Well, yesterday was a bit of an emotional challenge for me, but thankfully I made it through with flying colors!! Speaking of flying colors, today's guest writes with such imagery and follow-through that it reminds me of flying colors. Earlier this week, we shared in her piece Stone. Strong yet almost light and fragrant.
As I said earlier, just what one needs to unleash the mind's constraints. Funny how life has a way of putting what you say to the test. I went home and read through Cheryl's work again, and it broke me down. Her works are about life, which is not typically pretty or poetic. But skillful use of syntactic arrangement can take the most obtuse aspects of our world and still manage to bring the mind to a place of reconciliation, SO Thank You again Cheryl, today your work was not only thoughtful and the focus of "Friends On Friday" it became my pacifier! Exactly what good work should do! NOW, onto our chat with Cheryl!
Cheryl, Your work is both provocative and characterized with words that emote realism. What I find most amazing about your work is that you can go from writing poetry to stories seemingly effortlessly. Can you please share with us are you able to write consistently, or do you go though phases where you prefer to write one and then the other. Thank you for the compliment! I try to put real toads in my imaginary gardens. I do genre-hop, slowly. I’ll work for a long time on several poems, for instance, revising and shaping them until I’m empty of ideas. Then I switch to prose, and write until my concentration frays. Fiction demands a particular type of attention. There’s a sense of urgency to get the story told. Poetry feeds fiction, gives the language color and character.
You are also musically inclined. What does music mean to you? Which of your crafts are most important, or are they like children -- there are no choices, you love aspects of them all equally. I begin every day by playing Bach at the piano. There's something about his nuances of harmony that transcend the ego and ground me at the same time. And then I read until my head is full of language. Music and writing have so many elements in common-- line and dynamics and rhythm---that it’s difficult to assign value. I’m immersed in all of it, and the process of mastering a piece of music is not unlike getting a piece of writing right. When at last I set whatever it is aside-- for days, weeks, or months-- the work continues underground. I’m always amazed at the way a switch of focus can untangle a particular difficulty.
What inspires you? What do you do when you get blocked, if you get blocked and if you do get blocked -- what was the longest period you were stricken? I live in Washington DC, a culturally rich city where sources of inspiration are plentiful. I like old music and new art. I’ve written many poems based on my sister’s paintings. My husband, a mathematical engineer, communicates a reverence for how things work that is very inspiring. He’s also a great raconteur. His stories about growing up in India have filled my novel, Shiva’s Arms.
I don’t get blocked, partly because I’m willing to “kill my darlings”. At times, I’ll revise a work until there are only a few of the original words left in it. Ned Rorem, the composer and writer, revises everything, too. If he’s reading a book by Henry James, for instance, he “puts blue pencil in the margin…may circle a "perhaps": There are too many perhapses in this book. I'm a walking blue pencil.”
I really like the computer for revision, the ease with which phrases can be moved around, sparking new ideas. A sense of play is important. It leads to fresh connections, new ways of looking at the world. These endless possibilities can lead to other problems, of course. Ralph Ellison couldn’t finish his second novel, and it grew to thousands of pages.
Are you an artist as a way of life or must you hold a day job as well? After years of teaching and performing, I am free to follow my bliss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank You So Much Cheryl!!!! Cheryl is also culinary, her recipes will be published as an add-on to the novel, Shiva's Arms.
Okay, today is just one of those racially charged, very opinion-flowing days in the news and on the lips of so many!
How many posts have I made today??? My goodness. Well, I am back to share a perspective that kind of coincides with my aforementioned posts, in that it offers a different way of looking at the things going on in America with the black and white right now. This kind of exchange goes back and forth as it has for centuries, BUT I am sharing it A/ because it is a topic on many of the other blogs I have read today. B/ because we need to listen to what we are all saying to each other about ourselves. C/ we need to, as a country, reconcile some if this. D/ we need to keep talking, keep pushing, birthing, moving this all around until its fruition. One Love, people, One Love!
Jason Whitlock always has an uncomfortable but formidable line of thought.
After a day like today won't it be nice to fall into the warmth of good reading with our friend Cheryl Snell??? I am really looking forward to it and hope you are as well!!!
I have just emailed Disney's Headquarters requesting an explanation and offering some amenable suggestions on making this all better. I feel much more at ease now.
I had recently given Disney accolades for its announcement in March 2007 that they would be releasing "The Frog and the Princess".
The first Princess with black-American heritage. The setting in New Orleans...WHAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE MADE ME HAPPIER???? Yes, I am forty, and I still blush now thinking, "WOW, I could be a Disney Princess too!"
When I was young, we all know what Barbie looked like. And she was IT. I colored a few of them, but it never satisfied me. When I turned about 10 they released the Diana Ross Doll. And you could always go on vacation somewhere and buy a Hawaiian doll or a doll with Indian dress with two pigtails to kind of appease us (my sisters and me) with the color thing. I remember almost twenty years ago, how excited I was to be able to give my nieces dolls that looked like them. That was when Princess Jasmine was released. Since then of course, many dolls of all ethnicities have been released, but Disney is always the precursor, and now to have this happen. I mean, its not intentional, I hope. But it still jabs at the heart a little. It is a swipe. I wish I wasn't feeling so, ICK right now for lack of a better word, or for lack of more time to really articulate what I am feeling...I appreciate having this avenue to vent a bit!
I will let you know what their reply is!
MOST of the time, I am just as happy as happy can be because there is nothing more that I want than to maintain my breathing, my love and my peace.
Having said that, being still considered a neophyte in the BLOGGING world, I tend to visit one site and end up somewhere not really knowing how I got there, and then once I become emotional about what I've read there my mind turns a million times per minute so please just know that all I can say about this is that I ended up here: http://community.livejournal.com/blackfolk/5536942.html?view=106355374#t106355374
And I would really like to know, though I can not speak for Disney's intentions until after I contact them, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING???!!!!
I am sure they have lawyers, people of color on their staff, I mean...come on here people, I swear if I see one more of these things this year, I am going to definitely lose it!!! I will keep you posted with Disney contact information. I really do not know what excuse they can have that would satisfy me or many others...stay tuned!!!!
Read a very good perspective on vegan/vegetarianism. It is somewhat along the lines of what I feel but could never articulate. I found this blogger -- "Whatsername" -- via blogger ElaineVigneult.com. I love reading different opinions and ideas, sometimes it helps to formulate your own concept or gives you stance for firmer ground on an opinion you already have. Now, I am sure it need not be said...but I will say it anyway, these blogs I often suggest, in no way have my values or ideals completely...that is not possible...for anyone, I simply suggest just to expand our minds, AND keep us moving forward to wherever it is we are going, which is hopefully a better place, or a better frame of mind at least!
Late fall, in my opinion, is the perfect time for lyrical absorption. I personally am inspired to creativity in the warmest of weather. Here in Chicago, March through September, submerged in some form of veneration by the shores of Lake Michigan ~~ anywhere from South Shore to Evanston, seeking to be free from the confines of my own mind. But in the fall, I seek others expression. I like reading thought provoking, image refining, soul wrenching, melodic works. Art that feeds the soul. Art that carries the spirit far from where it is, to where it dares to be. Maybe settling into something synesthetic like this:
CHERYL SNELL
Stone
A man splits a coconut over a stone. Sweet milk flows from the hemispheres.
When the stone, unscathed, leaves the man's hand, it's the air that cracks during the long hurtle toward the woman's skull.
Her daughters wail behind her, tongues trilling against the wind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cheryl Snell is a classical pianist, and has two poetry chapbooks. Her novel, Shiva's Arms, will be out next month from The Writer's Lair. Shared with permission.
Check out more of Cheryl's works Friday! She will be our feature on "Friends On Friday"!!
If you would like to read some more of Cheryl's works beforehand, start with a few of these links!
My two favorite teams held on to playoff hopes! I know, there are more pressing things going on in the world, BUT if it makes you HAPPY!!!! And football definitely does...NOW if only Eli and the Giants could get a break (not next week, though, sorry Eli, we're gonna whip your socks off) !!!
New Orleans is known for its rich culinary history and has recently taken steps to honor its many contributors (Burton Benrud and Wayne Maher, Café Du Monde; Jacques Leonardi, Jacques- Imo's Café; John Besh, Restaurant August; Tory McPhail, Commander's Palace; Frank Brigtsen, Brigtsen's; Michael Regua, Antoine's; Leah Chase, Dooky Chase's; Willie Mae Seaton, Willie Mae's Scotch House; Craig Cuccia and Don Boyd, Café Reconcile; Kenneth Smith, Upperline; Ross Eirich, Galatoire's; Susan Spicer, Bayona Restaurant; Tenney Flynn, GW Fins; Aldolfo Garcia, RioMar,; Eric Venéy, Muriel's Jackson Square; John Harris and Beth Biundo, Lilette; Allison Vines-Rushing and Slade Rushing, Longbranch; Bob Iacovone, Cuvée; Thomas Wolfe, Peristyle; Emeril Lagasse, Emeril's Restaurant to name a few) with the first being Omar the Pie Man
Before Katrina, New Orleans City Council had established a $10,000 endowment to honor Omar Bin Abdul-Aziz. Finally, last month a plaque was dedicated in the French Market, where many have enjoyed the services of Omar the Pie Man. His supporters are hoping, on a prayer and some pie, to raise $50,000 for a well deserved statue to accompany his honorary plaque.
Born James Anthony Shannon, Aziz acquired his moniker as a marine after contracting malaria. His perseverance and will to live had every one referring to him as Bin Abdul Aziz (long living servant of God). Actually I looked it up and it translates to something like the son of the most highly esteemed almighty, but nonetheless , he was a survivor! The Times-Picayune's Maria Montoya chronicled Omar the Pie Man this weekend because, though he and his baking wife Haneefah have both passed on, he in 2002 and she in 2005, their legacy lives on in their pies and the new bakers The Peadens who are operating out of Lapalco Boulevard in Moreno, Louisiana. The Southern Sweet Potato Pie Co. is located at 5346 Lapalco Blvd., Marrero. For information about the Omar the Pie Man fundraiser, call (504)¤340-7845 or (504)¤328-2221.
Having recently appeared on the Home Shopping Network, Gloria Peaden is expecting great response. So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, being a creole, as ya'll well know by now, I LOVE sweet potato pie just as much as any other sweet eater, and of course I want to see any New Orleanian project themselves back from the wash out of Katrina ( hopefully with your help). AND most importantly I want us to keep the spirit ALIVE! We can conquer anything with mind, spirit and heart! Love of self and love of your dream! NOW, have a slice of pie, with coffee and chicory and enjoy your NOLA SUNDAY!!!!!!!
This YouTube video by DocNO productions features Omar Bin Abdul-Aziz Jr. at the dedication of his famous father's plaque.
Taken from the sadly out-of-print New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Cookbook, copyright 1984.
SWEET POTATO PIE
3 cups cooked, peeled and mashed sweet potatoes 1 egg 2 tablespoons melted butter 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 - 3/4 cup cream 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons vanilla dash of salt 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar Mix the potatoes with rotary beater until they are smooth. Then add the other ingredients to the potatoes and beat for 5 minutes. Pour filling into unbaked 9" pie shell, bake for 40-45 minutes at 350-325. Can also be served with a favorite topping: hot rum sauce, ice cream or whipped cream.
Today begins the rush rush of the holiday shopping season! Why not make it a "Healthier, Happier, You!!!!" quest and SHOP FOR SHAKLEE!Let our friend Patty Matlock tell you why!!
Once you made the decision to make a change, what steps did you take in your heart and soul. How did you get the courage, and what did people say to you along the way? This is a tough question, the decision and change was not overnight. The more I used Shaklee products, the more I learned about the company, the more I became interested. Shaklee was not just “using products”. The education was invaluable. I had no idea there was a difference in vitamins. Some are synthetic, made with artificial ingredients. I like to use the analogy that they are like eating a plastic lemon. Shaklee Supplements are like eating a whole organic lemon.
I then started to learn about the household cleaners we use in our homes and offices. They cause cancer; they contain eye and lung irritants. They have ingredients that are neurotoxins that affect the brain and lots more. I had no idea. I did know that when I cleaned my shower and bathroom, even with the window opened and the fan on I would have to take a nap within a ½ hour. I thought I was lazy. Now I realize it was the toxic chemicals. Now I use only Shaklee Get Clean products. I can clean for hours before I want take nap. They have a full line of non toxic biodegradable household cleaners. I LOVE them! The education continued onto the personal care and beauty products. I had no idea the amount of harmful chemicals in our body lotions, shampoo, makeup and more. I learned our skin is our biggest organ and everything that comes in contact with our skin gets absorbed in seconds. I knew I did not want to continue putting harmful chemicals on my skin. The education continued onto indoor air and water. I purify my air and drink pure water. So the concept of redirecting my spending to safer, healthier products from my own business and educating other people on how to create a healthier life for themselves and their families. Founded in 1956, Shaklee is the first company in the world to obtain Climate Neutral certification and totally offset its C02 emissions, resulting in a net zero impact on the environment. With so much concern with Global warming and harmful chemicals in everyday products today, Shaklee is the type of company I want to spend my money with and tell everyone I know about them! A side effect of this is I also get paid and have created a great lifestyle for myself and family.
It was a little scary at first. Some people were excited and supportive right form the start, some were not. Some people had misconceptions of how a company like Shaklee does business. We are so trained that we have to get up every day and go to work for someone else and we only get paid for every hour we work. People with a smart business savvy totally get it and get excited about the opportunity. Robert Kiyosaki said “Every smart business person should have residual income in their portfolio”. With my Shaklee career comes lots of personal growth and education. I learned not to let other people discourage me or steal my dreams. I am not responsible for what people think or the decisions they make. My job is to tell everyone I know about what Shaklee has to offer. If they are interested, that’s how my business grows.
You are a great business woman, how do you hold it all together? I have lots of support with Shaklee corporate and my Shaklee team. I have several great mentors who have been in Shaklee for 30+ years. I get to work with these people daily. I also have a great husband Tim who has supported me through my career change. He too loves the Shaklee products and what the company stands for. I have learned to think about the good things in every situation, focus on the good things and what I am grateful for instead of all negative things and what I don’t want. That is easier said then done but when I fall into what we call the “puky wagon”, my colleagues remind me to turn lemons into lemonade.
What is your favorite aspect of the Shaklee business? How has your passion changed your life? I love the products! I love the company's quality and integrity. I love educating and helping other people have a happier and healthier life. The Shaklee lifestyle is pretty nice too. My life has changed since finding Shaklee. I am happier & healthier. From my personal growth with Shaklee and my past experiences, I have come to realize, life comes first, and work comes second. Life is too short to do the same thing everyday for someone else that makes you miserable.
You reside on the east coast. What do you love about it? Well since I was born and raised in NJ, I do not have much experience living elsewhere. I have always lived by the Jersey Shore. I love the beach, fine food and wine. I like lots of green trees and forests and fun things to do. NJ has it all. My 3 brothers live close by which is nice. My Mom and 1 sister live on the west coast of Florida and 1 sister in Texas. Since I love to travel and the beach, Florida works well for me. I visit a lot.
Shaklee is going to NEW ORLEANS next year! Everyone here on "Healthier, Happier, You!!!!" knows that New Orleans is the love of my life, tell us about the upcoming conference, some incentives, and how we can come too if we want! The Shaklee 2008 Global Conference will be held August 6-10, 2008, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. As always, this event will bring together thousands of Shaklee family members in one place. You will learn about new Shaklee products; network with others building Shaklee businesses; be inspired by world-class keynote speakers; and of course you'll enjoy all the festivities a Shaklee conference offers. You won't want to miss a minute of this event! Shaklee wants us to help them celebrate the re-birth of one of America's greatest treasures in a way that only Shaklee can!
If you would like more information on Shaklee you may contact Patty directly! pmatlock@shakleeoffice.com 732-790-7408
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THANKS PATTY! For everything!!!!
Folks, I must say, I have been a vegetarian most of this year, and before that strictly NO BEEF. I have examined the benefits of becoming a vegan, but often times cave in when it comes to that perfect gumbo with a spot of poultry, or shrimp, or some other favorite like CHEESE. BUT it is my goal to maintain as healthy and happy a lifestyle as possible! I will NOT be eating MR. Gobbles tomorrow, but he will be there in all his glory at my sister's house. I am still trying to determine which one of these beauties I plan to adopt from http://www.farmsanctuary.org/ OR if I will support http://www.no-hunger.org/ who is supporting efforts in New Orleans. Second Harvest http://www.secondharvest.org/ is nation wide, so if you prefer you may contact their website and choose a location that warms your heart. At any rate, let us remember our brothers and sisters, and animals all over this wondrous planet tomorrow when we give thanks. The statistics are that many will be homeless or hungry tomorrow in light of the state of our world (mortgage crisis, catastrophes) so if you have anything...share it and if you don't, give your time, your blessings, your love! Have an awesome holiday!
I hope you all had a chance to view "Oprah" today when she listed Shaklee as some of her favorite things! I myself missed the show. BUT, I know what a wonderful product Shaklee is ~ and it is important that I share that their products are not only for cleaning! I have sensitive skin so I use their facial cleansers, makeups, moisturizers and shampoos! I LOVE THEM. I have not had a pimple, an itch or a breakout since I began using their products. I started using Shaklee FOR laundry, dish washing, toilet cleansing, and have incorporated it into just about every "product aspect" in my home. And guess what?? They even have biodegradable cleansing wipes that clean up just about any mess! Many of their products have just been certified kosher!
AND who must I thank for getting me into Shaklee???? Well, I first heard of the product on Oprah back in April 2007 during her Earth Day Show. But me being me, I researched through word of mouth and the Internet and by July I had pretty much set myself on fire about the products. The older women at work proclaimed that their grandmothers used Shaklee ( it is a 50year old business) and that they themselves used the "Basic-H" for cleaning their counters, bathrooms, floors, you name it. I continued my search which led me to WOMENFORHIRE online networking. There I met Patty Matlock, who by the way, was entrepreneur of the month. Anyway, she is a shining example of SO many things, I must introduce you to her this week. I could go on and on about her so I decided to let her tell you herself! Here is PART 1 of our talk. She will be our guest feature on "Friends On Friday" ` so please tune back, for more Shaklee info via Patty! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You left the corporate world to an adventure of selling Shaklee. Shaklee is a lifestyle. It is a vision, AND it is helping people's lives, health, and the planet. Tell us a little about your former life. Once you made the decision to make a change, what steps did you take in your heart and soul? How did you get the courage, and what did people say to you along the way? I was in IT for 17 years. I was technical support for a great sports company. After getting laid off with 10 years of great service to the company, I was very disappointed. I went to school to get my MCSE--Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer degree. Happy to say, I passed all 6 Microsoft tests on the first try and landed another great job with a start up company in the IT department. I supported their sales reps with all their CRM, laptops and all their technical and software needs. Another great job. Long hours, AND stressful. Work had always come first to me, life second. I worked 10-12 hours a day, sometimes more. After a little over a year, the company went under and with very little notice I was out of a job.
I was taking “Good” vitamins so I thought. I was stressed, tired all the time, my scalp was itchy , my 1 ear was itchy and my hair was thinning. Strange combination. I started to get worried when I noticed my part was getting wider and hair all over the sink and in the shower. I went to 2 different doctors and the both wanted to put me on a prescription and use Rogaine for women. I was a little discouraged with their solutions. I thought. “I don’t think I am tired, scalp itchy and hair falling out due to a lack of Rogaine”. I refused. At about that time I had met someone from Shaklee. She asked me if I feel good and wake up energized each day. Of course I said "NO", I told her my issue. She suggested I start on their Soy Energizing protein, multi vitamin strip, and GLA. She said if I did not feel better in 30 days the company would give me my money back. I was skeptical, I took really good vitamins, so I thought, so I figured, well if I give her some business maybe she would send some computer business my way. I forgot to add that at this point I was doing computer consulting on my own. So I figured, no problem I will get my money back. I ordered my Shaklee products. Well, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The first 2 weeks I had more energy, my scalp and ear stopped itching. By the end of the month I noticed less hair in the sink. Of course I reordered, this time adding the vitamin shampoo called ProSante’. I am happy to say by the end of the second month, all was clear, not tired, no itchy scalp, ears, dandruff went away and I notice my hair stopped falling out and better yet I can see little pieces growing back. I called my brother my friends and told them about this great company and products. And the bonus was the products are all natural!!!
So that’s how it started for me. I was so excited about my results and sharing this with people I cared about. My Shaklee Colleague said, “Patty, you are doing so good recommending Shaklee to people maybe you should consider starting your own business”.
~~~~ See how Patty turned her story into a Shaklee Business and more on Friday!!
Oprah is the Queen of promotions, and so since I LOVELOVELOVE (as she and Gayle always say) Shaklee, and she is running info on Shaklee tomorrow (BE SURE TO WATCH!!) I will offer some info too later in the week!! Stay tuned! Get Clean Campaign Photo courtesy of Shaklee.net library
New Orleans, when I look at you , I see me. You are the very blood in my veins. I am gumbo, jambalaya, red beans, a creole delight like chicory. Without you, there would be no me. So, on this "MERCI BEACOUP" Weekend, I "Thank You"from the bottom of that muscle that beats in my chest.
On Thursday November 15, 2007 Mayor Nagin called for all New Orleanians to partake in the third annual "Merci Beacoup Dinner" held on Canal Street between Camp and St. Charles Streets. The City of New Orleans did not use public funds and the evening also served as a fundraiser for a local food bank, Second Harvest Food Bank
1201 Sams Ave New Orleans, LA 70123 http://www.no-hunger.org/ (504) 734-1322
The cuisine and entertainment were donated and served as a "thank you" to residents for their continued patience, resilience and faith while the city is recovering.
It appears a good time was had by all, but what else would you expect from The Big Easy??? Well, maybe just laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll), because that pretty much says it all!!!!!!!
Today we will be celebrating the works of K. R. Copeland. She is a writer, a poet, an editor (thank you very much), artist and a friend. *****************************
You are a celebrated poet and writer. When did your voice come alive? Did you nurture it or was it a lifeline; something you had to do to live? Have you always felt it? I remember as a small child being entirely mesmerized by the polysyllabic fodder on the nightly news programs my parents watched. It was as if the correspondents were speaking in some strange tongue, some secret language. I knew I HAD to one day know all the fabulous words they so freely flung. Thus, my lexiconic love affair was born.
I began reading voraciously…children’s books, newspapers, the dictionary (yes, the dictionary). I was especially fond of poetry, Shel Silverstein’s, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and anything Seuss. I began to develop an ear and an appreciation for the musicality of language.
In fourth grade, we had to write some story or another, though I’ll be darned if I can recall the topic. What I DO recall, was my teacher, Mrs. Ambercrombie, taking me aside and praising me for my writing ability. She also encouraged me to continue to hone my talents; I’ll never forget that, and to this day, credit her with inspiring me to write on. During my teen years I wrote poetry prolifically, although, looking back on it, it was your typical angst-ridden drivel. I didn’t start to actually study craft until in my twenties. I read every poetry handbook known to man, ingested volumes and volumes of poetry, both the classics and contemporary, and began participating in critical forums, all of which were invaluable.
I began submitting poems for publication roughly 7 years ago. At that time, I also volunteered as a poetry judge for the literary magazine, Beginnings. I did that for a few years and once I had several publication credits under my belt, then began getting my chapbook, “Anatomically Correct” together, which was published by Dancing Girl Press, a small, independent press, right here in Chicago, owned and operated by fellow poet, Kristy Bowen. I have had umpteen poems published, both here in the U.S. and abroad, and am in the process of putting together another compilation. I also volunteer as Art Director for the political lit-zine, Unlikely 2.0. and act as co-administrator of an online poetry discussion group, A Wild Iris Poetry.
How do you incorporate who you are literary wise with who you are as a mom, wife, and sister? Sometimes it is hard to be a passionate incantation while you have life responsibilities, tell us how you handle your calling. I’m not entirely certain my writing life permeates these relationships, except for the fact that I try to instill a love of literacy in my kids. I run stuff by them, (which often times goes over their heads), and they humor me. We read together daily and, during poetry month, I even got my daughter to commit to writing a poem a day, which was wonderful! They have been terrifically understanding and patient with me (as has my husband) if I’m working on something, as I can become utterly engrossed when the muse is present, putting everything else on the back burner. Luckily, I have been able to stay at home the past couple years making it less of a balancing act.
How does writing make you feel? You once said " I have been entranced, awed, and utterly consumed by the written word, by the infinite possibilities language allows." Tell us about this deeply personal and profound revelation. Writing, as it has been said, is a lot like giving birth (only much less painful). I view each of my poems as an extension of myself. The process is both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. I love the daunting task of putting pen to paper and the very act of creating something from nothing, never really knowing ahead of time what the end product will be. It is in fact a passion, and something I’d not choose to relinquish. My goal, first and foremost, is to entertain, to dispel the preconceived notion many have about poetry (having been forced to read the often vapid, academic works) and also to be an integral part of what I only hope will be a widespread resurgence of and affinity for the written word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks K.R.!!! We will be printing more works of K.R.'s soon!! Link Link Link Link Link
I was recalling my youth and how much I used to enjoy "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" (yes, I am THAT old) when he was introducing us to people in his neighborhood. Don't ask me why, I just was, so starting tomorrow I will be introducing interesting people with "Friends on Friday" here on Healthier, Happier, You!!!!
I hope you enjoy meeting people that I find interesting. I have previewed this idea with a few works by K.R. Copeland. She will be the first of many. I may venture off and showcase other things of interest as well...who knows where we will end up! I had so much fun during my interviewing process a few posts ago with "ColorOnline",that it has become my goal to solicit interesting folks to participate until I come up with another wonderful idea! I would like to inspire as I have been inspired, and the only way to do that is to keep other people's stories alive. Feel free to make contact here with suggestions of interesting people you may know! It is always a good thing to expand our minds!
Photo courtesy of K.R. Copeland ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Law of Very Large Numbers
“With a large enough sample, any outrageous thing is apt to happen”
~~Persi Diaconis, Frederick Mosteller, Harvard University
I draw my thoughts out in long lines, word after enervating word as if trying to catch a fish off in the distance. My wrist grows tired from the casting, my mind reels. It’s easy to get caught in strings of lingo, when interlaced they make a mighty net. Still I’d bet there’s been a dozen other mongers who have said the same thing using much less sweat. So I’ll take a break, a breather, here beneath this shady tree, have a sandwich and a drink of something sweet. Greet a mega-swarm of several swarms of Africanized bees, the vibrato of their buzzing causing pleasure far beyond the pond or seas. ~ K.R. Copeland
The Law of Very Large Numbers first appeared in, Stirring
Saturday, November 10, 2007 Led by the Warren Easton Marching Band, a line of streetcars rolls down St. Charles Avenue from Napoleon to Lee Circle as RTA officials held a ceremonial run celebrating the return of streetcar service starting Sunday on this stretch of the line which has been shut down since Katrina.
TIMES-PICAYUNE STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL DEMOCKER Top to bottom: Photo of Riverfront Streetcar Line, "New" Canal Streetcar Line (images from FrenchQuarter.com), Canal Street (personal collection)
This weekend the St. Charles Line Streetcar returned to run through part of its Uptown route. Its service had been virtually uninterrupted since its inception in 1893. According to FrenchQuarter.com, Jyl Benson, the beautiful olive green cars that service the historic line today were built by Perly A. Thomas Car Company in 1923. They were refurbished most recently in 1994.
Anyone who has ever been to New Orleans knows these rides are both relaxing and are tastes of the past. You can feel in the breeze, as the ride jumbles your insides full of chicory and beignets, the flavor and richness of this gentile, luxurious town. I am sure you are planning to go soon, so be sure to catch a lift...maybe to the edge of the Vieux Carre, down St. Charles or if you are not careful, right back into history. Enjoy!
November 10, 2007
My cousin shared this with me. It made me feel good so I wanted to share it with you. Apply it to your persuasion, remembering what your God can do for you...I'm not here to preach about religion, belief systems, caste, morals or likes, just a good ole warming of the heart. However you feel about whatever, we all know there is something greater that protects us, envelops us, and shines from within all the way to the out. Embrace it. Sometimes we just need to live without words and just feel~~~
George Bush vetoed the Water Resources Development Act back on November 2, 2007. Kudos to Congress for overriding this veto! Bush stated the bill "lacks fiscal discipline". Allowing erosion of our country, its people, its infrastructure, and its coasts is fiscally and morally reprehensible!! I am so glad to see this Congress finally stepping up. I must research what this really means for the Gulf coastline, but any assistance is help. The Everglades will get much needed attention. As will California,Illinois,Louisiana, Minnesota and Mississippi. The disregard of the Mississippi River has affected so many communities, states and their residents. Local water projects who have not received enough attention, will finally have their long awaited say! This is so crucial, I hope there is more to follow! Let's stay tuned!!!
When I think of peace, I think of all the things that make me happy or feel safe or visions that calm me down. I think of love, laughter, the sky, the beach and sounds. Peace is a stream of consciousness that we first have to witness and then somehow capture it so that we can release it, or reclaim it as needed. There will never be peace on earth, BUT there can be a more concerted effort by us all to harbour peace, nurture peace, have peaceful fellowship, spread peace, comfort peacefully, encourage peace, we can even promote peace...like we are doing here today! Today, stretch forth toward the heavens, with your arms raised and greet the day! Today, hold a hand or rub a back. Today, give a dollar, or buy the person behind you coffee or lunch. Feed the meter extra quarters, tell someone to have a GREAT day. Hug a teacher, pet a dog, or let someone in while you are in maddening traffic. I plan to hum all day. I plan to smile inside. I want to spread my peace for the rest of the week. And guess what???? I get to start with you!!!!! You are SO awesome, so special and so so sweet! Have a great day!!! Que la paix soit avec vous!!!
Google "Peace Globe Day" for more information or visit Mimiwrites.blogspot.com! Stay tuned for my commentary Wednesday Novemeber 7, 2007. In the meantime, let's think PEACE!!!! Peace for you, peace for me, peace for our globe!
Read this fabulous article about the awesome and incomparable NOLA native Terence Blanchard from the Time-Picayune. It is authored by Keith Spera. Being still new to this whole blogger world, I am hesitant to print it in it's entirety, but it is such a GREAT, inspirational and moving piece ~ I just have to encourage you to read it. I just wish I had a jumbo jet so that all of us could have flown down to catch the show, and to meet the legend. Keith Spera's wonderful piece captured the essence of love, of NOLA, and of the pains we must endure to continue, despite our affliction, and how we must push on at whatever the price. We just have to and that's all!
Here is the first time I heard and fell in love with Terence Blanchard's sound as he worked with Spike Lee coaching the emphatic Denzel Washington and dubbing his trumpet playing:
If you want to read the article later just go to: http://blog.nola.com/keithspera/2007/11/terence_blanchard_blows_his_ho.html
and for more on Mr. Blanchard visit: http://www.terenceblanchard.com/
The article~~~~~~~~~~~~ Times-Picayune ~ Keith Spera
Terence Blanchard blows his horn with the LPO tonight Posted by Keith Spera, Music writer November 03, 2007 2:02PM Categories: Featured music
For the first time in two years, Hurricane Katrina is not the foremost flood on Terence Blanchard's mind. A cool morning in mid-October finds the jazz trumpeter and composer padding around his Prytania Street home in bare feet, jeans and a white linen shirt. Much of the sumptuous pre-Civil War dwelling is empty: Blanchard and his family are moving to St. Charles Avenue.
During a deluge earlier in the week, he stopped by the new house to check on renovations. A Dumpster occupied the driveway, so he parked his beloved 2007 Porsche 911 Carrera S -- the one he spent three glorious days driving by himself from Los Angeles to New Orleans -- on a side street. Rainwater backed up along the curb just enough to swamp the Porsche and fry the computer circuitry under the driver's seat.
"The water came up so quick," Blanchard says, shaking his head. "That's why we have insurance. So now I've got to go fight with them."
Come tonight, he'll be back in Katrina mode. Blanchard and his quintet, backed by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and resident conductor Rebecca Miller, will stage the local premiere of his sweeping post-Katrina meditation, "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," at Dixon Hall on the Tulane campus.
Blanchard first composed four of the album's themes for director Spike Lee's HBO documentary "When the Levees Broke." Blanchard also appears in one of the film's most poignant scenes, when he accompanies his mother, Wilhelmina Blanchard, on her first post-Katrina visit to her flooded Pontchartrain Park home. She cries out in grief as her son struggles to maintain his composure.
Blanchard salutes his mother's courage in "Dear Mom," a song on "A Tale of God's Will." She plans to be in the audience for tonight's performance.
"I'm trying not to think about it," Blanchard said. "I mean, it's here in New Orleans. I don't know how other people feel, but some part of me doesn't want to revisit that issue that way. I really want to move on.
"But one of the things we've understood as a band is that this music, unlike any other CD that I've done, has been meaningful for people to experience. So we understand the responsibility as artists to play this music. But it takes us to some dark places emotionally."
. . . . . . .
After graduating from the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts in 1981, Blanchard moved to New York to seek his fortune in the jazz world. He replaced Wynton Marsalis in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, released joint albums with saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr., then moved on to solo projects.
He was still relatively unknown when Spike Lee tapped Blanchard for his first film score. Blanchard has now scored more than 40 films, building the sort of lucrative second career that enables a jazz bandleader to park his Porsche on St. Charles Avenue.
Even before Lee proposed a Katrina documentary, Blanchard tried to address the storm through music.
"But I was drawing a blank. I couldn't think of anything," he said. "And the vastness of the devastation was so crazy, I couldn't assimilate it. I couldn't put it in context."
For six months after Katrina, Blanchard and his family lived in Los Angeles. Lee joined him to score the big-budget heist film "Inside Man."
"Spike didn't even say hello," Blanchard recalled. "The first thing he said was, 'I want to do a documentary on those levees.' He was going to use his notoriety and his fame to help."
Blanchard concluded that his entire career had led up to that moment.
"I didn't want to write New Orleans-style music -- I wanted to write music that was more universal," he said. "Because in my mind, this was a universal story of tragedy, hope, despair. I tried to find melodic themes related directly to those emotions."
Watching a rough cut of "Levees" "sparked a whole other type of inspiration," Blanchard said. "I realized the music can't get in the way of these stories, but had to bring those elements together. The music had to be the glue that brings you back to a reflective frame of mind."
Lee has always encouraged Blanchard to write music that could stand on its own. "He wants people to walk away from the theaters humming the melodies," Blanchard said.
So Blanchard wrote elegant, somber themes that Lee assigned to scenes. The story of a 72-year-old trumpeter stuck on a roof with two elderly women inspired the song "Levees"; the trumpet solo is their unanswered cry for help.
For the foreboding "The Water," Blanchard drew on his own experiences as a little boy when Hurricane Betsy flooded his Lower 9th Ward neighborhood.
"It must have been traumatic, for me to remember as much as I did," he said. "I remember stepping out on the porch. The water wasn't that high, only 2 or 3 feet, but to me it seemed like the ocean.
"There are big, dramatic moments in the arrangement, because I kept thinking about these kids here during Katrina. If I was traumatized from Betsy, and Betsy was nothing compared to Katrina, what are these kids going through?"
He intended "Funeral Dirge" as a dignified repast for a montage of dead bodies.
"When you look at those city streets, places that you've been and areas that you know, and you see dead bodies . . it's hard. Because you say to yourself, 'This isn't a war zone. This is New Orleans. This is my hometown.'
"I wanted to write an arrangement that would pay respect to the dead and give them a proper burial, at least in the documentary."
. . . . . . .
Blanchard wasn't around when Spike Lee pitched his mother on the idea of filming her first visit to her ruined home.
"I was like, 'Do you realize what you agreed to?' " Blanchard said. "And she said, 'People need to see what we're going through.' I was really proud of my mom."
Weeks later, emotions ran high as they approached the house. Lee remained outside as a lone cameraman accompanied the Blanchards.
Terence Blanchard first relived the moment at a screening in New York.
"It's hard watching anybody you love go through something like that," he said. "When I travel, people ask me about my mom. I say, 'She's fine, thank you for asking. But if you cried for my mom, you've got to multiply that amount of emotion by at least 100,000 people. Because that's how many people went through the exact same thing. It wasn't just my mom.'
"That's what blows me away. If people around the world were that affected by my mom in that one little scene . . . that should give you an understanding of the massive amount of destruction and heartache that people have been going through."
Renovations to Wilhelmina Blanchard's house are almost finished, and she plans to move back in soon. But the storm still intrudes on her life. One evening, she and her son were talking about her wedding.
"She got up to go get the pictures, and she stopped and realized they don't exist any more," he said. "And that's months after the damn hurricane."
. . . . . . .
Blanchard reworked four compositions from the Spike Lee documentary -- "The Water," "Levees," "Wading Through" and "Funeral Dirge" -- for "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)," his third CD for Blue Note Records.
"Frankly, I was going on faith," he said. "Generally, when you do an album, you think about the songs, the tempos, the moods, how you can fit them into some kind of structure that makes sense and makes for an enjoyable listening experience. With this, we didn't have a clue as to what it was going to be. We just needed to do it."
Just as Art Blakely once encouraged a young Blanchard to write original compositions, Blanchard encourages his musicians to do the same. Thus, "A Tale of God's Will" is a group effort.
Pianist Aaron Parks contributed the achingly beautiful "Ashe" as a benediction. Drummer Kendrick Scott describes his "Mantra" as a "mantra for healing and renewal." Bassist Derrick Hodge's lush, lovely "Over There," written before Katrina, nonetheless fit the CD's theme. Saxophonist Brice Winston wrote "In Time of Need" after moving with his family from New Orleans to Tucson, Ariz.
Blanchard and his quintet showcased selections from "When the Levees Broke" this summer in Europe during concerts devoted to Spike Lee's film music. During a weeklong stand in New York, the quintet performed much of "A Tale of God's Will."
"Everybody was just exhausted," Blanchard said. "It's very emotional stuff that we're dealing with."
Tonight's show with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra is only the second full performance of "A Tale of God's Will." The Sept. 22 premiere at the Monterey Jazz Festival in northern California resonated with listeners.
"It is a universal story of tragedy," Blanchard said. "Human loss, human suffering, the human spirit. People could relate to it on that level. People told me they cried during certain parts of the concert. They were profoundly affected by what happened here. We brought a little bit of this world out there."
. . . . . . .
Eager to help New Orleans rebuild, Blanchard entered the fray of post-storm politics by supporting Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu's mayoral bid.
"I quickly learned that is not the route for me," he said. "The quickest way is not to try to hit a home run, but to try to get on base with what I do. I can't do everything. But if everybody does whatever they can, we'll be fine."
For years, Blanchard served as an instructor at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, an intensive graduate-level jazz program based at the University of Southern California. When the Institute announced plans to move, Blanchard, among others, lobbied hard for New Orleans.
This fall, the Institute opened at Loyola University, where Blanchard himself once attended high school summer music programs. As part of its outreach, the Monk students and instructors have planned concerts at Lusher and McDonogh 35 high schools, and NOCCA.
When the Monk Institute was in Los Angeles, Blanchard commuted to California once a month to work with the students. Now that he'll be living near Loyola on St. Charles, he'll likely drop by more often.
Even before Katrina, Blanchard had outgrown his home studio in the Prytania Street house. Robin Burgess, his wife and manager, found the St. Charles Avenue property while Blanchard was on the road. In high school, while commuting on multiple bus lines and the streetcar from Pontchartrain Park to music camp at Loyola, he passed the mansions of St. Charles Avenue.
"He couldn't believe that he'd be living in one of those houses," Burgess said. "He was blown away."
Blanchard has mixed emotions about leaving Prytania Street. He and Burgess' 10- and 8-year-old daughters -- Blanchard also has a 19-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter with his first wife -- grew up there.
But he insists he will never leave his hometown, even though his work often takes him to Los Angeles and New York.
"I never thought about not coming back to New Orleans," he said. "I had the mindset that if it took me and some friends building a house . . . it would have been the most lopsided house, but it would have been standing.
"When I moved back here from New York (in 1995), it rejuvenated me. Coming back here reminded me why I got in the business of music to begin with. To think that there could be a time when this place didn't exist was not on my radar. It would have to totally be destroyed, impossible for me to physically be here, for me not to think about coming back."
Blanchard returned to New Orleans in February 2006 after his six-month Katrina exile in Los Angeles. Soon after, he ate at Brigtsen's restaurant. A spinach salad arrived with a fried oyster on top.
"Man, I bit into that fried oyster and I stopped. It's kind of embarrassing to admit . . . a tear came down my face. That flavor was something that I hadn't had in my mouth for six months.
"When I came back and tasted that, I was like, 'Thank you, Jesus.' I know that sounds silly, but it blew me away. It was confirmation that it was time to get to work and make this city better than it was before."
. . . . . . .
Music writer Keith Spera can be reached at kspera@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3470.
_________________________
'A TALE OF GOD'S WILL (A REQUIEM FOR KATRINA)'
What: Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard performs his post-K song cycle, accompanied by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rebecca Miller.
PLEASE be sure to catch, share, discuss,communicate and thoroughly digest tonight's CNN broadcast of "The Noose:An American Nightmare". It airs tonite, November 1, 2007 8 ET.Check your local listings for CNN broadcast.
I can not fathom how any civilized society can continue without aggressive campaigns to fully inform their youth of the hateful mistreatment its own citizens endured the last 200 years. The complete and utter disdain the human body has known at the hands of fellow Americans is surreal. This is one of the reasons this Iraq war has pained me so. We as Americans have subjected our own citizens to far worse Saddam Hussein-like (did I mention worse) atrocities, with no one to come and reconcile. Many Americans, including many students, have no idea what a lynching is comprised of. How can we prevent history from repeating itself if we do not make an impression on the majority with the details, the murderous images, and a vocalization of the facts.
Statistics show that we really are a less violent world per number of people. I am fully knowledgeable, historically, as to what has occurred throughout time. Violence has maintained its prevalence in order to secure dominance. It just feels so bad bearing witness to these occurrences, and being a result of ones control over another. What America did to itself these last two hundred years, with no retribution, no acknowledgement or apology and no profound implementation of future prevention, is a really sad message of how far we will go in our treatment of each other. This resurgence of the "noose" sends a message that we really need to pay attention to home. The genocide of our past has never been properly dealt with and much discussion needs to take place. Let's all do our part. I am sure that if we all really love America, this will be a movement of love and support and grace.
