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Happy Birthday to Marcus Garvey Considering Marcus Garvey saw the caribbean or north america during his life as places that Black people needed to get away from, when you think of the struggles/challenges/unhappiness in Black Americans <Blacks or Negras from Canada/USA/MExico/JAmaica/HAiti/Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico/Trinidad/Colombia/Venezuela/Brazil/Chile/Argentina or any other land in the American continent> in the American Continent, was MArcus Garvey proven right about the inefficacy of Black people living side Whites? Side the best efficacy of Blacks when they live mostly around Blacks? And today happens to be MArtin Luther King Jr Day I quote MArtin Luther King Jr the third concernng voting rights legislation ""he would be greatly disappointed in the leadership in the Senate...that it's chosen so far not to get this done"" MLK the Third either is using very well constructed language or doesn't know his father. Disappointment today refers to an unfulfilled desire or want. Not, to remove from office. if MLK the third is suggesting MLK jr. will desire senators be disappointed. I 100% concur to that. MLK jr. always said in words how dysfunctional the class of elected officials are to the improvement of the populace in the U.S.A. If MLK the third is suggesting MLK jr. desired or thought the congress of the usa will act in the betterment of voting rights, Ihe doesn't know his father. MLK jr. wasn't an elected official for a simple reason. That path doesn't lead to the freedom leaded to tell the truth, to lead the people when what has to be said can't be a lie. Tomorrow is the anniversary of the battle of Hayes-Pond. https://www.lumbeetribe.com/ Happy birthday Sade Nothing can come between us- For the distant lovers The Sweetest Taboo- For the secret lovers Love is stronger than Pride - For the long time lovers <NEar my favorite Sade song, though I don't have a clear favorite> Smooth operator- For the players Is it a crime- for the mistresses or ladies of the evening out there And just so you know, Sade's early videos had an interwoven story about her and a guy if you notice:)

DC Milestone (dcuniverse.com) NEW VOICES. NEW VISIONARIES IT’S TIME TO WRITE A NEW CHAPTER IN THE SUPERHERO STORY. If stories are what shape the world we live in, then the storytellers should reflect that world. The Milestone Initiative is looking for the next generation of Black and diverse comic book creators. DC Superhero In 1993, four Black creators created Milestone Comics: a new universe of Black Super Heroes, brought to life by Black creators and other artists of color. Milestone didn’t just change the way our heroes looked. It built a pipeline for talent who had been excluded and marginalized for too long, and an ecosystem in which Black creativity could thrive. Now, with the relaunch of Milestone Comics and the creation of The Milestone Initiative, we want to honor the creators of Milestone by continuing their mission. But we can’t do it without you. DC Superhero MAKE YOUR MARK Do you have a story to tell? Do your experiences, imagination, and perspective go beyond the limits of what you see on TV, in movies, and in other media? If you live and breathe comics, and you’re an emerging Black artist or writer —or a creator from an underrepresented group —we’re looking for you to join The Milestone Initiative. The path to a sustainable creative career in this competitive industry will never be an easy one. You already know that —you’ve spent years honing your craft on your own. But with The Milestone Initiative, we hope to give you the support you need to make that hard work pay off. The next step starts here. DC Summit THE SUMMIT Participants in The Milestone Initiative will be invited to a one-week summit, hosted by WarnerMedia, DC, and Ally, where they’ll make connections, create community, and begin an immersive course to help hone creative skills and better understand the comic book industry. WHEN 02.14.22 – 02.18.22 WHERE BURBANK, CA 1. ARRIVE If you’re selected to participate in The Milestone Initiative, your journey will begin with the Milestone Summit. You’ll travel at our expense to DC’s headquarters in Burbank, to meet legendary creators, editors, and executives in the comics and entertainment industries. 2. LEARN Under the mentorship of some of the most prominent names in comics, as well as Ally’s team of financial experts, you’ll receive in-depth, substantive instruction about building a creative life and earning a living in this field. You’ll hone your creative skills, but you’ll also learn the business of the comics industry and receive advice on sustaining a long-term career. Following the Milestone Summit, you’ll go home and participate in an 8-week virtual course, where you’ll receive technical training through best-in-class cartooning and graphic art school The Kubert School. 3. CREATE It won’t be easy —throughout this multi-week course, you’ll be working as well as learning, crafting stories with your fellow participants. At the end of this journey you’ll come away with polished work that will showcase your unique talents, new knowledge, and skills and you'll have a pathway into the DC talent community if you want to pursue it. 4. IGNITE The Milestone Initiative doesn’t end with the the completion of the coursework. The team from DC will remain in contact with all participants in the months following and will work with them to find appropriate comics assignments and other work that will help them continue to grow as creators and further their careers with DC and in the comics world. HOW TO APPLY The Milestone Initiative is open to Black and other underrepresented creators who are ready to enter the comic book industry at a professional level. You’ve got the talent, you’ve put in the hours of practice, and this is the opening you’ve been waiting for. Think you have what it takes? Get ready to dive into the application. You have a story to tell. We want to hear it. PROCESS DC Milestone Now a quick reality check: we know you’re serious, and we’re serious too. So this application is going to take some time. We think it’s worth it. STEP 1: 10-20 MINUTES First, we’ll ask you for a bit of biographical information. We’ll also ask you to provide us with links to a few existing pieces of completed original work, to give us a sense of your creative voice and vision. STEP 2: 5-7 DAYS The next sections are where you should plan wisely. We’ll be asking you to put your talent and skills into action by completing a short assignment. If you’re an artist, that will mean drawing three comic pages based on a script we provide; if you’re a writer, you’ll be creating a script for an 8 page story based on a loose prompt we’ve created. STEP 3: 2-3 DAYS Finally, we want writers and artists to answer a few, short essay questions and tell us who you are as a creator. Describe your voice and your vision —what do you believe you have to offer the world? The answers won’t take long to write, but they will take some time to think about. (And artists, don’t be intimidated if writing isn’t your thing. We’re looking for substance here, not style.) Got it? Get started. You don’t have to complete everything now —our system can save your work, just make sure to click “Save Draft” at the bottom of the page so you can begin now and tackle it a piece at a time. DC Superpowered WHAT IS THE MILESTONE INITIATIVE? Superman wasn’t just the first superhero: he was an immigrant, an American, and an enduring symbol of our shared ideals. But as an explosion of comic book heroes took place over the second half of the 20th century, there was something missing. Despite an enduring Black readership, it took decades before the first Black heroes appeared, and once they did, they remained uncommon. Even the most prominent Black heroes usually appeared in stories written and illustrated by white creators. Enter Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle. With talent, vision, and tenacity, these four Black creators carved a place for themselves in an industry that didn’t always welcome or understand them. Despite their success, they were frustrated by the dearth of other Black creators in their field, and the resistance they met in trying to tell stories that reflected their own experiences and perspectives. DC story-1-480 So they founded Milestone Media —a company that placed Black superheroes at the center of the action with their Milestone comics line, and which would make an inclusive space for Black and underrepresented comic book creators to flourish and succeed. Milestone hit like a space pod crashing to Earth —and its impact has continued to this day. Now, Milestone Media, is helmed by Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan, and DC is relaunching Milestone Comics and reintroducing its characters to new audiences, but we understand that there’s still much more work to be done to continue the mission of Milestone’s founders. That’s why, with Ally as our partner, we’ve created The Milestone Initiative. While Milestone Media is about telling the stories of Black heroes, The Milestone Initiative is about empowering the creators who can tell those stories in ways that are resonant, real, and revolutionary. The program is part of DC’s talent development program, Next Generation DC (NGDC), and is designed to identify, educate, spotlight, and empower the next generation of Black and diverse creators in our field so that the stories of the next century are truly reflective of the world around us. Throughout American history —in the comic book industry as well as in other creative fields —Black and other underrepresented creators have been consistent innovators and visionaries despite systems that work to exclude them. Now, as comic books take center stage in popular culture, DC, WarnerMedia, and Ally want to change that with The Milestone Initiative. The Milestone Media founders started the mission. It’s time for you to pick up their mantle. DC story-2-480 READY TO MAKE YOUR MARK? SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DC Milestone (dcuniverse.com)

Well... it is another Friday, another day to love, to Oxum, Oshun, Freya, or Venus, another day to Kizomba! SOmetimes, you just dance to have fun and we see that in Irina dancing side José N'dongala, I love how the camera moved when he tried a trick. enjoy a free read https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-nyotenda

Hi everyone, just want to wish everyone a safe weekend coming up and a sound piece of mind in these trouble times of ours. Have a safe weekend while not letting the sour times get in your mind, by destroying you mood, instead throw on some funky toons to get you in the up and coming weekend groove.... Jaws R.

Happy Hardcore Easter

Hey did you know that I'm A Proud Alumni of Medgar Evers College Class of 1996

Storytellers play the long game - "We must remember, we’re a civilization rooted in story-telling. We share information filled with iconic imagery, symbolism, and sounds. Celebrities are no different. They use the media to tell stories that voice their platform position or opposition." ~Melhopkinsdotcom

End of Poverty ?, the documentary by Philippe Diaz should be called how thugs ravage the land and have taken over the world. Imagine coming up with a concept for a book, writing a draft and then shipping the raw document to someone else - only to have to pay $14.95 to read the finish product. Except that is exactly what is happening in so called third world countries such as Kenya - "predatory capitalism" where the impoverished Kenyans work the land ship their raw materials for tea and coffee to other countries and never profit from it. I became interested in watching the documentary after seeing an interview clips from Confession of an Economic Hitman, author John Perkins. He talks about how he and others like him work on the behalf of multinational corporations to jack the land and resources from people in African countries... We're not free in this country - it's impossible to be - because no one will be free until everyone is free... Watch the documentary. Read the book, and then really begin to wake the Eff up!

I want to thank Mel Hopkins for her exhaustive review of Severed, A Novel. I am so grateful for her insights. It's fascinating to see how people interact with my characters. It's even more intriguing when they see things I did not see myself. Watch her space. She's up and coming. We need more writers like her who are willing to put the time in, to be thoughtful, critical, yet supportive. Thank you, Mel. You do me the greatest honor, to critique a novel written for Black women.

Kiese Laymon: A Writer's Writer Writing takes far more than talent to be great. One most also possess courage to be at the top of her craft. At least that's the takeaway from the essay "You Are the Second Person" by Kiese Laymon. Laymon is identified as an essayist and novelist but a few paragraphs into "You Are the Second Person" you begin to realize those aren’t just his job titles, he’s the embodiment of those skills. Prior to reading his essay, the definition of hack eluded me. Now I know it identifies someone who eschews writing for expression and instead kowtows to a publisher for a check. Check out Guernica Magazine and "You're Are the Second Person"

Why White Folks Love Hidden Figures by BAR editor and columnist Dr. Marsha Adebayo “It’s a feel good movie that demonstrates that even during one of the vilest and most racist periods of American history white saviors rose to the occasion.”

Angela Bassett visits the Ilê Aiyê headquarters and dances alongside Taís Araujo Actresses are in the capital of Bahia for the Liberatum Festival By gshow Angela Bassett and Taís Araujo visit Ilê Aiyê — Photo: Lucas Ramos/Brazil News Confirmed presence at the Liberatum Festival starting on Friday (3), in Salvador, Bahia, actress Angela Bassett is already enjoying the capital of Bahia. On the afternoon of this Thursday (2), she visited the headquarters of the Ilê Aiyê Afro bloc, met those responsible for the cultural group and was symbolically crowned. Furthermore, he had fun alongside actress Taís Araujo , with whom he danced to the sound of the drums. "It's the most beautiful thing in the world, I've been an admirer of Angela for many years, it's beautiful to meet her, to see her getting to know the culture of Brazil, she's excited, it was very beautiful", said Taís, in a chat with gshow . "A day to never forget! Thank you very much, Salvador. Thank you very much to Ilê Aiyê and Dete Lima for giving me the honor of being dressed by you", she added on Instagram. Angela Basset has fun and dances alongside Taís Araújo- a video is present at the URL linked below Other famous Brazilians are also there, such as actress Luana Xavier, singer Majur and influencer Hugo Gloss. From tomorrow until the 5th, Angela, Taís and all the guests will focus on Liberatum, which acts as an international platform to defend equality, diversity and inclusion and takes place for the first time in Brazil after 13 editions around the world. With free programming and open to the public, anyone who stops by will be able to watch the panels with appearances by great world stars, such as Viola Davis, Angela Bassett and Debbie Harry, and great stars of Brazilian cinema and music, such as Taís Araújo, Seu Jorge and Karol Conká. Angela Bassett visits Ilê Aiyê — Photo: Lucas Ramos/Brazil News Angela Bassett and Majur visit Ilê Aiyê — Photo: Lucas Ramos/Brazil News Angela Bassett visits Ilê Aiyê — Photo: Lucas Ramos/Brazil News URL https://gshow.globo.com/tudo-mais/tv-e-famosos/noticia/angela-basset-visita-a-sede-do-ile-aiye-e-danca-ao-lado-de-tais-araujo.ghtml

Sailor Medusa Birthday Treat For Princess Tranquility characters from Kuroshi-tenshi Kuroshi's Sailor Medusa loves milkshakes so I figured, a great birthday treat for Princess Tranqulity, whom the sailor protects will be a milkshake: a cup and cream like Sailor MEdusa while a cookie in its embrace is like Princess Tranquility. 3D model https://skfb.ly/oKJyp Sailor Medusa Birthday Gift by richardmurray3d on Sketchfab Colored page version https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Adopt-August-2023-Submission-979394363 Coloring page version https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Adopt-August-2023-Bw-979394208 Sailor Medusa side Princess Tranquility https://www.deviantart.com/kuroshi-tenshi/art/Kalfu-s-Moon-Her-first-friend-976229718 Contest from @arcencieldigitalart https://www.deviantart.com/arcencieldigitalart/journal/OPEN-Contest-3D-Art-in-all-it-s-Forms-974532840 I used Figuro to design https://figuro.io/Designer

The photo above refers to the idea of Hip Hop turning 50 in the Bronx. A museum will be erected and celebrations across the city will be made. well in my view, what people call hip hop is merely a continuation of the Black poetic culture in the 1950s and 1960s which spoke more to black empowerment/africa that itself was born from earlier decades like langston hughes which you see in harlem's last poets. Mixed with the experimentation that black disk jockey's had started significantly earlier. And even the global exposure is merely continuation. If you look at Gospel then the Blues, then Jazz and then the Motown Sound<itself a version of rhythm and blues> you can see how each became more and more profitable in foreign shores. Hip Hop merely continued the long tradition in the music industry of the USA of exporting a style of Black music. .... For me, one of the tragedies of musical history is how it is presented by those in power more segmented than it is. Again, Rock & Roll is merely a variation of Rhythm and Blues which itself is a variation of the Blues. In the same way that Baroque/Classical/Oriental music in European Music is merely just versions of European Orchestral music. What I find changes more than music is the culture of people. And that is where the Bronx comes in. All the parts of hip hop were in harlem in the 1960s, but Harlem has a long musical tradition whereas the bronx was mostly white. So when the Black people from the south combined with the black folk from the carribean , immigration act in the 1960s who also combined with the white/mulatto/negra latinos, you created a multiphenotypical while also multicultural group of people who represented the future of NYC and regions of the USA. A plurality majority culturally is what Hip Hop allowed the USA to present to the humanity outside and it stunned the humanity outside who was used to Black music, but it was never attached to a culturally fluid identity like the hip hopers. Country music, which is merely white versions of the Blues mixed with european peasant music. or JAzz music which is secular southern Black music with metal instruments , ala the new orleans connection, are both very popular outside the USA but are culturally more rigid. While the Hip hoppers have an everybody's welcome attitude for the most part, that connects to the USA's reality after the immigration act of the 1960s. When Jennifer Lopez a child of the Bronx in the era of hip hoppers wanted to headline a motown show. Black people booed her and the show . why? back to my point. The key to Hip Hopers isn't their music. Everything Hip Hopers did musically you can find in Black music or music by Black people in the USA before the 1970s. Phyllis Wheatley through the last poets is the poetry. The Ragtimers through to the experimental jazz is the extreme improvisation. The Blues or its derivatives: rhythm and blues and rock and roll make up the rest. But culturally, the Hip Hoppers at their core were welcoming to all. All they wanted in return was respect. Whereas the last poets were against inviting blancos <white latinos> or white asians or white jews the Hip Hoppers welcomed all. And even that ties to the History of those whose appearance is given the text label black. Frederick Douglass to MLK jr's philosophies is embedded in Hip Hoppers aracial view. If you give the hip hopper respect, they give it to you. Content of character not color of skin. And to that end, I wonder... but anyway, congratulations to the black folk involved.

Title: One day a nigger one day a nigger caught in his hand a little star no bigger than not to understand "i'll never let you go until you've made me white" so she did and now stars shine at night author: e e cummings Book: XAIPE page 24 Title: (tonight (tonight in nigger street the snow is perfectly falling, the noiselessly snow is sexually fingering the uttery asleep houses) The brite snow likes niggers. it dozes prettily on unsafe reefs and dangerous stairs. It kisses a trillion times beautifully the sagging unlighted filth, within - which black bodies clutch and cuddle (i dreamed God took away the world, when the niggers were asleep and threw it into Hell and the white and the brown and the yellow people all turned suddenly black but God looked down and the niggers were laughing at Him. And He laughed Himself and told the snow "I want you to go down into nigger street, and put that fire out because I have called off The Last Day.") ONE Bif - -fing street-lamp and I are watching, in the perfect noiselessly air which is falling, with kissing bright sexual fingers fingering the utterly asleep street the brite snow likes niggers author: e e cummings in correspondence between scofield thayer side himself https://www.theawl.com/2011/05/a-lost-e-e-cummings-poem-discovered/

Happy 22nd birthday Deviantart

May your spirit fly high Nichelle Nichols Uhura LINK Uhura tuning Vulcan lute LINK Uhura singing beyond Antares LINK Bill Russell's spirit flew as well, the most honest Black basketball in media ever on coaching LINK on Black Youth LINK I PAraphrase Bill russell, use the link above to verify or read the whole"You have guys who have been pampered for 10-15 years. So you can't say this is an example. Or this is an average guy. Most athletes, my self included, are self centered. Maybe psychologically that is why we plays sports, but it is not normal. ... If i am going to go into Harlem, and go to a play ground and say to kids, if you work hard you can do the same thing I did, that would be a lie. That would be unfair to myself and unfair to the kids. I can say to the kids, do your best and fight it everyday. But to say I am an example of the greatness of the country, that is not true. If I am going to be honest to myself, I am an exception and have treated as an exception for years and years. The problem is I am only treated as an exception in certain areas. "

The Wild Seeds Writers Retreat for Writers of Color (formerly the North Country Institute & Retreat for Writers of Color), is a collaboration with the Center for Black Literature, the English Department at SUNY, Plattsburgh, and the Paden Institute and Retreat for Writers. It provides a writing community where established and emerging writers of color can focus on the craft of writing and create cross-cultural conversations around the literature created by writers of the African diaspora. Writing fellows have an opportunity to draw upon their experiences as writers in a racialized society; to become knowledgeable about the issues facing other writers of color; and to study with a professional in the genres of fiction, memoir, and poetry. Recognizing that the Writers Retreat should not be limited to a specific geographical region, the Center renamed the Retreat in honor of Octavia E. Butler, a speculative fiction writer known globally for blending science fiction with African American spiritualism. Butler's writing crossed many boundaries and represented varying diverse voices. The Goal The Retreat strives to provide writers of color with an opportunity to meet other writers; to workshop their writing among peers; and to engage with published writers about concerns and issues related to writing and publishing. Through its writing workshops leaders, the Retreat provides the public with an opportunity to become knowledgeable about the range and diversity of the work produced by writers of color. A Look Back The first Writers' Retreat, held in 2004, was highly successful and featured the internationally acclaimed poet Sonia Sanchez, author Tony Medina, and writer Indira Ganesan. Subsequent faculty workshop leaders have been nonfiction writer Patrice Gaines; poets Martin Espada, E. Ethelbert Miller, Aracelis Girmay, and Patricia Spears Jones; and writers Jeffery Renard Allen, Marita Golden, Victor LaValle, and Bernice McFadden, among many others. Typically, the Retreat alternates between the Valcour Educational and Conference Center in Plattsburgh, New York, and the campus of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. Venues are subject to change. NEW LOCATION for SUMMER 2022 The new location for the Retreat will be determined soon. It will be a scenic location Upstate New York as in previous years. As of early April 2022, the summer retreat will no longer be held at SUNY, New Paltz (The State University of New York, New Paltz) as previously announced. Previous Poetry, Fiction, and Playwriting Workshop Leaders Jeffery Renard Allen Mo Beasley Martin Espada Patrice Gaines Indira Ganesan Aracelis Girmay Marita Golden Tonya Cherie Hegamin Donna Hill Major Jackson Sandra Jackson-Opoku Patricia Spears Jones Victor LaValle E. Ethelbert Miller Bernice McFadden Shaun Neblett Greg Pardlo Willie Perdomo Ernesto Quiñonez Sonia Sanchez Ravi Shankar PLEASE NOTE: Applications < https://centerforblackliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/WSWR_AppSummer2022_REVISED11April.pdf > are available now. The deadline to apply is Monday, May 16, 2022. The cost of the Retreat is $600 and there is a one-time non-refundable $25 application fee. Scholarships are made available only when sponsorship gifts permit and are not necessarily applicable for each Retreat. Please direct inquiries to Director of Literary Programs Clarence V. Reynolds at reynolds@centerforblackliterature.org

Mel Hopkins < https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/18-mel-hopkins/ > said on the post < https://aalbc.com/tc/topic/8495-what-do-you-want-out-of-life/ > Mel Hopkins said: To know what purpose the human species serves. It appears every other species are caretakers of this planet - and accomplishes their role in the ecosystem. I'd like to know the human's purpose. Click and drag to move MY REPLY the purpose of the human species in relation to earth is like all other children of earth, to live on earth. The great problem with humans is the idea that earth can be killed by humans, it can't. If all the nuclear bombs went off and tons of pollution was made, the earth will not die. Many children of earth will die, but not the earth. The earth, like any lifeform, will heal itself. IT will take the earth a while but it will eventually.

My Entry for the Werewolf your pet is LINKED below, above is the invitational image OCTOWOLF! ITS A WOLF THAT'S AN OCTOPUS Submission https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-Page1-896626596?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635745388 Gif Comic https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-gifcomic-896630322 Comic Pages PAGES Page 1 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-Page1-896626596?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635745388 PAge 2 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-Page2-896627148?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635745711 PAge 3 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page3-896627414?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635745938 Page 4 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page4-896627719?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635746173 Page 5 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page5-896627980?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635746398 Page 6 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page6-896628158?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635746603 Page 7 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page7-896628399?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635746851 Page 8 https://www.deviantart.com/hddeviant/art/Theendof-octowolf-page8-896628713?ga_submit_new=10%3A1635747164

https://twitter.com/Hardcore888/status/1437089180090314752?s=04

Against Mythologizing the Practice of Writing from Amber Sparks I suppose I started writing because it was the easiest way to dump out my imagination and play with it. There were few costs and no barriers to entry, no special tools or equipment or collaborators needed. When I was little and bored, all I needed was a pencil and paper to sketch out an escape plan, another world in all its intricacies and details that I could fly to when I needed it. I could create the friends I lacked in real life on the page. I could pour all my negative feelings into some truly gnarly villains. It was easy, free, and completely satisfying, whether I was writing for five minutes or five hours. I had this easy, casual relationship with writing up through college, largely because I didn’t think of myself as a writer. I was an actor and a musician with a bunch of retail jobs; writing was something I just did for fun, not something I was. So nothing was attached to it, no identity, no expectations, no fanciness. I wrote in the car on vacations, in the breakroom at work, in my notebooks during classes. I wrote and wrote and wrote. But at some point after I started submitting and publishing stories in my late twenties, and met writers, read blogs, did workshops - I started to notice those expectations creeping in, a slow set of mythologies that started to grow in and around my writing practice. For the first time, I started thinking about writing as a deliberate practice, and not just as an almost automatic action. I think this happens to just about every writer at some point between writing for fun and writing for serious. I don’t mean the practice of editing your writing and looking at it with a critical eye - that most likely started when you were young, and obviously if you studied writing or edited a magazine or became a teacher, the practice of critically examining your own work deepened, which is a good thing. No, I’m talking about that other thing - the mythologies around what it means to be A WRITER, to practice and perform the act of writing itself. For example! Every few months, another of those “what my writing day is like” interviews with some famous writer starts circulating on social media, and it usually goes like this: “10 am, emerge lazily from my beautiful French country bedroom wearing a flowing robe that smells slightly of the sea; 11am, sharpen fourteen Blackwing pencils by hand while watching the foxes outside my window feed their young; noon, harvest the day’s honey from my hive of bees while thinking slightly about the characters in my next novel; 2pm, write my ass off; 5pm, drink a glass of port on the veranda while listening to the gentle saw sound of the cicadas and thinking about the impossibilities of life” etc etc. People unusually share these interviews with a screenshot and a comment reflecting wistfulness or jealousy or aspiration or all three. “ME SOMEDAY” or “THE DREAM,” they proclaim, harmlessly enough, while not realizing that these interviews are being woven into their own internal writing mythologies. A real writer lives in the country! Sharpens fresh pencils! Wakes at 10! Keeps bees! And these notions about what a writer is or should be, and what kind of idealized conditions create truly great writing, start subtly to grow around the writer, like stupid vines, and complicate entry into the once simple act of writing itself. Suddenly the writer who has written on their phone on the subway commute, the writer who scribbles on scraps of paper between diaper changes or shift changes - the writer who doesn’t have a practice of their own, or a room of their own, or even a desk of their own, and has never needed one, starts to feel a sense of inadequacy. They must not be a real writer, because they do not take to an isolated cabin for weeks at a time to write, or have a sacred office space with special writing music and office hours to boot. There’s nothing inherently wrong with interviews with very famous and established - usually financially secure - writers, about how they write. That stuff is interesting to know! We love to hear about what kind of pens or pencils or software or notebooks others use to get the job done. It’s fun to read. The real problem happens when early or mid-career writers start to internalize these practices and become aware of what they then perceive to be lacking. Because here’s the thing: most of those interviews are with writers who are older, who have already achieved outsized success, both professional and financial, whose children are grown and who are no longer caring for elderly parents. These same writers almost certainly did much of their own best and most urgent writing while working a day job or three, while raising kids, while riding the Metro and running errands, while living in tiny studio apartments in a crowded city. The way that most writers throughout time have written - through necessity, through poverty, through children crawling on their laps and demanding their attention, through whatever it takes to access that imaginative fire. I would gently suggest (and I tell myself this, everyday!) that these mythologies aren’t really about the practice of writing at all. These “how I write” pieces, for example, have almost nothing to do with being a writer, and the reasons they’re shared have very little to do with being a writer. They’re actually about the dream of being freed from economic anxiety and the wheel of capitalism, and from the various demands on us from our families and loved ones. They’re a dream of “being just a writer,” which is less a dream about writing than a dream about leisure. I see it everyday - despite almost no fiction writer making a living being “just a writer,” emerging writers and mid-career writers alike have made this unlikely reality their goal. It’s no different from planning on winning the lottery as a retirement goal. And I think it not only leads to disappointment and heartache - I think it also leads to less writing. And there comes a point, or at least, there certainly has for me, where you have to start hacking away at the thorny forest of your mythologies (sorry to torture this metaphor) and find the pencil and notebook and the five minutes inside that were all you once needed. That’s your enchanted shit, not the country house and the pencils and the kudzu. It’s not a lesson to be learned just once, either. It’s a lifelong struggle, I’ve found. As a writer, I constantly fight the feeling of “if only,” feeling I could be a brilliant writer if only I had more time, more space, a real desk, a retreat in the woods. I realized, when talking about my last book in interviews, that I wrote most of it on my phone on commutes and very late at night, when my baby was asleep and I was wide awake. I had that fire in me then, and it blazed its way onto the metaphorical page despite my lack of time, or sleep, or solitude. It was the closest I had been in a long time to that deep mystery, that almost primal urge to tell stories that writers seem to be born with. The ur of writing, to be an asshole about it. This last year and a half, we’ve all had plenty of opportunity to experience the frustrations of not-writing, as family obligations increased or loneliness encroached, as escapes (even just to coffee shops) became impossible, as illness and sadness and anxiety stood guard at the door, and our writing practice narrowed to very small windows in time and space. For most of us, the dream went from “spend all my time writing” to “ spend any of my time writing,” and a lot of us lost a year plus of our practice entirely. I’m not going to spin the pandemic as positive in any way - fuck that - but I do think after emerging from the worst of it here in the US, my expectations for what it means to be a writer have changed. I had a disappointing experience last weekend, with a weekend writing retreat I had planned for myself cancelled unexpectedly. I found myself instead where I have been all pandemic, in my apartment bedroom, my child running in and out, writing on a lap desk on my bed. But somehow, I got on with the writing, and somehow, that old feeling, that love of story, that sense of following my characters into the rabbit hole and getting lost with them - it all came back to me and I was no different than me at six or me at sixteen, not being a writer or a Writer, but just spending the time I could with an imaginary world I made. Which is pretty much all I’ve ever wanted to do. https://ambersparks.substack.com/p/against-mythologizing-the-practice?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lit%20Hub%20Daily:%20June%2011%2C%202021&utm_term=lithub_master_list

This week on the podcast we are joined by Lateefah Zawistowski to discuss all things OverDrive. As an account manager for OverDrive, Lateefah gives us the inside look at how OverDrive works, how authors can add and market their books on OverDrive, and how libraries utilize the service. She also shares some advice on pricing your books for libraries, what trends she’s currently seeing in library sales, and she discusses the impact of the pandemic on libraries. Lateefah tells us about her role as account manager at OverDrive and why she believes publishers and indie authors alike should consider opting their books into OverDrive She discusses the borrowing habits of readers and how they change based on the genre, and she tells us why the library is such a great tool for discovery, especially for backlist and midlist titles Lateefah explains how libraries purchase books from OverDrive, the multiple purchasing models available to authors and libraries, what time of year libraries are most likely to be purchasing books, and she gives some advice on how to price your eBook for libraries She gives us her predictictions for library trends in 2021 and beyond, and explains why the surge of new library users at the beginning of the pandemic, while great, isn’t necessarily enough to support local libraries Lateefah discusses OverDrive promotions and she explains how merchandising is essential to discoverability on OverDrive She explains the global reach of OverDrive and how many different markets they’re available to, from public libraries to education to corporations, and she discusses the different language markets outside of English Language books Lateefah talks to us about current trends in library sales, what books have sold the best during the pandemic, and she explains why genre fiction is having a big moment right now LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW OR READ THE TRANSCRIPT USING THE ARTICLE BELOW KWL - 245 - Optimizing OverDrive with Lateefah Zawistowski - Kobo Writing Life Happy Audiobook Month! What better way to celebrate than by uploading your audiobooks directly to Kobo! Especially because it’s incredibly easy to do. How easy, you ask? You can upload your audiobook in only ten steps (and one of those steps is signing into your account)! Here’s how: Log into your Kobo Writing Life account here: https://www.kobo.com/writinglife Select the Audiobooks tab on your dashboard. Don’t see the audiobook tab? Send us an email at writinglife@kobo.com and we can activate it for you! Click “Create new Audiobook”. Once on the audiobook uploading page, you can start inputting your audiobook information. You will first be asked to describe your audiobook. This includes: the title and subtitle (remember to only include text that appears on your book’s cover!), the series name and number if your book is part of a series, the contributors including your narrator, your synopsis, publisher name and imprint, your publication date and release date, your ISBN (this must be a unique ISBN and cannot be the same as your eBook or print book!), and finally the language of your audiobook and whether it’s abridged or unabridged. You will then be required to enter the categories for your title. These categories will determine how your audiobook is labelled and categorized in the Kobo Store. We recommend selecting three categories for each book to ensure that customers who are browsing through our store have a better chance of finding your titles. Next, you will need to upload your cover image. We accept cover images in .png, .jpg and .jpeg file formats. We recommend the minimum size of audiobook cover images be at least 600px by 600px. Covers for audiobooks should be square; if they are not, they will be automatically adjusted. Please note: cover images cannot exceed 5 MB in size. Now you are ready to upload your audio files! You can drop files directly from your computer into the Upload Audio Files section or select the folder on your desktop that contains your audiobook files. We only accept audio files in .mp3 and m4a formats. An individual file cannot exceed 200 MB in size and all files combined cannot exceed 2 GB in size. Please wait for your audio files to be completely uploaded before moving to the next step. You will know when files have been successfully uploaded when the “Listen to confirm content” prompt appears . Once your files have been completely uploaded, you can then start to make your Table of Contents. The Table of Contents organizes your audiobook to make sure it is in reading order. You can move the files up and down to ensure they are in the correct order and provide the chapter title for the file under the “Name of Content” section. Please note: What you list in the “Name of content” section will appear in the Table of Contents customers use to navigate your audiobook on our apps. You will then be asked to provide the geographic rights for the title. Please select the countries you own the rights to sell your title in. The final step is to set the price for your title. Please input the price of your title in all the available currencies. Audiobooks pricing is slightly more complicated than eBooks. The royalty percentage thresholds are as follows: 35% royalties for audiobooks priced $2.99 or lower 45% royalties for audiobooks priced over $2.99 Please note: If a customer redeems a free trial token for your audiobook, the royalty amount will be 0. If they redeem using a paid token, the royalty amount will be 32%. Otherwise, the royalty amount will be the values displayed above. Once all steps have been completed you can then select publish! If you have missed any steps, you will receive an error message. Otherwise, your audiobook is in good hands and has been sent for processing. It will soon be available on the Kobo store in 24-72 hours. Be sure to let us know when you’re publishing new audiobooks so we can add them to our audio new release calendar! < https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy1Hzav1WCotnQqd9zOmrUYj5OMcQcqQ-YJl_erliV6apuYQ/viewform > Happy Audiobook Month! - Kobo Writing Life

Not so fast: Prolific Black Authors left out of a soon-to-be-published book of writers covering the past 2500 years. The Guardian reports with too Black voices missing from the nearly 750 page book, a major US publisher cancels publication. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/16/whos-missing-top-author-stirs-anger-with-too-white-history

Are you thinking about writing romantic comedy novels? You are in for a treat! Writing romcoms is a wonderful experience… but it’s not necessarily easy. That’s why I’m sharing 3 tips for you when it comes to writing humour into your stories. When I first started writing my Polyamorous Passions romance series in 2018, I didn’t really know what the subgenre was. I referred to these novels as “contemporary romances” and “new adult romance.” Sometimes it takes a while to hone in on our niche. I didn’t even know that “romantic comedy” was a genre of novels! A year into writing those novels, I happened to be reading a book by an indie author who calls her stories “romantic comedies,” and I realized that my style could totally be considered romantic comedy. READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE https://kobowritinglife.com/2021/05/13/the-trouble-with-writing-romcoms-plus-3-tips-for-writing-humour/

Huzzah! So happy to announce this! ### “The Path of Pen and Sword” A workshop in creative writing and martial arts with Steven Barnes WORKSHOP ON SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH, 12-3PM (Pacific Time) IN PERSON OR ON ZOOM The “Twofold Path of Pen and Sword” is also known as Bun Bu Ryo Do — “The samurai were successful for so long because they studied both cultural and martial arts. They mastered both the pen and the sword, making them formidable intellectual and military opponents.” The Chinese concept of the “Master of the Five Excellences” is looking at the same phenomenon, as is the yogic concept of the “Householder Yogi” who lives in the world of spirit while functioning superbly in the world of flesh. The truth is that there is much in common between the disciplines of creative writing and martial arts: both ask questions about personal identity and the nature of reality. Both demand energy, access to the unconscious mind (Stephen King’s “Boys in the basement” or Bruce Lee’s “It” as in the quote “I do not strike. IT strikes”), and in studying the one we can deepen our understanding of the other. This workshop, an expansion of the original Lifewriting specifically for writers and martial artists, will use two major tools: Joseph Campbell’s structure of the Hero’s Journey, and the yogic “chakra” map of human energy, as a launching point for a discussion and workshop delving into the nexus of breath, flow, focus, fear, commitment, and dynamic living. Come play with us! No previous experience in either writing or martial arts necessary, but all levels welcome. Bring notebooks, loose clothes, and a flexible mind! STEVEN BARNES has published over three million words of fiction, including over thirty novels, episodes of ANDROMEDA, STARGATE SG-1, TWILIGHT ZONE, and THE OUTER LIMITS, including the Emmy-winning episode “A Stitch in Time.” The creator of the Lifewriting system of writing and personal development, he has taught at UCLA and Seattle University, and lectured at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC In the martial arts, he was the Kung-Fu columnist for Black Belt Magazine, holds three black belts, has studied and taught Wu style Tai Chi for forty years, was voted into the Black Karate Federation (BKF) Hall of Fame, was a senior Kali student under Danny Inosanto, and studied Pentjak Silat Serak under Stevan Plinck for almost ten years. When: Saturday, June 5th, 12 noon-3pm, Pacific Time On ZOOM: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2461580494 / ID #: 246 158 0494 Or In Person: Taoist Institute, 10630 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601 FEE: DONATION BASED, with all proceeds going to the Taoist Institute RSVP: Email: taocore@taoistinstitute.com / Phone: (818) 760-4219

Book Wish List Sympathy for the Devil: An Angela Bivens Thriller by Christoper Chambers - A metaphysical police procedural romance thriller with a Black female lead? How could it not be good? I must read this book! Trumbull Park by Frank London Brown - I found out about this book from my daughter. Her partner's grandfather wrote this novel about hostile integration at Chicago's Trumbull Park public housing in the late 50s. Ain't that some ish? Public Housing was reserved for whites only but, everyone's taxes fund the project. Good News, though, in 2020, the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame selection committee nominated Mr. Brown's novel for inclusion. It appears from this post from Richard Guzman he was inducted. BRAVO!! https://richardrguzman.com/frank-london-brown-inducted-into-the-chicago-literary-hall-of-fame/ TBD

Happy Easter Photostory tumblr https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-good-news-blog-stories-through-a-year/?tab=comments#comment-892 Photostory deviantart https://aalbc.com/tc/blogs/entry/261-good-news-blog-stories-through-a-year/?tab=comments#comment-893

HOLD ONTO LOVE. Shit happens — no need to immortalize it. If you survive it, internalize what's left. LOVE. Happy Valentine's Day.

Hi doll! Miss you.

Greetings Everyone and Happy 2020' I am feeling energized by what is still yet to come for me and continuing my journey. I recently went out to perform and it felt great being appreciated by the crowd. Here is a little clip of me. Peace! https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=37701fd47c&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-a:r172384196585482943&th=16fa897786429dd7&view=att&disp=safe&realattid=16fa896ea276ea0d9b71

The art of lying:) from #Omarosa enjoy what is the lesson concerning the fury from black folk that lick white people's balls or the lies we tell, for she is trying to bring down the, i quote her, the most powerful man in the universe, and she has the audiotapes to try https://photos.app.goo.gl/G9RxaEaqCzGNepML9

Hello Everyone, My First Book Signing Event will be on August 4th, 2018 African Art Bookstore 880 N. Military Hwy Norfolk, VA From 1pm to 5pm If you come through you will be able to purchase my book and I will personally sign it for you. I really hope you can attend. Peace! For More Info Contact Me At: Wokethejourney@gmai.com

The Cooking Gene by Culinary Historian Michael W. Twitty is The 2018 James Beard Award (non-cookbook) winner and as much as I can't stand awards I have to give them a second look now because without hearing that Twitty won the award I would not have heard of this book - which I now absolutely must have on my bookshelf. I love to cook but I especially love to cook the foods that are indigenous to my family. Anyway, I found this interview from Mr. Twitty and African Ancestry's co-founder Dr. Gina Paige and it too is delightful!!!

What is the lesson to all artist after reading this article? never sell what you create, never! http://comicsalliance.com/superman-check-jerry-siegel-joe-shuster-dc-comics/ supermans torn cape Artist: Sandra Chevrier place: Bülowstr. Berlin

From YA Author to Newbery Medalist to having his own imprint! "Kwame Alexander Will Start His Own Imprint. The Name? Versify. Get It? " Link: New York Times Books

Jesus said unto him "Thou shalt love the Lord thy G-d with all thy heart, and with all ... 39 And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." #Greatestcommandment #relationshipgoals Nah, I’d rather you love me better. It seems most of Y’all don't love yourself all that well. ~Thanks.

“It is good to be ‘woke’. It is even better to be ‘woke” to your own f*cked up sh*t too…” ~Manatole From Mel Hopkins' Actuate: Thought Into Action

"Life is the sum of your choices"

National Action Network Goes Live! Impact TV logo National Action Network founded by Reverend Al Sharpton will go live across the nation on Saturday, June 10, 2017 as the newest addition to the growing scheduled line-up on Impact TV. In a press release distributed through PR Newswire, the civil rights leader, Reverend Al Sharpton, is expected to preach from the scriptures, talk about the state of civil rights in the U.S. and bring a message that is intended to lift spirits toward action. National Action Network will broadcast live at 10 AM EDT from House of Justice in Harlem, New York on the 100 percent African American-owned and operated Christian television network founded by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson and Dr. Beverly Y. Jackson in 2010. You may recall, Bishop Jackson hosted the then Republican Presidential candidate nominee, Donald J. Trump, for a one-on-one interview that aired on Impact TV last September. Impact TV is available on cable & satellite television providers Comcast Xfinity, Dish, DirectTV, Charter Spectrum and Time Warner Spectrum. Check your local listings for availability

One Night Only | The first Black-owned and operated Chicago theatre to reopen for an outdoor concert. The Pekin Theatre located in the Bronzeville section of Chicago was first opened by alleged professional gambler, Robert Motts. The outdoor concert, sponsored Illinois Humanities and Empty Bottle, an Evening at the Pekin Theater will feature ragtime pianist and MacArthur “genius” grantee Reginald Robinson and his band playing music from the Pekin’s active era, which lasted until 1916. The concert will be held June 17, 2017 @ 7PM Source : Timeout Magazine

Before digital social networks and social media, I used to keep a scrapbook for all the news stories I found interesting - here's one such article : Pioneer Aviator Bessie Coleman in this 1920s photos was the world's first black female aviator. She was licensed in 1921

"Severed", A Novel, is a crime thriller and an entertaining whodunit but I recommend it as a self-help book in my commentary "Severed", A Novel | A Black Woman's Burden Short Synopsis | Severed, a Novel "Someone is a few digits short of a hand in Nakadee, Louisiana. What’s worse, someone may be torturing and holding the finger-less victim captive in this small river town. Head of Nakadee Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit Captain Nate Padgett enlists the help of Forensic Anthropologist Lula Logan, PhD whom he feels he can trust since she’s having an affair with his direct report Junior Detective Devon Lemonde. Padgett needs Logan to find out if the victim is still among the living. Dead or Alive means the difference between a local investigation or handing it over to the Feds. Meanwhile Dr. Logan has her own project underway. She’s in town to work on research project that will tell the story of the enslaved Africans who revolted against their captors in 1830 on a former plantation. Dr. Logan has her finger on the pulse of present missing fingers case and that of the enslaved Africans of the past …the question remains, however, which case will be her undoing."

SoulJourn: "Celebrating Black Women Filmmakers" "On the occasion of the recent restoration and re-release of Julie Dash’s 1991 masterpiece Daughters of the Dust, BAMcinématek celebrates the black women directors who blazed the trail for that landmark film. The filmmakers represented in this series all worked far outside the mainstream, often with limited resources, overcoming a historically hostile system in order to tell their stories on screen. Taken together, their work represents a rich history of long-undervalued independent filmmaking. “One Way or Another” is co-programmed by BAMcinématek’s Nellie Killian and Michelle Materre; founder, host-producer, Creatively Speaking Film Series; Associate Professor of Media Studies and Film at The New School." Source: 'One Way or Another: Black Women's Cinema, 1970–1991'BAMcinématekFebruary 3–23, 2017

SoulJourn: "Not all Blacks in America were enslaved but laws enacted against their freedom haven't changed since colonial times. Source: The Black North: A Social Study by &nbsp;William Edward Burghardt Du Bois &nbsp;November 17, 1901

Status: Agitated As humans our default mode is happy. It may be hard to tell but we are a community-oriented species... Just watch us when shit hits the fan and you'll see our true nature. We come together with one mission - "to make everyone whole again". Yet, there are forces in this world that prefer we stay agitated. Upgrade: remaining agitated eventually leads to submission. Today's MISSION: Shine bright like the Sun!

Wanted: Information on "Free Negro" a British Legal status for those never enslaved in America but reemerged on the Americas as early as 1513... Also, looking for black female polymaths from baby boomers, generation x, y, millennials even budding polymaths. Polymaths are defined for this purpose as those who know a lot, can do a lot and have a body of peer-reviewed work and accomplishments in varied areas. Thank you!

Have you heard of Jelly? It's a Q & A social media platform. I answered this question " I need new shoes for walking/jogging long distance. My biggest issue is that I have a men's size 16 shoe. Any tips on a brand?" I linked to your FAQ on your site about 15 and up-personal shopping and my answer was helpful. Not sure if you're on Jelly but with your expertise in shoes - I think you'd do well there too!

"Black people don't do this that", "Black people boycott", Black people protest" is so reactionary, so yesterday, My word of today is ACTUATE: From the latin word "Actus" to medieval latin "Actuare", "Actuat" to carry out in practice; to stir into activity; enliven! Let's GO!