In honor of National Poetry Month, I thought I would share several videos featuring my brothalove poet Tim’m West. Tim’m is an amazing creative soul. He has been a major inspiration in my work. I wrote about Tim’m in my new book That Which Awakens Me. Check out the videos below featuring Tim’m and me reading a poem about Tim’m. Enjoy!
Do you have a six-word memoir for today? Mine is Poetry.Jazz.Earth. Baptize me today.
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, and Gratitude for poetical souls like Tim’m,
My social media sistalove Faith Dow, founder of Acts of Faith blog, interviewed me this morning via Skype and Cinchcast. We talked about how I use social media to support my books That Which Awakens Me and Love’s Troubadours, and business. Faith also asked me about my writing process and career transition from attory to author. She gave me a new title to marinate on: lifestyle guru. I like the sound of it. What do you think? To learn more, click on the Cinchcast audio blog below. Enjoy!
Be sure to follow Faith on Twitter: http://twitter.com/actsoffaithblog. She is an amazing lady who serves as an editor, media critic, social justice advocate, and creative professional who uses technology and social media to empower women and children.
Have a great weekend!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, and Gratitude for social media sisterhood connections,
Here is a great video that promotes Earth awareness and poetry. It features the March 19th Symposium on the First Anthology of Nature Writing by African-American Poets. It celebrates Black Nature, the first-ever anthology of nature writing by African-American poets. It was edited by poet and Professor Camille Dungy. Dungy teaches at San Francisco State University. It is long! So get ready for a wonderful juicy experience! Enjoy!
I started my morning with yoga, meditation, and Reiki. My sun salutation practice was truly juicy. I listened to jazz musician Duke Ellington’sBlack, Brown and Beige CD, a jazzsymphony written for his first concert at Carnegie Hall, on January 23, 1943. I discuss Black, Brown and Beige in my debut novel Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One. His composition “Come Sunday” featuring Mahalia Jackson plays a key role. Click on the YouTube video below to listen to a part of the CD. It is one of my favorites!
Did you know Ellington’s full name was Edward Kennedy Ellington? He was born on April 29, 1899 to James Edward Ellington and Daisy Kennedy Ellington in Washington, DC. He lived a long, creative, and fulfilling life as a pianist, composer, and band leader. FYI He led his band from 1923 until his death on May 24, 1974.
Click on the my Cinchcast audio blog below to hear Ethelbert’s poetry quote, Shange’s poem, and my Twitter poetry (an excerpt from That Which Awakens Me) Enjoy!
When you think of jazz on a Fridays what songs come to mind?
Do you have any favorite poems about music? If so, what are the titles? Who are the poets?
Do you have a six-word memoir for Friday? My six-word memoir is Poetry. Jazz. Earth. Shange. Duke. Gaia. What do you think?
Have a great weekend!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, Gratitude for Shange’s poetry, Duke’s jazz, and Gaia’s planet,
Happy April! Happy National Poetry Month! Happy Jazz Appreciation Month! Happy Early Earth Day (4/22)!
Today marks the beginning of “30 Days of Poetry, Jazz, & Earth Day Awareness,” my online campaign that promotes National Poetry Month, National Jazz Appreciation Month, and the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. From April 1 to April 30, I am using social media and six-word memoirs to share jazz inspirations, poetry, and reflections about Earth Day and green living.
Here’s my first six-word memoir for April: Poetry. Jazz. Earth. My Soul Necessities.
Do you have a six-word memoir for April, poetry, jazz, or Earth Day awareness? Share it in the comment section below.
This morning I recorded an author chat on BlogTalkRadio which celebrated jazz, poetry, springtime, Cherry blossoms in Washington, DC, green living, and Mother Earth (in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day). Several poems discussed neo-soul singer Erykah Badu, jazz singers Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, jazz musicians Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonius Monk. They were published in my new book That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery. Click on the the BlogTalkRadio widget below to hear my 15 minutes of poetry.
Who are your favorite poets?
What are your favorite poems?
Who are your favorite jazz musicians and singers? Any favorite jazz songs or CDs?
Who are your favorite green living activists?
Enjoy your day! Make it a poetic, jazzy, and green living kinda day!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, and Gratitude for poetry, jazz, and Mother Earth,
Yesterday, I had a branding and marketing conversation with my literary mentor and brothalove Ethelbert Miller. Ethelbert is a native New Yorker who dances through life as a man of many talents: husband, father, poet, literacy activist, and founder of the Afro-American Resource Center at Howard University. Like me, he is also a Howardite! I affectionately call him E-bert!
I spent most of the time listening to E-bert share his insights on ways to define, expand, and market my “Ananda Leeke” brand. Parts of the conversation were uncomfortable. Why? Well, E-bert was telling me the TRUTH … I didn’t want to hear it because it meant I would have to do MORE WORK! I resisted a lot of what he had to say, but managed to remain somewhat open. E-bert gave me a lot to think about. He also reminded me I would find my way using my spiritual path. His words “using my spiritual path” stuck with me. They followed me into my evening yoga and meditation practice. The end result was a clearing… an opening to E-bert’s questions and insights.
This morning I sat in meditation and focused on strengthening my inner foundation with deep breathing, mantra chanting, and a mudra practice focused on the root chakra. Guess what happened? I was able to be still and hear my inner voice repeat a short and sweet phrase: Yoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda Leeke. BOO–YAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!! I knew the phrase was a rebranding gift from the universe! What a blessing!
So the Ananda Leeke official marketing brand is now: Yoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda Leeke.
What do you think?
As E-bert says, “my marketing brand is my gimmick!” You know the thing that will get folks’ attention.
I also have a new and improved short bio: Yoga + Creativity + Internet Geek = Ananda Leeke. Leeke is a lawyer turned “Jill of many trades”: innerpreneur, author, artist, coach, and yoga teacher. Her mission is “Empowering U2BU through creativity coaching, Reiki, self-care, social media, volunteerism, and yoga.”
Any thoughts?
Visit www.anandaleeke.com to see more of my new changes. Check out my bio too. I still have to add a lot of content to the site in April and May. For now, I am satisfied with the blessings. And I know there are more to come. So get ready for new surprises on AnandaLeeke.com!
Also, Pink, one of my favorite web sites for women, posted a great blog post about “3 Quick and Easy Ways to Build an Online Presence” that might interest you. Be sure to check out Pink for the following rebranding blog posts:
1) Ananda is launching “30 Days of Poetry, Jazz, & Earth Day Awareness,” an online campaign that promotes National Poetry Month, National Jazz Appreciation Month, and the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day. From April 1 to April 30, she will use social media and six-word memoirs to share jazz inspirations, poetry, and reflections about Earth Day and green living. Some of Ananda’s audio blogs, YouTube videos, written blogs, Twitter tweets, Flickr photos, and Facebook posts will include:
4) Participate in Ananda’s free kind and gentle yoga Meetup class on April 18 from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon at Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park in DC (16th Street and Florida Avenue, NW – in front of the waterfall). If it rains, the group will not meet. The class will be dedicated to National Poetry Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. BRING YOUR OWN MAT. Mats are NOT provided. Click on the link for more details: http://yoga.meetup.com/584.
This weekend I am teaching a kind and gentle yoga class in Malcolm X-Meridian Hill Park (weather permitting) on March 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Click here for more details. If it rains, the class will NOT be held.
Boni Candelario
I am also hosting Sisterhood, the Blog Radio with Boni Candelario on March 28 from 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. EST on Talkshoe.com. The March 28th show will launch Sisterhood, the Blog Radio’s Business of Being You (BizBU) four-part series on “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs in 2010 with Coach’m Up Boni.” The series will air on April 11, May 23, and June 27 at 7:00 p.m. EST on Talkshoe.com. See the list of show topics below.
March 28th Show: Confidence building for women job seekers
April 11th Show: Resume 2.0: Giving your resume a facelift by finding the treasure in your life experience
May 23rd Show: How to talk about your experience so it creates buzz and attention
June 27th Show: How women can use social media to identify job lead
Boni Candelario, a career strategist and empowerment coach, helps women in career transition, re-enter the workforce, climb the corporate ladder, and start their own businesses. You can learn more about Boni and her fabulous business by visiting her sites below.
In honor of Women”s History Month, I attended an afternoon talk at the National Museum of African Art featuring one of my favorite sculptors Sokari Douglas Camp. She is originally from Nigeria and currently lives in London with her family. The first time I saw Sokari’s work was in 1999 when her Church Ede, A Tribute to Her Father, was on exhibit at the National Museum of African Art . Listen to my Cinchcast audio blog below to learn more about my artist visit.
Have you taken yourself on an artist date lately?
What museums have you visited this year?
Have you discovered any new artists?
Enjoy your Friday!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, and Gratitude for inspirational artists like Sokari,
Yesterday, I started reading Nelson George’sBuppies, B-boys, Baps, and Bohos: Notes on Post-soul Black Culture (2001). I am using George’s book as research for my new novel Love’s Troubadours – Symon: Book Two. Like my main character Symon Allure, George was born and bred in Brooklyn. Symon also represents a buppy, b-boy, and boho.
Do you know what a buppy, b-boy, bap, and boho stand for?
Check out Publisher’s Weekly description of George’s book (from Amazon.com) below.
Village Voice columnist George has already established his scholarly depth and his gift for stylish, finger-on-the-pulse reporting on black music with his The Death of Rhythm & Blues and Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise & Fall of the Motown Sound . This collection of articles, nearly all of them reprinted from the Village Voice , marks him also as a knowledgeable, entertaining critic of African American popular culture generally and its pervasive influence on American life. Beginning with an astute, comprehensive, polemical time line, “A Chronicle of Post-Soul Black Culture,” George traces black mass culture from the 1970s “blaxploitation” films through Alex Haley’s Roots saga and comic Richard Pryor’s sociopolitical humor up to the explosive popularity of hip-hop. His observations on the origins of rap in New York City black neighborhoods are valuable, and two probing essays–on the fatal 1985 shooting by a white Manhattan police officer of black Phillips Exeter Academy student Edmund Perry, and on the near-cosmic importance of basketball among black teens–vividly illustrate George’s sensitivity to the social complexities of African American life.
What are you reading this Spring?
Enjoy your day!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, and Gratitude for Great Books,
Ananda Leeke 