We All Need A Little Emily in Our Lives

I held a Jewel in my fingers
By Emily Dickinson
I held a Jewel in my fingers
And went to sleep
The day was warm, and winds were prosy
I said "'Twill keep"

I woke -- and chid my honest fingers,
The Gem was gone
And now, an Amethyst remembrance
Is all I own

Do You Know - Lynn Procope?

If you don't know, now you know:-)

Lynne Procope hails from Trinidad and Tobago and is a full-time poet/ teaching artist living in New York. In over 10 years on the poetry scene, she has made quite a name for herself! In addition to being one of the founders of the New York City louderARTS Project,Lynn was also a member of the Nuyorican Poetry Slam team that went on to win the 1998 National Poetry Slam Championship in Austin, TX.

Her work is influenced by her experiences as a woman and often speaks to the trials of marginalized populations. She is an awesome performer, but her real strength is in her writing. Every line is packed with so much depth that you often have to re-read/ rewind to catch the full meaning. An absolute lyrical master, Lynn is pretty much the defintitin of a deep sister. Some of her most famous works include "Elemental Woman", "Flectere" and "Evidence of Injury".

check her out in this interview -


watch her slam!

On Second Thought
By Lynn Procope
"Black girls in short shorts and last summer’s high heeled shell toes
Blacker than we were last year or a month ago because finally, finally the sun
Black girls in head wraps the season we discovered Africa on Fulton st
Black girls in low, low rise jeans the year our city burned
And all we could do was hold each other’s hands
Laugh with our mouths wide open
Loud enough so each of us could hear the other’s tears
Smothering in the backs of our throats
Pointing to where the towers used to be to
Trying to see through the plumes of soot
Black girls who move to New York
To slay their mother’s perfect church dresses
To raise the ante on their mother’s stole ward hips
To forget the way their fathers came home
To make good on promises to all those old, old black ladies at the family reunion
To play god with their own lives, for a change"

Shatner does Palin's Memorable Farewell Speech - Slam Poetry Style

and...yes. I'm using the words "memorable," "speech," and "poetry" VERY loosely. enjoy:-)

Nerd Poetry!

SCIENCE AND POETRY
by Tonya Maria Matthews

She is an algebra project with a haiku punchline.
Metaphysics is not a real science
but its mastery is the only thing
that keeps her from exploding all over you
like an atomic bomb
acid raining on your parade
fucking up your syllables

Been my best friend
for years
betrayed me more than once
so I feel no qualm
warning you

true. she has her moments

But you got to approach a sister that smooth
on a parabolic curve
and you, my friend, are a straight line
neither Pablo nor Pythagoras would approve

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Writing Tips: From Anis

Hello World

I'm kind of on an Anis Mojgani kick these days, so I decided to highlgiht his advise in this week's "Writing Tips."

It's from an interview he did last year with Common-Line's Ananda Osel

Osel: What makes a good performance poem?

Mojgani: Respecting your audience. Don’t think that you as a poet are in a position to teach them anything or give them something they’ve never heard before. One of our most precious commodities is time. Don’t waste theirs by asking them to invest it into something that’s bullshit.

1. Having the courage to be vulnerable.
2. Having an honest and organic connection to your work.
3. Not forcing anything.
4. Make it interesting.

Meet - The Word THUG!!

If you haven't heard of this lyrical master, then you havent really lived. (yes, I'm very fond of hyperbole, but this is the gospel truth!) Anis Mojgani is a spoken word artist, musician, and visual artist that continues to surprise, inspire, and impress me every time I see him. I was going to write this totally kick-A profile on the new love of my life:-) - but, looks like Ananda Osel of CommonLine E-Mag beat me to the punch.

Why re-invent the wheel?! Check out this great interview below.

Interview by Ananda Osel
Common-Line E-MAgazine

We’ve all been urged to say something, to speak something dynamic into existence. To spit raw emotion from deep within our chests and off the tip of our tongues. We’ve all been impelled by this natural and ardent force… only to find that perhaps at that moment in time and space, the words were not with us. We lacked distinct articulation and rhythm of wit over diction. Later we find ourselves replaying that moment again and again in our minds.

Anis Mojgani is a spoken word superhero. His poems bleed pure energy into anyone who cares enough to open up and listen. Anis’ poems manifest the distinct articulation and raw emotions we’ve all wished we had at one time or another.

While listening to Mojgani’s poems I could not help but be moved- and to relate. That’s what grabs you about Anis’ work. He’s puts your emotions into his words, making them horrific and beautiful all at once. Whether from his powerful poem Shake the Dust, to the electric Rock Out, or the melancholy lyrics of Cradle, Anis grabs hold of your guts and gently earthquakes you to attention.

Anis is the current (2007) World Cup Poetry Slam Champion and the
2005 & 2006 National Poetry Slam Individual Champion (a back-to-back honor shared only by fellow artist Buddy Wakefield). He is also the 2006 Seattle Grand Slam Champion. Anis has been featured on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, National Public Radio’s ‘The Beat’, and in the documentary 'Slam Planet: War of the Words'. You can also find his work in Spoken Word Revolution Redux and in the literary journal ‘Rattle’. And all of this is for very good reason.

--------
Ananda Osel: What sets your work apart from other slam poets?

Anis Mojgani: I don’t know. I really try not to compare myself to other poet’s work. There are a lot of poets out there that are coming from a similar place that I am, so in that regards there are slam poets out there that I can’t set myself apart from. I know its semantics, but if a poet doesn’t have semantics what does he have? I do think that if one goes to a slam that I’m competing in, some things that may seem different between myself and several other performers is that I try not to perform. I simply share a poem that I’ve written and open myself up to be allowed the same affect that hopefully it will have an audience member. I concentrate heavily on the written text and the image and respect the audience enough not to pander to them. I understand that no one’s going to get all that I’m saying, not even if they were reading it, so I try not to dumb in down cuz that doesn’t respect the craft nor does it elevate the audience.

Osel: What influences does your writing and performing draw from?

Mojgani: Influences aren’t currently in the bag, as I think that young artists have influences, older artists have inspiration. Of course that’s not a blanket statement, but at least for me these days that’s how it is.

Influences in my path: Jeffrey McDaniel, Richard Brautigan, Bukowski, Gregory Corso, Kerouac, MF Doom, Aesop rock, Robert Rauschenberg, Basquiat, Chris Ware, Frank Miller, Saul Williams, Whitman, Savannah, GA, New York, New Orleans, being broke, being a hermit, shoot the piano player, the Baha’i writings and history. Inspiration though is a more frequent occurrence, and comes from a variety of sources; other poets, art, comics, novels, movies, observing people, our country and the affect it has on its citizens. Flowers. Donuts. Moths. The moon. A good cheeseburger.

Osel: How much of your work comes from direct experience and how much comes from observation?

Mojgani: It’s a mixture. I try to keep myself open to observing people, trying to get a better understanding of how we as people act and react to certain situations. I think that the better understanding one has of human psychology, the more successful one’s art can be at communicating its intent. I try to take what I learn from observing and apply it to my own experiences, cuz when it comes down to it that’s the only person that I can know the most about.

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Anis Orders you to ROCK the F- Out ::Heart::

ROCK OUT!

You have been given a direct order to rock the fuck out. Rock out like you were just given the last rock and roll album on earth and the minutes are counting down to flames. Rock out like you just won both showcase showdowns. Rock out like the streets are empty except for you, your bicycle and your headphones. Rock out like your lips, which are placed onto a breakdancing muse with legs that go all the way up. Rock out like you’ll never have to open a textbook again. Rock out like you get paid to disturb the peace. Rock out like music is all that you got. Rock out like you’re standing on a rooftop and the city’s as loud and glowing as a river below you. Rock out like the plane is going down, there are 120 people on board, and 121 parachutes. Rock out like the streets and the books are all on fire and the only way it can be extinguished is by doin’ the electric slide. Rock out like it’s Saturday afternoon and Monday is a national holiday.



Rock out like somebody’s got a barrel pointed at your temple saying ‘Rock out like your life depended on it, fool,‘ because it does. Rock out like your eyes are fading but you still got your ears. But you don’t know for how long so rock out like 5 o’clock time, make pop-in-lot time. Rock out like you got pants full of tokens and nothing to do but everything. Rock out like you are the international ski-ball champion of the entire universe. Rock out like you just escaped an evil orphanage to join a Russian circus. Rock out like your hero is fallen and you are spinning your limbs until they burst into a burning fire of remembrance. Rock out like you’re enslaved in the south and dancing is all that you have to know who you are. Rock out like your dead grandfather just came back to take a drive with you in your new car. Rock out like the table is full. Rock out like the neighbors are away. Rock out like the walls won’t fall but, dammit, you’re going to die trying to make them. Rock out like the stereo’s volume knob is the figure 8 of infinity instead of merely numbers. Rock out like it’s raining outside and you’ve got a girl to run through it with:-). Rock out like you’re playing football! Football in the mud and your washing machine is not broken. Rock out like you throwing your window open on your honeymoon because you want the whole world to know what love is. Rock out like you just got a book published. Rock out like you just went to your high school reunion to find everyone, even the women, are all overweight and bald, except for the former homecoming queen, who you just found out, got divorced from her impotent husband and only has eyes for.. YOU! Rock out like you just got a date with Heidi Klum. Rock out like a shadow man passes behind you, drops you to your knees. You’re buckling in sweat, cold metal’s pushed to your forhead, the trigger’s pulled and the gun jams. Rock out like you got an empty appointment book, and a full tank of gas. Rock out like Jimi has returned carrying brand new guitar strings. Rock out like the mangos are in season. Rock out like the record player won’t skip. Rock out like this was the last weekend, like these were the last words, like you don’t ever want to forget how.

-Anis Mojgani

All-Black Italian Vogue Returns — With Barbie

Loves it!! I was raised on Black Barbies and, in my all white neighborhood, it was the closest I ever came to seeing beautiful black women highlighted in pop culture. This tiny piece of plastic brown hottness showed me that pretty comes in many colors.

I'll put my inner feminist aside for the day and say - "bravo Barbie"

Check out the link for more on the feature and the history of the magnificent Black Barbie!

Quote of the WEEK

"Success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm."
Winston Churchill.

Looking for Representation?

I ::heart:: those brave enough to make art their careers and so does Layman Lyric Productions. This agency specialzes in musical acts, including acoustic singer songwriters and live bands, and (hells yeah!!) slam poetry.

We also operate as a full-service agency for National Touring Artists including today's most noted and popular musicians in every genre. Our energetic staff prides itself in professionalism and kindness and is dedicated to providing quality entertainment for Colleges, Universities and Schools across the U.S. and abroad.

If you're looking for representation, you might want to check them out.

According to their site, their "artists include some of the hottest Up and Coming and Nationally Recognized Touring Musicians on the College Market and World Renown HBO Def Poets, and National Poetry Slam Champions. View bios, watch demos, download EPK's, Pics and contract Riders, and contact our agents with booking requests all here at laymanlyric.com."

Stuff I Like: Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz

This oscillates between the tender and the comical with a sense of energy and poise that can only come from Cristin. My favorite line, by far, has to be -

"It was always just mom and me
a stack of books
and NPR coming through the radio
like the voice of God"

This line speaks to me so strongly because this story could very well have been mine. Yes. the NPR line:-) But also the close relationship between mother and daughter. This poem is for mothers everywhere who have put their dreams on the back burner to lend their arms and wombs to their children and for women who take their roles as caretakers very, very seriously.

Enjoy!

Mother

Happy Birthday Mandela

Nelson Mandela - the man whose struggle, determination, and leadership helped to free a nation turned 91 yesterday. And, the stars came out en force to help him party it up. Happy birthday Mr. Mandela. You were a freedom fighter to the umpteenth degree:-) Here's to many more years!

Just For Fun : WJW Fox 8 Cleveland does a ridiculous story on a bear in a lady's backyard

WJW says "A Woodmere resident has a close encounter with a black bear, it's in the backyard!" This reporter takes a legitimate story and turns it into a farce. He makes a cardboard cutout and says "this might have been what it looked like, if it wasn't a cutout..."

Happy 4th - Celebrate with some Revolutionary Poetry!

So, my friend asked an interesting and provocative question - "Happy Independence Day, but when is interdependence day?" It got me thinking about how interesting it is that we celebrate freedom and democracy and choice, but rarely stop to celebrate our collective need for each other. It takes effort on all parts to maintain a free society. I know...this might be a bit too deep for the 4th, but I just wanted to throw my two sense in. As you're all partying it up with fireworks, grill outs, and mayhem, remember that there's still much more work to be done:-)

enjoy!

"Revolution" Flaco Navaja


"Homeland Security" Jus Cus


"America On Sale" Alix Olson

Quote of the WEEK

"Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ. ... I think we'll mourn his loss as well as the loss of ourselves as children listening to 'Thriller' on the record player."

Musician John Mayer on the passing of Michael Jackson, via his Twitter feed.

Words Without Borders

This "great link" leads to an organization that works to the translate, publish, and promote contemporary literature from all over the world. They feature writing from even the most obscure regions of the globe and give an international voice to the silenced. According to their site, their mission is to -

"opens doors to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world’s best writing. WWB publishes selected prose and poetry on the web and in print anthologies (the next one to focus on the Islamic world), stages special events that connect foreign writers to the general public and media, develops materials for high school teachers to use foreign literature in classrooms, and continues to build an unparalleled online resource center for contemporary global writing.

Our ultimate aim is to introduce exciting international writing to the general public — travelers, teachers, students, publishers, and a new generation of eclectic readers — by presenting international literature not as a static, elite phenomenon, but a portal through which to explore the world. In the richness of cultural information we present, we hope to help foster a “globalization” of cultural engagement and exchange, one that allows many voices in many languages to prosper."

They're pretty much the "Tower of Babel" of the new millennium! Unifying nations through a common love of the written word! So...pretty much - hottness personified:-) For the month of June, they have been featuring Pakistani writers. I've included a clip of one of their most popular essays below.

Enjoy:-)

Intizaar Hussain The First Morning
Translated from the Urdu by Basharat Peer

I have no definite answer to questions about why I migrated from India to Pakistan after the partition in 1947. I look back and see a crowded train rushing past lively and desolate towns and villages, under a bright sun, and in the dark of night. The train is running through the most frightening night and the passengers are quiet like statues. I strain to hear them breathe. Where will the train stop? And will it move again, if it stops?

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