Samiya Bashir's Blog, page 14

Come on and Conjure with us

En el corazon del South Austin
tenemos un love for liberation!

9pm Saturday April 25, 2009
*Conjure: Calling up the Spirit of Struggle, Resistance, & Liberation*

Unofficial CD release party for 3JazzCollective's latest collection of music: she danced

We invite you to a forum for progressive artist/activists:
A series of experiments in jazz music, dance, spoken word, & cinema
This session will feature: spoken word peformance by Ana-Maurine Lara, visual expression by Wura-Natasha Ogunji, & special guest

Debut performance of Gospel: The Reading a smashing success

Thanks to everyone who came out for the debut performance of Gospel: The Reading. Special thanks to Dr. Matt Richardson who was featured as "Crow," for a stellar performance.

The house was packed, everyone had a great time, and the debut of the Gospel Tees was a hit! Order your Gospel Tees online now and don't miss out on the sexy wardrobe staple of the summer.

Check out these beautiful pictures from Sharon Bridgforth of the festivities ... and find out how you can bring Gospel: The Reading to you

Look sexy and smart while supporting the arts!

How?
By getting your super sexy Gospel T-shirt today!

These custom t-shirts were designed by women of color, printed locally with an awesome East Austin printer, and are as green in ethos as they are in color, featuring 100% organic natural cotton and earth-friendly dyes.

Buy Organic!
It's not just for dinner anymore. ;)

Poetry takes many forms
this form fits just right.

Choose your size: Mens - XL $20.00 Mens - XXL $20.00 Womens - S $20.00 Womens - M $20.00 Womens - L $20.00 Womens - XL $

Samiya Bashir is Awarded Fellowship by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

Yes, yes y'all! It don't stop! Woo hoo! 2009: I'm kinda loving you.

Check out the latest:

For immediate release: March 31, 2009
For information: 434-946-7236

Samiya Bashir is Awarded Fellowship by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

(Amherst, VA) -- Samiya Bashir of Austin, TX, has been awarded a fellowship by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA). The VCCA is located near Sweet Briar College in the foothils of the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia. Samiya Bashir will be among t

Starting Today strikes again! Day 70 ...

If you haven't been following the progress of the First 100 Days of the Obama administration in poetry on the exquisite blog, Starting Today: Poems for the first 100 Days, you've been missing out on some amazing work. Check out previous posts about it here and here.

Today, Day #70, features the amazingly specific and specifically amazing poet, A. Van Jordan who takes a warriors stance and recasts it, beautifully:

“The farmers have won. Not us.”
-from The Seven Samurai, by Akira

Listen Up! Thanks for the love, Mandrake Society Radio -- check the radio interview here

Podcast: Poet, Samiya Bashir, speaks “Gospel”

Podcast: Play in new window[image error]

Author and performance poet, Samiya Bashir, talks with me about her new collection of poetry entitled, Gospel, published by Redbone Press. Her previous work, Where the Apple Falls (2005), was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her works have been featured in Essence Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Black Letters Book Review, and Vibe Magazine just to name a few places.

Between performing her poetry, she is the owner of Lead Time Con

Don't Sleep: More News on the Poetry Front

For those of us intrigued by the intersections of poetry, new media, alternative modes of poetic distribution and just poets on the verge of the NewNowNext, this was an announcement that brought a li'l bit of joy, some consternation, and a twinge of halting excitement.

There are some amazing folks on this list -- and some odd omissions IMHO -- so I'm looking forward to seeing what they're going to get up to!

Poetry Foundation Announces Inaugural Project of Poetry Institute Harriet Monro

If you haven't heard it before I'll say it again: Don't s...

If you haven't heard it before I'll say it again: Don't sleep on Patricia Smith! Check out a couple of previous posts here and here and catch on up ... it's worth it.

Now that we're all caught up, if you're in NYC here's a little something you won't want to miss:

WRITING AWAY FROM THE SURFACE--Patricia Smith NYC Workshop, Poets House, May 6-June 10

This workshop will be composed of discussion and exercises designed to write toward darkness, secrecy, trauma, regret and, eventually, insight. Few poet

Calabash Festival -- threatened with cancellation, finds salvation!

Press Release
For immediate release

Calabash 2009 is on!

[March 27, 2009 — Kingston, Jamaica:] Miracles happen. At Calabash we’ve always known this to be true. At the first Calabash in 2001, a flock of yellow butterflies hovered like a mist over the festival tent on the first day. They stayed with us until the final day, when they disappeared. What could that have been but a miracle?

On Friday, March 27, we experienced our most recent miracle — the Jamaica Tourist Board informed us that they’re co

First Gospel event

The first event for Gospel was a truly special one. We convened at Resistencia Books, brought there under the auspices of the generous monthly Cafe Libro event, curated by Carole Metellus. Carole Metellus is an amazing light and spirit, a beautiful poet, and one of the most honestly hilarious and sweet hearted women you may ever hope to meet.

The presentation -- helped along by Kiyana Horton on projection and the incomparable Sharon Bridgforth (taker of the photos seen here) who videotaped the