My Joey

Okay, now here's my son, Joseph. He's going to be turning 18 this April. When he was little, I kept trying to encourage him into taking music or art lessons but he didn't want to, even while his sister took up viola classes and photography and was much more open about her artistic sensibilities.

We never knew he had a natural ear for music until he came down to visit me in Florida one summer and he won a super cool electronic keyboard at Busch Gardens. It was then he started playing like he took lessons for years! Mixing his melodies in with electronic beats-- were for sure something so professionally put together that I could envision his music actually being played at dance clubs.

Since then, his musical interests have been evolving. Now he's teaching himself electric guitar and fashioning himself with the great metal guitarists of all time.

Here is my Joey playing a piece for us!

My Generation

In the 80's, I was reign supreme on my block as the pop-lockin' queen and wanted to express my youth and my tribulations with fortitude, angst and fervor, emulating and resounding with the youth of my culture.

Whitney Houston was only four years my senior, looking so great, I thought, but in the inside, where the seams of her garments held her utmost fears, revealed the truth. She died at just 48 years-old.

I chose one of her recent videos in lieu of her old school iconic classics to remember her by. I believe we should all go out singing and dancing into the oblivion.

Artists live too close to the fire sometimes...

Doing the "I GOT MY EDUCATION" Dance!

Yes, I was thinking about this song that came out (I guess) way back in the 90's, "I Got My Education" by Uncanny Alliance.  Well, believe it or not, it inspired me to do just that!

I started my community college education when I was in my mid to late 20's and have been going on and off until I received my associates, my bachelors and then to my MFA in Creative Writing.  Although a good liberal arts degree doesn't guarantee me a six-figure income, it did give me the satisfaction of reading the best and finest literary works and the tools and knowledge to create my own.  I am hardly without passion and interest in regards to the field of fine arts.

Without further adieu, get up and dance to "I Got My Education" and celebrate if you are pursuing, or got the degree(s) to show for.  And if you're thinking about it, take that first step and enroll in a community college or university and do the "I Got My Education" dance!

Call for Submissions: "The Manila Envelope"

 The Manila Envelope

After so many years bumping the idea around, I decided to do it. 

I decided to finally start an online art and literary journal. 

It is my vision that this e-zine is to be a classy and elegant read, one to hopefully inspire others.  However, it is a bear to get quality submissions, and yes, I know it's perhaps due to the nominal $3.00 submission fee that will cover some of the operational costs, to include hosting the website.  If you are an investor or an art patron that would like to donate to this online magazine, do feel free to contact me. 

I will be posting more call for submissions all over the internet, but if anyone knows a literary or artsy friend, please be sure to pass the website along.  I can assure you, it is my vision to see this online literary and art magazine to be stream-lined and elegant in representation as best as I can.

Submit your best literary work and fine art  here.

P.S.  I have a penchant for black-and-white photography and abstract paintings.

My Oldest Girl turned 20 Years Old on January 25th!

Here is a poem I wrote for Tiana when she was nine years old...

Daughter at Nine

for Tiana

Perhaps it’s in the waiting, stillness of

held words in your jean pockets, the rush

of air between a feather, or the pendulum

considering one side

before the pull

Perhaps it’s in the descent; dust

on the instrument; warm hand at sleep;

the slightest resignation—a soft night

quietly flying about

the curtains

Perhaps it’s in forgiveness, for the

assault on time, for neglected design, or

at the momentous slope watching you cry

because you simply

have to

2012

Here we are again, another year!

I am writing a novel, screenplays and teaching. Well, to be honest, I'm working to put the food on my table, a roof over my head, among other things.

But my goal for 2012 is to finish my novel and get an agent for my work-in-progress novel entitled "The Butterfly Catcher".

I just finished participating in the Writers in Paradise Conference at Eckerd College last week, and to my dismay, I have been workshopped with a lot of commercial and genre fiction writers that it was kind of hard to get inspired about editing my work. *sigh*

But I found a cool novel right now that I am totally enthralled with, "A Gesture Life" by Chang-rae Lee. Just love the voice, the perspective, the rhythm, the diction...and so on. Wished there were more literary type of work in WIP to fashion myself with, but hey, I know my book still has a long way to go. At least now I know that I need to narrow down the scope and streamline the story line.

No hard and fast rules, just guidelines, and a lot of of gut instincts. I will see how it goes.

The Power of Re-Phrasing...

Thanks, Jill, for sharing this video!

It goes to show that what you say and how you say it matters...