The My-Stery: Spooky Entanglement — When Black Contribution Is Obscured

The other day as I was looking for some Basquiat inspiration, I came across this article about his artistic influences, “John-Michel Basquiat: The Afrofuturistic and His Art: Part I – Cosmic Slop and George Clinton’s Afro-Futurism. One part struck me the most, especially we discuss appropriation and often the lack of social credit given to black influencers: […]

Modern Griots Recap: Poetic Fragments from “Black Magic: Afro Pasts/Futures”

Yesterday was the anniversary of Nat Turner’s rebellion, and with the growing controversy surrounding the film due to Nate Parker’s rape trial from 17 years ago, my desire to watch the film has been mostly vaporized. But last weekend as I went through my photos, I came across Delphine Fawundu’s “Mende Woman on Nat Turner Plantation” […]

“Space:Queens”: Poetic Inventions Workshop

Hey everyone! I have exciting news! On June 26th from 2:30-5pm, I will be facilitating a workshop at the Lewis Latimer House Museum! If you are not aware, Lewis Latimer was a 19th-early 20th century African-American self-taught inventor and draftsman, who worked with Thomas Edison and was greatly involved in the development of the light […]

Moving on the Wires: Lucy’s Bone Scrolls Chapbook!

Hey everyone! I’m sorry I was quiet on here last month. Due to illness, work and some technical difficulties, I wasn’t able to do much posting. But I wanted to share for National Poetry Month the chapbook I made for the DIY chapbook challenge. For my, chapbook, Lucy’s Bone Scrolls: The AF Mystery School, I wrote […]

Modern Griots Recap: Poetic Fragments from the Afrofuturism Conference at The New School Part 2

Several months ago I attended the Afrofuturism Conference at The New School. While due to my other work I didn’t get a chance to do a recap of the event right after, it had a profound effect on me. I took all the notes I had from it and wrote a series of poems inspired […]

Modern Griots Recap: Poetic Fragments from the Afrofuturism Conference at The New School

Modern Griots Reviews: Mahogany Browne and the Mythic Poetics of Redbone

“Children born in this desert are always thirsty.” This is a line from poet Mahogany L. Browne’s Poetic Theater Productions and The Wild Project presented production, Redbone: A Biomythography. The Eboni Hogan-directed, hour-long show descends into the depths of the relationship between Browne’s parents for Browne to better understand them and herself, and to highlight […]

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Amanda Johnston

Women Writers in Bloom is a literary salon I started attending a couple of months ago and this month’s featured Texan poet Amanda Johnston. Today I feature her here with some of her poetry influenced by science fiction/fantasy films, like Blade and The Matrix. Below are two poems, “Mixed Blood” and “Blade Speaks at Career […]

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth: Danez Smith

“I have left Earth in search of darker planets…I have left Earth and I won’t stop until I’ve found a place where my kin can be safe…” I saw Danez Smith‘s “Dear White America” posted on Upworthy and thought it was fitting for here.

Modern Griots Reviews: Aja Monet’s “Inner City Chants and Cyborg Ciphers”

Last weekend, spoken word poet Aja Monet debuted her works from her upcoming collection, Inner City Chants and Cyborg Ciphers, at Kraine Theater, and it was an intimate exploration of Monet’s own personal stories and those stories extending out beyond herself to the cities of new York and Chicago, Paris, the Caribbean and the rest […]