Photo: Richard Barnes/Museum of Modern Art
One of my favorite artists, Marin Puryear is an African-American artist who has prevailed and brought it on home. Read Roberta Smith’s comprehensive review “Humanity’s Ascent in Three Dimensions” at the NY Times online and see a slide show of Puryear’s visually pure, carefully wrought, and deeply felt work. It’s enough to make me want to hop a plane to New York and take you all with me.
Sankofa can mean either the word in the Akan language of Ghana that translates in English to “go back and take” (Sanko- go back, fa- take) or the Asante Adinkra symbol. A cloth supporting Adinkra symbols is termed an “Adinkra cloth” and has its own particular uses and meanings. As a young woman in the…
This week I’ve been a Woman About Town experiencing the best of St. Louis’ art and culture. Sunday: Freida Wheaton’s Salon 53 King-Obama brunch in conversation with leading figures in St. Louis’ African American arts, culture, and business. Tuesday afternoon: Groundbreaking for the St. Louis Art Museum expansion program. Tuesday evening: Robert Reich wowing us…
To understand the situation in Kenya as “ancient tribal hatreds” is to understand World War I and World War II as “ancient tribal hatreds” between the Germans on one side and the French, English, and Russians on the other.—David Zarembka David Zarembka and Gladys Kamonya of the African Great Lakes Initiative appeared in St. Louis…
Earlier this year Nigerian poet Obi Nwakanma filled my Gathering Room with talk that made the world right for the hours he shared himself and conversation. We exchanged poetry books at the end of our time together. I sent some of Daniel’s hardworking roses home for Obi’s wife. In the days that followed our encounter,…
Last Saturday I was one of a panel of four judges for the regional Poetry Out Loud contest at Alton High School (Illinois). My fellow judges included the city editor of the Telegraph newspaper, a popular radio host, and the Madison County tax assessor. It was both fun and funny to be part of this…
Jorge Luis Borges wisdom on poetry from the Riehlife archives.
I found your site very interesting. Thought you’d like to know about Valerie Coleman’s writers conference in Dayton, OH. It’s called Pen to Paper. I did a seminar on journaling there and it occurred to me that what you do is similar to what the members of that class were doing. Good luck.
Best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers, http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com