) The Target Children’s Area provides day-long readings and literary activities for children 2-9 10:00a.m. Troupe – Performs classic children’s books 10:30a.m. Mo Willems, Elephants Cannot Dance; Watch Me Throw the Ball! 11:00a.m. Alison

The Africa Book Centre - Disappearing Down a Wonderful Rabbit Hole

2010-02-18T16:26:00.000-05:00

A few years back I had the good fortune of being a guest of the incomparable Ms. Kadija George (Kadija Sesay) during a Dark Matter writing workshop and reading at the annual SPIT-LIT Festival. Of all the places Kadija and the fine poets took me to explore, one of my favorites was the Africa Book Centre. Established in 1989, they have a world class collection of books about and from Africa. I

Sacred Waters & Mami Wata

2010-02-18T15:38:00.000-05:00

With journals in hand and full of Obama & Earth Day fever, we went to DC last Spring to see the wonderful Mami Wata exhibit at the National Museum of African Art. This was my first visit to the museum and was really pleased. The NMAFA make the most of the unique space it has available--you enter and then descend to see an impressive array of art from across the continent--and the staff is

Xenobia Bailey is Outrageously Creative

2010-02-13T12:34:00.008-05:00

The multitalented mother of aesthetic funk, artist Xenobia Bailey, has a cool workshop tomorrow at the Arts Horizon LeRoy Neiman * Center. Check it out before your Valentine festivities begin! UTOPIA LAB CREATIVE WORKSHOP: "THE AESTHETIC OF FUNK"xenba.blogspot.comI hope you can make it! If you have any questions you can send me an email; xenba@googlegroups.com Sunday: February 14th 2:00pm -

Celebrate 40 Years of Black Studies Programs in America....

2009-09-18T16:40:00.007-05:00

"Rivers" cosmogram by Houston Conwill at the Langston Hughes Atrium at the Schomburg Center for Research on Black Culture in Harlem, NY. Another cosmogram by the artist and poet Estella Conwill is located at the African Burial Ground National Monument in the Wall Street financial district.It's kind of mind-boggling to think about it, but we've had formal Black Studies Programs in public and

Are You Kiddin' Me?! - The Entire Philly Free Library is CLOSING!!! ON OCTOBER 2ND!!! WTF!!

2009-09-13T14:01:00.006-05:00

THIS IS BEYOND JACKED UP! SUPPORT YOUR LIBRARIES, PEOPLE. Go to their public programs. Request comment cards when you do and share your ideas and feedback. Jot down letters to the directors (in NYC, you get a formal response back!), letting them know you exist and how you and your family use the librarie's resources. The Library needs a serious PR campaign, good grief.

Excellent Young Folk's Programming this year - yay, Stacey, Angeli, and n'em!

2009-09-13T13:37:00.004-05:00

BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL 2009 PROGRAMPROGRAMMING AND VENUES SUBJECT TO CHANGEALL EVENTS FREETarget Children’s Area (Borough Hall Plaza)The Target Children’s Area provides day-long readings and literary activities for children 2-910:00a.m. Troupe – Performs classic children’s books10:30a.m. Mo Willems, Elephants Cannot Dance; Watch Me Throw the Ball!11:00a.m. Alison Josephs/

"I will take a paragraph..."

2009-04-15T22:07:00.003-05:00

You already know this, folk, but I'ma say it again. Love me some Arthur Rickydoc Flowers! Arthur and another fave writer, George Saunders, are up at Syracuse guiding new generations of wordsmiths. Arthur, a word wizard in a category all by himself and one of the few practicing Hoodoofolk in Higher Education, also blogs about being in and out of the woodshed, revising his novel, Rest for the

Belladona's ELDER SERIES @ Dixon Place

2009-04-12T13:35:00.005-05:00

Belladonna* Celebrates the Elders with readings and events guest-hosted by some of our favorite writers who've invited writers who influence and

The James Tiptree, Jr. Award

2008-06-01T17:07:00.001-05:00

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog....Well, I missed WisCon and I was totally bummed out, especially since I was a Tiptree Award juror this year (a very cool experience), but I'm glad to hear that folk had a rockin' good time despite the stomach bug goin' round. Here's a post from Nnedimma Okorafor-Mbachu on her novel, THE SHADOW SPEAKER being a Tiptree Honor Book (yay!).All Best,

The Word in Color

2008-05-26T10:15:00.006-05:00

Nikky FinneyPoetry reviews are rare, and having one's work mentioned in a poetry review is even rarer still. I was delighted to see this recent bit of ink in the SAN ANTONIO CURRENT.4/9/2008ArtThe word in colorA poetry fan challenges John Hollander’s white mightAsian American Poetry: The Next Generation Victoria Chang, ed. University of Illinois Pres $19.95, 232 pagesThe Wind Shifts: New Latino

Camille Yarbrough's ANCESTOR HOUSE

2008-05-24T19:57:00.007-05:00

I just returned from being a special guest at Camille Yarbrough's ANCESTOR HOUSE. The show aired live at 6 pm on MNN (Manhattan Neighborhood Network) Channel 34. Many thanks to co-editors Dr. Brenda Greene and Fred Beauford and Herb Boyd (BALDWIN'S HARLEM). We were gathered to discuss the publication of Greene and Beauford's recent collaboration, MEDITATIONS AND ASCENSIONS: Black Writers on

Freelancers Union

2008-05-10T15:32:00.002-05:00

The National Writers Union is the trade union for freelance and contract writers: journalists, book authors, business and technical writers, web content providers, and poets. With the combined strength of nearly 2,000 members in 16 chapters nationwide, and with the support of the United Automobile Workers (UAW), the Union works to defend the rights and improve the economic and working conditions

MEDITATIONS AND ASCENSIONS

2008-05-09T19:48:00.002-05:00

Published by Medgar Evers College and Third World Press in Chicago, MEDITATIONS AND ASCENSIONS edited by Brenda M. Greene and Fred Beauford focuses on the literary panels held in Brooklyn at the 2006 National Black Writers Conference. I was honored to appear on the Speculative Fiction panel with Samuel R. Delany, Tananarive Due, and Walter Mosley. Our panel was moderated by Robert Reid-Pharr and

I AM A MAN...and a woman and a child and...

2008-04-05T09:52:00.004-05:00

Lupus Foundation of Americahttp://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.htmlGlobal Fund for Womenhttp://www.globalfundforwomen.org/cms/our-work/grantee-partners/Women for Women Internationalhttp://www.womenforwomen.org/WomenArts Network - Fund for Women Artistshttp://www.womenarts.org/network/

GREEN FOR ALL'S DREAM REBORN

2008-04-05T08:38:00.008-05:00

Friend and "Slammingest" Poet Aya de Leon and the Applied Research Center are there right now, among many others. If you missed this year's conference, do check out the conference website for links on a broad coalition of Green activists across the nation.The ARC, based in Oakland, CA, also publishes ColorLines: the national magazine on race and politics. My short story, "Bender's Bow," is in

ENTRUSTED IN OUR KEEPING

2008-03-01T18:21:00.001-05:00

Hey fine folks, I know it's been about fifty-five fifty-five years, but I wanted to jot down a quick notes about all the love and light that's been flowing through the Newark Public Library, down on 5 Washington Street.Just returned from leading a MARVELOUS REAL workshop with some interesting writers, visual artists, and educators who are creating some good work. The program was curated by the

ENTRUSTED IN OUR KEEPING

2008-03-01T18:21:00.000-05:00

MARGARET GARNER, or A Negress Goes to the Opera for the First Time

2007-10-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

So, quick, quick now, 'for I forget. For her birthday, your beloved Negress attended the very last Lincoln Center performance of MARGARET GARNER, the opera based on the historical inspiration of Toni Morrison's BELOVED. Fearful that she would be late and be forced to stand outside with the rest of the folk on CPTime, your Negress sprinted like Flo Jo from Harlem to Lincoln Center in record time

Indiana Review Funk

2007-08-02T18:07:00.001-05:00

We Want Your Funk Indiana Review is planning to bring the funk in summer 2008. Our 30.1 issue will feature a special "Focus on the Funk" section, with art, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that has a uniquely funky aesthetic. As we have been informed, funk has the power to move and re-move, and it also has the power to defy definition. So please don't ask us to tell you what funk is (although the

Sheree in VIBE and a few other publications

2007-07-30T04:20:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm not even going to say anything about 50's busted photo--oops!--but if you turn to pages 22 and 48, why, you could see yours truly and my interview of an exciting debut fantasy novelist, Troy CLE. Check out his new fantasy series, MARVELOUS WORLD: Book 1 - The Marvelous Effect and keep yours eyes for the next five volumes.BRONX BIANNUAL:vol. 2The New York Free Press published an article

A Daughter of the Dust Returns!

2007-07-02T18:09:00.000-05:00

Sheree, chillin' on W. C. Handy's porch (pronounced, 'pOch')Had an awesome time back in my old stomping grounds in MEMPHIS. It wasn't technically a 'vacation,' as I was on deadline, a serious one, but I did have a great time with the family, all de family, that great extended hand waving, "Hey! What you know good?"Sheree, stylin' & profilin' at The King's Palace on BealeThat's a painting of

2007 Rhysling Awards Nomination

2007-02-28T00:36:00.000-05:00

On February 21, I received notification that my poem, Fallen, has been nominated for the 2007 Rhysling Awards in the long poem category. This is my second nomination (the first one was in '03).For those who may not be familiar with the Rhyslings, they are an annual award given by the Science Fiction Poetry Association (www.sfpoetry.com) for the best speculative poetry published in the prior year.

Knicks Poetry Slam

2006-12-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

Firstborn and I headed out to the Garden early this morning to get in line for the annual Knicks Poetry Slam auditions. When we got there, they were moving participants in, twenty at a time. It was terrific so many young poets out and about, eager to share the words, eager to lift their voices. A lot of supportive folk were out, taking pix and offering encouraging words. I saw one father

Hey now! Some good news from Sheree!

2006-12-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

A short story of mine appears in the November/December 2006 issue of *Colorlines Magazine* alongside new work by Edwidge Danticat and interviews with Nigerian author Chris Abani and Thomas Glave (described as "the new James Baldwin"). I'm also excited because this is Colorlines' first fiction issue. I am a big fan of many of the writers featured here, so this cover is definitely going up on the

Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship: Elliott Bay Book Company Donation

2006-06-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

In June, 2006, the Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle will donate 20% of their proceeds from the sale of certain books to the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund of the Carl Brandon Society. Books must be purchased in person or over the phone, during the month of June. Online purchases do not qualify.The donation will be made as part of Elliott Bay's "Books for a Change" program. Titles

Bottle for Ogun

2006-06-12T12:29:00.000-05:00

Bottle for Ogun by Kali TalOgun, the Orisa of Iron, Metal, Technology...the force that keeps matter in motion...Ogun keeps it movin'...As you know well, so well, Fly Folk are everywhere and this weekend I'm going to meet some more at the Solstice Summer Writers Conference, but in the meanwhile I'ma put you down on some other fly folk who may enrich your world. And as you rise each morning,

Uptown @ Minton's Playhouse

2006-06-10T23:37:00.001-05:00

If you ain't been to Minton's Playhouse, on a Friday night, down on the first floor of the old Cecil Hotel at 210 West 118th Street in Harlem, well, you ain't been nowhere near no jazz at'all. This, apparently, is the secret jump off for old school playas and a whole lotta Japanese tourists who clearly know where to get their groove on. Lovin' the splendid display of fly hats, tilted to the

Afrofuturism.net

2006-06-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

Afrofuturism is affiliated with the nomadic listserv of the same name, now installed on Yahoo! To change your subscription settings if you are already a subscriber visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/afrofuturismOnce upon a time, in the not so distant past, music writers and cultural critics like Mark Dery, Greg Tate, Mark Sinker and Tricia Rose brought science fiction themes in the works of

Last Night's Octavia E Butler Tribute @ NYPL!

2006-06-06T08:22:00.000-05:00

One of Octavia E. Butler's fans created this picture some time ago, and when I first got it I thought, 'Ooh, that's crazy lookin', don't favor her at all!' but now I just see the admiration it was made with. Looks kinda cool to me now. The various covers above are just a few from the numerous foreign and other editions of some of Ms. Butler's most beloved works. I love to check out how works

Science Fiction from the (so-called) Third World [wiscon panel]

2006-06-01T10:53:00.000-05:00

Don't let me mess around and figure out how to put music on this joint--it will be all ovah then! What I'm listening to this morning is Zap Mama's "Gbo Mata [Station]" and this baaaad version of Lauryn Hill singing "Change Is Gonna Come." Hey now!Okay, as you know, I recently returned form WisCon 30, the world's leading feminist science fiction convention held annually in Madison. For their 30th

Check It While I Wreck It

2006-05-31T13:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, so he shouldn't be jailed, but he sho'll shoulda been forced to read Check It While I Wreck It: Black Womanhood, Hip Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere by Gwendolyn Pough or Joan Morgan's When Chickenheads Come to Roost: My Life as a Hip Hop Feminist. Tired of folk thinking they can 'fight the system' by breakdancin' on my head.For being such a myopic misogynist, Monsieur R and his French

Wiscon 30 - journey well

2006-05-30T13:14:00.000-05:00

Ooh child.Sorry, that's the best I can manage at this time! I'm back from Wiscon 30, where I had a wildy fun weekend, yes indeed, and like quite a few others I'm sure, the re-entry back to my everyday world has been swift and sobering.First thing, after I finally wrenched myself away from new and old friends at the con, sprinting to the shuttle to catch my flight out, don't you know American

A Tribute to OCTAVIA BUTLER @ NYPL

2006-05-24T10:01:00.000-05:00

PRESENTS A Tribute to OCTAVIA E. BUTLER Monday, June 5, 2006 at 7:00 PM Please note: this event takes place at THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Bruno Walter Auditorium (use Library

A Video Tribute to OCTAVIA E. BUTLER

2006-05-24T09:54:00.000-05:00

TSTOP'S Film Shack Video Tribute to Octavia Butler

Uncle Ruckus & Reparations Redux

2006-05-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

HK Edgerton (Asheville, NC)David Hammons, African American flag, 1990Now see,this is the kind of craziness that is haaaaaaaard on a sista.First, I flip to Penn & Teller's Bullshit! on Reparations (don't trip, that's the name of the show) and who do I see but the Uncle Ruckus of Cultural Criticism, John McWhorter (insert name of his latest tired diatribe book here). It's not that I don't

WisCon 30 or Bust!

2006-05-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

Truth is, it probably neva woulda occurred to me to attend a science fiction conference if I hadn't edited Dark Matter. Truth is, I probably woulda continued being one of the countless unknown blackfolk who have been reading in the genre, among a whole lotta other genres, going to our favorite bookstores, browsing the shelves, plunking down good money for whatever floats our boat and taking it

Southern Revival: Deep Magic for Hurricane Relief

2006-04-21T13:07:00.000-05:00

Nice news! I heard from Tara Kaye Sellman @ Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism, my work is going to appear in Southern Revival: Deep Magic for Hurricane Relief. The First Book charity effort, Book Relief, has already generated enough money to supply almost 2500 books to Southern libraries and hurricane evacuees, without selling one book yet! The pub release date is set for April 29th. To

The Solstice Summer Writers' Conference

2006-04-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

I am teaching fiction at the Solstice Summer Writers' Conference this summer, June 16-20, at Pine Manor College in MA. Please take a look at the workshop schedule and faculty, then kindly share this with the community. It's going to be a nice summer session! The Solstice Summer Writers' Conference Renew your creative energies with award-winning authors at the Solstice Summer Writers’

Feelings and Passages

2006-04-05T13:41:00.000-05:00

"When I am asked who I am, I say, I am an African who was born in America. Both answers connect me specifically with my past and present ... therefore I bring to my art a quality which is rooted in the culture of Africa ... and expanded by the experience of being in America. I use the vehicle of 'fine art' and 'illustration' as a viable expression of form, yet striving

National Black Writers Conference @ Medgar Evers College

2006-04-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

“If you want to know where a people are going, just look at the artists.”-- John Oliver Killens"What comes forth from you as an artist cannot be controlled. But you have responsibilities as a global citizen. Your history dictates your duty. And by writing about black people, you are not limiting yourself. The experiences of African-Americans are as wide open as God's closet."-- August WilsonWe

Black Pot Mojo: Octavia E. Butler Tribute

2006-03-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

Black Pot Mojo: Octavia E. Butler Tribute

Stars in Her Eyes

2006-03-05T14:31:00.000-05:00

As a cultural astronomer and expert on African skylore, Jarita C. Holbrook, a mother and an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Arizona, has her feet firmly on the ground as she explores the world and engages in studies some of us only dream about. This sista scholar is doing some important work, including co-organizing the 2006 Total Solar Eclipse: Astronomy & Culture Conference

Swingin' at Swann Galleries

2006-03-04T21:04:00.000-05:00

Midnight Madonnas by Betye SaarThe Harp by Augusta Savagesigned Phyllis Wheatley volume - one of her letters set a record, selling for $253K @ SwannThe first time I attended an auction was two years ago, when I met independent collector and curator, Gene Peters of Sankofa Exhibit Consultants, at an Octavia Butler booksigning at the Schomburg. Octavia was there to celebrate the 25th anniversary of

Bloodchild

2006-03-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

I'm still a little groggy - correction, overly caffeinated from the 5 am Octavia Estelle Butler tribute I did with Jim Freund on WBAI 99.5 FM's "Hour of the Wolf", but Jim never ceases to amaze me. He reminds me of my dear family friend, acclaimed journalist, the brilliant mind the Lost Jazz Shrines project, and former WBAI DJ and co-host of the popular "Stormy Monday" show, David Earl

Octavia E. Butler Tribute

2006-03-03T12:09:00.000-05:00

I am sad beyond words. Stunned. One of our most perceptive and talented, brave writers has crossed over, but what a gift she has left us. Such a fine and broad body of work for us to remember and explore. I've learned so much about myself simply from entering her words on the page.I first discovered Octavia's work in college, when a professor assigned her novel, Kindred, in a slavery and

Octavia E. Butler Crosses Over

2006-02-27T10:17:00.000-05:00

I am sad beyond words. Stunned. One of our most perceptive and talented, brave writers has crossed over, but what a gift she has left us. Such a fine and broad body of work for us to remember and explore. I've learned so much about myself simply from entering her words on the page.I first discovered Octavia E. Butler's work in college, when a professor assigned her novel, KINDRED, in a slavery

For This Is Not America...

2005-04-15T17:50:00.000-05:00

This is not America, sha la la la laA little piece of youThe little peace in meWill die [This is not a miracle]For this is not America-- Lyrics by David Bowie and Pat Metheny Well, it's that time of year again, Sam want his money--all of it, now-- and it seem like damn near every other deadline on the planet is due as well. Can't complain, just handle the business. Do the thang. And as you can

Soul Suckas, a digression, Then some love for Sekou & Sotigui

2005-03-31T14:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is a wee bit off topic, but today I had to take a moment to pull out my salt and sage. You heard right, salt and sage. For those who don't know, sometimes you got to burn some salt and wave some sage just to ward off negativity. What is it with these soul suckas, spiritual vampires that call folk out of the clear blue just to take, take, take? I gotta ask, because within the past 48

A deep breath

2005-03-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

Before the storm came, before poverty and suspicion scattered the families like damp seed, an old woman never had to live alone and cook for herself, never had to braid her own hair, thread her own needles long after her good sight gone, the nerves gripping her fingers til they shake, never had to sit and listen to her silence, the only company her breath. Then, an old woman had kin, got a

An Elder Once Said

2005-03-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

A stumble is not a fall.-- Haitian proverb. Once upon a time, a long time ago, not yesterday, but the time before, somebody messed up. I don't know how, exactly when, or even who, but whoever it was, offered this wise saying, on their way back up to dance in life's two step. And to whoever said it first, gratitude and blessings. This is the kind of elder wisdom a body needs every now n' then.

Hoodoo You Love

2005-03-18T20:06:00.000-05:00

Hoodoo lady, you can turn water to wineI been wondering where have you been all this time...-- Memphis Minnie, "Hoodoo Lady"She been offline! No, seriously, greetings and welcome. Don't know if this is posting or not, but I'm typing anyway. As you can see, I'm a newhand at blogging, so work with me now, work with me. I got a list on yahoogroups, Anansi: Fiction of the African Diaspora,