The M(N)STRY: “A File Ka” Online Chapbook

Today is All Saints Day, the morning after Halloween. I woke up inspired to write some poetry and below are drafts of the poems that resulted. I will eventually turn this into a chapbook, A File Ka for purchase. (Feature art by James C. Lewis) Orishanal NGLS In vent the wor d I’m bent […]

“Space:Queens” : Margaret Rose Vendryes

Welcome back to my Space:Queens blog series! For the past month, I’ve been participating on the advisory council committee and as a creative writing workshop facilitator for the upcoming No Longer Empty exhibition, Jameco Exchange, that is opening on May 21st at 89-62B 165th St. No Longer empty is an organization that works with […]

The My-Stery: “Get In-Formation: Black Performance, Black Code and Black Spies”

The Mask as Technology Part 3: Although I tried not to add onto the dozens of think pieces that are already out there about Beyonce’s latest video, “Formation,” sometimes I like to jump on the bandwagon to either use it momentarily like a free ride to a needed destination or to veer it off into my […]

The My-Stery: Manual for The Move Forward (Based on The Salt Eaters)

For the first post of the new year, here is a short manual of lessons I was able to tease out from reading Toni Cade Bamabara’s The Salt Eaters. The Salt Eaters is a novel about a small Southern community of Claybourne who are searching for the healing properties of salt while also preparing for […]

The My-Stery: Five Black Witches Is Too Much for Black Audiences?

On Wednesday night after watching American Horror Story: Freak Show, I tuned in to watch the latest of TV One’s Hollywood Divas episode, “Five Black Witches.” One of the opening scenes is the de facto leader of the group, Paula Jai Parker, presenting to producer Carl Craig the idea agreed upon in previous episode for […]

The My-Stery: Animism, Cybernetics and Adaptability

Ever since my mother received her smart phone, she has constantly been coming to me with numerous questions about how to use it. She has such a difficult time adapting to how it works no matter how many times I show her. No matter how much she uses the smart phone, I don’t think she […]

Modern Griots Reviews: “Mulheres De Axe” – CCCADI Celebrates the Sacred Power of Women of Spirit

Support My Writing and Other Projects on My Patreon Page ___ We still struggle for empowering spaces to hear the voices of Black women of the African diaspora, including those part of powerful spiritual traditions outside of the typical Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). But during this month, CCCADI has hosted a few events honoring […]

Modern Griots Reviews: CCCADI’s The Goddess Grove

In many of today’s cultures and societies, feminine power and energy is not considered as important enough to be celebrated. Almost in every part, including in religion and spirituality, it is demoted in status and seen as a ridiculous notion. I remember sitting in a Pentecostal church one time listening to the sermon of a […]

Obeah Playlist

To end my Caribbean focus for the past few weeks and to show support for the re-premiere of the Canada show Obeah Opera (hopefully one day it will go international), here is an Obeah playlist. Enjoy! Exuma – “Obeah Man” Nina Simone – “Obeah Woman” “Scratch” Lee Perry – “Obeah Room” Mighty Shadow – “Obeah” […]

Moving on the Wires: Tim Fielder, Oya: Rise of the Orisha, Live Unchained…

*Tonight illustrator and animator Tim Fielder will be sharing his work Matty’s Rocket— an episodic-animated series & web comic. The event will have guest appearances and readings from writers Liza Jessie Peterson and Melanie Maria Goodreaux. They will read Afrofuturistic pieces aloud while Fielder will illustrate their work on the spot! *Accra Dot Alt will […]