South Asian Vibe

Hi kids! I got out and about yesterday for "The Georgia Center for the Book"'s Writers of South Asia and the event featured dear friends Jaya (To India with Tough Love")Kamlani, Anjali Enjeti and Soniah ("An Isolated Incident") Kamal. Poet and human virtuoso, Franklin Abbott, created and organized this event. Joe Davich runs The Georgia Center for The Book in Decatur, and commented in the introduction, that Atlanta is the envy of many northern cities, given the number of events we offer which are literary, and the huge support we have for them. "Those Yankees are jealous" he said, to the delight of the giggling audience. The variety was stunning. In addition to poets, there were other writers, authors of creative non-fiction, essayists, and debut novelists. Indeed, Anjali read a stunning essay on her blended heritage; Soniah read a just-penned essay on her father, parental expectations, and understanding; Jaya read from her older and newer works, including pieces which challenge the notion of war. I met several interesting writers, all of whom had huge stage presence, and very evocative work. I left wishing I could claim "South Asian" as part of my own heritage. I think I'll probably have to settle for reading about their own journeys, and those journeys will become a part of the way I see the world, anew. Come to think of it, I think I already do.... Peace, kids.

Walking on Sunshine.

What a marvelous day!
This morning, I had the honor of reading with Franklin Abbott and Theresa Davis at First Existentialist Congregation in Candler Park, Atlanta.The subject for Poetry Month at First E. was:
"Poetry is the Queerest of Languages."
The crowd was enthusiastic, and the response to everything from the traditional African-American spirituals we sang, to the incredibly talented pianist playing a smoking blues song, to hearing Franklin's steady,warm voice and mellow words, to feeling Theresa's heartbreak as she retold the story I never tire of hearing(her "Breathe", based on a lost love from college), was amazing.
I read afew older pieces, and then...
I chose a new piece to read, called "China Blue Frost", (the name of a Revlon eyeshadow), which has to do with (a few of)my days in college, sort of.....
Afterwards, Julie Bloemeke, Dan M., and I headed over to The Flying Biscuit(in L5P)
Yum.
I even ordered(and enjoyed!) a cocktail.
Yaaay, Peach Bellini.
Then tonight, went to visit with a pal who found me through Facebook. We met up at a dear mutual friend's home.
Food,conversation.
I love life, like this!
Peace,kids.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

There's a bit of a double-meaning for Wednesday, Nov. 4th....It was the 35th Birthday Celebration for Charis Books and More, AND it was my own birthday(and I'm not saying which one it was for me).
I was honored to get to Emcee the event for Featured Poets for the kick-off to AQLF(Atlanta Queer Literature Festival).
The visionary Franklin Abbott, incredibly dedicated Megan Volpert and Collin Kelley(co-directors of AQLF) and many others created a festival that is already surpassing previous festivals.
Reading on Wednesday night were, in order:Your host(me),Malika, Kristyl Dawn Tift, Alice Teeter, Louisa Merchant, Maudelle Driskoll(who was generous in giving us her time, after Sharon Sanders had to cancel), Charlene Ball, Libby Ware.
I ended the evening with a few newer poems of my own, and to round out the evening, Ken J. Martin, who treated us to some soulful music and his warm voice.
We had a very attentive audience, and approximately 50 total present, which is super!
Special thanks to all the performers, and to Charis Books and More, for sharing their celebration, and space with us(AQLF).And big hugs to Dan Morrison, who kindly filmed the entire event, and snapped a few pictures of some of us.
Afterwards, several of us landed at Brewhouse Cafe', a British pub, for decidely un-British food(wings, Greek salad, gyros, burgers)and quite a round of conversation--politics, the defeat for LGBT in Maine, and what-do-we-feel-about-President-Obama.(Me? I'm in the please-give-him-time-camp)
Thursday night(only a few hours ago, as I type this), a wonderful mix of styles at Outwrite Books' presentation of "My Diva: 65 Gay Men On The Women Who Inspire Them", a landmark piece of literature incorporating essays(some quite poetic!)by gay men recounting the influence or mentorship of a certain woman(icons, all!) in their lives.
Well-known poets Cleo Creech and Collin Kelley were featured contributors, along with the dynamo who launched this collection, Michael Montlack, as well as featured contributors Reggie Cabeco, and Jim Elledge. Delightfully, wickedly funny, and deeply poignant as well, I know the book(which I immediately purchased) will be as affecting as the reading was!
Props to Philip Rafshoon, owner of "Outwrite Books", for his great space, and his full, unending support of our(LGBT)community!
Coming up? Too many events to list, but read all about them, at the official AQLF site, below!
http://www.atlqueerlitfest.com


Peace, kids.

PRIDE MAY BE OVER, BUT AQLF IS JUST GETTING STARTED!

Hi there, kids!
First, an update on "Lend Me An Ear", the amazing production I was fortunate enough to be involved in, one week ago! What fun we had. I got to play "Laurine" in "A Logic Named Joe", an episode of the long-running 1950's radio-show, "Dimension X".
Director Jon Hayden is great, as are Doug Kaye and Barry Stoltze, veteran directors for this annual event, which is performed by area SAG/AFTRA/AEA talent, and benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank. The New American Shakespeare Tavern is generous in allowing us their marvelous space for rehearsals and performance.
The "Dick Tracy in B-Flat" was a stand-out piece! As was "Whispering Streets". I was unable to see every piece, since I had to be backstage to ready myself for my own performance, but was happy to get to see several of the sketches in our repertoire.
Special Thank-Yous to Kathy Higgins and hubby Dan, who came from faraway Marietta to see the show.
Dan Morrison, who attended, and supported with photos of some of my pals, afterwards--big THANK YOU!
I was thrilled to see pal Mack Anthony in attendance,(Mack worked alongside me at the old Academy Theatre here in Atlanta, in the mid-1980's), who now works as a teacher; he also sponsors the Gay-Straight Alliance, at Lakeside High School.
Speaking of gay....
Gay Pride was celebrated this past weekend in Atlanta, but.....
HotLanta is about to get a lot hotter!
The Atlanta Queer Literary Festival will be underway with events beginning with a dance for young LGBT tomorrow (Tuesday) night, a Wednesday evening poetry event at Charis Books & More(yours truly will be hosting) which will kick-off their 35th Anniversary as well, the fabulous Collin Kelley as a Featured Author at Outwrite Books on Thursday evening, Staceyann Chin and Manil Suri giving lectures at Emory on Friday, with their keynote speeches and an after-party on Friday night, all-day workshops and readings from local and national LGBT poets on Saturday, and the grand finale', parties and music, on Sunday!
And remember that the world-premiere of the award-winning play chosen by Larry Corse will be playing every night, Wednesday through Saturday, in Candler Park, at the First Existential Church(known as "First E.")There will be featured poets and performers before the play, each night, too!
Special shouts-out and props to all the AQLF Planning Committee Members who've made this year's Festival a winner:
Franklin Abbott, a true visionary.Collin Kelley and Megan Volpert, who are the dependable "backbones" of the AQLF and wonderful team-players, along with Cleo Creech, Cal Gough, Dustin Brookshire, Yolo Akili, Larry Corse.
For all the exciting details, hit the AQLF, below!
And find us on Facebook, too!
http://www.atlqueerlitfest.blogspot.com
I have links to AQLF and Charis and Outwrite, see column labeled "Poets, Bloggers, and Others", to your right.
Enjoy the week!
Peace, kids.

ANNIVERSARY OF STONEWALL READING, TODAY AT DOWNTOWN ATLANTA LIBRARY!!

ANNIVERSARY OF STONEWALL READING, TODAY AT DOWNTOWN ATLANTA LIBRARY!!
I am honored to get to read alongside other LGBTQ writers, poets, activists, at a memorial reading for the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, in 1969, in New York City.
As LGBTQ, we are still fighting for civil and legal rights(are you listening, California??) but taking time to remember those who got us where we are today, is a worthwhile thing, a thing we must do, not only to honor those who scarificed, but to move forward--in strength, confidence, and yes--even in joy!
For all the great details on this event, hit the following link to Collin Kelley's blog,
Modern Confessional:
http://collinkelley.blogspot.com/2009/06/stonewall-reading-tomorrow.html
Remember, the reading is today, Saturday, June 27th. It begins at 10:00 A.M., and runs until 4:00 P.M.
I'm scheduled during the noon hour, but I'm getting there early to catch some of the early readers, and plan to be there awhile. It should be a swell afternoon of reading and remembering.

Peace, kids.

SUNDAY AT AQLFWeeeeel, we did not get a huge number of folks at the Downtown Library for the final day of AQLF, but it did not matter. The few folks we had were enthusiastic, and it was cathartic to get to "do" my take on "Vincent"(My one-woman show on poet Edna St. Vincent Millay).

There were some moments that definitely "clicked" for me, but others were muddled--which means: it's REWRITE/REVISE time!Very edifying, clarifying!
Reginald T. Jackson's "69" started slowly, but mid-way through, the plot accelerated exponentially with every second and the story took on a surreal quality that served the characters well. I think it can work, and work well, with only a bit of trimming from the first scene. Reginald is very talented. In fact, he and I have discussed appearing on the same bill with each other(He--a one-man show on writer James Baldwin; me--my "Vincent").
Special thanks to Franklin Abbott(whose idea it was that I write a show about, and portray Ms. Millay) and Collin Kelley....
All in all, a great week of poetry, prose, theatre, and interaction with fellow-artists, and audience! Next year will be even greater!
By the way, I hope to have coool photos up before the end of the week, including a CUTE one of Kate Evans and me!My technical skills are not vast, and so I've had problems loading my pics from my new "Shine" phone(in camera mode)!
Peace, kids.

DETAILS ON THE UPCOMING ATLANTA QUEER LITERATURE FESTIVAL:
http://atlqueerlitfest.blogspot.com/
I'm truly excited to be included in this excellent, diverse array of artists, teachers, writers, thinkers, musicians, actors.....Come OUT and support the poets and novelists you often read about on this blog! I personally will be reading at Charis Books next Friday evening, and I'll be holding an Acting Workshop on Saturday morning at the downtown library. Sunday afternoon, also at that downtown library, I am thrilled to premiere a new theatre piece, my one-woman show entitled "The Woman Who Called Herself Vincent", which is my take on the life of Edna St. Vincent Millay. I am particularly honored to be featured on the same bill with the marvelously talented playwright and actor, Reginald T. Jackson, who will perform his own new show as well!
All days/times are detailed at the above link to Atlanta Queer Lit Fest.
The talents who are HEADLINING this Festival are too numerous to list, but include: Mark Doty, Kate Bornstein, Kate Evans!
Big hugs and THANK YOU's to the incredibly dedicated Committee members who are making this happen, most especially :
Megan Volpert--exemplary teacher, she's a newlywed(Congrats, Megan!), and a brilliant, witty poet; Collin Kelley- -playwright, poet,novelist,and great human being;Franklin Abbott-- activist, poet, community organizer, saint; the well-known playwright and teacher--Larry Corse(he generously awarded $1,000.00 to this years' playwrighting winner. That play, "Skin Deep" runs several nights during the fest!), Kerri she's-so-gorgeous-I-always-get-distracted-and-forget-her-last-name--- she's talented, kind, and dedicated to LGBT concerns; C. Cleo Creech--warm,but edg-y poet with an eye for art--(and artists!),Cleo is a designer of words, and images.Yolo the Poet, the cutest gay young man you'll meet at the Fest--he has a huge following, and always makes me laugh--and think--at the same time.
Big Thanks to Cal Gough from Ponce Library too!
There are many, many others who derserve mention--these are simply the ones who leapt to mind as the folks I heard from on a regular basis during their long planning of this fab event!
Peace, kids!

WATERS OF MARCH FILLED ME TO THE BRIM!
It's taken me a couple of days to post about this, but I wanted to have a few minutes to sit down and write fully about the evening. I'll start with Franklin Abbott, one of this most self-less individuals I've ever met, though I want to coin and use a term I feel is better suited, when describing an unselfish, open individual: self-free. Selfless always sounds as if one makes themselves less, in order to give more. But in Franklin's case, he literally sets himSELF FREE in order to give more to others...I loved hearing his singing voice, powerful with a hint of vibratto, and plenty of warmth. As charismatic as his open, friendly personality!
Franklin set up this entire event, which featured amazing music:
RUA 6 which consists of Rafael Pereira, and Vlamir Abbud(see them weekdays at Loca Luna, Midtown, and see them across the street from Perimeter Mall, at Eclipse de Luna, on weekends!)kept the evening lively, and my body movin' to all their sexy beats!
The always-fabulous Janet Metzger joined Franklin with vocals, and sang in Portugese , as well!Susan Ottzan's harp(incredibly beautiful, whisperings of love), and keyboard skills were the support for this lovely array of music!
Then there were the storytellers and poets:
Sharon Mathis and her tale of seeing black swans on the Chattahoochee, just before the AIDS crisis developed;Rebecca Ransom and her piece on war;Rupert Fike's at times hilarious("Beatrice, Beatrice..."), and ultimately, devastating pieces on the tribe(Burkina-Faso) in Africa he met through his nurse-daughter;Yolo the Poet(visit: www.yolothepoet.com) moved me from smiles to tears;and Franklin Abbott read a few pieces from his vast selection of touching poems to augment the songs he sang.
My favorite moment may well have been hearing Melanie Hammet, who I cannot seem to get enough of. Her "175" ought to be required listening for everyone!
SPECIAL THANKS TO DANNY MORRISON, videographer extraordinaire, for recording the event, and taking still pics, as well.(Visuals will be posted here, soon!)and to honey HANSOO KWON, for supplying equipment!
The City of Pine Lake was extremely kind to let us use their Community Clubhouse!
Oh--I also wrote a Double-Haiku, specifically for the evening. Franklin suggested I include it on my blog, so here it is:

Dagara Women
wise, strong, carry water to
grateful villages.

Water teems with a
knowledge. Ancient wisdom, this,
the women carry.

I began the evening with a short speech from President John F. Kennedy. I'll be posting that piece, soon.Have a great Wednesday!

WATERS of MARCH
Benefit Concert for Walking for Water
Sunday Evening, March 16th, 7:00 P.M., at the
Pine Lake Club House.
Please arrive early, to ensure a good seat.I'll be your Emcee, and I look forward to seeing you all there!
You will hear wonderful Brazilian music, listen to some well-known performers and poets tell their poems and stories, and show us your support for the women of the Dagara tribe, who must walk 6-8 hours each way, to obtain water to live!
You may wish to contribute to help in the building of wells, at the following website:
http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/

Please join some of Atlanta's most talented performers for a benefit concert at the Pine Lake Clubhouse on Sunday evening, March 16th. The concert will begin at 7 and doors will open at 6:30. Seating is limited so come early to make sure you get a good seat. Thanks to Pine Lake Cultural Affairs the concert will take place at the Pine Lake Clubhouse, 100 Clubhouse Road, Pine Lake, GA 30072. Pine Lake is near Stone Mountain. If you are coming via Hwy 78 or the Stone Mountain Expressway take Exit 5 and continue on Memorial Drive. The 4th stop light
is South Hairston. Go Left. The third stop light is Rockbridge Rd. Go Right. Watch for Pine Lake Village on your right and just after the sign turn right on Clubhouse Rd. The Clubhouse is a few blocks down in the middle of a circle. If you are coming out North Decatur Road cross Memorial Drive and North Decatur becomes Rockbridge Road. When you get to Pine Lake you will pass the post office on your right. Clubhouse Rd. will be just before the sign for Pine Lake Village. Turn left. One of our best local eateries is The Kingfisher Cafe which is located in Pine Lake Village (4600 Rockbridge Rd.). If you go to their web site you can find handy directions plus a menu. They are open until 9 PM on Sundays and have a varied menu. If the day is pretty you can order a picnic to take to Stone Mountain Park or to the lakeside park in Pine Lake. http://www.thekingfishercafe.com/ or 404-298-8755. Another area restaurant is the new Madras Sri Ganesh Ram Palace located just off Hwy 78 (on the Athens side of Stone Mountain) which is open until 10. Take the Park Place exit and go left under the overpass. Go left on Rockbridge Rd and then left into the first driveway of the Wal-Mart shopping area. 770-413-1415 is the number to call. The food is all vegetarian in the South Indian tradition. About 15 minutes further up Rockbridge at the intersection of Hwy 29 is the new Hindu Temple, the Swaminarayan Mandir. Open from 8 to 8 and free to the public, the traditional marble temple in Lilburn is the closest thing to India we have in Atlanta. Allow at least an hour to tour. 404-297-0501 for info.

The web site for the organization we are raising funds for is http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/. If you are not able to
attend the concert you can make tax deductible donations via the web site. The guiding light behind Walking for Water and Wisdom Spring is traditional African teacher
Sobonfu Some. To learn more about Sobonfu and her teachings visit her web site at
http://www.sobonfu.com/ . Now that you know how to find us and why we are raising money, awareness and love please join us and bring friends and family. This is an evening
where we gather in community to celebrate, as the composer Antonio Carlos Jobim wrote in his song The Waters of March, the joy in our hearts.



THE HIGHEST MOTIVE IN LIFE IS TO BE LIKE WATER.
IT FIGHTS NOTHING AND NO ONE. IT FLOWS FROM
AND BACK TO ITS SOURCE AND IN THE FLOWING
SMOOTHS AND WEARS AWAY ALL RESISTENCE.
-- Taoist Proverb

WATERS OF MARCH
Benefit Concert for Drought Relief in Africa
Sunday Evening, March 16th, 7 o'clock
Pine Lake Club House

Franklin Abbott Vlamir Abbud Lisa Allender
Rupert Fike Melanie Hammet Sharon Mathis
Janet Metzger Susan Ottzen Rafael Pereira
Rebecca Ranson and Yolo

Please join us for an evening celebrating the music of
Antonio Carlos Jobim along with stories, poetry
and music from some of Atlanta's most talented performers.
Proceeds go to Walking for Water to help build wells
in the Dagara lands of West Africa. The Pine Lake Club House
is located at 100 Club House Road in Pine Lake (near Stone Mountain).
Admission by donation: $10 - $20 for adults. $ 5 for students and seniors.
Sponsored by Pine Lake Cultural Affairs.
For more about Walking for Water go to http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/ .
You can donate by check to Wisdom Spring for a tax deductible contribution.

WATER
by Mary Oliver

What is the vitality and necessity
of clean water?
Ask the man who is ill, and who is lifting
his lips to the cup.

Ask the forest.





THE HIGHEST MOTIVE IN LIFE IS TO BE LIKE WATER.
IT FIGHTS NOTHING AND NO ONE. IT FLOWS FROM
AND BACK TO ITS SOURCE AND IN THE FLOWING
SMOOTHS AND WEARS AWAY ALL RESISTENCE.
-- Taoist Proverb

WATERS OF MARCH
Benefit Concert for Drought Relief in Africa
Sunday Evening, March 16th, 7 o'clock
Pine Lake Club House

Franklin Abbott Vlamir Abbud Lisa Allender
Rupert Fike Melanie Hammet Sharon Mathis
Janet Metzger Susan Ottzen Rafael Pereira
Rebecca Ranson and Yolo

Please join us for an evening celebrating the music of
Antonio Carlos Jobim along with stories, poetry
and music from some of Atlanta's most talented performers.
Proceeds go to Walking for Water to help build wells
in the Dagara lands of West Africa. The Pine Lake Club House
is located at 100 Club House Road in Pine Lake (near Stone Mountain).
Admission by donation: $10 - $20 for adults. $ 5 for students and seniors.
Sponsored by Pine Lake Cultural Affairs.
For more about Walking for Water go to http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/ .
You can donate by check to Wisdom Spring for a tax deductible contribution.

Peace and Blessings to You and Yours.

How do I begin to describe Tuesday evening at Outwrite?
It was grand enough that Franklin Abbott included me in the Features for this quarterly event, along with Craig Washington, and Franklin himself...
A BIG THANK YOU to OUTWRITE BOOKS and owner, Phillip Rafshoon,for letting us participate in the celebration of Community that OUTWRITE BOOKS so embodies!
What made the evening so interesting was the wonderful range and diversity of work--both contained in each writer's selections, and of course, the diversity seen in the three of us, in terms of gender, race, orientation, and background....
Franklin's gentle, soft-spoken delivery and subtle pacing allows the listener to "drink in" his marvelous imagery. Especially lovely were his reminisces on India--especially on the nature of meditation/Buddhism, etc.. --where he recently visited...

I was up to speak, and I opened with "The Orgasm Poems"--with two new Orgasms added from my last Feature at Outwrite...
I then read a somewhat dramatic excerpt about a stripper who has multiple cosmetic surgeries because her husband insists she have them, and then she later discovers her husband is not who she thought he was(this character is one of several strippers I'll portray--or refer to-- in my one-woman "Show & Tell",)...It's based on a true story, kids.I'll give you a hint about this excerpt's "twist" ending: it involves gender-identity!

Craig Washington's evocative musings on Hattie McDaniel were heartbreaking, without being maudlin. The perception he exhibited in terms of what it means to have Ms. McDaniel's "Mammy" as both unwitting icon, and caricature/awful stereotype of African-Americans and the contrast between that character and WHO Ms. McDaniel truly was, was awe-inspiring...
As was his ode to Ms. Audre Lorde--a favorite poet of mine, too, Mr. Washington.
It was a tender tribute to Ms. Lorde and to his own father, that had me blotting my eyes...

Check out Craig Washington at Craig Werks...

Franklin Abbott at:

www.atlantarainbowmuse.com

A shout-out to several young men who came by after the Reading,to tell me what I spoke about in "The Orgasm Poems" was entertaining, and funny.
My PCP doctor showed up--seems he's on the "Outwrite Mailing List" and so knew I was Featuring...Thanks, "Dr. K.", that was really sweet for you to come over & celebrate!!
Other audience members...
One African-American gay man told me "I said now what is this conservative little woman going to say?"
I interrupted him to say,"No, I'm not conservative--not politically, socially, sexually..."
He responded,"I know-- WOW--you put it out there, honey...."

"And was there anything you, a gay, African-American male could relate to, in my experiences as a bi, white woman?"

"Oh, yeah, honey...And once you say these things,it makes it easier to talk like this, you know?"

Yes,indeed, I do....


A final note:

Jerry Falwell, dead at 73...
Like the Gay and Lesbian Task Force stated, early on Tuesday--"Condolences go out to those who were close to you, Mr. Falwell.But you will be remembered by all of us as.."

I'll label it:
A hate-monger. A fearful man, stirring up more fear. A man who called himself Christian, without--in my humble opinion--without ever once considering what true Spirituality means.Your Religiosity had no Grace to offer, no shelter or comfort to give to those wanting...
I'll not jump up and down, thinking "Ding Dong The Witch is dead, the wicked old..."
I'll try to be quiet. And I'll pray for you, Mr. Falwell.But I'll pray even more, for those you hurt.