Venusian Update - Black History Month 2023
Greetings
Venusian!
This has been the busiest Black History Month of my life!
Seriously! | |
| 25th Annual Harlem Book Fair!
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| We're
celebrating 25 Years of the Harlem Book Fair, where my book Lyrics for
Langston debuted in 2012. That's when I walked into the Schomburg Center
for Research in Black Culture for the first time. It's the same place where
Langston Hughes's ashes are buried. It brings me joy to promote my literary
lineage and heritage. I invite you to visit to hear our audio presentations at
https://harlembookfair.com
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| 2 Readings this Wednesday 2/22!
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Tribute to Elizabeth Barrett Browning and
FeminismI'll perform remotely for an event hosted by Bob McNeil at
the Jefferson Market Library, 425 Avenue of the Americas, New York City. Join us
on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89133790982.
For more info,
visit www.nybrowning.org.
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"Black Fire This Time" at Bird &
BeckettI'm joining Heather Buchanan of Aquarius Willow Press who
included my poem "Plight" in the anthology "Black Fire This Time." This will be
an amazing night of poetry mixed with jazz. I love improvising with a great
band! You don't want to miss it. Join us at Bird & Beckett, 653 Chenery St,
San Francisco, CA 94131 (map).
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Wednesday,
February 1The Women in Business Council of the Silicon Valley Central
Chamber of Commerce hosts events on the first Wednesday of even-numbered months
at the Triton Museum of Art. This month, I was given an opportunity to recite my
work and share a new poem entitled "Mask-Era" (see the video). I even sold my very first painting that was infused
with my poetry!
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Saturday,
February 4Shout out to the African American Community Service Agency (sjaacsa.org) who invited me to help kick-off Black History
Month. I recited a firey set that day that included "Ujamaa", "Blacker Than
Thou," and "Amen." It got real quiet. LOL If you know, you know. This is me
dancing next to Mama Crystal Calhoun (a party starter) during the break to a mix
spun by @djignacia who's also a visual artist and energy curator. We had fun!
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Remember
the animated short I mentioned in my December update! It's a grant-funded short
film called “Lil’ Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the
Hood.”
I’m excited to be working with Mutai Emmanuel, an amazing
animator from Kenya on this important project. Look for more info about the
purpose of this project future!
I'm excited to share this sneak peek of
four of the main characters!
For more behind the scenes footage, please
consider becoming a patron!
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Working at Urban Sanctuary! |
| As
the new Arts & Culture Organizer (ACO) at Urban Sanctuary, I'm working with a wonderful team to bring
more Arts, Spirituality, and Activism to San Jose. Stay tuned for more updates
and watch our event calendar at https://urbansanctuarysj.org.
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Keep
looking up and keep looking out.
You'll have a lot less fear and a lot less
doubt.
Love Always...
Venus | | |
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