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How We (learn to) Express Ourselves

Today I was fortunate enough to attend Davis Magnet School’s Poetry Cafe.

The Poetry Cafe was a Ask for More Arts JumpstART program  supported by Parents for Public Schools of  Greater Jackson. The theme was “self-metaphor” and students from two 4th grade classes presented.

The experience made me wonder about the teachers  that inspired me to write. I began to wonder; How was the love of the written word instilled in me?

As a child, I remember the amount of respect and admiration my father gave words. As a Jew, he valued the words of Torah. As a secular student, he loved books and poems. I would listen to my father read Walt Whitman out loud, squeezing the sound out of each syllable in order to take in all that the word held. I wanted to create something that my father could pick up off of the page. I wanted to orchestrate sentences that would hold his attention long enough for him to look up from the book and say, “Isn’t that incredible?”

Books were always accessible in my house. The youngest daughter by ten years, I had a full library of my sister’s books by the time I could read. The greatest thrill was when my father would catch me taking a new book down from the shelves. A man of very few congratulatory remarks, my father was near impossible to please.  But, if he caught me reading, he would come over to pinch my cheeks and remind me that books were the only way to strengthen my mind.

While I do not agree with many things my father has said over the years, I do agree with his respect for the written word and the power it has over the imagination. I am indebted to my father for instilling in me a deep appreciation for reading. He is the reason I carry two- sometimes three- books with me on a weekend trip. He is the reason I love the feel of books in my hand and the sight of books on the kitchen table. And he is the reason that when I come across a perfectly written sentence, one where the syntax is constructed so flawlessly I have no choice but to reread the sentence until it permeates my skin, he is the reason I consider that phenomenon one of the greatest pleasures in life.

ode

Today is a very, very special day.

Happy Birthday to the poet who has the power to shift parts of me I did not know existed.

it may not always be so; and i say
that if your lips, which i have loved, should touch
another's, and your dear strong fingers clutch
his heart, as mine in time not far away;
if on another's face your sweet hair lay
in such silence as i know, or such
great writhing words as, uttering overmuch,
stand helplessly before the spirit at bay;

if this should be, i say if this should be--
you of my heart, send me a little word;
that i may go unto him, and take his hands,
saying, Accept all happiness from me.
Then shall i turn my face and hear one bird
sing terribly afar in the lost lands

in front of the keyboard

jennyvorwaller

Life, at times, can be felt best through images.

The inspiration is out there and I have to let it take hold of me.

Today I am grateful for:

A healthy family

The Jackson, Mississippi art community

A job that helps me feel like I’m doing something with my life/degree/in the community, keeps me afloat in this economy, and still allows me to be creative and  write

The unlimited source of inspiration in this world

Thank you thank you thank you

Mississippi, Strong and Proud

There is so much to be excited about in Jackson this week. I’ll just cut to the good stuff:

Art by C Leigh McInnis

Mr. C Leigh McInnis, a true force in the literary scene of Mississippi, has an article featured in Oxford American about Afro-American MS writers and artists. Here is an excerpt:

“With poetry, there seems to be two opposing traditions. At one end of the spectrum is the poetry of the white university and the major literary journals, which is laden with imagery and an esoteric, minimalist technique that is more challenging (for the average non-English major) to crack than a CIA code. At the other end of the spectrum is the poetry presented at open-mic/spoken-word houses across the country, which is often devoid of imagery, rings like limericks, and is celebrated more for the poet’s performance style or the subject matter than for the quality of language. Most poetry falls somewhere between these two poles, but the poetry in the literary journals is not read by very many people, and the poetry in the coffee houses is not published in many journals.”

Read the full article here.

There is also a link to poetry by several prominent writers in Mississippi. One is Poet of Truth, a regular poet at the Writer’s Spotlight. Another is Skipp Coon who will be performing this Friday at the Jackson Arts Collective Showcase. And of course, you can hear some of Mr. McInnis’ phenomenal work: Afro Mississippi poetry

Which leads me to another announcement. All three of the above mentioned poets, as well as myself will be performing this Friday at the Jackson Arts Collective Showcase. We will be joined by several talented writers, artists, dancers, and actors.

The Showcase will be held at The Commons 719 Congress Street, Jackson, MS. The event runs from 6-11, but the writer’s presentation will be in the coffeehouse from 7-9.

Here is the tentative lineup for the night:

7-710                Poet of Truth

710-720             Doug Jennings

720-730             Jerry File

730-740             Blaque Butterfly

740-750             Katrina Renee Byrd

750-8                Skipp Coon

8-810                C Leigh McInnis

810-820             Talibah Smith

820-830             Latoriya Phillips

830-840             Janine Julia Jankovitz

840-850             Dierdre Payne

850-9 John Howell

9-910                   Marcia See

the week after

Thank you to everyone who made September 25th the best Writer’s Spotlight to date.

I will post pictures very soon, promise.

Here is an excerpt from an article in this week’s JFP written by the editor Lacey McLaughlin.
Thank you, Lacey, for the kind words.

[Editor’s Note] Kicking It Up

by Lacey McLaughlin
September 30, 2009

“I have a confession; lately I haven’t been living in the moment. Here at the JFP we have a million ideas and staff members who work insanely hard because of their commitment to doing good work. I think all of us struggle with the fact that there are only so many hours in the day that keep us from implementing all those great ideas. To-do lists can run several pages, and at the end of the day it can be hard to leave the office. I feel fortunate, though, because my work doesn’t feel like work—every issue we put out is a collaboration involving creativity, wit, perseverance, excitement and lots of soul.

So on Friday when I attended the Writer’s Spotlight at the Eudora Welty Commons, I found myself checking off my mental to-do list and thinking about this issue instead of absorbing the work of fellow writers. Then local poet Bob Hudson started reading poetry from a book he recently self-published. I don’t know Mr. Hudson, but his poems drew me in, and I found it difficult to think about anything else.

Local freelance writer Janine Jankovitz who also works at the Institute For Southern Jewish Life, organized the Writer’s Spotlight in an effort to create an outlet for writers to share their work. A broad spectrum of writers from beginners to publishers stood up and read their hearts out. Each poem or short story made me laugh or reflect on my own experiences. The event displayed a vibrant pocket of talent that lives within our city and left me feeling humble.

[...]

These experiences brought me back into the moment. I was able to reflect and relate to these local artists and truly enjoy the act of expression. Efforts to make Jackson to a home for artists—young or old, rich or poor, and black or white—-to thrive should not go unnoticed.

The excitement is contagious and inspiring. Each of the events I attended contained so much soul and hear, with no signs of pretension or “art snobs” in sight. People like Krista Bower, Jamie Weems, Adam Collier and Janine Jankovitz are doing an amazing job in bringing together the art community. So many others are doing the same thing, and their efforts are at the core of Jackson’s Renaissance.”

Dear October

In anticipation for the season that inspires me the most:

October brings apple spice and hard cider. Crunchy red, yellow and orange leaves. Halloween. Hopefully more writing.

Tonight is the 4th Writer’s Spotlight, hope to see you there.

Save the Date- September Writer’s Spotlight

It’s been awhile- long time no blog- and I’m excited to annouce the next Writer’s Spotlight date.

by leo reynolds

September 25th

The Commons Gallery

719 N. Congress St.
Jackson, MS 39202
601-352-3399

Please let me know by the end of August if you are interested in reading. Last time we went a little over our time limit with the venue (about an hour) so readers will be asked to share 1-2 poems or up to 2-3 pages of a short story in order to ensure every person has a chance to read. The event is still free, and it’s going to be awesome.

I hope to see you there!

Picture from Chickball 2009

William Patrick Butler, a very talented photography and staple of Jackson,  photographed the entire Chickball on Saturday night. He has a great blog called Scenes Around Jackson that shows his skill and cool events around Jacktown.

Here is a link to his blog:  scenes around jackson

My favorite post is the first one of the Burlesque show

I want to thank him for the pictures he took of my reading Saturday night!

To see more pictures from Chickball, check them out on the JFP website

And a special thank you to my sister Selena for the beautiful dress!

Radio spot for Chick Ball

Local (awesome) radio show Mississippi Happening on WLEZ 100.1 FM, hosted by (equally awesome and super nice) Daniel Guaqueta had Donna Ladd and Andi Agnew on last night to talk about Chick Ball.

Check it out:

MississippiHappeningChickBall.mp3

photo from en.wikipedia.org

Thanks for the shout out. I’m really looking forward to performing Saturday night.

Go local radio!