March 25, 1939 – December 9. 1995
Category Archives: art careers
A Week Late, Dollars Saved
I am re-posting this for those who have goals of leaving their full time going into the New Year.
Just like in the movie, “Donnie Brasco”, Al Pacino’s character knew what “get sent for” meant. He had dinner with his wife, put his jewelry and money in a box and told her not to wait up for him tonight. I knew my last day of employment was coming. I could feel it. I could sense the detached nature from the next level of management. The comments of “I’ll call you right back” turned into “I’ll contact you in a few days.”
It had happened. Just like the laws of nature said it would! “All that we are is the result of what we have thought.” Six months earlier I had lunch with two of my colleagues and showed them copies of my poetry and short story book. They were floored! I went on to tell them that prior to me moving to Atlanta to take on my sisters children, I lived my life as an artist. I felt relief as I confessed to them that I am a writer of many facets. Now caring for a family, a ‘sure bet’ check is what I needed to settle into my new role as a parent. During our lunch together I shared with them that I would be leaving our employer before the hectic holiday season arrived to once again pursue my life as an artist. I showed them a countdown widget I downloaded on my cellphone that festively displayed how many more days I had left. They were shocked but very happy for me. I now had support from two women whom I admired and trusted.
I owed this same conversation with one of my managers who I’ve worked with since my first day with the company. A brilliant talent and inspiring leader, she worked her way through several positions in the company and excelled at them all. I brought her copies of my book and shared with her that was the “real me”. She was not surprised! She told me she could tell I had something else to me because of my colorful emails I would send out to the team about contests, etc. Since she had been with me from day one I wanted to let her know of my plans of leaving so she wouldn’t be blind sighted. To my surprise, she had plans of leaving too! As a matter of fact, I had to almost beg her not to leave before me and ask if we could agree to leave the same month. Wheesh! She agreed.
missing Amiri Baraka today – His Bornday
Amiri Imamu Baraka
Poet Laureate, Playwright, Speaker, Activist
Someone Should’ve Called Me
August 5, 2019
I woke up late this day. It’s not clear to me right now how it was revealed to me… I’m sure if I sat in mediation and thought about it things would come back. But, thinking about this day still make my nose sting. You know that sting that happens before your eyes water…
I woke to the news that Toni Morrison had passed. I was heartbroken. I felt like she left me, like she should’ve had someone call me to let me know she wasn’t feeling well. No, we didn’t have a relationship like that but… she had been with me all of my adult life and so I just thought… I guess I thought she would stay around like the books on my shelf. Am I making sense?
I had just been in contact with her production company this past summer for private screenings of her movie in Atlanta, “The Pieces I Am”. The movie that has the wings to change the process of writing just as her books change people as readers and thinkers. I had just bought her book, “The Source of Self-Regard” as my summer reading as I traveled. I…. cried. I just flat out cried. I, like the world, felt the energy shift. It went from powerful to immensely powerful with her transition.
On social media, I had seen several of my friends attend memorials and remembrances celebrating their artistic experiences with Morrison. I was speaking with a friend and expressed how I had not had the opportunity to mourn, laugh, share my love of Morrison in an intimate setting. She offered her studio space for “Tea with Toni”.
We got together and shared our favorite characters and passages from her books. I read from “Sula” and had time permitted, I would’ve shared my favorite pages from “Song of Solomon” when Milkman received his nickname. (that is some good writing!) It was so serene to be around other creatives who needed this space to discuss such an important literary figure, the Pulitzer Prize winner author, Toni Morrison. A genius wordsmith. The sole creator of language(s) for the preservation of humanity, communities and black women. She fearlessly showed the world our beauty. Shared with the orbits our sweetly spiced tongues.
Mother Toni, we see you smiling
we see those fingers pressed together for rhythmic snaps / grooving.
Thank you for everything and all!
To See Her Face… Missing Morrison
Re-membering Toni Cade Bambara
March 25, 1939 – December 9. 1995
for the love of Toni Cade Bambara
Happy Birthday Toni Cade Bambara!
March 25, 1939 – December 9. 1995
She Chronicles presents: MLuv
I AM
I AM a BLACK WOMAN
I AM Beautiful.
I AM Complex.
I AM
Weirdly wonderful, wildly tamed, comically entertaining and cosmically unchained, with a free spirit like a masterpiece unframed!
Predictably Unpredictable
I AM
The sum total of my mother and my father… a fine mixture of my past, present and future.
I just AM!
Growing, Expanding, Learning, Experiencing, BEing,
Rightly mysterious and yet pleasingly transparent.
Acceptance brings Peace and Peace brings Clarity.
Thru my minds eye is a Vista an Unobstructed view so
I can see both right in front of me
And miles behind.
I see YOU coming … And if YOU don’t vibe right
I don’t mind seeing YOU going.
I don’t claim to nor aim to be perfect.
I AM what I AM!
When the time presents the opportunity for me to BE
What I AM to BE next …
I will BE that …PERFECTLY, IMPERFECT and on time!
Meanwhile…
See, I AM like YOU SISTA.
WE ARE
Beautiful!
WE ARE
Complex!
WE ARE…Weirdly Wonderful,
Wildly Tamed,
Comically Entertaining
and Cosmically Unchained, with a free spirit like a masterpiece Unframed!
Predictably Unpredictable…
WE ARE WOMEN!
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MLUV (pronounced Em Love)is a Radio Personality, Writer, Motivational Speaker, Event Host and Poet. She is the Host of her own weekly online Talk Radio Program/Podcast on the IBNXRadio.COM Network called “LiveLifeInThePURPLE with MLUV.” Committed to spreading positive vibes and encouraging all who tune in. “The Purple” is a poetic way of communicating the message that life is better when our thoughts, motivation and intentions are rooted in positive thinking. Inspired by research on the colors in the rainbow that revealed that of all the millions of colors in the rainbow, the ones that had the highest measured frequency were the violet spectrum, of which purple is a part. Hence, Live Life in The PURPLE. MLUV uses her show as a platform to give support to Entrepreneurs, Musical Artists and is a voice in the Mental Health Community. She aligns with people in the community who are serving those who suffer and interviews and promotes those who are sharing their light and love. She is a Social Activist and actively supports Local charitable efforts aimed at protecting Women and Children as well as Sexual Abuse, Human Sex Trafficking and Suicide Prevention and Homelessness and Recovery.
Current Projects- CEO and Founder of Purple Door Creations, LLC and www.R2isetheatre.org troupe member. Her first book of Poetry entitled “Thoughts From A PURPLE MIND”, The Poetry Of MLUV is in production.
Her debut CD is out on Bandcamp and available for digital download. Search for “MLUV” or “Sounds From A PURPLE Mind”.
Mantra: “POSITIVITY, ITS A MOVEMENT BABY!”
Join the Purple Movement and listen to LiveLifeInThePURPLE with MLuV on IBNXRADIO.com
Email: Mluv@purpledoorcreations.com
iHeartRadio- Live Life In The Purple
FB: MluvWall
IG:MluvWall & livelifeinthepurple
Twitter: llitp
She Chronicles presents: Brenda Dzangare
DESOLATION
Ignorant robber
Calamity is coming beware
He knew what He was doing , when he made you and me
Were we not meant to depend on each other ?
Only just He , knew what He was doing
Oh! I see what you have become
A bad omen to prevailing future
Urbanisation and peripheral development , you call it
And yet plundering what we thought was our home
You come armed with bull dozers in our territory
Yet there we humble ourselves fearing your machines
Away you drag our homes , children and elders .
Leaving us with nowhere to squatter
A bad omen to prevailing future
Created tiny was never my wish
Crawling in undergrowth , never my choice
He knew what He was doing ,when he created you and me
Was born here ,where now do I herd to?
Try moving further and another city shouts peripheral development
My species running dry of offspring because of urbanisation
A bad omen to prevailing future
Our roots used to greet each other under mother earth
Proudly we once stood in our green uniform at peace
Then came this calamity called urbanisation and peripheral development
Uprooting my forefathers , now me and tomorrow my offspring
Plant a tree whenever you uproot one , called a wise voice
Deaf peripheral development never listened
If my offspring is uprooted today , there won’t be a forest tomorrow
A bad omen to prevailing future
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Brenda Dzangare is an urban fantasy fiction and non fiction writer. Author of “Calah Crown” series book one on Amazon Kindle and Lulu publishers online platform. Dzangare is also writer of 5 books of Reading Time series, a children’s 10 book series, new Zimbabwean curriculum. She is also a writer of poetry with poems featuring in 2019 January International Poetry Digest Issue and another to feature in February Issue. Her poem titled “Two fools”, will be featured in Pop Shot Magazine identity issue in mid February 2019.
For more information, follow Dzangare on her Facebook and Twitter pages.
Road Paver – Kathleen Collins
Today would have been the 77th birthday of poet, playwright, writer, filmmaker, director, civil rights activist, and educator, Kathleen Collins. I am taking time to insert her into my repertoire because she was the first black woman to direct a feature-length drama. Collins paved the road for Julie Dash. Commonly, Julie Dash is given credit for being the first black woman to direct a feature length film.
Influenced by the works of playwright, Lorraine Hansberry, Collins’ work centered around African Americans as human subjects and not as mere race subjects. This being a clear indication to her black feminism work in film and activism against vilified images and stereotypes.
As I journey on this path of shifting, reflecting and altering my personal perceptions of my artistic work in literature, I am “inserting” the names of black women who may exist prominently in the shadows. May their names and work re-join the rain dancers and roux makers of black women creators.
Happy Birthday Kathleen Collins!
Nikki Skies 