INCOG-NEGRO
hopefully not outta sight, outta mind. i've been myspacing mostly these days. not long-winded blogging much. but i am here because the following info needs a stage and what better place, right? if you can manage, these are EXCELLENT classes and events to attend. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
ciao for now...
shia
--------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Class sizes are limited to 20. For more information and details, go to... http://www.writersleague.org/workshops.htm
POETRY WORKSHOP: WRITING A PATH TO TRUTH with Amanda Johnston
Saturday, February 10
10 AM - 4 PM
@ WLT Office (1501 W. 5th Street, Suite E-2)
REGISTRATION ENDS: FEBRUARY 2, 2007
Why do we write what we write? Is there something missing from your poem, something hinted at but not quite captured? "Writing a Path to Truth" is a workshop where participants explore the gray areas in their poetry, the parts unspoken or left undefined. Writing exercises used in this workshop are designed to create balance between the poet's personal truths and the technical aspects of their poetry. Participants may bring previously written poems to workshop; however, new work will be created and discussed.
Cave Canem Fellow and Affrilachian Poet, Amanda Johnston has performed across the country for various causes and events. Honors include a 2003 and 2004 Artists Enrichment grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and the 2005 Austin International Poetry Festival's Christina Sergeyevna Award for best poem in their anthology, di-verse-city. Currently, Johnston serves on the board of directors for the National Women's Alliance and the African-American Arts Technical Resource Center of Austin, is a member of The Austin Project, a co-founder of The Gibbous Moon Collective, and is the founding editor of Torch: poetry, prose, and short stories by African American Women. www.torchpoetry.org.
Cost: $89 members / $139 nonmembers To register, email or call 512.499.8914.
WRITING / FROM THE BONES with Sharon Bridgforth
Saturday, February 17
10 AM -1 PM
@ WLT Office (1501 W. 5th Street, Suite E-2)
REGISTRATION ENDS: FEBRUARY 9, 2007
During this session, Bridgforth will employ a creative writing facilitation method that she has developed called "finding voice." The finding voice method helps participants use: identity-culture-memory-family histories-dreams to articulate and examine the spaces between and connecting autobiography and mythology/memory. This method uses guided journaling, movement, writing exercises and dialogue as a way for participants to manifest opportunities to move through and beyond blocks/issues that stifle full belly writing/Dreaming.
Sharon Bridgforth has developed an innovative style of teaching creative writing that she calls Finding Voice. The Finding Voice method walks participants through the process of using the personal: identity-culture-memory-family histories-dreams to articulate and examine the socio-political realities of their lives in a form that is based in oral history. Bridgforth has facilitated the Finding Voice Method as part of long term residency programming for companies and institutions around the country including: Hamiliton College~Clinton, NY; and The Austin Project (sponsored by The Center For African and African American Studies, University of Texas at Austin). Bridgforth is Executive Producer of the Finding Voice Radio Show, which is funded by the Funding Exchange/The Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media. You can listen to the Finding Voice Radio Show at www.findingvoice.org. Bridgforth's work is available in many anthologies. For more information go to: www.sharonbridgforth.com.
Cost: $49 members / $89 nonmembers To register, email or call 512.499.8914.
TELLIN' LIES - A FICTION WORKSHOP with Ana-Maurine Lara
Saturday, February 24
10 AM -4 PM
@ WLT Office (1501 W. 5th Street, Suite E-2)
REGISTRATION ENDS: FEBRUARY 16, 2007
This workshop is for fiction writers interested in exploring the craft of fiction as an aspect of oral storytelling. We will explore narrative voice, character development and plot as key elements in the craft of writing. This workshop is designed to be used both with writing exercises and/or as working sessions on participants' own work. "Tellin' Lies" is geared to emerging - mid career writers who are interested in looking at craft in a different way. Participants should submit up to 10 pages of work at least 2 weeks prior to the workshop so that the course material can be matched to the level/needs of the participants. (You can email work samples to wlt@writersleague.org, or submit hard copy to the Writers' League office.)
Ana-Maurine Lara is an AfroDominican American writer and organizer. She was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in East Africa and Mount Vernon, NY. She received her BA from Harvard University. Ana-Maurine's poetry and short fiction has appeared in several literary journals including Tongues Magazine and Blithe House Quarterly, among others. She has received awards from the Puffin Foundation, the Brooklyn Arts Council and PEN Northwest (the Margery Davis Boyden Wilderness Writing Residency). She is co-author of bustingbinaries.com: a website dedicated to addressing binary thinking in U.S. based social justice movements.
Cost: $89 members / $139 nonmembers To register, email or call 512.499.8914.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Monday, December 11, 2006
gettn bizzier and bizzier...
you may notice... my aging and tired eyes forced me to resort to using the larger font for this entry and, most likely, those to come.) the lettering looks so much clumsier, large like this. argh! i hope you'll get used to it. (hell, i hope i can get used to it.) anyway...
few weeks have been as busy as this one promises to be. we're just outta monday and i'm taking a deep breath for tuesday. i think i may have said yes too many times this week because, on top of all of the end-of-the-semester holiday celebratory hubub, my project and social calendars are brimming with appointments. (and even the "social" is more work oriented because so much of being a writer/artist-person has to do with being "social." but anyway… don't get me wrong... busy is good. i just pray this ain't the kind of busy that forms ulcers or inspires hair loss.
a couple of things, though, that you, dear reader, should know about...
Tuesday-Wednesday, December 12-13, 8pm. Hyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd) will present seven plays – "What Do You See?," "Jaywalking," "Learning English," "Hippy," "1000 S. Kelly," "Probably Not a Play," and "Tree" – with an excellent cast under the direction of Ken Webster. It's a part of 365 DAYS/365 PLAYS. Background: The acclaimed playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote a play a day for an entire year, back in 2002. Now, in 2006, every single one of those plays is going to be staged at various venues all across the U.S.: New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, and so on. But Austin is where this yearlong cycle will begin, so get set for 10 weeks of theatre – with short plays of only 10 minutes, perhaps, and longer ones of 20 or more – as only Suzan-Lori Parks can write it.
Thursday, December 14th, 10:30am – noon at BookPeople. former President (and my birthdate mate) Jimmy Carter will be signing his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. you have to purchase a voucher, which also buys you the book at $27+ but it am CERTAIN it's worth it.
Thursday, December 14th, 6pm. CARVER BRANCH FREEDOM BOOK CLUB spirits up Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Carver Library, 1161 Angelina, 472-8954. Led by Austin Project's own Courtney Morris!!!
Saturday, December 16th (Dinner at 6pm; Readings at 7pm) at The Rhizome Collective, 300 allen street t 5th, austin (78702)
Areyto: a gathering of Caribbean artists featuring readings by Ana Maurine Lara, Carole Metellus, Courtney Morris, Leo Guevara, Rebeca Castellanos. Musical performance by Cuban Hip Hop group Las Krudas.
Delicious Caribbean Menu includes: Dominican (vegetarian) Pastel en Hoja, Haitian Chicken, Cuban Rice and Beans and more!
Cost: $5.00 suggested donation (no one turned away) Donation includes copy of program book with work by featured artists! For more information contact MC Wura: wuraola@gmail.com or call 512.448.2429
Sunday, December 17th, SLEEP… Oops! Sorry… that was a mental note.
see you all about town!
Love and Truth,
shia
you may notice... my aging and tired eyes forced me to resort to using the larger font for this entry and, most likely, those to come.) the lettering looks so much clumsier, large like this. argh! i hope you'll get used to it. (hell, i hope i can get used to it.) anyway...
few weeks have been as busy as this one promises to be. we're just outta monday and i'm taking a deep breath for tuesday. i think i may have said yes too many times this week because, on top of all of the end-of-the-semester holiday celebratory hubub, my project and social calendars are brimming with appointments. (and even the "social" is more work oriented because so much of being a writer/artist-person has to do with being "social." but anyway… don't get me wrong... busy is good. i just pray this ain't the kind of busy that forms ulcers or inspires hair loss.
a couple of things, though, that you, dear reader, should know about...
Tuesday-Wednesday, December 12-13, 8pm. Hyde Park Theatre (511 W. 43rd) will present seven plays – "What Do You See?," "Jaywalking," "Learning English," "Hippy," "1000 S. Kelly," "Probably Not a Play," and "Tree" – with an excellent cast under the direction of Ken Webster. It's a part of 365 DAYS/365 PLAYS. Background: The acclaimed playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote a play a day for an entire year, back in 2002. Now, in 2006, every single one of those plays is going to be staged at various venues all across the U.S.: New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, and so on. But Austin is where this yearlong cycle will begin, so get set for 10 weeks of theatre – with short plays of only 10 minutes, perhaps, and longer ones of 20 or more – as only Suzan-Lori Parks can write it.
Thursday, December 14th, 10:30am – noon at BookPeople. former President (and my birthdate mate) Jimmy Carter will be signing his book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. you have to purchase a voucher, which also buys you the book at $27+ but it am CERTAIN it's worth it.
Thursday, December 14th, 6pm. CARVER BRANCH FREEDOM BOOK CLUB spirits up Kindred by Octavia E. Butler. Carver Library, 1161 Angelina, 472-8954. Led by Austin Project's own Courtney Morris!!!
Saturday, December 16th (Dinner at 6pm; Readings at 7pm) at The Rhizome Collective, 300 allen street t 5th, austin (78702)
Areyto: a gathering of Caribbean artists featuring readings by Ana Maurine Lara, Carole Metellus, Courtney Morris, Leo Guevara, Rebeca Castellanos. Musical performance by Cuban Hip Hop group Las Krudas.
Delicious Caribbean Menu includes: Dominican (vegetarian) Pastel en Hoja, Haitian Chicken, Cuban Rice and Beans and more!
Cost: $5.00 suggested donation (no one turned away) Donation includes copy of program book with work by featured artists! For more information contact MC Wura: wuraola@gmail.com or call 512.448.2429
Sunday, December 17th, SLEEP… Oops! Sorry… that was a mental note.
see you all about town!
Love and Truth,
shia
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Am I really in AUSTIN?!?!
pinch me... i must be dreaming...
first, let me say that i know i need to invest in a digital camera. (donations are accepted.) it's hard to capture all of the goings on without pictorial representations but i will beg/bum/borrow/steal what i can, where i can for you, dear reader; so that your journey with me in this recounting of experiences is as technicolor as possible.
so this past week has been a bit of an out-of-austin experience. or maybe it was an absolutely austin experience. i haven't figured it out yet. but there were moments that made me feel like the landscape was shaping itself into something beautiful and amazing and worth staying for, even despite the horrid heat of spring, summer, fall and part of winter. (yes, i still threaten to move when the mercury rises. it's ritual.)
it started last tuesday when i had the privilege to participate in a "poetry circle" with sekou sundiata and several other completely brilliant members of austin's poetry community. (for pics, see www.amandajohnston.blogspot.com) this was the second "stage" i've shared with sekou and again i am changed. the man is doing necessary, amazing activism and artistry that i am blessed that the universe finds me worthy to witness and take part in. the conversation was a part of his work "the 51st dream state" which critically examines the poet's post 911 awakenings as... an american.
on friday, my children and i filed and piled into resistencia bookstore with hoards of other folks to hear poet, activist and all-around bad ass writer ana-maurine lara read from her newly released novel, ERZULIE'S SKIRT. she was accompanied by the drumming of tonya lyles who is amazing by all accounts. it is worth mentioning that the art on the cover of the book was done by a wonderfully talented friend/sister artist, wura.
friday was also the release of the inaugural issue of TORCH. check out www.torchpoetry.com to view it. TORCH is the brainchild of super-woman amanda johnston. again, i am blessed to bear witness and be a part.
saturday, international singer/theatre artist helga davis gave a free show at the ut. where else in the world could you experience helga davis FOR FREE?!!?!?! she was spellbinding! BREATH TAKING! adequate words fail me, really, so i will simply direct you to krissy's website for a few pics. (they don't show the performance at all but they capture at least some element of the joy in the evening.) Enjoy... http://www.dykeumentary.com/helga/helga.htm
saturday night was a full exhale, complete with a party at "the treehouse" in imani's honor before she leaves us for singapore shortly (sniff, sniff), followed by plenty of kahlua, erica's birthday and red ruffled panties (don't ask), a limo ride, salsa dancing, reggae, telling the village idiot that he was full of shit and beef bacon from katz's. (sounds like a perfect night, right?) needless to say i spent most of today recovering. i'm just glad i have so many pictures to engage the memories.
that's it for now, y'all. i'm tired. i have a feeling it's going to be a busy week.
pinch me... i must be dreaming...
first, let me say that i know i need to invest in a digital camera. (donations are accepted.) it's hard to capture all of the goings on without pictorial representations but i will beg/bum/borrow/steal what i can, where i can for you, dear reader; so that your journey with me in this recounting of experiences is as technicolor as possible.
so this past week has been a bit of an out-of-austin experience. or maybe it was an absolutely austin experience. i haven't figured it out yet. but there were moments that made me feel like the landscape was shaping itself into something beautiful and amazing and worth staying for, even despite the horrid heat of spring, summer, fall and part of winter. (yes, i still threaten to move when the mercury rises. it's ritual.)
it started last tuesday when i had the privilege to participate in a "poetry circle" with sekou sundiata and several other completely brilliant members of austin's poetry community. (for pics, see www.amandajohnston.blogspot.com) this was the second "stage" i've shared with sekou and again i am changed. the man is doing necessary, amazing activism and artistry that i am blessed that the universe finds me worthy to witness and take part in. the conversation was a part of his work "the 51st dream state" which critically examines the poet's post 911 awakenings as... an american.
on friday, my children and i filed and piled into resistencia bookstore with hoards of other folks to hear poet, activist and all-around bad ass writer ana-maurine lara read from her newly released novel, ERZULIE'S SKIRT. she was accompanied by the drumming of tonya lyles who is amazing by all accounts. it is worth mentioning that the art on the cover of the book was done by a wonderfully talented friend/sister artist, wura.
friday was also the release of the inaugural issue of TORCH. check out www.torchpoetry.com to view it. TORCH is the brainchild of super-woman amanda johnston. again, i am blessed to bear witness and be a part.
saturday, international singer/theatre artist helga davis gave a free show at the ut. where else in the world could you experience helga davis FOR FREE?!!?!?! she was spellbinding! BREATH TAKING! adequate words fail me, really, so i will simply direct you to krissy's website for a few pics. (they don't show the performance at all but they capture at least some element of the joy in the evening.) Enjoy... http://www.dykeumentary.com/helga/helga.htm
saturday night was a full exhale, complete with a party at "the treehouse" in imani's honor before she leaves us for singapore shortly (sniff, sniff), followed by plenty of kahlua, erica's birthday and red ruffled panties (don't ask), a limo ride, salsa dancing, reggae, telling the village idiot that he was full of shit and beef bacon from katz's. (sounds like a perfect night, right?) needless to say i spent most of today recovering. i'm just glad i have so many pictures to engage the memories.
that's it for now, y'all. i'm tired. i have a feeling it's going to be a busy week.
Friday, November 17, 2006
www.shiashabazz.com
IT'S OFFICIAL!!!
for those of you who did not know, I recently got seriously into web design (within the last 6-8 months). and...well... these months and 6 websites later, I am ready to officially proclaim myself a capable web designer. check out my site (uploaded just this morning)... www.shiashabazz.com. some of the links are still misfiring and not all of the links work yet but it should all be worked out shortly.
my formal business site is at www.groovenbuttafly.com. check this one out thoroughly to get to know my services.
my most recent client was www.thestripeproject.com. (obviously all links work on hers. It's just my own site that I am sleeping on.)
anyway, should you find yourself in need of a capable web designer (or graphic designer in general) give me a shout. and don't hesitate to refer clients as well. (i'm carpe dieming!)
mad love and DEEP THANKS to AMANDA JOHNSTON for mentoring me as a quasi-programmer!
I guess that's it for now. I am blogging and myspacing so if you want to be friends or keep up socially, I'm there. (www.groovenbuttafly.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/groovenbuttafly) otherwise, I am designing and writing and writing and designing.
always love,
shia shabazz
site: www.shiashabazz.com
blog: www.myspace.com/groovenbuttafly
"We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting." --Kahlil Gibran
IT'S OFFICIAL!!!
for those of you who did not know, I recently got seriously into web design (within the last 6-8 months). and...well... these months and 6 websites later, I am ready to officially proclaim myself a capable web designer. check out my site (uploaded just this morning)... www.shiashabazz.com. some of the links are still misfiring and not all of the links work yet but it should all be worked out shortly.
my formal business site is at www.groovenbuttafly.com. check this one out thoroughly to get to know my services.
my most recent client was www.thestripeproject.com. (obviously all links work on hers. It's just my own site that I am sleeping on.)
anyway, should you find yourself in need of a capable web designer (or graphic designer in general) give me a shout. and don't hesitate to refer clients as well. (i'm carpe dieming!)
mad love and DEEP THANKS to AMANDA JOHNSTON for mentoring me as a quasi-programmer!
I guess that's it for now. I am blogging and myspacing so if you want to be friends or keep up socially, I'm there. (www.groovenbuttafly.blogspot.com and www.myspace.com/groovenbuttafly) otherwise, I am designing and writing and writing and designing.
always love,
shia shabazz
site: www.shiashabazz.com
blog: www.myspace.com/groovenbuttafly
"We live only to discover beauty. All else is a form of waiting." --Kahlil Gibran
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
it's a great weekend to live in austin!!!
write that one down in your records cuz i'm not sure how many times you'll hear me saying that with such enthusiasm. (okay, that's not true. post-summer... for the 3 weeks it's actually below 90 degrees, i DO, in fact, REALLY like austin.)
for me, things have been quite chaotic. many ups, some downs. the ebb and flow of life, i guess. friends seem to be coming and going but love (close and/or distant) remains. (yes, this is cryptic. no need for specifics this time, lovelies. my purpose here is not to vent or lament.) here is info about a few events happening this weekend. the kids and i are going to make the 2 plays (Insha-Allah). and with sweetiebubu's band mates, jubu and carl, playing in town with maze (feat. frankie beverly, of course), GOTTA go!
finally, a thought... (as posted on my myspaceblog... "if you cannot see the beauty in every person you encounter, don't pity them, pity yourself."
wishing you wealth,
shia
EVENTS TO NOTE:
(events not on this list are failures of my head, not my heart. let me know what they are.)
On FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 at 8:00pm, come to THE PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (corner of Riverside/Lamar) for a very special performance by ZACH artists!!! ZACH artists will perform 7 mini plays on the bridge (approx. 40 min. in length) The event is FREE and open to the public – bring friends and family! (NO RSVP required) Audience talkback with Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks ("Topdog/Underdog") AFTER-PARTY AT ZACH! Enjoy free food, drinks and live music immediately following the performance at ZACH's Kleberg Theatre. (sent to me from wura ogunji)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 at 8:00pm
maze featuring frankie beverly at the frank erwin center
(nuff said!)
Steve Moore's latest play Kneeling Down at Noon makes a pilgrimage to the truth of Islam--a misunderstood faith. The play runs through NOVEMBER 19, Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30pm, at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre on the St. Edward's University campus, 3001 S. Congress. For more information, call 448-8484. (from the austin chronicle)
write that one down in your records cuz i'm not sure how many times you'll hear me saying that with such enthusiasm. (okay, that's not true. post-summer... for the 3 weeks it's actually below 90 degrees, i DO, in fact, REALLY like austin.)
for me, things have been quite chaotic. many ups, some downs. the ebb and flow of life, i guess. friends seem to be coming and going but love (close and/or distant) remains. (yes, this is cryptic. no need for specifics this time, lovelies. my purpose here is not to vent or lament.) here is info about a few events happening this weekend. the kids and i are going to make the 2 plays (Insha-Allah). and with sweetiebubu's band mates, jubu and carl, playing in town with maze (feat. frankie beverly, of course), GOTTA go!
finally, a thought... (as posted on my myspaceblog... "if you cannot see the beauty in every person you encounter, don't pity them, pity yourself."
wishing you wealth,
shia
EVENTS TO NOTE:
(events not on this list are failures of my head, not my heart. let me know what they are.)
On FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 at 8:00pm, come to THE PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (corner of Riverside/Lamar) for a very special performance by ZACH artists!!! ZACH artists will perform 7 mini plays on the bridge (approx. 40 min. in length) The event is FREE and open to the public – bring friends and family! (NO RSVP required) Audience talkback with Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks ("Topdog/Underdog") AFTER-PARTY AT ZACH! Enjoy free food, drinks and live music immediately following the performance at ZACH's Kleberg Theatre. (sent to me from wura ogunji)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 at 8:00pm
maze featuring frankie beverly at the frank erwin center
(nuff said!)
Steve Moore's latest play Kneeling Down at Noon makes a pilgrimage to the truth of Islam--a misunderstood faith. The play runs through NOVEMBER 19, Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30pm, at the Mary Moody Northen Theatre on the St. Edward's University campus, 3001 S. Congress. For more information, call 448-8484. (from the austin chronicle)
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