WEALTH OF IDEAS

The winner of the 2010 Sacramento Poetry Center Manuscript Contest is Melissa Morphew for her manuscript Bluster, which our final judge Indigo Moor has just selected as the winner. Here's some of what Indigo had to say: "My choice is Bluster because of lines such as: ; he cups a drunken bee in his hand, puts it to her ear— loovvvvvvvvvve— uncups the bee, palm unstung; love, love, the word throbs her wrist, a razor cut, but this is retrospect and If there is a flower breaking from the wall, breaking, the stone cleaved, the petals cleaved from the marble, surprised by such blooming, such fecundity in the midst of barren rock “Bluster often startled me. The line breaks and form choices were exacting and somehow puckish. Consistently, I was kept off guard by the prospect of what I would find." Melissa Morphew is a graduate of the University of Georgia's PhD program in English. Morphew is the recipient of several national and international poetry prizes, including: The Ac...

Across the continent as well as in the African Diaspora, African women are well known for their word craft. Over the centuries, African women have accomplished difficult feats using a capacity for words that is only surpassed by their ability for physical labor. This project on Contemporary African Women’s Poetry is looking for submission of poems written by African women from all works of life. We are looking for: (A) poetry about contemporary African life and experience on the continent; (B) poetry about life in the African Diaspora. Poems may focus on any of the following: the work life, motherhood, wifehood, children, the state and nation, war, Africa’s wealth or lack thereof, poverty, HIV-AIDS, prison, freedom, celebration, grief, happiness, border crossings, marriage, birth, the environment, loss, love, trans-nationalism, migration, gender, race, class, and any other topics or issues that interest African women globally. Unpublished poems are preferred. The original poems can als...

Once in a while you open the newspaper (or click on one) and discover that someone has triggered a controversy. This week I have discovered two controversies which I like. The first one came out on Tuesday, reported by the Associated Press, about how the DEA in the United States is considering hiring Ebonics translators to help them understand the language used by drug dealers in wiretap conversations. Good stuff, this. I am an English teacher, and I write poetry and fiction, but (or and) at heart I am a linguist (my BA was in Linguistics and English):we were given great training on all issues linguistic at the University of Zimbabwe; so yes, I love this stuff. Plus I am teaching a college writing class under what we call the Diop program at my college, a program whose emphasis is the African American experience.It's a program, which means I work with the same students for two semesters, assigning college essays on African American issues. Our first topic usually deals with langua...

This is a regional poetry festival, covering the countries of Southern Africa. It is one of the most important poetry events in the world. This year the poets meet in Gaborone, Botswana. Last year they met in Windoek, Namibia. I happy that this festival continues to grow.

The Sacramento Poetry Center welcomes submissions for the winter Tule Review - now 50-60 pages and perfect bound - with an anticipated publication date for January 2011. We consider poetry of all styles and forms from both local and far-flung places as long as the poems are strong and well crafted. Submission Deadline: September 30, 2010. As of June 16, 2010, we have changed our submission guidelines. Visit the Tule Review Website for more guidelines.

Now that I am getting ready to return to work, it's time to reflect on the summer reading. I spent much time revising my short story collection, which I am now taking a break from, since it's ready for agents & publishers. I have recently been reading some interesting works, a good mixture of authors from different parts of the world (I borrow 30 books at a time from the library, every three weeks, but of course I end up having to renew some of them; it's a good way to discover books I end up buying). I just finished and am ready to review Bryony Rheam's "This September Sun" and Chris Mlalazi's "Dancing with Life". Mine are more like reflections and comments about what I liked, what I call key moments. These are usually the parts of the stories that I found intriguing, or ones that caught my attention for one thing or another. For instance, while reading "This September Sun", I noted up to 35 places I wanted to revisit and say somet...

Featured poets V.S. Chochezi and Rob Anthony It was a night of great performances, like how most Monday nights are at Sacramento Poetry Center. I left the place relaxed and ready to write for the rest of the week. Great audience too (don't you just love people so committed to poetry that they come out on a Monday night and see what we have to offer. Thank you, Sacramento. So now, here are the photos: Lawrence Dinkins (NSAA) opened the session with his signature piece about "getting got". I have heard it so many times that now listening to it is like co-creating. Powerful piece...about..."getting got". Rob Anthony: he recites all his poems, brings them to life on the stage. I liked "I-poet", which reminds poets that what they say dosen't have to be liked: they poet. Both poets kept the audience engaged, each poem followed by applause. Rob and V.S. duo performance. V.S. Chochezi, who calls herself a poet of political consciousness, has performe...

Monday August 9, 2010 at 7:30 PM Sacramento Poetry Center Crossroads for the Arts at 1719 25th Street Host: Emmanuel Sigauke Rob Anthony, poet/actor Rob Anthony originally hails from Houston, Texas. He found his niche on stage as an actor and performer at the early age of 11 when his mother, playright, author and poet, Etha Gray threw him in one of her many stage productions. He has since gone on to develop his own entertainment company, Color Blind and Tone Deaf Enterprises, which incorporated published songs, poetry and numerous films. He also has accomplished theatrical award winning stage productions with Celebrations Arts Theater. Rob recently finished writing and producing his first film, which will debut at the Sac Film Festival and later be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival. As far as his poetry, this two-time published and award- winning poet has been wowing audiences here and abroad since the early eighties. Rob has been a part of well known local poet Terry Moore...

Myke Mwale, a Zimbabwean writer based in South Africa, has received a Special Mention (Commendation) in the 2010 BBC African Performance Award. The winning entries were selected by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, who announced that announced that Will Smith Look-alike , written by Deborah Asiimwe of Uganda, is the winner of the playwriting competition. BBC World Service first began airing African drama 50 years ago, in 1960. In 1971, BBC World Service for Africa launched a playwriting competition, now known as African Performance, and invited its listeners to compose a 30-minute English-language play containing no more than six characters. In an email message, Myke Mwale said, "I did not not win the prizes but the fact that the play got special mention is quite encouraging and I promise to write more. I am also delighted that the play will be aired on BBC radio and that only makes me smile." I am delighted too that Mwale, a fellow Zim writer, has been honored this way, and I loo...

They came to support, they some bought books, and they engaged us in dialogue. Part of the audience at Eso Won Bookstore Reading and "African Roar" Launch, Los Angeles. Copies of African Roar in a special display for the event. This is going to be a long post, full of pictures and reflections. I will be publishing each update as I go, but this may take days to complete. The reading at Eso Won Books in Los Angeles was a success. Bill Roper and Joseph Mitchell rendered a moving performance, which fit in well with our readings, as if we had researsed. I liked the connection, which led to a performance that kept the audience spellpound, but of course, I can't speak for the attendees; only they know how the experience was to them. What I liked though was how everyone hung around after the event, asking questions, engaging us in dialogue and asking us to sign books. Bill Roper playing the horn (vuvuzela) at the beginning of the event. What a fascinating instrument; I rememb...