Okay, so here is the recap for the last two years.
The trip to Morocco, Ghana, Spain, Portugal, New York, DC, and The Badlands was everything I hoped it would be and more. Thank you to all who helped me to create beautiful memories and also to discern my next steps. Upon returning to the States, I made an unscheduled detour to Iowa where I spent two months getting reacquainted with my grandmother and I finally achieved my New Year's Resolution from 2008, only two years late, by winning the Des Moines, Iowa Poetry Slam in December of 2010.
In Seattle they have a saying: It's not about the points, it's about the POETRY. And yet poets from around the world flock to the Slams to read, to perform, and to share their work for points. It's a somewhat sadistic thing to do...to get on the mic and in three minutes or less (with a 10 second grace period) read the bloody ink of your soul to a group of strangers who may not get, may not like it, and might even hold up a score card that reads 0. And yet still there are some of us who have this strange compulsion to be heard, to get on stage, put it out there and hold our breath waiting for that first inkling of response, a laugh, a sigh, anything that says there is someone out there listening and understanding. And if we're lucky we'll get it just right and the judges who could be the anyone from Toni Morrison to some douche bag who has never read or written a poem in his or her entire life, will hold up a score card with the perfect 10. It's a high.
It was also the first time my mother had ever seen me Slam. I read two pieces, one of which appears in my book God, Hair, Love, and America. It has become a bit of a signature piece for me and it's called The Afro-Petting Zoo is closed.
At beginning of 2011, I made my way back to Seattle and accepted a position with a small non-profit where I continue to work. I facilitate a youth leadership program that culminates in a two week service learning trip to Guatemala.
This has left a lot less time for art. I did manage to have a show at a local cafe a few months ago, but mostly I am back to writing. I am currently finishing my second collection of poetry aptly titled: Love and Guatemala. I hope to release it in January 2013.
The trip to Morocco, Ghana, Spain, Portugal, New York, DC, and The Badlands was everything I hoped it would be and more. Thank you to all who helped me to create beautiful memories and also to discern my next steps. Upon returning to the States, I made an unscheduled detour to Iowa where I spent two months getting reacquainted with my grandmother and I finally achieved my New Year's Resolution from 2008, only two years late, by winning the Des Moines, Iowa Poetry Slam in December of 2010.
In Seattle they have a saying: It's not about the points, it's about the POETRY. And yet poets from around the world flock to the Slams to read, to perform, and to share their work for points. It's a somewhat sadistic thing to do...to get on the mic and in three minutes or less (with a 10 second grace period) read the bloody ink of your soul to a group of strangers who may not get, may not like it, and might even hold up a score card that reads 0. And yet still there are some of us who have this strange compulsion to be heard, to get on stage, put it out there and hold our breath waiting for that first inkling of response, a laugh, a sigh, anything that says there is someone out there listening and understanding. And if we're lucky we'll get it just right and the judges who could be the anyone from Toni Morrison to some douche bag who has never read or written a poem in his or her entire life, will hold up a score card with the perfect 10. It's a high.
It was also the first time my mother had ever seen me Slam. I read two pieces, one of which appears in my book God, Hair, Love, and America. It has become a bit of a signature piece for me and it's called The Afro-Petting Zoo is closed.
At beginning of 2011, I made my way back to Seattle and accepted a position with a small non-profit where I continue to work. I facilitate a youth leadership program that culminates in a two week service learning trip to Guatemala.
This has left a lot less time for art. I did manage to have a show at a local cafe a few months ago, but mostly I am back to writing. I am currently finishing my second collection of poetry aptly titled: Love and Guatemala. I hope to release it in January 2013.
