In Pursuit of Excellence

What a year it has been, what a year it will be!

Hotep and Greetings!

It's been an awesome couple of months, workin' the work and doing what I love...  so much so that I haven't had the time to blog!   But as a new year - and a new decade - have arrived, I need to start it off right!  The YouTube video above is an example of some of what I've been doing, but please read on for further explanation!

My activities since my last blog have taken me from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Bermuda to Tanzania and Zanzibar, to Dallas, Texas and New Haven, Connecticut, and back again!  Exhilirating, exciting, affirming, intense, challenging, surprising, eye-opening, joyful and uplifting; these words accurately describe the various awesome experiences I have been privileged and blessed to have lately.  Let me start with the surprising:

Visiting one of the Borders' bookstores that is, unfortunately, closing at the end of the month, I decided to suggest Obamatyme to a gentleman who was intently looking over similarly titled books.  As I approached him, book in hand, to my delight, he was already holding it!  "You already have it!", I said with much surprise.  His response: "Oh yes!  I have her Soul Poemsand what she is saying is wonderful... inspiring!  I had to come and get this one too."  I hung on to every word as he went on, excited to share, "Her poem "Movin'" is so inspirational!"  At that point, I said "Thank you so much!"  He said, "You know her?"  Laughing, I respond, "I is her!"  Well that started a simply joyful conversation for both of us.  Jerome ended up purchasing two copies of Obamatyme and I introduced him to my husband while personalizing the already autographed copies.  Truly excited about being in the bookstore and meeting the author of a newfound book, he nearly walked into the glass wall!  Laughing, he told us we had made his day; truth be told, he made mine too. 

In fact, I've had a season of day-making experiences!  Having the sacred opportunity to travel to East Africa and participate in the fifth annual African Diaspora Heritage Trail (ADHT) conference in The Republic of Tanzania was a special highlight!  I conducted a workshop for college students during the Youth Summit at the University of Dar es Salaam, read poetry at a posh club at the conference hotel, met and gave books to Danny Glover and Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of Sweet Honey and The Rock...  I'm talking awesome!

On the sobering side of this trip, when people talk about the enslavement experience, it is usually about the TransAtlantic Slave Trade from West Africa to Europe to the Americas.  The East African version was equally as cruel and brutal with the added twist of elephant slaughter with the exportation of their tusks - ivory.  Instead of enslavement dungeons, aka "castles", found on the west coast of Africa, i.e., Ghana, in Tanzania you have "slave chambers" - a earth-hole with an open iron-mesh roof a foot above ground.  Heartbreaking!  An enslavement memorial of bronze, life-size statutes of African men, women and children, standing in a large, barren, earth-hole, shackled, was nearly too much to bear, yet, bear witness we must!  (A thought-provoking enslavement memorial needs to be erected in Washington, DC!)

Originally a tourism initiative founded in Bermuda, ADHT has as its main goal to identify, preserve, perpetuate and promote heritage sites significant to the history and culture of people of African descent.  Once this has been achieved, interested persons will be able to visit the various ADHT sites all over the world. The sites range from places of accomplishment to sites of struggle to the very emotionally-charged enslavement dungeons, chambers, etc.  ADHT attendees include government officials, scholars, teachers, students and people who love history and culture.  Danny Glover is the Honorary Chair and participation includes representatives from international institutions such as UNESCO and The African Union, various countries from the Caribbean, Africa, North America and Europe.   Without a doubt, the awesome opportunity to learn, share, discuss and connect on the Motherland is indeed a tremendous blessing that was truly eye-opening, intense, challenging and affirming!

Conducting a Kwanzaa workshop and meditation at the University of North Texas and at the Kwanzaa Train Celebration in Bermuda, reminds me of what this important cultural holiday is really all about.  How we live and actualize daily the Nguzo Saba, the Seven Principles - Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Creativity, Purpose and Faith - is the bottom-line of Kwanzaa.  Asante sana - many thanks - to Dr. Maulana Karenga for his vision in creating this most meaningful observance, now celebrated by millions of people of African descent worldwide.  Thanks also to Sister Cheryl Smith, radio personality and host of The Reporter's Journal in Dallas, Texas.  We had a wonderful conversational interview about poetry and our visits to Africa!

Finally, to have the honor of being the keynote speaker for the annual "Thank You Rosa Parks Celebration" in New Haven, Connecticut was a heady experience too.  Given my first taste of the "star treatment", I was assigned a "personal assistant" and had both a photographer and security guard who all followed my every move!  I delivered "Poetic Reflections on the Life and Times of Rosa Parks", a performance piece that combined poetry, song, historical/cultural facts, reflection and  exhortation,  illuminating the story of Mama Rosa.  I am most pleased to report that folks rose to their feet upon its conclusion.  The New Haven Independent Newspaper did a wonderful story and posted me on YouTube which you encountered at the top of this post!  (If you check it out, you know I'd love to hear your feedback... )

As I walk firmly into a new year and new decade, I continue to be humbled and amazed by the responses I receive in the course of doing what I love: amazed and humbled that my poetry resonates and speaks to people from their inside places.  My heart is filled, humbled, joyful and mystified all at the same time - that I can write poems that touch people! 

Gentle Reader, be filled with positive anticipation for the wondrous life you are living and decide daily that you will live it fully, snatching every blessed opportunity, open and ready!  You best believe I am!!!  Giving all praise to the Ultimate Creator of which creativity springs and wishing for each of you the very best the new year and new decade can bring!  May your cups overflow...

Namaste!

The Poetry Launch: Up, Up and Away!

Hotep and Greetings!

The launch of Obamatyme: Election Poetry and Soul Poems: Life as Fertile Ground has been awesome and continues to unfold as an experience I will cherish and always remember!

Beginning with the International Book Launch held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel in Bermuda, guests were greeted by the pulsating rhythms of drummers, setting the tone for the evening's events.  The guests arrived to a beautifully decorated Gazebo Ballroom overlooking the Hamilton harbor: lots of candles and African accents of statues and fabric - mudcloth and kente - along with lovely palm ferns and the scent of frankincense wafting throughout.  With tasty hors d'oeuvres and punch, guests mingled, chatting and chewing, until the main event - the poetry reading.  But I'm getting a little ahead of myself...

Having sent out press releases, I was delighted to be featured in all three Bermuda newspapers - Ira Philip, MBE, columnist at The Mid-Ocean News, wrote a wonderful piece and a follow-up article entitled, "Melodye was in captivating form at book launch;" articles were also featured in The Bermuda Sun and The Royal Gazette's Lifestyles' article, "Igniting the passions of a poet" is featured on-line; I was delighted to see my picture on the front page of the paper!  An interview on popular radio station HOTT 1075 completed a bit of a publicity blitz prior to the event.

Scheduled just before the actual launch, the Premier of Bermuda, Dr. Ewart Brown, JP, MP, graciously invited me to a formal Cabinet visit in his office in honor of the publication of Obamatyme.  Of course, it was a humbling experience to present my poetry book to the head of this beautiful island, but to have him offer to personally deliver my book poetry to the President of the United States during his visit to Washington was overwhelming!!!  Needless to say, I was nearly overcome with emotion - first shock, then gratitude - and have since delivered signed copies for Premier Brown to present to President Obama... and look forward to his report!  It was on the heals of this visit that my husband and I went to the book launch at the Princess.

Warmly introduced by Bermuda Senator Thaao Dill, I proceeded to read from Soul Poems and Obamatyme... The audience of 50 included friends who had flown in from the United States, Bermuda family, friends and colleagues; all received the poetry with appreciation - clapping, laughing and reflecting on the various messages of history and hope, love and challenge - a standing ovation filled my heart with love, humility and pride and my eyes with tears.   God is awesome!!!  It was a glorious day followed up with guest appearances on Progressive Talk Radio, a book signing at True Reflections Bookstore and the featured poet at Chewstick, the premier poetry venue in Bermuda!  CITV interviewed me and filmed the affair; Bermuda Rocks! will air a special segment on this poet next month...  Underscoring the success of the launch: of the 100 books shipped to Bermuda, 98 sold in 4 days!!!

It was a book launch whirlwind that followed me to Philadelphia.

Borders, Borders, Borders!  I am so excited to read and sign books at my favorite bookstore!  First the Warrington store let me get my feet wet and enjoy the moment.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will share my poems at the Borders Bookstores in Center City (10/2), Chestnut Hill (10/3), Plymouth Meeting Mall (10/9) and Willow Grove Mall (10/10). 

In between, the event at Renee Bolden Designs was another warm and wonderful weekend of poetry reading, provocative discussion, good eats and fellowship.  I was blessed to be supported by good friends, family and neighbors who did not count it robbery to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon poetry-engaged...  And engaged they were, telling me they need to have a CD of my reading, do a one-woman play, when is the next book coming out, etc., etc.!  Whew!!!

The photos from these events tell the story...  Both my Bermuda-home and my Philadelphia-home book launch for Obamatyme: Election Poetry and Soul Poems: Life as Fertile Ground were welcoming, encouraging and embracing, taking me up, up and away!

More later!

Poetically yours...