My spoken-word audio track for sale on Bandcamp
I’ve taken an old recording I made of reading my spoken-word work “A woman of wealth” at a local art gallery and put it up for sale on Bandcamp. The audio track art is a painting by my sister.
Performing for Power to the People
(Content advisory: some foul language)
I read two poems and spit a rap (!) at the Power to the People Stage for Twin Cities Pride on June 24, 2023.
This year’s Lego Advent Calendar reviews
I know it’s a day late and a dollar short, but this year’s Lego Advent Calendar reviews on The Brick Architect are online and include my third review of a City Advent Calendar.
Sphinx Virtuosi: Black and Latinx chamber orchestra
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder has published my article about the Detroit-based Sphinx Virtuosi, a classical stringed instrument ensemble composed of Black and Latinx musicians.
“Black comic book company makes money moves in the Midwest,” part two
The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder has published my profile of African American comic publisher Basi Affia and his company Sensi’il Studios. Because I had to take a 3,000-word interview transcript and chop it down to an 800-word article, I’m going to publish a part two of my interview with the Iowan entrepreneur here on my blog.
A poem and a publication for Juneteenth
The Inlandia Institute has published a new book, These Black Bodies Are…A Blacklandia Anthology, of writings and art by people of African Descent. I am honored that three of my poems, “Hope Fool,” “Cashier” and “Whole Numbers,” are among the written works in this new book, released on Juneteenth.
Rappin’ for Danez Smith and the Cave Canem crew
At the Cave Canem “Laboratory Poetics” Minneapolis Regional Workshop reading held at Open Book in Minneapolis, MN May 17, 2023, I recited a humorous rap that was video recorded by National Book Award-nominated poet and workshop teacher Danez Smith.
My story on the biggest speculative erotica anthology podcast in the universe
Nobilis Reed has created an audio podcast of my story “Pasiphae’s Lover” and posted it on Nobilis Erotica, what he calls “the most prolific erotica podcast in the known universe.” This is the first time I’ve had writing of mine turned into an audio work.
Shut down the Minneapolis trash burner
I am appealing to Twin Cities-area folks to sign a petition to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners to have a definitive shutdown date for the trash burner in Downtown Minneapolis, called HERC, as central to its zero waste plan.
Celebrating Black LEGO Creators
Just in time for Black History Month, the Brick Architect has published my review of two Lego building books by artists/creators of African descent: "Beasts from Bricks" by Ekow Nimako and "Brick X Brick" by Adam Ward.
Enchanted Highway & Yellowstone National Park filmstrip
A new filmstrip video shows photography by me and my wife of our 2017 vacation, which included visits to the Enchanted Highway of metal sculptures in North Dakota and Yellowstone National Park.
A poem for environmental justice
In April 2022, the St. Paul Almanac publicized the winners of its Environmental (In)justice in Mni Sóta Maḳoce (Minnesota) Storytelling Contest held in collaboration with the University of St. Thomas Sustainable Communities Partnership. A poem of mine was one of the six winners.
I’m so nice, they chose me twice!
I’m late in making this announcement, but I am proud and amazed that for the second time a story of mine has been chosen to be included in a Best Lesbian Erotica of the Year volume.
December: a poem in progress
The title to this blog entry refers to both an actual poem I’m working on and the general state of my mind and heart at this time. I’ve had some recent professional wins that I haven’t done any or much flogging on the Internet for because this past month I’ve had deaths in my family that I needed to mourn and participate in grieving rituals for.
Homemade food & drink love
For a person who grew up not growing anything in a garden or doing any homemaking crafts like canning, I’ve grown to make a lot of homemade love (apologies to the late J. California Cooper) in food and drink.
My second Lego set review
For the second year, The Brick Architect has recruited me to be one of five writers reviewing the new Lego Advent Calendars. Like last year, my part of the collective article is about the City Advent Calendar, which means I got a second full Lego set for free to assemble and review.
Sci-fi storytelling at MN POC Pride
My spouse recorded me performing my science fiction monologue “Adjudicated” on the MN POC Pride Festival stage in Minneapolis’ Powderhorn Park this past August. This is the first time the full monologue has been captured on video.
A double rainbow for MN POC Pride
I was a performer on the “Black Magic on the River” boat cruise held by MN POC Pride. As I was boarding the Mississippi River boat, I had the fortune to see a double rainbow at the dock.
A letter to a therapist
I once had a therapist who took issue with my needing to leave my workplace when I had mental health crisis reactions. In response, I wrote her a letter that turned into an essay about the lack of equity and parity between attitudes and treatments for mental health versus physical health conditions.
The elegy: a sestina
In a poetry class I’m taking, the teacher educated us on the sestina, a very demanding poetic form with rules for word repetition for specific lines. I used the homework assignment to write a sestina to create my promised elegy to loss of friendship and friends.