An Apology Can Only Be A Beginning

Word for the Week

Let's consider the meanings of the word apology:

• a formal or written defense of some doctrine or idea
• an acknowledging and expressing of regret for a fault, etc.
• an inferior substitute

The the Virginia General Assembly recently passed a resolution apologizing for it's role in the institution of slavery and the institutions of oppression it engendered, Jim Crow laws, the grandfather clause, etc. However, if Virginia, Brown* and whomever else decides to step up and apologize are not careful, their gesture, which can optimistically be construed as an attempt to continue the work of reconciling our democracy with its past, will amount to little more than "an inferior substitute" for the application of the real solutions, fair lending practices, equal access to quality education, a healthcare system which does not penalize doctors or patients, etc. necessary to eradicate the vestiges of racism and the systematic oppresssion of the poor.

*Brown is following up on the report acknowledging its ties to slavery.

Lalita Tademy Explores Her Family's History In Cane River and Red River

Writing Prompt

Lalita Tademy's fictionalized retelling of her family's history and their experiences in the United States of America in the books, Cane River and Red River, compels readers to explore their personal prejudices and reveals anew the intricate fabric of race and economics, which thinly veils the way our society currently functions. I once heard Nikki Giovanni say in a radio interview that we (African-Americans) need to tell our stories, and that those stories are in the history of the places where we live, not someplace afar. Take a look around, what stories do the ground beneath your feet and the wind in your ears have to tell? I think that I hear the residents of Quindaro,KS and Jayhawks calling.

Senator Obama's Strength Lies In His Ability to Inspire

I'm still withholding comment on Senator Barack Obama as a presidential candidate, a position which our current media and political climate seems to consider a true one rather than a neutral one. Regardless of whether you believe Senator Obama is the great_______(supply your own adjective) hope, the man possess a facility with words worthy of admiration.

He may not have said it first, but he says it so that 21st century Americans get it:

Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama

Value and Quality, Like Beauty Are In The Eyes Of The Beholder

I just finished watching Idlewild starring and produced by the OutKast duo, Andre 3000 and Big Boi . They get big points for creativity and originality, but I was not moved to recommend it for others' viewing pleasure. The movie possesses several redeeming qualities, the music, the creative camera work ,a little eye candy and they tried to squeeze in a moral to the story; they even begin the film with a voiceover quoting Shakespeare.

Although interesting to watch, and I mean that literally, the story itself still proved formulaic: Idlewild is a 1920s era gangsta film, about the coming of age of two men, one good and one not so good, music and love gone wrong centered around a juke joint during the bootleg boom. Oh well, watch it for the music and the sensuality and ignore the weird burial preparation of one of the characters love interest. It kinda creeped me out--actually, I fast forwarded the DVD to the next chapter.

Word for the Week

redeem
a) to set free; rescue
b)to deliver from sin and its penalties
c) to fulfill, as a promise
d) to make amends for; atone for

Source: Webster's New World Dictionary

Walter Mosley Shapes His Work and World, One Book At A Time

I'm currently reading Walter Mosley's historical/science fiction novel, 47, and I have to say that I'm impressed. With 47, he manages to craft a story that acts as a history lesson, possesses the qualities of an allegory as well as a fable and keeps you turning pages. It has been many years since I've read a piece of fiction by a modern author, in which I became so immersed, that I lost track of time.

As I was reading the "Meet the Author" page on his website, I found a quote which seems to me to serve as a diplomatic and hopeful alternative to Christopher Paul Curtis' position on seeking publication in today's market:
"The independent Black Classic Press located in Baltimore, Maryland published the prequel to the Rawlins' series Gone Fishin' in January 1997, Mosley decided to give the novel to a small black publishing house, because he felt it was important "to create a model that other writers, black or not, can look at and see that it's possible to publish a book successfully outside mainstream publishing in New York."


Click on this post's title to visit Mosley's website. You may find that his perspective makes for interesting reading.

Be A 21st Century Cupid!

Happy Valentine's Day!
There's still time. With modern technology, you too, can stay out of the proverbial dog house. Send an e-card, email a love letter, or send a gift card. If you're short on time and/or money just type three little words and press send. Remember, Valentine's Day isn't just for lovers; it's an opportunity to celebrate your relationships with family and friends and express your affection to all of the people you love.

If you still need some help, check out these links:

How to Write A Love Letter Parts I & II

http://aconservatoryofone.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-write-love-letter-part-i-start.html

http://aconservatoryofone.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-write-love-letter-part-ii.html

There Are Endless Ways To Say One Word, Love.

"Of what does a true kiss consist? Ambrosia on which gods subsist, Tremendous heat which sun can't give, God's heaven in one moment lived."
- From "Composition Of A Kiss" by Abelardo Subido

"The eskimos have 52 words for snow because it is so special to them; There ought to be as many for love!" - Margaret Atwood

"Love is like an hourglass with the heart filling up as the brain empties." - Jules Renard

A Rose By Any Other Name, Wouldn't Be My Rose

from Erin's Weird and Wonderful Word of the Day at OxfordUniversity Press online:

"macushla
an affectionate form of address, used in Irish English. It comes from the Irish words mo, meaning 'my,' and cuisle, 'pulse'; a similar Irish word is acushla, from the phrase a chuisle (moi chroi), 'O pulse (of my heart)! "

This term of endearment is on my favorite word list. Ever since I discovered it last summer, I've said it to myself, shared it with others then contemplated it again in wonder. To call someone the pulse of your heart, the very source of its beating--not the after sound or sensation, as in heart throb, but its very source...
Wow, it gets me every time, macushla, that's love.

Valentine's Day Truths Can Be Stranger Than Fiction

Writing Prompt

Take the Valentine's Day Myth Busters quiz at Discovery.com. Then select one or more of the factoids to use as a starting point for a 15 minute free write. For example, talk about what color rose you'd choose to give a friend or a lover; write a short story about St. Valentine as you imagine he might have been. Think outside the box!

Christopher Paul Curtis Talks About Why the Watsons Went to Birmingham Instead of Florida

Last Friday, Christopher Paul Curtis, author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, stopped by our local library, on the Plaza, as part of his current book tour. His visit was sponsored by the library and a local children's bookstore, the Reading Reptile.

He explored his writing process and how he became a writer after working 13 years in a car factory. He explained the importance of first lines as well as his choice to send the Watsons to Birmingham rather than Florida as initially planned. He explained that because his book took place in 1963, Birmingham captured the imagination immediatley versus Florida during that era.

His talk was engaging and interactive. He invited children onto the stage to be part of his presentation. He asked them questions regarding geophraphy and the meaning of words like "monopoly". When they seemed about to be overtaken with shyness, he pretended to pull them aside to explain how their interaction was supposed to go. He did this in full view of his audience and very audibly into the microphone. He explained that the goal of his visit was to promote reading, so when he asked, "How'd you learn that?" their response should be, "I read alot." When they successfully played their role, he gave each of his assistants a "bookmark", a crisp bill of some denomination (I was too far away to see how much the bill was worth, and it would have been rude to ask. The important part is that they received a bit of money as a reward for their trouble, exposing themselves to an audience and sharing their knowledge--great teaching strategy.)

It was a funtime. In addition, the coffee and hot cocoa from the library coffe shop, Baristas, as well as the cookies and deli meats served during the presentation made coming out into the frigid winter night well worth it.

At the end, he opened the floor to questions. One audience member asked him about his perspective on self-publishing. In response, he emphasized the benefits of entering contests sponsored by major publishers (The Watsons came to publication because an editor, who read it during such a contest, liked the manuscript.)--immediate access to editors, if a writer wins the publisher can invest the large sums of money needed to manufacture and promote the book to make it a success, etc. In short, the costs of making publishing a book a sucessful enterprise can prove a greater burden than the average aspiring writer can bear. He said, "That's why they're called vanity presses. If that's what you're after (pause), but I'd enter as many contests as possible. You just have to work at it."

I'm a blogger, so where I sit on this particular topic is rather obivious. What do you think?

Learn How to Make Anything~Write A Poem

Every poet has their own disctinct definition of poetry. Poetry is personal; it holds the essence of revolution and evolution. It persuades and inspires. Its possibilities are infinite. With poetry, we create; we shape the possible and give life to the seemingly impossible. How do you define poetry?

Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. ~Plato, Ion

Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry. ~W.B. Yeats

The distinction between historian and poet is not in the one writing prose and the other verse... the one describes the thing that has been, and the other a kind of thing that might be. Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are of the nature rather of universals, whereas those of history are singulars. ~Aristotle, On Poetics

source: The Quote Garden

A little sentiment is good for the soul, as long as it's expressed naturally and with sincerity.

As you write lines of verse for your beloved, keep in mind that the root of poetry means creation.

poesy
Pronunciation:
\ˈpō-ə-zē, -sē\
Function:
noun
Inflected Form(s):
plural po·e·sies
Etymology:
Middle English poesie, from Middle French, from Latin poesis, from Greek poiēsis, literally, creation, from poiein
Date:
14th century
1 a: a poem or body of poems b: poetry c: artificial or sentimentalized poetic writing2: poetic inspiration

poetry
writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm

Is there an author that you'd like to invite for tea, coffee--an evening at the pub?

What really knocks me out is a book, when you're all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.
— J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Writing Prompt

Write about a book, poem or other piece that you've read and would like to discuss with its author. What would you say to them?