ImageNations; A Literary Blog from Ghana

*Photograph by Myles Kwesi Hutchful

Check out ImageNations; a blog from Ghana devoted to promoting African Literature:
http://freduagyeman.blogspot.com/

Crazy Horse Speaks by Sherman Alexie



Crazy Horse Memorial is located in South Dakota’s Black Hills



Crazy Horse Speaks
by Sherman Alexie


1.
I discovered the evidence
in a vault of the Mormon Church
3,000 skeletons of my cousins
in a silence so great
I built four walls around it
and gave it a name.
I called it Custer
and he came to me
again in a dream.
He forgave all my sins.

2.
Little Big Horn.
Little Big Horn does not belong to me.
I was there
my horse exploded beneath me.
I searched for Long Hair
the man you call Custer
the man I call My Father.
But it wasn't me who killed him
it was _____________
who poked holes in Custer's ears
and left the body for proof.
I dream of him
and search doorways and alleys
for his grave.
General George Armstrong Custer
my heart is beating
survive
survive
survive.

3.
I wear the color of my skin
like a brown paper bag
wrapped around a bottle.
Sleeping between
the pages of dictionaries
your language cuts
tears holes in my tongue

until I do not have strength
to use the word "Love".
What could it mean
in this city where everyone is
Afraid-of-Horses?

4.
There are places I cannot leave.
Rooms without doors or windows
the eternal ribcage.
I sat across the fire
from Sitting Bull
shared smoke and eyes.
We both saw the same thing
our future tight and small
an 8X10 dream
called the reservation.
We had no alternatives
but to fight again and again
live our lives on horseback.
After the Civil War
the number of Indian warriors
in the West doubled
tripled the number of soldiers
but Indians never have shared
the exact skin
never the same home.

5.
I am the mirror
practicing masks
and definitions.
I have always wanted to be anonymous
instead of the crazy skin
who rode his horse backward
and laid down alone.
It was never easy
to be frightened
by the sound of a color.
I can still hear white
it is the sound
of glass shattering.

6.
I hear the verdict
in the museum in New York
where five Eskimo were flown in
to be a living exhibit.
Three died within days
lacking natural immunity
their hearts miles
and miles of thin ice.
Three dead Eskimo
were stuffed and mounted
hunched over a fishing hole
next to the two living
who held their thin hands
close to their chests
mortal and sinless.

7.
Whenever it all begins again
I will be waiting.

When I Saw You; A New Film by Palestinian Filmmaker Annemarie Jacir

The Director’s Statement:

“Since I have not been able to return to Ramallah, my understanding of exile and of being torn from one’s home has taken on more dimensions and deeper meanings. Being so close by living in Amman has not made it easier – only more difficult, more painful. A short drive and I can see Palestine from here. Over the valley I see the hills, even recognize cities. My friends, my family, my apartment in Ramallah is there – but I can no longer reach it. Palestine is becoming a memory and I struggle to hold the visuals, the reality of my life there, as close to me as I can. This is how When I Saw You was born. The striking visual knowledge of being so close to home and yet it being an impossible dream. The reality of seeing what you want but being unable to reach it. This film is about the depth of that landscape, the beauty of the desert and its cruelty. It’s also about how humor and hope keeps us alive.”

More information: anna@pontas-agency.com

Here a link to the trailer: http://falirohouse.com/FeatureFilms/WhenISawYou

Callaloo; A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters hosts its Annual Conference

*Painting- African Punk

The 2012 Callaloo conference is free and open to the public. Registration is mandatory for all attendees. Please fill out the registration form located here:
http://www.princeton.edu/africanamericanstudies/events/callaloo-conference/

 The biographies on the main speakers and respondents have been updated. You can find those here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/callaloo-journal/2012-callaloo-conference-notes-on-the-main-speakers-performers/468062189871493

Here is Callaloo’s website  http://callaloo.tamu.edu/

*Painting- African Punk

Zadie Smith’s New Novel- NW

* Dominique Nabokob's Photo of Zadie Smith

Read and/or listen to an exclusive excerpt from Zadie Smith’s new novel, NW, a nuanced and disturbing look at class issues in working-class London.

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/29/159991094/exclusive-first-read-zadie-smiths-nw?ft=1&f=1008

Afua Hirsch: Our Parents Left Africa – Now We Are Coming Home

Afua Hirsch, photographed in Accra, Ghana for the Observer New Review. Photograph: Nana Kofi Acquah

*Source-The Guardian/The Observer

As a child in London, Afua Hirsch was embarrassed by her African roots. Then, in February, she became a 'returnee', choosing to live in her parents' birthplace, Ghana. Her story is echoed across the continent: attracted by economic opportunity and a new sense of optimism, the African diaspora is starting to come back …

Continue here:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/26/ghana-returnees-afua-hirsch-africa?CMP=twt_gu

Only a Pawn in Their Game; Bob Dylan

July 2, 1963: Bob Dylan attended a civil rights gathering in Greenwood, Mississippi and sung, ‘Only a Pawn in Their Game,’ a song he wrote about the murder of activist Medgar Evers.
Listen to the lyrics-Powerful : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rk3lH5dO74&feature=related

Cornel West: Occupy Democracy (Alternative Radio Podcast)

Source:  Guernica-A Magazine of Art and Politics

Cornel West: Occupy Democracy (Alternative Radio Podcast)

Cornel West considers the possibility that the Occupy Movement might fundamentally reshape American democracy.

Listen: http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/cornel-west-occupy-democracy-alternative-radio-podcast/

*Cornel West

Chief Nike Davis-Okundaye and The Nike Art Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria

Chief  Nike Davis-Okundaye

Nike Art Gallery. Lagos, Nigeria

Check out this gorgeous art gallery in Lagos, Nigeria which has more than 7,000 pieces and the engaging woman who runs it.

http://vimeo.com/10511735

Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts; Support Its Campaign to Raise Funds to Match Knight Foundation Grant

 

Photo- Henri Sider/Jumping for Joy-This is how Musehouse makes me feel.

                               

* Source -Musehouse Indiegogo Campaign

Short Summary

Musehouse is a non-profit Center for the Literary Arts located in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.  Musehouse is quickly becoming known for its smart but unpretentious, warm and welcoming environment where writers of all ages and levels can hone their craft and share their work publicly.  It was founded in September 2011 by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, an award winning poet and teacher.  Bonanno’s book, Slamming Open the Door, was among the 10 best-selling books of poetry in America in 2009.  Based on the true story of her daughter’s murder, the book and Bonanno’s subsequent book tour reminded her that creative writing can and does change lives for the better, which is what led her to found Musehouse.  Founded just one short year ago, Musehouse already offers a roster of 20 creative writing courses for authors of all ages and levels of experience in poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and playwriting.  Instructors include published and prize-winning authors and seasoned teachers from local colleges and other literary organizations.
While Musehouse has created a comfortable and nurturing space, the true magic comes from the writers who arrive for class each week… Elizabeth, 83 years old, always the first to arrive for her poetry class, carrying her respirator and waving a bag of carefully-crafted earrings that she donates as our weekly door prize  … Lola, a homeschooled 12-year-old, feisty, talented, who wants her book of poetry published now …  Tim, scooting in late, carrying his hefty memoir about his life on the battlefield during the Vietnam War … and Veronica, quiet, uncertain, here for the Grief and Loss Writing class where, for the first time, she will write about her son’s death.
To learn more about Musehouse, please follow this link (http://video.whyy.org/video/2230315865) to the May 4, 2012 episode of Friday Arts, a monthly television program on local arts, food, and culture produced by WHYY, Philadelphia's PBS station.

What We Need & What You Get

What we need:

• $5,000 by October 1, 2012 in order to meet our matching grant
• Funds allow us to pay our teachers, our staff, and our rent
• All contributions will be doubled by the match

What you get:

• Signed, original artwork and poetry in notecard, book, and poster form ($25, $50, and $100 contributions)
• Book title of your choice immortalized in an original painting created for and permanently displayed at Musehouse ($100 contribution)
• Dinner and conversation with nationally renowned, award winning, best-selling authors in an intimate restaurant environment ($500 and $1,000 contributions)

The Impact

Musehouse supports writers, helping them overcome a variety of obstacles to creative expression and self-sharing, work that enriches the world and changes lives for the better.  By providing quiet time and space, the encouragement and feedback of peers and audience members, and instruction from authors and teachers of distinction, Musehouse helps writers to work and to maximize their talent and the impact of their voice on both themselves and the people with whom they connect.
Musehouse provides a full roster of classes on a wide range of writing forms, from poetry and fiction to journal writing and memoir, along with related activities, such as book making and story-telling.  Specialized genres such as writing for children and young adults, grief and loss writing, and playwriting have also been covered.  Students range in age from young children to senior citizens, and in experience from first time writers to seasoned authors.  We also sponsor free readings, performances, and additional special events on a regular basis.

Other Ways You Can Help

Please remember that, even if you are unable to contribute funds right now, you can still help!  Simply forwarding this email to friends, family members, and others in your personal network who you think might share our passion for writing is greatly appreciated.  Post on Facebook, tweet a link, mention us in a blog, or use the Indiegogo share tools to let people know about our organization and the work we’re doing with and for the literary community.  Thanks so much for your support!