Troy

Yeah I liked Hurt Locker much more than I did Avatar. It seemed to be a pretty weak year for movies... My favorite movie last year was Star Trek, but unless you have a relationship with the franchise the movie probably would not mean very much to you. So I could understand why it would not be considered for any major awards. Say what you will about Kam's Oscar picks but he usually nails them! This year he did, to quote him, "horribly" (Kam's Oscar Picks). Despite all of the controversy surrounding Precious By the time I finally saw it a couple of weeks ago I was surprised by how relatively innocuous a film it was. Hardly worth all the gnashing of teeth and hand wringing. The money was OK I like Hurt Locker much more. Monique was good and played her role. To compare comedians I would not put it on the level of Jamie Fox's performance in Ray. It is really difficult to judge how good an actress Monique is without seeing her in a range of roles. her character in Precious is not really much of a stretch from her Skinny Bitches are evil persona. I liked Anthony Mackie's performance in Hurt Locker. I would been happy to see him win best supporting actor. While he was not in a competing category with Monique his performance was superior.

Asar Imhoteo - Preach! Cynique, I'm not so sure returning to Africa would avert the frustration. The European influence is just as strong, if not more so. Other than the poverty (also a consequence of imperialism) that was perhaps the most disheartening thing I witnessed. Bookfan, just curious; why did you feel it necessary to say that you were not Black? Africans, throughout the Diaspora and in Africa, can't allow others to dictate how we name our own children -- just because the dominant culture is uncomfortable. The only way the negative perceptions will change is if we continue to press for that change. If we don't not will change. I'm seriously debating changing my name. My anecdotal observations are the white folks change their names to conform to the dominant culture. Black people do to for the opposite reasons. Again, if a Barack Hussein Obama can be elected President of the US, and a Condoleezza can be secretary of state a provost at Stanford. The whole argument about a unusual names being a hindrance goes out the window. Now people who name their children "ABCDE" are so few; it is inconsequently to this argument.

Whether you like Patterson or not at least on perk of being governor is a couple of tickets to a damn yankees game sheesh! He is the governor of the state for crying out loud. It was not like he was there to a watch the game.

Oh God, don't get me started on Harlem Politics. Xeon, despite your vote of confidence I don't know that I would be as unflappable as you suggest if I were given the power a high ranking politician. Power corrupts. Many in politics seem to be mostly concerned about enriching themselves. If the people are helped as a result that is cool, but it is not the goal. The people most serious about making change are usually NOT politicians. Guest_Chris your comment: "Where were they when the heroin was ravaging their community?" speaks volumes. Where were they while the school systems have fallen apart, where were they when our neighborhoods were being decimated? Nothing else needs to be asked until THAT question is answered. Of course a white guy will do it -- Harlem will be mostly white in the coming years anyway. The NY Times already reported that my neighbor already is now...

Definitely a Cyniquian style review. I like it! And will share it on my social networks. I also really like Dan Brown's novel Davinci Code. The movies sucked and honestly I straying from Brown's next novels prejudging them on the weakness of the movies. My bad, I'll down load Brown's latest based upon your 4 start recommendations. Cynique, did you really sit under a pyramid? Dan Brown's The lost Symbol

boofan, I like you analysis (1) because it shows that the vast majority of the names used on the Black list are "normal" suggesting that the "unusual" name despite the hype and anecdotal observations are not the majority. Asar's statements are important as well. As I've asserted "At some point in history all names are "made-up"". Making fun of a name like Shaniqua, in my mind, is a form of self hatred; because the hatred stems from the name not confirming to a "so called" European Standard and the assumption (false assumption in my opinion) that the name alone will be held against one trying to gain employment or otherwise be held against them.

Nubian Poet, "addicted to Facebook, or Twitter would have been appropriate too. Congrats on the win!

Welcome TheCenter for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College, CUNY Presents TheTenth National Black Writers' Conference Programand Activities TheConference will be held at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, unless otherwiseindicated Toni Morrison Nobel Prize-Winning Author Honorary Chair Thursday, March 25, 2010 Re-Envisioning Our Lives ThroughLiterature Writing & Literature Workshops forElementary, Middle-School and High-School Students 9:00 a.m. to 11:30a.m. Elementary School Program Cheryl and Wade Hudson, Zetta Elliot,and Tony Medina Sponsored by Just Us Books 1:00 p.m. to 3:00p.m. Middle-School Writing Workshop
TonyaHegamin High-School Program Tara Betts, John Murillo, and AbiodunOyewole, Featured Poets High-School Writing Workshop
Sponsoredby PEN American Center 4:00 p.m. to 5:00p.m. Elders Workshop Presentation(Medgar Evers College) Donna Hill, Moderator 4:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m. Off-Site Event: Spoken Word PoetryCafé Staceyann Chin and Willie Perdomo,Featured Poets Location: BrooklynPublic Library CentralLibrary 10 Grand ArmyPlaza Brooklyn, NY11238 718-230-2100 Conference Papers on Toni Morrison,Amiri Baraka, Kamau Brathwaite, and John Oliver Killens Medgar Evers College Mary Pinkett Lecture Hall, Student Services Building, S122 9:30 a.m. to 10:45a.m. “The Resurrection of Memory in theWorks of Toni Morrison” RobinFord, Moderator 12:30 p.m. to 1:45p.m. “Music as Language in African AmericanTexts” EmmanuelaMaurice, Moderator 2:00 p.m. to 3:15p.m. “The Legacy of John Oliver Killens” TBA,Moderator 3:30 p.m. to 4:45p.m. “The Politics of Language” BakarWilson, Moderator 5:00 p.m. to 6:00p.m. Presentation of Student Play Fanon,Founders Auditorium Featuring Students at Medgar EversCollege, Written by Prof. Delridge Hunter 5:00 p.m. VIP OpeningReception President’sConference Center (Medgar Evers College, Rm. 1008) Sponsoredby the Caribbean Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated 7:00 p.m. OfficialConference Opening: AConversation with Kamau Brathwaite and Welcome to South End Press Supported by Black BrooklynRenaissance in Partnership with the BrooklynArts Council and the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation TerrieM. Williams, Mistress of Ceremonies Thomas Sayers Ellis, Introduction ofKamau Brathwaite Founders Auditorium, Medgar EversCollege, CUNY Friday, March 26, 2010 LeroyBaylor, Master of Ceremonies 10:00 a.m. to 11:30a.m. “The Black Writer as LiteraryActivist” Patrick Oliver, Kalamu Ya Salaam,Dorothea Smartt, and Frank Wilderson III Louis Reyes Rivera, Moderator 12:00 p.m. to 1:30p.m. “Politics and Satire in the Literatureof Black Writers” Herb Boyd, Thomas Bradshaw, Charles D.Ellison, and Major Owens Obery M. Hendricks, Moderator 2:00 p.m. to 3:30p.m. “Shifting Identities: The Black Writerin the African Diaspora” Edwidge Danticat, Courttia Newland,Colin Channer, and Carole Boyce Davies Jacqueline Brice-Finch, Moderator 4:00 p.m. to 5:30p.m. “Black Writers Reconstructing theMaster Narrative” Catherine Acholonu, John F. Baker Jr.,Breena Clarke, and Betty DeRamus
 Pamela Newkirk, Moderator 6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m. Tribute to Toni Cade Bambara Malaika Adero, Hattie Gossett, FarahJasmine Griffin, Linda Holmes, Louis Massiah, Eugene Redmond, Eleanor Traylor,Cheryl Wall, Kalamu Ya Salaam, Sonia Sanchez Sponsored by The Links, Incorporated 8:30 p.m. Off-Site Event: TheNational Black Writers’ Conference Concert PresentsTalib Kweli, Gary Bartz, anda Very Special Surprise Guest Producedby Jill Newman Productions Location: Littlefield, Brooklyn, NYC Doors Open: 8:30 p.m.; Concert: 9:30p.m. Tickets $25 in advance, $30 at thedoor For Tickets, visit http://www.littlefieldnyc.com Jill Newman Productions 917-561-6056, http://www.jillnewmanproductions.com Saturday, March 27, 2010 KyraGaunt, Mistress of Ceremonies 10:00 a.m. to 11:30a.m. “The Impact of Hip-Hop and PopularCulture in the Literature of Black Writers” Steven C. Fullwood, Felicia Pride, andTouré Karen Hunter, Moderator 12:00 p.m. to 1:30p.m. “The Impact of the Internet: Blogging,Publishing and Writing” Grace Ali, Nick Charles, Troy Johnson,and April Silver Esther Armah, Moderator 2:00 p.m. to 3:30p.m.
 “Literary Encounters: East MeetsWest—A Dialogue”
 Meena Alexander, Marina Budhos,Shelley Eversley, and M G Vassinji Margaret Cox, Moderator 4:00 p.m. to 5:30p.m.
 *“The Impact of War & NaturalDisasters in Literature by Black Writers” Chris Abani,
Phyllis Montana LeBlanc,James McBride, and Maaza Mengiste 5:30 p.m. to 6:00p.m. Kevin Powell – Featured Speaker “Black Writers Creating Memories andLighting the Way” Readings TheNational Black Writers’ Conference Reading Series Is Sponsored by the AfricanAmerican Literature Book Club, the Brooklyn Literary Council andthe National Black Writers’ Conference 12:30 p.m. Colson Whitehead Sponsored by the National BlackWriters’ Conference 1:30 p.m. to 2:30p.m. Bernice McFadden, Rakesh Satyal, andTiphanie Yanique Sponsored by the Brooklyn LiteraryCouncil 3:00 p.m. to 4:00p.m. Allen B. Ballard, Victor LaValle, andDolen Perkins-Valdez Sponsored by the African AmericanLiterary Book Club 6:30 p.m. Off-Site Event: AwardsReception and VIP Reception Susan L.Taylor, Reception Emcee Honorees: ToniMorrison,Noble Prize-Winning Author and Honorary Chair, NBWC; AmiriBaraka,Poet, Essayist; Kamau Brathwaite, Poet, Cultural Historian andProfessor, New York University; and Dr. Edison O. Jackson, FormerPresident, Medgar Evers College, CUNY Location ARTCURIAN Gallery at Arthur BennettHall 22 Chapel Street Brooklyn, New York 11201 www.artcurian.org Tickets $75 To Purchase Tickets, visit AALBC.COM Sunday, March 28, 2010 GloriaJ. Browne-Marshall, Mistress of Ceremonies Talkshops 10:00 a.m. to 11:15a.m. Fiction: Tayari Jones **Poetry: Sonia Sanchez Book Reviews: Clarence V. Reynolds 11:30 a.m. to 12:30p.m. Dramatic Writing: Thulani Davis Creative Nonfiction: TK Book Proposals: Krishan Trotman PanelDiscussions 12:30 p.m. to 2:00p.m. “Speculative Fiction: Fantasy, Horror,and the Supernatural in the Fiction of Black Writers” L.A. Banks, Michael Boatman, JewellParker Rhodes, and Cheo Tyehimba DaleAllender, Moderator 2:30 p.m. to 4:00p.m. *** “Restoring Community: BlackWriters Respond to the Environmental Crises” Majora Carter, Alixa and Naima(Climbing PoeTree), and Omar Ferilla 4:30 p.m. to 6:00p.m. “Editors, Agents, Writers, and Publisherson the Literature of Black Writers” Regina Brooks, Linda Duggins, ChrisJackson, and Johnny Temple Fred Beauford, Moderator *Sponsored by Con Edison **Poetry Talkshop is Sponsored by TheLinks, Incorporated ***Sponsored by Con Edison Brenda M. Greene, Ph.D. Conference Director; ExecutiveDirector, The Center for Black Literature Program Is Subject to Change. 2010 National Black Writers'Conference

I had not previously heard of Chris Hedges prior to Kam's report on one of his lectures. The man poses some interesting, sobering ideas. Explaining the inevitable negative consequence which will result from our illeracy, lack of critical thinking, focus on celebrity, and a host of other things we've complaining abou ton these boards. I just downed Hedges latest book to my Kindle. Link to Chris Hedges Profile on AALBC.com

Taking a class also gives you the benefit of getting a knowledgeable opinion. Speaking on critique of work I can tell from working on reviews that many authors don't really want the criticism either. Interestingly I came across this post from Zane, on the old discussion board, while testing a change I'm making to the google search engine on this website [yeah as mundane as it might sound even that little query form requires some work]. At any rate, her input to the same problem was interesting: Link to Zane post

I agree with Xeon. Yeah Bill does look disheveled and yeah he could have shaved and dressed a little better for the on camera interview and at the podium. Yeah he does seem very bitter, but keep in mind despite all his money and power he lost a man child to murder. Maybe he did not spend enough time with the young man and guilt is eating away at him gets on in age. Again there is no bad publicity. I never heard of the playboy jazz festival. If I can go I'd like to check it out.

Hey Linda, I'll upgrade your account when I get a chance. Also make sure you login when you post so that you don;t have the boot leg "Guest_" prefix

http://bit.ly/snowman2010

Carey in some ways I actually agree with you... I was in the subway yesterday (ohh I hate the subway but the weather was crap and I had to get downtown) and I watched these too kids around 10 years of age, obviously brothers. They were 100% in engaged in their PSP's the whole time I was on the train. This might sound like hyperbole but it seemed kinda sad. These kids were in the own separate little worlds. Then I thought about how I never see kids playing outside any more. No games of tag, no jumping rope, I just envisioned kids teethered to xboxes and game boys all day. Not talking or playing with each other unless it was through technology. But technology has also given the individual access to information and in some sense power. My every livelyhood would have been impossible to envision even 10 years ago and is the result of this new fangled technology. Honestly I don't get twitter either, but I'm on it because I need to make sure I down with any technology so many people find important. It is more of a business decision than a personal one. I think I told this story once before, but I think it illustrates your sentiments: I was at dinner with an accomplish author and about 5 other people. The accomplished author, a professor, can agurably be described as brilliant. She sat next to me and every few minutes or so she would bow her head and start typing something into her cell phone. After I while I asked, "What are you doing?". "Oh, I'm just twittering", she said looking up and smiling apologetically. Feigning ignorance, I asked, "Twitter? What is that?" She went on to provide a realtiely lame description of Twitter to me. I said, "I really don't get it. Why do you find it so engrossing?" "Well it is really something to do, you know, when you aren't really doing anything" "Oh, like now?", I said as I looked around the table full of people engrossed in lively conversation. I'm about 8 years older than this author. As far as technology is concerned 8 years is an eternity. Just 5 years ago there was no Youtube, facebook and defitnely no Twiiter. She also sees no problem sitting in a restaurant simultaneously twittering away (actually saying tweeting the fact that she was eating dinner with us) and talking to the people she was sitting physically sitting with. I find that behavior slightly rude; but I'm from a different generation, technologywise. I think my oldest daughter would be happy if it was possible to surgetically implant her ipod into her brain. I often wonder what they would happen if we lost electricaly for a month or so. Would some of us just snap? I find that many people I grew up my age and older, do not have email. Some say, "Yeah, I need to get a computer". Part of me thinks why bother; paying for internet access, dealing with PC problems, learning to use software. I wanna say, "Man, don't worry about it you are probably better off just sitting here (metaphorically) sipping your wine and kicking it with your homies.

Carey, face it, is a new world. I mean for a guy your age you are remarkably technically savvy, but at some point it will catch up to you -- to us all. You probably prefer LP's, longing for the days where you could read liner notes and look at album art (maybe even separate the seeds). You miss the heft a the old phones and probably the actual process of rotary dialing -- whose idea was it to have so many phone companies, right? There was an article in the paper today about an underutilized cell phone app -- voice calling. Most young people find texting to be more efficent than speaking. Twitter actually extends this functinality for younger people on that wave length. No need to get all bent out of shape man. If you don't get it and can't figure it out just ignore it. There are still folks who listen to music on LP's and it works for them. They are perfectly content letting the young folks deal with the technology and software required for managing and playing digital music files.

I always ignore these emails as I don't have time to probe for additional information to provide a reasonable response to such a broad and open ended question. I've updated my FAQ to deal with these types of questions, but I still get a bunch of these types of emails. One side of me just wants to say, "Young lady/man everyone has a story to tell, but most people will not be interested in yours unless you are a celebrity or it involves a lot of sex; a combination of both is best [brace yourselves for the forthcoming Tiger Woods Story]. I would suggest taking a writing class or enrolloing in a writers workkshop. I'm assuming the person has no training in writing (actually determining this would take even more time). I see the writer did not bother to proof the email before sending it to me. Normally I don't care too much about typos in emails, but in this case it raises a red flag. If someone asks a specific question I'm more likely to reply. Unfirtunately, these types of questions are more typical. What would you do?

My name is ______________ I am a 27 year old woman from _______Tx. My hoppy is writing and I love it I have been writing since I was 10. I have begun to write a book about my life as well as a book of over 100 poems. I have no idea what to do with my writing. I do know that I have a story to tell and I believe that people will want to hear. Is it just a hobby or is there more to come like hidden talent. I have no idea how to even get anyone to read it or for me to even start out on my own. Can you please help me and tell me what I should do.

At an event where several of Malcolm X's closest associates related stories their relationship with Malcolm; one of the elders said that Malcolm X "truly believed that Elijah Muhammad was divine". I guess I should have known that but I never really thought about it. It also explains why was so disillusioned. Perhaps is the same form of disillusionment Black folk will see in Obama...

Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton enegage in a heated discussion about what was said after meeting with Barack Obama http://bit.ly/al_tavis

Cynique I see you need that delete functionality I'll get to it... Chris you left out the possibility, or rather you are assuming that Obama is actually trying to make a difference. (Gosh, when did I become so cynical ). Have you considered it is all just smoke and mirrors to help us ignore the fact we are sending more troops in battle and spending even more money on the effort? Perhaps WE are crazy thinking anything can change with the current system. The current system is just not setup to benefit the average Joe. Now if you got some real money -- you are golden. Your vote is meaning less. Even if you get the guy you want into office, they usually don't do what they say they will do. Sure they'll feign an effort, but they'll blame something or someone else for their inevitable failure. They still get paid homesomely, for life, so there is little consequence other than some negative media coverage. I wish I had a job like that...

Xeon, none of this offends me. But this type of "reporting" on the private behavior of some kids in my mind is hardly newsworthy. It is meant to get folks riled up for the goal of selling newspapers. That is all. This party is inconsequential. That photo is priceless! It really is amazing how far some white folks will go to have a good time. That kid who painted his body black -- that is just too much! Judging by the look on that girl he is grinding on I'm sure he scored that night! Looks like she thinks she is dancing with a real brother . I suspect these types of kids will be more likely end up painting their bellies, the colors of their home team, and attending over priced football games, rather than sitting on some judical bench or being a captian of industry. ________________ Admittedly, this might sound hypocritical. I but if that was MY daughter in the photo I would be lets just say more than concerned

Today’s Wall Street Journal in an interesting article titled; ”Obesity? Big Feet? Blame Darwin”, sites a 2009 Gallup poll which found 44% of Americans believe that God created human beings, in their present form, within the past 10,000 years. 'nuff said

Cynique, I'm working on setting up folks to delete posts. It my take me a few days or more or less, but I'm on it is my list of things to do...

One of the reviewers liken Clifton's poetic voide to that of Langston Hughes I agree, accessible yet deceptive simple (imho) http://aalbc.com/authors/lucille_clifton.html