Jesse Helms died recently, and the press and politicians have been clamoring to pat him on the back. I’ve heard things like he, “He stood for something” and that he was a hard charging politician that stood for something.
What they don’t say is that he stood for racism. He stood for me not being equal to other folks. He blocked every civil rights bill that came before him, and had nothing but disgust for the people fighting for the right to be equal.
The flags are flying at half mass in his home state. I can’t help but wonder what the reaction would be if say, Louis Farrakhan had died and black politicians made similar comments about him?
Sometimes America makes me sad. I’m sad that politicians praise an outwardly racist man, and can’t deal with the truth. I’m sad for all the black people in his state that was supposedly represented by this man in the Senate. I’m sad for Jesse Helms, sad that his entire life, he had an evil cancer of hate in his heart. I’m sad that another human being, no matter how much he may have disliked me has passed.
I will not dance on his grave, but I will also not pretend he was something other then what he was; a small man of huge limitations, that allowed his hate to run his life. May God have mercy on his soul and may he have mercy on mine as well.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
State of the Re:UNION Coming to a Public Radio Station near you!
So this is it. For those of you who never heard of the Public Radio Talent Quest, State of the Re:UNION, or of Al Letson, here’s a quick primer. My name is Al Letson, I’m a playwright, performance poet, actor, director, and a few other titles, I won’t bore you with. I’ve been working as an artist professionally for about 10 years, doing any gig that can pay the bills. I started as a Slam Poet, and still very much consider myself one, even though I don’t actually slam anymore. A year ago (April 07), I was looking up the results of American Idol, which I don’t even watch, but I was curious for some strange reason. When I googled American Idol something entitled Public Radio’s American Idol popped up. I click on the link and found out that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was looking for new host, and new ideas. I love Public Radio, and figured what the hell.
I entered the contest with 1400 other folks, and with nine other contestants was chosen as a semi finalist. The ten of us, had to go through some pretty strenuous tasks to get to the finish line, along the way, the contestants got pared down to three, and the top three of us, where given funding to make a pilot. Here is where the plot thickens. CPB created two contests to find host: Public Radio Talent Quest run but The Public Radio Xchange (PRX), and Launch productions. I don’t know much about LAUNCH. The way it was described to me is that PRX took the grassroots approach, whereas LAUNCH took the top down model and contacted people who were in Media/celebrities of a sort to have their own shows. Each contest was given funding to create three pilots, and those pilots would vie for their own show. Out of the six, the conventional wisdom was that CPB would pick two.
After a year of competing and a whole lot of waiting, CPB informed me that my show State of the Re:UNION, was chosen as one of the winners. They’d decided to award three shows total. Two from PRX, mine and Glynn Washington’s Snap Judgment, and one from LAUNCH, The Promise Land with host Majora Carter (whom I have not met, but have been a huge fan of for years).
What does all this mean? In the history of Public Broadcasting State of the Re:Union will be one of the first shows ever given this opportunity. For the next year CPB will allow me to develop the program, find out what works, get my footing as a host, and make some killer shows. At the end of that process, you’ll be hearing the show on your public radio station next to Public Radio giants like Ira Glass and Garrison Keillor. I’m honored to have this opportunity. I’d like to give thank you’s in this blog, but there are too many to name. Rest assured if you’ve helped on this journey, you will be personally hearing from me. The staff of SOTRU, and myself will be posting on this blog to from time to time to give you an inside scoop on the progress of the show. It should be a wild and fun ride, so fasten your seatbelt, adjust your seatbacks to full upright position and prepare for take off.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
A match made in Heaven
Usually I don’t post silly things on my blog. My brother Jamel tells me I’m a bore and corny-as-hell cause I’m not that serious in real life. He might be right. I’ll be posting some other news here, FINALLY today or tomorrow or so, BUT today I was trolling around the internet, and I found a video of my girlfriend on line professing her love for me…… Okay maybe she’s not my girlfriend….. And maybe she’s not professing her love for me specifically… BUT it’s a coded message. You just gotta know how to read it!
See! She loves me. Don't hate congratulate.
See! She loves me. Don't hate congratulate.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
A love song for my mother
A love song for my mother.
My mom will tell you I never write about her and I guess I don’t. We’ve had difficulties in our relationship. Mostly because we are too much a like, stubborn, opinionated, fire-in-belly, and not shy to show it. Two people like that always seem to bump heads. I love my mother. Deeply. She loves me deeply. But we always find away to not connect the dots between us. There is no big reveal here. She was, is, and always will be, a great parent. I have friends with mothers who are the exact opposite, and I thank God for my mother.
Lately I’ve found a way to keep us centered. I don’t argue with her about things that she says that I disagree with. I want to, but sometimes the best thing you can do is to shut up. I guess that was the problem when I was younger. I always wanted to be heard, always need to have the last word. The older I get the more interested I become in listening.
I don’t think I ever thought about our relationship much in the last couple years. Just kind of maintained. Not to say we didn’t have our ups and downs in that period, but I haven’t fully examined it. And then a couple months ago I saw Passing Strange on Broadway, and it all came back to me. All the anger, self-righteousness, the resentment. I look back on all those petty feelings and realize that my whole relationship with my mother has been framed by the mind of a teenaged kid. That many of the decisions I made in my life that my mother vocally disagreed with were decisions of child that have impacted me as an adult, and she knew it. Of course she did, cause she’s dealing with her own. I don’t know what hers are, but I know we all face them.
After I saw Passing Strange, I realized that the tough spots in our relationship came because she loves me, cause she wants the best for me. It’s such a Hallmark sentiment, something that I the introspective poet should have picked up on a long time ago. But we all got our own blind spots, and I guess this was one of mine. I think it’s gotta be hard for a parent to have a child like me. Especially from my mother’s generation. In her mind the man went to work got a good job, pension, and raised his family. He didn’t go off and decide to travel the country to recite poems. She grew up with 3 brothers two of which became alcoholics, and never lived up to their potential. I think my chosen lifestyle must have scared the hell out of her, probably still does.
Through my childhood she could be tough on me. When I got older, she was even tougher. No coddling, nothing. I always felt because I couldn’t live up to my father’s example, she just didn’t love me. I was never going to be a Baptist preacher. I was never going to be able to live in the 9 to 5 world. All I could do is me. Because of all that heavy stuff I use to think she didn’t support me. For years I held this idea in my heart that one day, I would show her. Show her that I am somebody. That my art has value. That I have something to say. That in some ways I am like my dad, we just are talking to different congregations. For years I wanted to tell her, I’m not the person she thinks I am. That I’m not some selfish artist that doesn’t care about anyone else. ‘Cause I’m not. For years I wanted her to see the real me. That was one of the motivations that pushed me on to prove to her.
One day I was so mad at her, I needed vent, so I stopped by my friend, Keith house. Keith is close to twenty years older then me and for the last five years has become somewhat of an Uncle to me. We were sitting on his porch and he patiently listened to me. He looked down at the floor and said, “Sounds like your right on this one”. Before I could pat myself on the back he said “But she’s the only mother you got. You know what I’d give to talk to my mother?” It struck me then. You only get one shot with most of the people in your life. When they are gone they are gone.
The lead in Passing Strange takes a similar journey. I’m listening to the soundtrack now and it’s all coming back to me. This week I stand on the verge of some really excellent professional possibilities on several different fronts, somewhat of a milestone year. I can’t wait till the ink is dry on all of these deals to tell the world. I thought at this point I would feel some sort of vindication. Like I could finally tell my mother, see I was right! I thought I would feel validation, that I’d see her and gloat over it. I realize how foolish I was. What I feel now, is this overwhelming desire to ask her forgiveness. For all those stupid things I thought, the dumb things I’ve said, the heartbreak I put her through. I want to thank her, because she was the one that prepared me for all the obstacles I have to face. She never did it in spite she did it because that’s what a parent does for a child. All the times I thought she wasn’t supporting me, she was making me strong so I could support myself.
My mother will tell you I never write about her. But that’s not true, she’s behind every word, she just never took the credit.
I love you mommy
My mom will tell you I never write about her and I guess I don’t. We’ve had difficulties in our relationship. Mostly because we are too much a like, stubborn, opinionated, fire-in-belly, and not shy to show it. Two people like that always seem to bump heads. I love my mother. Deeply. She loves me deeply. But we always find away to not connect the dots between us. There is no big reveal here. She was, is, and always will be, a great parent. I have friends with mothers who are the exact opposite, and I thank God for my mother.
Lately I’ve found a way to keep us centered. I don’t argue with her about things that she says that I disagree with. I want to, but sometimes the best thing you can do is to shut up. I guess that was the problem when I was younger. I always wanted to be heard, always need to have the last word. The older I get the more interested I become in listening.
I don’t think I ever thought about our relationship much in the last couple years. Just kind of maintained. Not to say we didn’t have our ups and downs in that period, but I haven’t fully examined it. And then a couple months ago I saw Passing Strange on Broadway, and it all came back to me. All the anger, self-righteousness, the resentment. I look back on all those petty feelings and realize that my whole relationship with my mother has been framed by the mind of a teenaged kid. That many of the decisions I made in my life that my mother vocally disagreed with were decisions of child that have impacted me as an adult, and she knew it. Of course she did, cause she’s dealing with her own. I don’t know what hers are, but I know we all face them.
After I saw Passing Strange, I realized that the tough spots in our relationship came because she loves me, cause she wants the best for me. It’s such a Hallmark sentiment, something that I the introspective poet should have picked up on a long time ago. But we all got our own blind spots, and I guess this was one of mine. I think it’s gotta be hard for a parent to have a child like me. Especially from my mother’s generation. In her mind the man went to work got a good job, pension, and raised his family. He didn’t go off and decide to travel the country to recite poems. She grew up with 3 brothers two of which became alcoholics, and never lived up to their potential. I think my chosen lifestyle must have scared the hell out of her, probably still does.
Through my childhood she could be tough on me. When I got older, she was even tougher. No coddling, nothing. I always felt because I couldn’t live up to my father’s example, she just didn’t love me. I was never going to be a Baptist preacher. I was never going to be able to live in the 9 to 5 world. All I could do is me. Because of all that heavy stuff I use to think she didn’t support me. For years I held this idea in my heart that one day, I would show her. Show her that I am somebody. That my art has value. That I have something to say. That in some ways I am like my dad, we just are talking to different congregations. For years I wanted to tell her, I’m not the person she thinks I am. That I’m not some selfish artist that doesn’t care about anyone else. ‘Cause I’m not. For years I wanted her to see the real me. That was one of the motivations that pushed me on to prove to her.
One day I was so mad at her, I needed vent, so I stopped by my friend, Keith house. Keith is close to twenty years older then me and for the last five years has become somewhat of an Uncle to me. We were sitting on his porch and he patiently listened to me. He looked down at the floor and said, “Sounds like your right on this one”. Before I could pat myself on the back he said “But she’s the only mother you got. You know what I’d give to talk to my mother?” It struck me then. You only get one shot with most of the people in your life. When they are gone they are gone.
The lead in Passing Strange takes a similar journey. I’m listening to the soundtrack now and it’s all coming back to me. This week I stand on the verge of some really excellent professional possibilities on several different fronts, somewhat of a milestone year. I can’t wait till the ink is dry on all of these deals to tell the world. I thought at this point I would feel some sort of vindication. Like I could finally tell my mother, see I was right! I thought I would feel validation, that I’d see her and gloat over it. I realize how foolish I was. What I feel now, is this overwhelming desire to ask her forgiveness. For all those stupid things I thought, the dumb things I’ve said, the heartbreak I put her through. I want to thank her, because she was the one that prepared me for all the obstacles I have to face. She never did it in spite she did it because that’s what a parent does for a child. All the times I thought she wasn’t supporting me, she was making me strong so I could support myself.
My mother will tell you I never write about her. But that’s not true, she’s behind every word, she just never took the credit.
I love you mommy
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Perspective
The worse thing about performing is when its over. For me, it leaves a big hole. When I’m on stage I feel a certain magic, very specific to that place. I never want to let go of it. And then the show is over and I’m in this funk from missing it. So here I am in Funk City.
We put Summer in Sanctuary up at Theater Jacksonville this weekend. We got decent turn out, and people told me they really enjoyed the show. I’ve said this in previous blogs, but people have responded to this piece more then anything else I’ve done. I’m honored, and now feeling a little empty because I’m missing the stage, and worried about the future of the play.
I love my home city because I get to work on material here, and it’s a great place to raise kids, but for my career, it’s a tough sell. I don’t get to network, and people that could help me don’t get to see my work. So I sit here at the end of a very short run, and I don’t know what to do. I go through this stage after every show. The question of what’s next? The answer is I have no idea. I know the show will be in Detroit in October, I’m excited by that, but October seems so far away. I wanna do it tomorrow. One of my personal goals in life is to win an Obie. The Obie is the equivalent of an off Broadway Oscar. The key for me getting an Obie would be to perform off Broadway, in NYC. With the current status of the play, I don’t see that happening. I’m not saying it won’t just saying that getting an off Broadway run for a relative unknown, is not an easy sell.
Today in the midst of stewing over all of this, and feeling somewhat melancholy, I found out I had to pay a bill that I shouldn’t have had to pay. That sentences is intentionally vague. Anyway, when I went to pay the bill, I ran into a young lady broke down in the parking lot. I helped her jump her vehicle, and no dice the truck wasn’t moving. I was going to leave her there after that, but she started crying and said her 80 year old Grandmother was with her (she was standing outside the building, in the hot Florida sun). I felt bad for her and gave them both a ride across town. As we drove the more the young lady talked the more I could tell the car breaking down was just another mishap pushing her over the edge. She’s had a hard life, some by the choices she’s made some just by circumstance. She was scared I was going to judge her, but I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, I have no right to judge anyone. I told her that and she seemed to become a little more comfortable. Her grandmother sat in the back of the car having an in depth conversation with my youngest Aiden, about dogs and other important things 3 year olds like to talk about.
We got to their house and the Grandmother was so sweet instructing me to come back and not be a stranger, but when the young lady got out the car she was crying, feeling like her life was falling apart. I grabbed her hand and told her, “This to shall pass. You go through rough times, to get to the good” She smiled at me briefly, then walked into her house.
I drove away and thought a lot about her, and her life and the troubles she might not ever escape. I thought about my own problems and while my feelings of emptiness was still there, but it was easier to look at it for what it is. I don’t have half the money I need, it’s hard making a living as an artist, but my struggle is nothing compared to many. Doesn’t change the fact that I want an Obie, doesn’t invalidate that desire, just puts it in perspective.
We put Summer in Sanctuary up at Theater Jacksonville this weekend. We got decent turn out, and people told me they really enjoyed the show. I’ve said this in previous blogs, but people have responded to this piece more then anything else I’ve done. I’m honored, and now feeling a little empty because I’m missing the stage, and worried about the future of the play.
I love my home city because I get to work on material here, and it’s a great place to raise kids, but for my career, it’s a tough sell. I don’t get to network, and people that could help me don’t get to see my work. So I sit here at the end of a very short run, and I don’t know what to do. I go through this stage after every show. The question of what’s next? The answer is I have no idea. I know the show will be in Detroit in October, I’m excited by that, but October seems so far away. I wanna do it tomorrow. One of my personal goals in life is to win an Obie. The Obie is the equivalent of an off Broadway Oscar. The key for me getting an Obie would be to perform off Broadway, in NYC. With the current status of the play, I don’t see that happening. I’m not saying it won’t just saying that getting an off Broadway run for a relative unknown, is not an easy sell.
Today in the midst of stewing over all of this, and feeling somewhat melancholy, I found out I had to pay a bill that I shouldn’t have had to pay. That sentences is intentionally vague. Anyway, when I went to pay the bill, I ran into a young lady broke down in the parking lot. I helped her jump her vehicle, and no dice the truck wasn’t moving. I was going to leave her there after that, but she started crying and said her 80 year old Grandmother was with her (she was standing outside the building, in the hot Florida sun). I felt bad for her and gave them both a ride across town. As we drove the more the young lady talked the more I could tell the car breaking down was just another mishap pushing her over the edge. She’s had a hard life, some by the choices she’s made some just by circumstance. She was scared I was going to judge her, but I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, I have no right to judge anyone. I told her that and she seemed to become a little more comfortable. Her grandmother sat in the back of the car having an in depth conversation with my youngest Aiden, about dogs and other important things 3 year olds like to talk about.
We got to their house and the Grandmother was so sweet instructing me to come back and not be a stranger, but when the young lady got out the car she was crying, feeling like her life was falling apart. I grabbed her hand and told her, “This to shall pass. You go through rough times, to get to the good” She smiled at me briefly, then walked into her house.
I drove away and thought a lot about her, and her life and the troubles she might not ever escape. I thought about my own problems and while my feelings of emptiness was still there, but it was easier to look at it for what it is. I don’t have half the money I need, it’s hard making a living as an artist, but my struggle is nothing compared to many. Doesn’t change the fact that I want an Obie, doesn’t invalidate that desire, just puts it in perspective.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Overwhelming
Monday. April 21st 2008.
Wow. I woke up this morning completely overwhelmed. The response for Summer in Sanctuary was absolutely incredible and unparalleled in the history of my career. I’ve done a ton of work, and people have been kind, generous, and encouraging. But this is something different.
When we (Willie Evans Jr. and director Gary Anderson) did the show in Baltimore, we had so many technical issues and we were working out all the kinks in the script, we didn’t get a chance to really revel in the experience. Good reviews. People were moved. Vicky and the kids from the Sanctuary came up and that was very special. It was a good thing. But doing the play here in Jacksonville has got to be a highlight in my career.
We booked the show at Players by the Sea, my theatrical home in Jacksonville, and didn’t really give Joe (a patron saint in the career of Al Letson) much time to promote. We got the word out, Bob White (another patron saint) plugged the show at the Jacksonville Arts Awards luncheon, and then Friday came and we had a really good crowd. People were enthusiastic, and giving to the show, and we put on a good performance. If felt very different performing the piece in Jacksonville. Like this is where it needed to be done, finally the piece is home. The second night the theatre was full, and the love the audience gave Willie and I was tremendous. Vicky came the first night, and she returned the second night with a big smile and Biko. Biko left the Sanctuary, and has been on the streets living his life the best way he knows how. He never came to Baltimore to see the show, so this would be his first experience watching himself on stage.
I haven’t seen Biko in awhile, frankly I was surprised he was there. I hope he saw a reflection of who he really is, and not what the street tells him. In doing the play every night I’m moved because I love him, and all the kids at the Sanctuary, but it’s hard to tell them that in a way that they understand. People can tell you they love you, but when you live in their conditions words seem pretty empty. More then anything I’ve ever written, this play is a love song to them, to the kids, to Vicky, to the city. I hope that Biko got that. That someone loves him unconditionally. When he walked down the stair to give me a hug, I wrapped my arms around him and was right back in that Summer in 06’ where I didn’t want to let him go.
After having a successful run, my only worry is that people got the wrong idea. I don’t want people looking at the piece and going “Oh, that’s a nice story and he’s a good performer”, and give me all the props. It’s nice and I appreciate it. But at the end of the day, what I want is change. I want people to get up and do something. I want them to feel like if this nerd can do something small, so can I. Government can’t change the story of Springfield, of poverty, of lost children. Only people can. God may work through governments at times, although evidence of that in recent times is slim to none, but I think it’s in the heart of man, where he whispers his providence. I hope this piece will soften some hearts so they can hear that whisper and do something.
Wow. I woke up this morning completely overwhelmed. The response for Summer in Sanctuary was absolutely incredible and unparalleled in the history of my career. I’ve done a ton of work, and people have been kind, generous, and encouraging. But this is something different.
When we (Willie Evans Jr. and director Gary Anderson) did the show in Baltimore, we had so many technical issues and we were working out all the kinks in the script, we didn’t get a chance to really revel in the experience. Good reviews. People were moved. Vicky and the kids from the Sanctuary came up and that was very special. It was a good thing. But doing the play here in Jacksonville has got to be a highlight in my career.
We booked the show at Players by the Sea, my theatrical home in Jacksonville, and didn’t really give Joe (a patron saint in the career of Al Letson) much time to promote. We got the word out, Bob White (another patron saint) plugged the show at the Jacksonville Arts Awards luncheon, and then Friday came and we had a really good crowd. People were enthusiastic, and giving to the show, and we put on a good performance. If felt very different performing the piece in Jacksonville. Like this is where it needed to be done, finally the piece is home. The second night the theatre was full, and the love the audience gave Willie and I was tremendous. Vicky came the first night, and she returned the second night with a big smile and Biko. Biko left the Sanctuary, and has been on the streets living his life the best way he knows how. He never came to Baltimore to see the show, so this would be his first experience watching himself on stage.
I haven’t seen Biko in awhile, frankly I was surprised he was there. I hope he saw a reflection of who he really is, and not what the street tells him. In doing the play every night I’m moved because I love him, and all the kids at the Sanctuary, but it’s hard to tell them that in a way that they understand. People can tell you they love you, but when you live in their conditions words seem pretty empty. More then anything I’ve ever written, this play is a love song to them, to the kids, to Vicky, to the city. I hope that Biko got that. That someone loves him unconditionally. When he walked down the stair to give me a hug, I wrapped my arms around him and was right back in that Summer in 06’ where I didn’t want to let him go.
After having a successful run, my only worry is that people got the wrong idea. I don’t want people looking at the piece and going “Oh, that’s a nice story and he’s a good performer”, and give me all the props. It’s nice and I appreciate it. But at the end of the day, what I want is change. I want people to get up and do something. I want them to feel like if this nerd can do something small, so can I. Government can’t change the story of Springfield, of poverty, of lost children. Only people can. God may work through governments at times, although evidence of that in recent times is slim to none, but I think it’s in the heart of man, where he whispers his providence. I hope this piece will soften some hearts so they can hear that whisper and do something.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
Waiting on Godot : Or, what’s up with the NPR contest?
Waiting on Godot : Or, what’s up with the NPR contest?
Actually the question should be what’s up with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Public Radio Xchange? But most people don’t know that, neither did I till a year ago. Everyone and their momma has been asking me what’s up with my radio show. So I figured I’d write a post to catch everyone up to speed. The stuff you hear on your local public radio station is usually a conglomeration of a few different organizations, the best known of these is NPR, but there is also American Public Media and a few others. All of these organizations get funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
PRX is an organization that primarily distributes content, a couple years ago they came up with an idea to find new hosts and shows. They got the CPB involved, and two contests were created, LAUNCH, and the Public Radio Talent Quest. Out of these two contests winners would be picked and the funding would be given from CPB to support the chosen shows. CPB could pick as many shows as they wanted, or they could chose to not pick any (unlikely). After talking to the President of CPB a couple months ago, I got the impression that they would do more then one, probably 2-3. But who knows.
LAUNCH’s approach was to take three well known and respected Producers of Public Radio and start a search for celebrities to make their shows. Maybe celebrity is a little too big of a word… people from other mediums that the public might already be familiar with? I don’t know. I’ve heard this described as a top down approach. The three that were chosen are food writer Mark Bittman, activist and speaker Majora Carter, and actress/comedian Julia Sweeney. Very interesting group of people, and I dig all of their work. How will what they do translate into radio? Who knows?
PRX was tasked with the Public Radio Quest which was as grassroots as it can get. They created a website and asked for submissions. 1400 people applied out of that 1400, I was chosen after a long series of tasks to be one of the three winners. It was a grueling process that started in April of 07 and didn’t finish until December 07’. I’ve blogged about the experience before so I won’t bore you with the details of all the work. I’ll just say I was glad when it was over.
The three finalist received funding to create a pilot which in turn would be what CPB used to determine who was going to get the funding. The show I created is entitled State of the Re:UNION. At it’s essence, SOTRU is about bringing people together. The method the show uses to accomplish that goal is by traveling to a different city every week and asking the questions, what makes community? Who are the people that help define it? What brings people together, and what pulls them apart? The hope is by focusing on different cities, this big country of ours doesn’t seem so big anymore, that people in Walla Walla Washington hear the show and recognize that people in Charlotte NC have the same struggles, the same hopes and dreams. All things that separate us are so much smaller than the things that bring us together. There is one America, if we will it to be so. Lofty goals for a radio show, but if you read the blog a lot you know lofty goals are my thing.
So back the original question, what’s going on now? The answer is nothing and everything. We’ve done all the work, turned in the pilot in December, and now must wait on CPB. The LAUNCH crew didn’t have to have their pilot in until February so CPB didn’t start listening to them until March. They formed a committee of industry professionals to judge the programs, make recommendations, and then they would decided on who gets the funding. At this time the panel has convened, and CPB has informed us that they will be looking at those recommendations for the rest of the month. At the end of the month they will decide who gets the funding. I’ve set a date in my mind of May 15th as to when I’ll know. I needed a date. So I figured I’d give them an additional two weeks.
Honestly, they whole process is driving me nuts. I’d be nice to know what the future holds as far as radio is concerned, but like everything it all takes time, and patience, (something that I am not the best at) is a virtue.
Actually the question should be what’s up with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Public Radio Xchange? But most people don’t know that, neither did I till a year ago. Everyone and their momma has been asking me what’s up with my radio show. So I figured I’d write a post to catch everyone up to speed. The stuff you hear on your local public radio station is usually a conglomeration of a few different organizations, the best known of these is NPR, but there is also American Public Media and a few others. All of these organizations get funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
PRX is an organization that primarily distributes content, a couple years ago they came up with an idea to find new hosts and shows. They got the CPB involved, and two contests were created, LAUNCH, and the Public Radio Talent Quest. Out of these two contests winners would be picked and the funding would be given from CPB to support the chosen shows. CPB could pick as many shows as they wanted, or they could chose to not pick any (unlikely). After talking to the President of CPB a couple months ago, I got the impression that they would do more then one, probably 2-3. But who knows.
LAUNCH’s approach was to take three well known and respected Producers of Public Radio and start a search for celebrities to make their shows. Maybe celebrity is a little too big of a word… people from other mediums that the public might already be familiar with? I don’t know. I’ve heard this described as a top down approach. The three that were chosen are food writer Mark Bittman, activist and speaker Majora Carter, and actress/comedian Julia Sweeney. Very interesting group of people, and I dig all of their work. How will what they do translate into radio? Who knows?
PRX was tasked with the Public Radio Quest which was as grassroots as it can get. They created a website and asked for submissions. 1400 people applied out of that 1400, I was chosen after a long series of tasks to be one of the three winners. It was a grueling process that started in April of 07 and didn’t finish until December 07’. I’ve blogged about the experience before so I won’t bore you with the details of all the work. I’ll just say I was glad when it was over.
The three finalist received funding to create a pilot which in turn would be what CPB used to determine who was going to get the funding. The show I created is entitled State of the Re:UNION. At it’s essence, SOTRU is about bringing people together. The method the show uses to accomplish that goal is by traveling to a different city every week and asking the questions, what makes community? Who are the people that help define it? What brings people together, and what pulls them apart? The hope is by focusing on different cities, this big country of ours doesn’t seem so big anymore, that people in Walla Walla Washington hear the show and recognize that people in Charlotte NC have the same struggles, the same hopes and dreams. All things that separate us are so much smaller than the things that bring us together. There is one America, if we will it to be so. Lofty goals for a radio show, but if you read the blog a lot you know lofty goals are my thing.
So back the original question, what’s going on now? The answer is nothing and everything. We’ve done all the work, turned in the pilot in December, and now must wait on CPB. The LAUNCH crew didn’t have to have their pilot in until February so CPB didn’t start listening to them until March. They formed a committee of industry professionals to judge the programs, make recommendations, and then they would decided on who gets the funding. At this time the panel has convened, and CPB has informed us that they will be looking at those recommendations for the rest of the month. At the end of the month they will decide who gets the funding. I’ve set a date in my mind of May 15th as to when I’ll know. I needed a date. So I figured I’d give them an additional two weeks.
Honestly, they whole process is driving me nuts. I’d be nice to know what the future holds as far as radio is concerned, but like everything it all takes time, and patience, (something that I am not the best at) is a virtue.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Thank You
Thank You.
Today was it. The last day of A Summer in Sanctuary at the Baltimore Theatre Project. What a journey. All day long I felt like I was living in a movie. Walking down the streets of Mt. Vernon in Baltimore, with my iPod blaring some melancholy music; passing the row houses on my last trip to the Theatre Project somehow it didn’t feel real.
I get this way at the end of a project. Nostalgic. Happy. Sad. Motivated. Tired. Today feels special though because I feel like I can finally look back and take the journey in. I’m not one for looking back too much. I think the important thing is too keep looking to the future and putting one foot in front of the other. But this feels like a good point to take a break and thank God for the blessings.
April of 07’ I entered this contest to be a radio host on NPR, I never thought much about it after I entered, until they called me and told me that I was one of the ten finalist. What a rush the entire contest was. A rush, but hard work. I killed myself, and everyone around me for 9 months until I was selected as one of three winners. One of three out of 1,400.
Thank you.
Radio was a happy happenchance, but also somewhat of a distraction to the work I needed to do on the theatre piece that was opening at the Theatre Project in February. The first solo show, I’d done in years. I was scared to death of the subject because of the first time I am truly reveling myself. Summer in Sanctuary is the story of one of the big challenges in my life. In writing it I knew I was exposing myself for the world to see, but it seemed more important to tell the story, then it did to protect myself. If I’m going to be honest here I have to admit that I was also scared to do a solo show. For the last three years, I’d been working with an incredible group of people, Larry Knight, David Girard and Barbara Colaciello. They are my family and I love every one of them, but the story I needed to tell was about me, and my journey. I had to tell it alone. Working with the four of them is such a welcome fit I was petrified to move away from that comfort zone.
Art though is not meant to be safe so I got a date for a premiere, strapped on my seatbelt and started my engine.
Thank you.
Here’s the hook. When I set the deadline I didn’t have NPR, and CPB telling me I needed to get a pilot for a radio show done. The Radio deadline was first, so I had to do it, with the help of Taki Telodonis, The Poemcees, Willie Evans Jr., Doug Mitchell, and a few other special people I was able to get the pilot done on time. When it was done I was drained. Emotionally spent. Ready to recharge. Oh… wait…. I have a play that’s due in three weeks. I didn’t think I could do it. My emotional instrument was empty. I put so much heart and soul into the radio show, I just didn’t think there was any left for “Sanctuary”.
For a full week I tried to write; pushing myself as much as I could and everything I came out with was hollow. Nothing rang true. I was scared. But too many people were depending on me. Summer in Sanctuary is the story of my time working at the Sanctuary on 8th Street a community center of sorts for underprivileged children. This is the hardest job I’ve ever had, and at the end of it I was a changed man. I had to tell the story for me, but more importantly I had to tell the story for the kids at the Sanctuary. So when I’m working on the show and nothing was coming I got scared cause I wanted to be able to give something back to them. I went to the Sanctuary to pick up a DVD from the executive director and my friend Vickie Watkins. I had an idea to put the movies from the DVD in the play but wasn’t sure how. When I watched that DVD, it just washed over me. The entire summer that at one point I tried hard to forget it was coming back full throttle. The next morning I got up and wrote all day long.
Thank you.
I was fortunate enough to find another team to work with DJ/Emcee/Producer Willie Evans Jr., and director Gary Anderson who’d directed Julius X in Detroit. In all my work, I’ve learned the key to success is a good team. It’s a little embarrassing when you are working on something, and there are so many people who should get credit, but because you are the face, they tend to be in the background and not get their props. Gary and Willie Evans made it happen. We had a great time in Baltimore, and I can’t wait for the three of us to hang again and do some good work.
Thank you.
I plan to write a blog post about Baltimore, much to talk about. But right now, I’m just reveling in the fact that I did it. I’m nostalgic. Happy. Sad. Motivated. Tired. But most of all thankful.
Ashé
Today was it. The last day of A Summer in Sanctuary at the Baltimore Theatre Project. What a journey. All day long I felt like I was living in a movie. Walking down the streets of Mt. Vernon in Baltimore, with my iPod blaring some melancholy music; passing the row houses on my last trip to the Theatre Project somehow it didn’t feel real.
I get this way at the end of a project. Nostalgic. Happy. Sad. Motivated. Tired. Today feels special though because I feel like I can finally look back and take the journey in. I’m not one for looking back too much. I think the important thing is too keep looking to the future and putting one foot in front of the other. But this feels like a good point to take a break and thank God for the blessings.
April of 07’ I entered this contest to be a radio host on NPR, I never thought much about it after I entered, until they called me and told me that I was one of the ten finalist. What a rush the entire contest was. A rush, but hard work. I killed myself, and everyone around me for 9 months until I was selected as one of three winners. One of three out of 1,400.
Thank you.
Radio was a happy happenchance, but also somewhat of a distraction to the work I needed to do on the theatre piece that was opening at the Theatre Project in February. The first solo show, I’d done in years. I was scared to death of the subject because of the first time I am truly reveling myself. Summer in Sanctuary is the story of one of the big challenges in my life. In writing it I knew I was exposing myself for the world to see, but it seemed more important to tell the story, then it did to protect myself. If I’m going to be honest here I have to admit that I was also scared to do a solo show. For the last three years, I’d been working with an incredible group of people, Larry Knight, David Girard and Barbara Colaciello. They are my family and I love every one of them, but the story I needed to tell was about me, and my journey. I had to tell it alone. Working with the four of them is such a welcome fit I was petrified to move away from that comfort zone.
Art though is not meant to be safe so I got a date for a premiere, strapped on my seatbelt and started my engine.
Thank you.
Here’s the hook. When I set the deadline I didn’t have NPR, and CPB telling me I needed to get a pilot for a radio show done. The Radio deadline was first, so I had to do it, with the help of Taki Telodonis, The Poemcees, Willie Evans Jr., Doug Mitchell, and a few other special people I was able to get the pilot done on time. When it was done I was drained. Emotionally spent. Ready to recharge. Oh… wait…. I have a play that’s due in three weeks. I didn’t think I could do it. My emotional instrument was empty. I put so much heart and soul into the radio show, I just didn’t think there was any left for “Sanctuary”.
For a full week I tried to write; pushing myself as much as I could and everything I came out with was hollow. Nothing rang true. I was scared. But too many people were depending on me. Summer in Sanctuary is the story of my time working at the Sanctuary on 8th Street a community center of sorts for underprivileged children. This is the hardest job I’ve ever had, and at the end of it I was a changed man. I had to tell the story for me, but more importantly I had to tell the story for the kids at the Sanctuary. So when I’m working on the show and nothing was coming I got scared cause I wanted to be able to give something back to them. I went to the Sanctuary to pick up a DVD from the executive director and my friend Vickie Watkins. I had an idea to put the movies from the DVD in the play but wasn’t sure how. When I watched that DVD, it just washed over me. The entire summer that at one point I tried hard to forget it was coming back full throttle. The next morning I got up and wrote all day long.
Thank you.
I was fortunate enough to find another team to work with DJ/Emcee/Producer Willie Evans Jr., and director Gary Anderson who’d directed Julius X in Detroit. In all my work, I’ve learned the key to success is a good team. It’s a little embarrassing when you are working on something, and there are so many people who should get credit, but because you are the face, they tend to be in the background and not get their props. Gary and Willie Evans made it happen. We had a great time in Baltimore, and I can’t wait for the three of us to hang again and do some good work.
Thank you.
I plan to write a blog post about Baltimore, much to talk about. But right now, I’m just reveling in the fact that I did it. I’m nostalgic. Happy. Sad. Motivated. Tired. But most of all thankful.
Ashé
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Writer
There are days when I feel like a writer, and days when I totally don’t. This week is a writers week. When I can feel the stories that need to be told ready to burst. The times when I don’t feel like a writer are just as useful, because I know the seed is growing in the soil. But I get impatient. All the doubts that every artist I know has begin the creep up. The thought that all the art you have done in the past is luck. That you don’t really have talent, you just stumbled into something, and maybe it’s true. I don’t know… I feel like the art I do, I don’t really choose. It chooses me, I’m just following something that I never really have control of. For a long time, I wanted to control it. Those are the times, when nothing happens. When I stare at a blank page and nothing comes for days. When I remember that I can’t control it, I just need to trust it, then the work seems to flow.
Deadlines have been kicking my rump for the last three months. The biggest one as the Public Radio Quest. I won a spot in the top three where I was given $10,000 to create a pilot for Public Radio. Sometime in the near future, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will vote on my program, and decide if it’s something they want to fund. This whole process was huge. A ton of work without my advisor, Taki Telondis and Doug Mitchell of NPR, I would not have gotten through it. In the end Taki and I were working 18 hours a day trying to finish before the deadline. All sorts of calamity befalling us, from death in the family (an uncle and aunt dieing within weeks or each other). My computer crashed, lost everything. Traveling to DC and trying to make the interviews work, and coming home and editing. To just paying the bills while working to put all it together. This was a monumental task, and with a lot of help, we did it.
I never expected to win the Talent Quest contest. I figured I’d do ok, but never dreamed I’d win. When I entered in April, the end of the contest in December seemed so far away. There was no way I could foresee the future. So without thinking about it, I scheduled a gig in Feb. at the Theater Project. A solo show entitled, A Summer in Sanctuary. Here’s the problem. In winning the contest, I really screwed the writing process for the solo show. There was no way I could move the show back, and the contest was in full swing so I did what I could; wrote when I could, planned as much as possible, talked to the director of the piece, all the while knowing that as soon as the contest was over I’d have to kick it into full drive if I was going to be ready for Feb.
So here we are in the middle of full drive. It took me a week or two to get into the groove but finally, I have it. The stories and writing is coming at a good pace. Now it’s all the logistics. Learning a 90 page script in a month, rehearsing with a director 2000 miles away, pulling together the multimedia portion of the show and a bunch of other small details that need to be worked out.
But I’m not worried about any of that today. I’m just glad to be feeling like I’m a writer again.
Deadlines have been kicking my rump for the last three months. The biggest one as the Public Radio Quest. I won a spot in the top three where I was given $10,000 to create a pilot for Public Radio. Sometime in the near future, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will vote on my program, and decide if it’s something they want to fund. This whole process was huge. A ton of work without my advisor, Taki Telondis and Doug Mitchell of NPR, I would not have gotten through it. In the end Taki and I were working 18 hours a day trying to finish before the deadline. All sorts of calamity befalling us, from death in the family (an uncle and aunt dieing within weeks or each other). My computer crashed, lost everything. Traveling to DC and trying to make the interviews work, and coming home and editing. To just paying the bills while working to put all it together. This was a monumental task, and with a lot of help, we did it.
I never expected to win the Talent Quest contest. I figured I’d do ok, but never dreamed I’d win. When I entered in April, the end of the contest in December seemed so far away. There was no way I could foresee the future. So without thinking about it, I scheduled a gig in Feb. at the Theater Project. A solo show entitled, A Summer in Sanctuary. Here’s the problem. In winning the contest, I really screwed the writing process for the solo show. There was no way I could move the show back, and the contest was in full swing so I did what I could; wrote when I could, planned as much as possible, talked to the director of the piece, all the while knowing that as soon as the contest was over I’d have to kick it into full drive if I was going to be ready for Feb.
So here we are in the middle of full drive. It took me a week or two to get into the groove but finally, I have it. The stories and writing is coming at a good pace. Now it’s all the logistics. Learning a 90 page script in a month, rehearsing with a director 2000 miles away, pulling together the multimedia portion of the show and a bunch of other small details that need to be worked out.
But I’m not worried about any of that today. I’m just glad to be feeling like I’m a writer again.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Summer in Sanctuary--First Reading
This is the first reading of a small excerpt of my new solo show, Summer in Sanctuary. Please be warned there is language that might not be suitable young audiences.
Online Videos by Veoh.com
Online Videos by Veoh.com
Next Level
I’ve been so busy as of late, I have yet to update my blog. I know I’m a bad blogger, forgive me for I have sinned. I just take for granted that everyone has been able to get over to the Public Radio Talent Quest site, and see that I won the contest. And honestly, I always feel like this blog is just a writing exercise, it’s hard to believe that anyone is reading it out there on the “internets”.
I’m extremely happy, excited, and scared all in the same time. To back track some, I found out that I’d been chosen, and was flown by PRX to Minneapolis, for the announcement it was a great trip and I got to meet two of the other contestants. They were excellent people. I was a little sad that I didn’t get to meet all of the contestants, we all created a bond it would have been nice to party with all ten. The people who ran the contest were a blast. I had so much fun, and I got to meet some of the people in public radio that I love. Diane Rhem was first and foremost. The only way I can describe her is majestic. It felt like I was hanging out with the queen of Public Radio. She was so warm and gracious.
I came back the next day to J-ville, and the news got out everywhere. It’s weird to be a celebrity, in your home city, when you know that you still the broke artist you were before the notoriety, and probably will be afterwards.. I’m not knocking it. It was nice for people to congratulate me. I don’t feel big headed about it, although, the quotes the newpaper used from me, seemed like my head had swollen. I need to not be so open in interviews and watch what I say, because the way I say it, and the way it looks on page, are two totally different things. Lesson learned (again) move forward.
When I told some of my closest friends that I’d won, some of them cried. I can’t tell you how much this moved me. I’ve always known this, but I’m on a journey and I’ve been blessed to have such wonderful people be apart of that team. If I named them all here, the list would be too long. But I couldn’t have done half the stuff that I’ve done without them in my corner. So winning this, yeah I did a lot of hard work, but the people around me also sacrificed and struggled and helped me in ways that I can’t even begin to thank them for.
Now the hard part. Juggling three important projects at the same time.
1) The Pilot for the radio show, “State of the Re:Union” will be done in Washington DC, (I’ll post something on what the show is shortly.) The deadline on that is December 14th. I’m excited about how the show is working out thus far, I’ll be in DC from the 8th-14th of Nov. to compile interviews and put all the pieces together.
2) New movie short: The Shadow of Death. Sometime in the near future we’ll be filming my 2nd short. I’m excited working with two great actors, and the more I work on the script the more I love it. I’ve been tinkering with the script now for months. You’d think that a 18 page script would be easy, but this script has a lot of layers to it, and I want to write it right. My film partner Zach is itchin’ to go, he’s got a ton of cool ideas. I feel bad because of the contest, I haven’t really had the time to devote to the film now that that’s over we’re on to the next step.
3) A Summer in Sanctuary. The solo show. I’ve finally got into gear with the writing of the show. I’m going to post a video of a reading today. I’m really happy with the progress of the piece, and an audience got to hear it, and they seemed to really dig it. This show is so personal to me, because it’s autobiographical. I want to always be true with my work, but I find that at every turn, the piece is challenging me to tell the truth. To be honest even when it hurts, and doesn’t show me in the most favorable of lights.
And that’s where it is folks. If you voted for me or even listened to my entries, thank you so much.
I’m extremely happy, excited, and scared all in the same time. To back track some, I found out that I’d been chosen, and was flown by PRX to Minneapolis, for the announcement it was a great trip and I got to meet two of the other contestants. They were excellent people. I was a little sad that I didn’t get to meet all of the contestants, we all created a bond it would have been nice to party with all ten. The people who ran the contest were a blast. I had so much fun, and I got to meet some of the people in public radio that I love. Diane Rhem was first and foremost. The only way I can describe her is majestic. It felt like I was hanging out with the queen of Public Radio. She was so warm and gracious.
I came back the next day to J-ville, and the news got out everywhere. It’s weird to be a celebrity, in your home city, when you know that you still the broke artist you were before the notoriety, and probably will be afterwards.. I’m not knocking it. It was nice for people to congratulate me. I don’t feel big headed about it, although, the quotes the newpaper used from me, seemed like my head had swollen. I need to not be so open in interviews and watch what I say, because the way I say it, and the way it looks on page, are two totally different things. Lesson learned (again) move forward.
When I told some of my closest friends that I’d won, some of them cried. I can’t tell you how much this moved me. I’ve always known this, but I’m on a journey and I’ve been blessed to have such wonderful people be apart of that team. If I named them all here, the list would be too long. But I couldn’t have done half the stuff that I’ve done without them in my corner. So winning this, yeah I did a lot of hard work, but the people around me also sacrificed and struggled and helped me in ways that I can’t even begin to thank them for.
Now the hard part. Juggling three important projects at the same time.
1) The Pilot for the radio show, “State of the Re:Union” will be done in Washington DC, (I’ll post something on what the show is shortly.) The deadline on that is December 14th. I’m excited about how the show is working out thus far, I’ll be in DC from the 8th-14th of Nov. to compile interviews and put all the pieces together.
2) New movie short: The Shadow of Death. Sometime in the near future we’ll be filming my 2nd short. I’m excited working with two great actors, and the more I work on the script the more I love it. I’ve been tinkering with the script now for months. You’d think that a 18 page script would be easy, but this script has a lot of layers to it, and I want to write it right. My film partner Zach is itchin’ to go, he’s got a ton of cool ideas. I feel bad because of the contest, I haven’t really had the time to devote to the film now that that’s over we’re on to the next step.
3) A Summer in Sanctuary. The solo show. I’ve finally got into gear with the writing of the show. I’m going to post a video of a reading today. I’m really happy with the progress of the piece, and an audience got to hear it, and they seemed to really dig it. This show is so personal to me, because it’s autobiographical. I want to always be true with my work, but I find that at every turn, the piece is challenging me to tell the truth. To be honest even when it hurts, and doesn’t show me in the most favorable of lights.
And that’s where it is folks. If you voted for me or even listened to my entries, thank you so much.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
The marathon.
Today I looked back on the my first step in the journey that is the Public Radio Talent Quest. I can feel the weariness of this contest setting in. We started in April, and it doesn’t end until mid-September. It feels so far away. I just want to wake up tomorrow and know how it all shakes out. But I know I need to be patient. Let it do what it do…
18 weeks ago seems like a small forever-ago. At the time I was in the midst of trying out for Fox’s On the Lot. After asking friends to vote for me on that site, I was a little shy in asking anyone to vote for me in this contest. And then everything changed. On the Lot dropped me, and Public Radio showed me some love. After going through three cuts, making three different entries, and holding my breath and dreaming, I’m one step away from winning. That one step is a dozzy.
The other contestants are strong. Honestly, I wish all ten of the semi finalist got an opportunity to make a show, because they brought something unique to the table. For better or for worse the top five, are going to play this round hard. Our task is to create a five minute show, a representative of the type of show we’d like to see on the air. I know what my show is. I won’t revel it as of yet, but I know it. I know how it sounds, how I want it will make people feel, but how do I do that in 5 mins?
I know the other contestants, Glynn, Rebecca, Chris, and April, are going to rock it. Glynn is a great storyteller, Rebecca already does a podcast, and has her niche’ tight, Chris is crazy smart, and April has been working for public radio for years, she could do this in her sleep. So this is going to be a real challenge. If I had to be honest though, I’d say this challenge plays to my strengths. I’m use to bringing different elements together, weaving in and out of stories, and I have a strong team of people around me to help (which is allowed in this round). I can do this. I can feel it. So much so I can’t sleep.
On some level, I feel like everything has led me to this point, this meandering, unconventional career I’ve carved out for myself. I can’t wait to see what’s next. For good or for bad, I’ve found a new love. I’ve been able to do things through this contest, I’ve always wanted to do. If I don’t get it, I’ll be upset, to have come this far, but on the flip side, the journey has been great, and I’ve learned a lot. That sounds PAT, but it’s true. But the slam poet in me wants to win. And win big. Screw it; I will win, and win big. Watch out world.
18 weeks ago seems like a small forever-ago. At the time I was in the midst of trying out for Fox’s On the Lot. After asking friends to vote for me on that site, I was a little shy in asking anyone to vote for me in this contest. And then everything changed. On the Lot dropped me, and Public Radio showed me some love. After going through three cuts, making three different entries, and holding my breath and dreaming, I’m one step away from winning. That one step is a dozzy.
The other contestants are strong. Honestly, I wish all ten of the semi finalist got an opportunity to make a show, because they brought something unique to the table. For better or for worse the top five, are going to play this round hard. Our task is to create a five minute show, a representative of the type of show we’d like to see on the air. I know what my show is. I won’t revel it as of yet, but I know it. I know how it sounds, how I want it will make people feel, but how do I do that in 5 mins?
I know the other contestants, Glynn, Rebecca, Chris, and April, are going to rock it. Glynn is a great storyteller, Rebecca already does a podcast, and has her niche’ tight, Chris is crazy smart, and April has been working for public radio for years, she could do this in her sleep. So this is going to be a real challenge. If I had to be honest though, I’d say this challenge plays to my strengths. I’m use to bringing different elements together, weaving in and out of stories, and I have a strong team of people around me to help (which is allowed in this round). I can do this. I can feel it. So much so I can’t sleep.
On some level, I feel like everything has led me to this point, this meandering, unconventional career I’ve carved out for myself. I can’t wait to see what’s next. For good or for bad, I’ve found a new love. I’ve been able to do things through this contest, I’ve always wanted to do. If I don’t get it, I’ll be upset, to have come this far, but on the flip side, the journey has been great, and I’ve learned a lot. That sounds PAT, but it’s true. But the slam poet in me wants to win. And win big. Screw it; I will win, and win big. Watch out world.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Passing
I met Sekou Sundiata five years after he saved my life. He was taller then I thought, and resonated an aura of cool that seemed indicative of an older generation of artist; jazz cats, old school poets, the people I wanted to be. So when I met him, I couldn’t help but act like a love struck fan. I tried to keep my cool, and for the most part I did, but it was a struggle.
Calling Sekou a poet, is like calling Michael Jordan a basketball player. It’s too mundane, too pedestrian. His craftsmanship of words, the way he cultivated the field of dreams, is something I will struggle to achieve for the rest of my life. I consider it a gift that he passed it down to me and an entire generation of spoken word poets. A lot of us don’t even know he’s our poetical father, or at the very least, a direct relative. That is the legacy of the word. When it’s passed for mouth to ear, sometimes the details get lost. Many poetry lovers will never have heard his name, or know of his work primarily because he didn’t publish. He was a writer, a teacher, a performer, who was much more interested building worlds on stage then on paper. He was a Griot, in every sense of the word. If he was fazed by this lack of appreciation, he never showed it, he just did the work.
Sekou made 2 cd’s. One of his students, Ani Defranco helped out when his 1st label closed. Righteous Babe went on to produced and market his 2nd CD the incredible "Long Story Short". We talked in depth about the experience, and where spoken word, and poetry was going. He graciously listened to all my thoughts, dreams, and concepts of my future work. When I told him about a poem I’d been laboring on for a year. I wanted to be done with it, to let it breath, how could I finish it, what should I do? He looks at me and smiled, and said “A year? Is that it? Brother, I have yet to write a poem that is finished.”
The conversation turned to politics, and he laid out what has become my principal philosophy for the world, and how we need to fix it. “Somehow, time has been broken, we live in the right now, and don’t look back. As long as we are living in the right now, we aren’t seeing the whole picture. So it’s the job of the poet to remind people to make them look at the past with an unflinching eye so we can better navigate the future” (That’s me paraphrasing).
Sekou passed away Wednesday after his long battle with some serious health issues. When I heard the news from a mutual friend, I couldn’t help but have this overwhelming sense of guilt, like I didn’t save him like he saved me. There was a time in my life when I lost, alone in a foreign city, no family, no money, no hope, the depression I was in was so thick I couldn’t think about anything but letting it all go. On a whim, I listened to a PBS special by Bill Moyers on Poetry, and heard Sekou. It was hearing his words, not just the poems but the interview that helped me find my way to the person I wanted to be. He told me there was power in my words, that I had something to say, and I should say it. And that changed my life.
I realize that guilt isn’t the proper emotion; sadness for his family and close friends, dispair and for the rest of the world who never got to see him in action, and the understanding that the sacred gift he gave was something meant to be passed.
Rest well brother. Ashe’
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4561097
http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/sundiata/
Calling Sekou a poet, is like calling Michael Jordan a basketball player. It’s too mundane, too pedestrian. His craftsmanship of words, the way he cultivated the field of dreams, is something I will struggle to achieve for the rest of my life. I consider it a gift that he passed it down to me and an entire generation of spoken word poets. A lot of us don’t even know he’s our poetical father, or at the very least, a direct relative. That is the legacy of the word. When it’s passed for mouth to ear, sometimes the details get lost. Many poetry lovers will never have heard his name, or know of his work primarily because he didn’t publish. He was a writer, a teacher, a performer, who was much more interested building worlds on stage then on paper. He was a Griot, in every sense of the word. If he was fazed by this lack of appreciation, he never showed it, he just did the work.
Sekou made 2 cd’s. One of his students, Ani Defranco helped out when his 1st label closed. Righteous Babe went on to produced and market his 2nd CD the incredible "Long Story Short". We talked in depth about the experience, and where spoken word, and poetry was going. He graciously listened to all my thoughts, dreams, and concepts of my future work. When I told him about a poem I’d been laboring on for a year. I wanted to be done with it, to let it breath, how could I finish it, what should I do? He looks at me and smiled, and said “A year? Is that it? Brother, I have yet to write a poem that is finished.”
The conversation turned to politics, and he laid out what has become my principal philosophy for the world, and how we need to fix it. “Somehow, time has been broken, we live in the right now, and don’t look back. As long as we are living in the right now, we aren’t seeing the whole picture. So it’s the job of the poet to remind people to make them look at the past with an unflinching eye so we can better navigate the future” (That’s me paraphrasing).
Sekou passed away Wednesday after his long battle with some serious health issues. When I heard the news from a mutual friend, I couldn’t help but have this overwhelming sense of guilt, like I didn’t save him like he saved me. There was a time in my life when I lost, alone in a foreign city, no family, no money, no hope, the depression I was in was so thick I couldn’t think about anything but letting it all go. On a whim, I listened to a PBS special by Bill Moyers on Poetry, and heard Sekou. It was hearing his words, not just the poems but the interview that helped me find my way to the person I wanted to be. He told me there was power in my words, that I had something to say, and I should say it. And that changed my life.
I realize that guilt isn’t the proper emotion; sadness for his family and close friends, dispair and for the rest of the world who never got to see him in action, and the understanding that the sacred gift he gave was something meant to be passed.
Rest well brother. Ashe’
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4561097
http://www.salon.com/audio/2000/10/05/sundiata/
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
A question of Decency
By nature, I’m very involved in politics. Not necessarily going to rallies, or sending money to candidates, but I listen. Maybe because I use language to make my living, I like to listen to the people in power, and see how they are using language to manipulate or govern this country. When I was young my father always told me, there were three things you don’t talk about in public, religion, race, and politics. As my father will tell you, I’m hard headed, and feel like I have to open my mouth.
One of my good friends Brenton, would say I’m a big fat liberal, and he’d be wrong. I vote for my interest, and what I think is right. Sometimes it’s a Republican, sometimes it’s a Democrat, but I never follow an ideology when I’m in the voting booth. Ideologies never have any heart, or blood in them, they don’t deal well with the shades of grey that color our collective lives. They are just ideas that never live up to their intention. I love debating the issues with people. With the exception of my mother, I can always debate with someone on the opposite side, and then go have a beer and laugh with them about it. (Brenton as my witness.)
I was going to follow my father’s advice from years ago on this site, but right now, I’m bursting at the seems, and can’t be silent. There is so much I could say, about the war, health care, the state of poverty in our inner cities, New Orleans (which the news media has forgotten), so many things that need to be addressed. Today, reading the news and checking in on some blogs I ran across Ann Coulter, and she was straw that broke the camel’s back.
Normally, I just don’t pay attention to her, but I wonder who the people are who support her, who come out to see her. She lays claim to the fact that she is the Christian and the goodness of the “Right”. In her book, Godless: The Church of Liberalism, she claims the left denies God and mocks people of faith. Yet she runs around the country using hateful speech to discredit her opponents. She’s called people viscous names that I won’t repeat continually, and while I support her right to say whatever she wants, I don’t understand why big media continually give her a platform. Why Don Imus got fired, and Isaiah Washington paid the price for their bad language (as they should) why is Ann able to call be people the same type of hateful words, and still be on TV continually? When do we say enough? If you want to debate the issues fine, but the personal attacks are wrong and have no place in our political discourse.
When I look up in Webster’s dictionary the definition of Christian it says “1 a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ” As the son of a Baptist preacher, I can say with some certainty, nowhere in the bible does Jesus treat anyone with the viciousness that she displays on a daily basis. In fact, Jesus hung out with prostitutes, loan sharks, and fishermen (ie common men), he didn’t condemn them, he had mercy on them and told us all to forgive, and love each other. Stunningly enough, one of the few times Jesus is heated, is at big business using the temple/church to sell their wares and not respect the sanctity of the church.
I don’t understand how her hateful speech can be taken seriously, or how Christian people can stand by her. Ultimately it’s up to us. We the people. When we decide we are tired of the sideshow carnival act of hate, when we let the networks know that we support free speech, but give us something that is better then her hateful words, that she is unacceptable as Don Imus was, then we can expect change. Until then she will call people nasty names, claim that John Edwards campaigns on his dead son, and cast anyone who doesn’t agree with her as a terrorist. Christianity is better then that, you and I are better then that, I would say that Ann Coulter is better then that she’s just too lost in her own ideology to see it.
One of my good friends Brenton, would say I’m a big fat liberal, and he’d be wrong. I vote for my interest, and what I think is right. Sometimes it’s a Republican, sometimes it’s a Democrat, but I never follow an ideology when I’m in the voting booth. Ideologies never have any heart, or blood in them, they don’t deal well with the shades of grey that color our collective lives. They are just ideas that never live up to their intention. I love debating the issues with people. With the exception of my mother, I can always debate with someone on the opposite side, and then go have a beer and laugh with them about it. (Brenton as my witness.)
I was going to follow my father’s advice from years ago on this site, but right now, I’m bursting at the seems, and can’t be silent. There is so much I could say, about the war, health care, the state of poverty in our inner cities, New Orleans (which the news media has forgotten), so many things that need to be addressed. Today, reading the news and checking in on some blogs I ran across Ann Coulter, and she was straw that broke the camel’s back.
Normally, I just don’t pay attention to her, but I wonder who the people are who support her, who come out to see her. She lays claim to the fact that she is the Christian and the goodness of the “Right”. In her book, Godless: The Church of Liberalism, she claims the left denies God and mocks people of faith. Yet she runs around the country using hateful speech to discredit her opponents. She’s called people viscous names that I won’t repeat continually, and while I support her right to say whatever she wants, I don’t understand why big media continually give her a platform. Why Don Imus got fired, and Isaiah Washington paid the price for their bad language (as they should) why is Ann able to call be people the same type of hateful words, and still be on TV continually? When do we say enough? If you want to debate the issues fine, but the personal attacks are wrong and have no place in our political discourse.
When I look up in Webster’s dictionary the definition of Christian it says “1 a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ” As the son of a Baptist preacher, I can say with some certainty, nowhere in the bible does Jesus treat anyone with the viciousness that she displays on a daily basis. In fact, Jesus hung out with prostitutes, loan sharks, and fishermen (ie common men), he didn’t condemn them, he had mercy on them and told us all to forgive, and love each other. Stunningly enough, one of the few times Jesus is heated, is at big business using the temple/church to sell their wares and not respect the sanctity of the church.
I don’t understand how her hateful speech can be taken seriously, or how Christian people can stand by her. Ultimately it’s up to us. We the people. When we decide we are tired of the sideshow carnival act of hate, when we let the networks know that we support free speech, but give us something that is better then her hateful words, that she is unacceptable as Don Imus was, then we can expect change. Until then she will call people nasty names, claim that John Edwards campaigns on his dead son, and cast anyone who doesn’t agree with her as a terrorist. Christianity is better then that, you and I are better then that, I would say that Ann Coulter is better then that she’s just too lost in her own ideology to see it.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
A New Challenge
A couple months ago, December to be exact, I entered a reality show. Very atypical of me cause I know that reality shows are not real. They are made up exercises to engage lazy audiences and create ad revenue for TV networks. Not my cup of tea. But this one was going to be different. It’s FOX’s ON THE LOT. A challenge show for filmmakers. A group of filmmakers come to LA and compete for the chance to work for Spielberg. I’ve been wanting to do film for a while so the show was a perfect catalyst. It forced me to start looking outside the lines, and make something happen.
I started working with a brilliant collaborator, Zach Flugum, and we made our first little movie on the budget of 35.00. I love the movie. A great cast, and good times. We uploaded the video on the site, and boom, like wild fire the video went through the roof. In less then a week the video had over 8,000 views and a very high rating. Now because I’m under a gag order, I can’t say much about the casting process, but I think I can say that our little movie-that-could got me pretty far in the casting. (One step away from the show). But the whole process sucked. Why? Because everything was so secret, they wouldn’t tell you anything at all. I think this was the first place where the show went wrong. I think they created a backlash from that. They were use to keeping things secret because of the other shows they’d cast. What they didn’t take into account is the internet. On the internet the show was blowing up, and it engaged people big time. If people where meant to feel like they were apart of the process, then they would have become ambassadors for the show. But being left out, and not told anything just disenfranchised folks.
So the show airs, and it’s ok, but it doesn’t live up to the promise. They don’t follow any of the contestants enough. You don’t get attached to anyone, you don’t love anyone, you don’t hate anyone. The judges, and excellent at what they do as directors, but no one is there, to throw a dash of reality into the mix. In essences, they learned nothing from American Idol. Idol follows are group of people, some make it some don’t but by the time you get into the top 10 you feel like you know these people. You care about were their story arch is going. With On the Lot, 5 contestants disappeared from one week to the next, and I have no idea what happened with them. The sad thing is I got to know that 5’s work, and some of them were extremely solid, where’d they go? Why’d they go? Who knows….
The ratings for the show are in the toilet. I’d be surprised it the show makes it through a whole season. For this, I thank God that I didn’t get on the show. I would have had to leave my job at a crucial time, go to LA, and then come home and be pissed that the way they do the show, no one get’s featured. America doesn’t get to see you, unlike American Idol where people get picked up even if they don’t win, I have a hard time believing these directors will get anything, but a pat on the back. That is not their fault. On a whole they are capable directors, but FOX and Mark Burnnett Productions, has handicapped their ability to be seen. I remember thinking that this show was going to change my life. And it did. I realize now, or at least I remember the lesson I’ve learned from other ventures, that these things very rarely do what you want them to do. I thought my CBS gig would change my life. I thought Def Poetry would change my life, Excellent reviews in NYC…..
Ultimately, they do change my life, just not in the fashion I imagine. There is something beautiful in that. I’m glad I’m finally old enough to see it.
So when NPR (National Public Radio) announced their new program to find the next generation of shows, and hosts, I was pretty skeptical that this sort of contest was worth entering. But I love NPR. Love it. Listen to it non-stop, but my problem with it, is it’s too stiff. Doesn’t have any soul to it, except maybe News and Notes. So despite being in the midst of trying to be “On the Lot” I entered Public Radio Talent Quest for the hell of it. And then boom Tuesday, they called me to tell me out of 1400 folks I’d made it into the top ten. Very very cool.
Some people on the site are upset about the way the contest is run, but after my On the Lot experience, I feel like this contest had been run extremely well. But then I wasn’t as emotionally enveloped in this one as I was with the previous contest. Honestly I never expected to be in the top ten, so if I had not made it, then I wouldn’t have been effected too much. Now that I’m in the ten, I want it. Badly. The other contestants are excellent most of them have some experience in radio or podcasting, of which I have none. What I do have, is me, what I do, that is unique to what anyone else brings to the table. I think that’s the key. If they wanted someone who sounded and acted like everyone one else on NPR, they would not have chosen this diverse group of people. So that’s the new journey. I hope you’ll take the time to go by the site www.publicradioquest.com, and cast a vote for your favorite poet/playwright/actor (that would be me)
I started working with a brilliant collaborator, Zach Flugum, and we made our first little movie on the budget of 35.00. I love the movie. A great cast, and good times. We uploaded the video on the site, and boom, like wild fire the video went through the roof. In less then a week the video had over 8,000 views and a very high rating. Now because I’m under a gag order, I can’t say much about the casting process, but I think I can say that our little movie-that-could got me pretty far in the casting. (One step away from the show). But the whole process sucked. Why? Because everything was so secret, they wouldn’t tell you anything at all. I think this was the first place where the show went wrong. I think they created a backlash from that. They were use to keeping things secret because of the other shows they’d cast. What they didn’t take into account is the internet. On the internet the show was blowing up, and it engaged people big time. If people where meant to feel like they were apart of the process, then they would have become ambassadors for the show. But being left out, and not told anything just disenfranchised folks.
So the show airs, and it’s ok, but it doesn’t live up to the promise. They don’t follow any of the contestants enough. You don’t get attached to anyone, you don’t love anyone, you don’t hate anyone. The judges, and excellent at what they do as directors, but no one is there, to throw a dash of reality into the mix. In essences, they learned nothing from American Idol. Idol follows are group of people, some make it some don’t but by the time you get into the top 10 you feel like you know these people. You care about were their story arch is going. With On the Lot, 5 contestants disappeared from one week to the next, and I have no idea what happened with them. The sad thing is I got to know that 5’s work, and some of them were extremely solid, where’d they go? Why’d they go? Who knows….
The ratings for the show are in the toilet. I’d be surprised it the show makes it through a whole season. For this, I thank God that I didn’t get on the show. I would have had to leave my job at a crucial time, go to LA, and then come home and be pissed that the way they do the show, no one get’s featured. America doesn’t get to see you, unlike American Idol where people get picked up even if they don’t win, I have a hard time believing these directors will get anything, but a pat on the back. That is not their fault. On a whole they are capable directors, but FOX and Mark Burnnett Productions, has handicapped their ability to be seen. I remember thinking that this show was going to change my life. And it did. I realize now, or at least I remember the lesson I’ve learned from other ventures, that these things very rarely do what you want them to do. I thought my CBS gig would change my life. I thought Def Poetry would change my life, Excellent reviews in NYC…..
Ultimately, they do change my life, just not in the fashion I imagine. There is something beautiful in that. I’m glad I’m finally old enough to see it.
So when NPR (National Public Radio) announced their new program to find the next generation of shows, and hosts, I was pretty skeptical that this sort of contest was worth entering. But I love NPR. Love it. Listen to it non-stop, but my problem with it, is it’s too stiff. Doesn’t have any soul to it, except maybe News and Notes. So despite being in the midst of trying to be “On the Lot” I entered Public Radio Talent Quest for the hell of it. And then boom Tuesday, they called me to tell me out of 1400 folks I’d made it into the top ten. Very very cool.
Some people on the site are upset about the way the contest is run, but after my On the Lot experience, I feel like this contest had been run extremely well. But then I wasn’t as emotionally enveloped in this one as I was with the previous contest. Honestly I never expected to be in the top ten, so if I had not made it, then I wouldn’t have been effected too much. Now that I’m in the ten, I want it. Badly. The other contestants are excellent most of them have some experience in radio or podcasting, of which I have none. What I do have, is me, what I do, that is unique to what anyone else brings to the table. I think that’s the key. If they wanted someone who sounded and acted like everyone one else on NPR, they would not have chosen this diverse group of people. So that’s the new journey. I hope you’ll take the time to go by the site www.publicradioquest.com, and cast a vote for your favorite poet/playwright/actor (that would be me)
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Rejuvenation
It’s been forever since I wrote on this blog. Why? I’ve been crazy busy. Working at the Foundation has been a huge blessing, but at the same time, it’s taken all of my time.
So what’s been going on since I last wrote. I started making movies. In December I wrote and directed a short “Sign Language”. I primarily created the short to compete in a reality show premiering on FOX. Sign Language did really well in the competition but I did not advance to the final round. I’d love to write more about the experience, but I’m under a gag order and can’t talk about it. My site is being revamped but in the near future, you will be able to see the movie on my site.
This summer I’ll be doing some more movie stuff with my partner Zach Flugum. We’ve formed our own company called 99 Pictures. We’ve got a bunch of stuff on the table that we are looking at working on this summer. I can’t really talk about those until we are further along in the process. Hopefully, I’ll be blogging about those experiences.
Julius X. Julius X opened at Plowshares Theatre Company this Saturday (April 21, 2007) WOW. What an experience. In the past, I’ve been politically correct about the two previous incarnations of the piece. The initial workshop at the Baltimore Theatre Project got good reviews, but on a whole I thought it was terrible. Loved the actors, but the director and I saw the piece very differently. That’s not to say the director isn’t a good one, just that this project didn’t synch with the two of us. I saw it the right way, he didn’t. Cleveland was… interesting… I really loved the performance of several of the actors, and really liked the director. But the piece was being done as a part of Festival and the piece ran for two nights. I didn’t get to work with the director, and I don’t think he was familiar with performance poetry, so it was an okay production, but definitely didn’t do what I was looking for from the piece.
Last year, I was blessed to meet Gary Anderson, the most unlikely of ways. I submitted a script to him. What is unlikely about this is that I’ve been submitting scripts for years now, to different theatres. The plays get put in a slush pile and never read, I get sent a form letter saying they are going to look at it, and then politely never hear from the theatre again. This is typical. I don’t have the connections necessary to “get in” I don’t know enough people, so my work continually gets pushed into the “who cares pile”. Not at Plowshares, Gary does something revolutionary, he reads scripts! I queried him about Julius X and he asked to read it. Days later, he called and we started working on putting the piece up.
There are times in my life and career when I meet someone and I know, this is what I was looking for. It happened that way with Barbara, Larry and David, and for sure I felt that way with Gary. For the last year or so, he’s been schooling me on the business, and the art of playwriting. I’m really happy with the current draft of Julius X, and a lot of that has to do with Gary’s guidance. So when I traveled to Detroit this weekend, I wasn’t really worried about the play. I was anxious to see it. Gary had been pretty silent about the progress of the play since he started rehearsals. Mostly because he was busy as hell, but secondly, he wanted me to form my own opinion about the piece. So I went into the Theatre without really knowing what I was going to see. (Keep in mind I’ve seen two productions of the piece that I absolutely hated).
From the start of the play a smile settled on my face that has yet to be removed. My baby is finally born, and he’s beautiful. The actors where cast perfectly, each one of them brought something to the stage that breathed life into the characters I’ve been living with in my head for the last two years. That was the easy part though, I’ve seen the other cast with great actors, but what this cast got through Gary’s direction was the poetry. Shakespeare’s work is filled with poetry. Julius X is not only filled with poetry, it’s essential to the style of the piece. Previous productions completely lost the poetry. This one is spot on. Due to budgetary concerns we could not put up the play like I see it in my head, (that involves dancers, African drummers, and a small orchestra) But, what is on stage in Detroit is so faithful to what I’ve been dreaming of, I didn’t even care the other parts weren’t there. Next time. Gary and I will be looking to do this piece with a bigger budget, in other venues. I feel indebt to Gary and the cast. Such a great gift to see something you worked on for so long to be seen on stage, and know that everyone is on the same page.
In saying all of that, I should explain a little more about where my head has been lately. I love Julius X. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder on anything in my life. I stretched so much artistically, I knew it would be a stretch when I started. But that’s what made me want to do it. I don’t want to keep doing the safe work. I want to challenge myself, and the audience. If it’s not a challenge, something I have to really work for, then why do it? If that’s the case I should have continued being a slam poet. No disrespect to anyone in the slam at all, none of us can walk the same path, but for me, the slam was a step towards something bigger, if I’d stayed there, I would not have been challenged. That being said, in watching the earlier incarnations of the play I was extremely discouraged. I’d pretty much decided to give up playwriting. I love it, but it hurts to watch something you’ve worked on so long turn out so wrong. I finished the first draft of Julius in January of 06’. I haven’t written another play since then. I’ve played with some ideas, scribbled some things down, but on a whole, I’ve been scared of it.
On a whole artistically I think I’ve been a little lost. I’ve applied for some huge grants that I didn’t get. I’ve been working my butt off on all of the other shows I’ve written, and still don’t feel like I’ve gone as far as I’d like to go. I was not at the point of giving up, I can’t don’t know how, but I have been rethinking what I want to and where I want to go. Last night watching my play on stage being performed by excellent actors and a brilliant director, I feel in love with theatre again. The same way I did in 10th grade close to 20 years ago, when we read Julius Caesar in English class. I’ve had a piece I wanted to write for the last year, and I’m finally getting ready to dive into it this summer. I need to do it. I’m going to look back on all those ideas and start breathing life to them. In my most productive period, the pieces were working the way they were suppose to, that propelled me to the next project. With the success of this production I remember why I write for the theatre, because I love it.
So what’s been going on since I last wrote. I started making movies. In December I wrote and directed a short “Sign Language”. I primarily created the short to compete in a reality show premiering on FOX. Sign Language did really well in the competition but I did not advance to the final round. I’d love to write more about the experience, but I’m under a gag order and can’t talk about it. My site is being revamped but in the near future, you will be able to see the movie on my site.
This summer I’ll be doing some more movie stuff with my partner Zach Flugum. We’ve formed our own company called 99 Pictures. We’ve got a bunch of stuff on the table that we are looking at working on this summer. I can’t really talk about those until we are further along in the process. Hopefully, I’ll be blogging about those experiences.
Julius X. Julius X opened at Plowshares Theatre Company this Saturday (April 21, 2007) WOW. What an experience. In the past, I’ve been politically correct about the two previous incarnations of the piece. The initial workshop at the Baltimore Theatre Project got good reviews, but on a whole I thought it was terrible. Loved the actors, but the director and I saw the piece very differently. That’s not to say the director isn’t a good one, just that this project didn’t synch with the two of us. I saw it the right way, he didn’t. Cleveland was… interesting… I really loved the performance of several of the actors, and really liked the director. But the piece was being done as a part of Festival and the piece ran for two nights. I didn’t get to work with the director, and I don’t think he was familiar with performance poetry, so it was an okay production, but definitely didn’t do what I was looking for from the piece.
Last year, I was blessed to meet Gary Anderson, the most unlikely of ways. I submitted a script to him. What is unlikely about this is that I’ve been submitting scripts for years now, to different theatres. The plays get put in a slush pile and never read, I get sent a form letter saying they are going to look at it, and then politely never hear from the theatre again. This is typical. I don’t have the connections necessary to “get in” I don’t know enough people, so my work continually gets pushed into the “who cares pile”. Not at Plowshares, Gary does something revolutionary, he reads scripts! I queried him about Julius X and he asked to read it. Days later, he called and we started working on putting the piece up.
There are times in my life and career when I meet someone and I know, this is what I was looking for. It happened that way with Barbara, Larry and David, and for sure I felt that way with Gary. For the last year or so, he’s been schooling me on the business, and the art of playwriting. I’m really happy with the current draft of Julius X, and a lot of that has to do with Gary’s guidance. So when I traveled to Detroit this weekend, I wasn’t really worried about the play. I was anxious to see it. Gary had been pretty silent about the progress of the play since he started rehearsals. Mostly because he was busy as hell, but secondly, he wanted me to form my own opinion about the piece. So I went into the Theatre without really knowing what I was going to see. (Keep in mind I’ve seen two productions of the piece that I absolutely hated).
From the start of the play a smile settled on my face that has yet to be removed. My baby is finally born, and he’s beautiful. The actors where cast perfectly, each one of them brought something to the stage that breathed life into the characters I’ve been living with in my head for the last two years. That was the easy part though, I’ve seen the other cast with great actors, but what this cast got through Gary’s direction was the poetry. Shakespeare’s work is filled with poetry. Julius X is not only filled with poetry, it’s essential to the style of the piece. Previous productions completely lost the poetry. This one is spot on. Due to budgetary concerns we could not put up the play like I see it in my head, (that involves dancers, African drummers, and a small orchestra) But, what is on stage in Detroit is so faithful to what I’ve been dreaming of, I didn’t even care the other parts weren’t there. Next time. Gary and I will be looking to do this piece with a bigger budget, in other venues. I feel indebt to Gary and the cast. Such a great gift to see something you worked on for so long to be seen on stage, and know that everyone is on the same page.
In saying all of that, I should explain a little more about where my head has been lately. I love Julius X. I don’t think I’ve ever worked harder on anything in my life. I stretched so much artistically, I knew it would be a stretch when I started. But that’s what made me want to do it. I don’t want to keep doing the safe work. I want to challenge myself, and the audience. If it’s not a challenge, something I have to really work for, then why do it? If that’s the case I should have continued being a slam poet. No disrespect to anyone in the slam at all, none of us can walk the same path, but for me, the slam was a step towards something bigger, if I’d stayed there, I would not have been challenged. That being said, in watching the earlier incarnations of the play I was extremely discouraged. I’d pretty much decided to give up playwriting. I love it, but it hurts to watch something you’ve worked on so long turn out so wrong. I finished the first draft of Julius in January of 06’. I haven’t written another play since then. I’ve played with some ideas, scribbled some things down, but on a whole, I’ve been scared of it.
On a whole artistically I think I’ve been a little lost. I’ve applied for some huge grants that I didn’t get. I’ve been working my butt off on all of the other shows I’ve written, and still don’t feel like I’ve gone as far as I’d like to go. I was not at the point of giving up, I can’t don’t know how, but I have been rethinking what I want to and where I want to go. Last night watching my play on stage being performed by excellent actors and a brilliant director, I feel in love with theatre again. The same way I did in 10th grade close to 20 years ago, when we read Julius Caesar in English class. I’ve had a piece I wanted to write for the last year, and I’m finally getting ready to dive into it this summer. I need to do it. I’m going to look back on all those ideas and start breathing life to them. In my most productive period, the pieces were working the way they were suppose to, that propelled me to the next project. With the success of this production I remember why I write for the theatre, because I love it.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Next
Next.
This blog will go through somewhat of a transformation for the next couple months. Lately I’ve been extremely slow in posting updates. Mainly because a lot of what’s going on with me professionally, are issues, good and bad, that I’d rather not air publicly. What I need to be writing about here, is the work. Not the politics, or me whining about not having the accessibility into the places I think my work should go. With a full slate of work to do in the next couple months I thought it would be helpful to myself, and other creative types who may or may not read this blog, if I chronicled my process. With that in mind here we go.
So I have three major projects, all popping off at the same time. What a blessing. And a curse.
Project 1
JULIUS X
1st of all, Julius X opens in Detroit at Plowshares Theatre in May. This is a huge break for me. I love the director of the piece Gary Anderson, he’s a smart man with a lot of heart, and vision. In the past, the play has been performed, but due to budgetary concerns, and lack of unified vision, the play has not been performed the way I envisioned it. I think I can be honest and say the opening production of the play was a disappointment to me. The director, totally ignored what I as a playwright was looking for. He didn’t understand my work, and therefore, went completely opposite of what I wanted to see. In the past, I’ve been nice about the work he did, but lately, I’ve been feeling like if I can’t be honest about it, then I shouldn’t talk about it at all. I need to talk about it, so I need to tell the truth. While there were some good performances, and fine actors on a whole I felt like the text was not explored and left wanting.
The second performance of Julius was in Cleveland. Technically, I was impressed. It was apart of the Technology and Arts festival, and the set was incredible. There were some really good actors, and I really liked the director of the piece, but they didn’t really get the poetry. I don’t blame them, I think this play is a new form of theatre that most actors and directors are not familiar with. So it makes doing the piece difficult if you haven’t seen that type of poetry. I believe they will actually include the piece in the season next year, and I’ll be brought in to help with the production. I think with all the talent they have in Cleveland, we’ll be able to make something special of the production.
With this new production in Detriot, in order to truly see the vision on the piece, I will be necessary for me to work on the music of the play. This has been an enigma. Primarily because the musicians, I want to work with have been extremely busy. They are a talented bunch, but this talent makes them in heavy demand. I’ve got a couple months to get it together, or else I believe I will have squandered an opportunity to see the play on stage, the way I have envisioned it my head.
Project 2
The 761st Men of War.
This piece is about the 761st armored division in WWII. They were the black tank battalion labeled “Patton’s Panthers” despite racism, and lack of respect, these soldiers fought hard during the Allied campaign in the European Theater of Operations. They didn’t receive their props until the 70’s. With America’s nostalgia for the Greatest Generation, and WWII, it seems to me, that people have forget about these soldiers and the battles they fought for their country and the battles they fought in their country. I want to remember them. I want to honor them. This play, stylistically, is different then anything I’ve done before. I want to fuse Drama, Poetry, and Hip-hop in a way I haven’t seen it done before. I’m planning on working with Poemcees out of Washington DC, they will be handling the Hip-Hop, and Griot 3 will handle the poetry and text. This play opens June 30th. Right now, I’m in the research aspect. Which is all encompassing. There is so much information out there, I’m finding my biggest challenge is narrowing it all down and keep the piece dramatic. There is so much there, it would be easy to get distracted from the bigger picture. A friend recently told me, when you are writing about WWII, you are not really writing about WWII, you writing about something else, don’t find what it is you are writing about, and make that the focus. He’s right.
So right now, all I’ve got is a really basic outline. I’ll have a treatment done by the end of next week along with character sketches.
Project 3
New American Gods
This is my last big project of the year. If you read this blog you’ll know I’m teaching at a small school in Jacksonville. Every year the school does a musical and as the drama teacher it’s my job to make it happen. This year, I decided that I would do an orginal piece. NAG is about, how we in America idolize, celebrity, and how it affects our opinions about people and ourselves. I love to work on relevant topics for kids, so the piece is also wrapped around things that are happening in the schools as far as violence, and standardized testing. It’s a big piece, and different then anything I’ve done yet, this is a full scale musical. The due date for the script is in April.
Am I crazy? Yes. Working on 3 pieces at the same time is nuts. I’ve done it before though, and I’m confident I can do it again. It’s a matter of discipline, and planning. I actually think I get more done when I’m working on more then one piece, because they writing in each tends to inspire the writing in the opposite. Plus, the Julius X piece is pretty much done, it’s more me just supervising. I have plenty of time to write, I just need to get in the discipline of writing at times that are different then what I’m use to. Over the years, I’ve been able to sit myself down and work, I’ve created a time and space in which to do it. Because I have a 9 to 5 now, that has to change. I have to find a new time, and I need to learn to use the time I have more efficiently. At the same time, I have to balance all this work, along with a family.
Writing is always a process of discovery for me. I’m always sitting down, going, how in the hell do I do that? It’s never the same every time it happens differently. The one thing that is similar is the beginning. I research, and create an outline that I will ignore later, and then I get to work. I’m in the process of doing that now. It’s an exciting and scary time for me professionally. I get to this point and think, I don’t know if I can do this. But the only way I get over all of that, is by attacking it. If I just run from it, then I’ve been beaten. I’m too competitive to even contemplate losing.
I plan to write about the process of the writing, as well as the ups and downs on the business side.
So, buckle up. Cause here we go.
This blog will go through somewhat of a transformation for the next couple months. Lately I’ve been extremely slow in posting updates. Mainly because a lot of what’s going on with me professionally, are issues, good and bad, that I’d rather not air publicly. What I need to be writing about here, is the work. Not the politics, or me whining about not having the accessibility into the places I think my work should go. With a full slate of work to do in the next couple months I thought it would be helpful to myself, and other creative types who may or may not read this blog, if I chronicled my process. With that in mind here we go.
So I have three major projects, all popping off at the same time. What a blessing. And a curse.
Project 1
JULIUS X
1st of all, Julius X opens in Detroit at Plowshares Theatre in May. This is a huge break for me. I love the director of the piece Gary Anderson, he’s a smart man with a lot of heart, and vision. In the past, the play has been performed, but due to budgetary concerns, and lack of unified vision, the play has not been performed the way I envisioned it. I think I can be honest and say the opening production of the play was a disappointment to me. The director, totally ignored what I as a playwright was looking for. He didn’t understand my work, and therefore, went completely opposite of what I wanted to see. In the past, I’ve been nice about the work he did, but lately, I’ve been feeling like if I can’t be honest about it, then I shouldn’t talk about it at all. I need to talk about it, so I need to tell the truth. While there were some good performances, and fine actors on a whole I felt like the text was not explored and left wanting.
The second performance of Julius was in Cleveland. Technically, I was impressed. It was apart of the Technology and Arts festival, and the set was incredible. There were some really good actors, and I really liked the director of the piece, but they didn’t really get the poetry. I don’t blame them, I think this play is a new form of theatre that most actors and directors are not familiar with. So it makes doing the piece difficult if you haven’t seen that type of poetry. I believe they will actually include the piece in the season next year, and I’ll be brought in to help with the production. I think with all the talent they have in Cleveland, we’ll be able to make something special of the production.
With this new production in Detriot, in order to truly see the vision on the piece, I will be necessary for me to work on the music of the play. This has been an enigma. Primarily because the musicians, I want to work with have been extremely busy. They are a talented bunch, but this talent makes them in heavy demand. I’ve got a couple months to get it together, or else I believe I will have squandered an opportunity to see the play on stage, the way I have envisioned it my head.
Project 2
The 761st Men of War.
This piece is about the 761st armored division in WWII. They were the black tank battalion labeled “Patton’s Panthers” despite racism, and lack of respect, these soldiers fought hard during the Allied campaign in the European Theater of Operations. They didn’t receive their props until the 70’s. With America’s nostalgia for the Greatest Generation, and WWII, it seems to me, that people have forget about these soldiers and the battles they fought for their country and the battles they fought in their country. I want to remember them. I want to honor them. This play, stylistically, is different then anything I’ve done before. I want to fuse Drama, Poetry, and Hip-hop in a way I haven’t seen it done before. I’m planning on working with Poemcees out of Washington DC, they will be handling the Hip-Hop, and Griot 3 will handle the poetry and text. This play opens June 30th. Right now, I’m in the research aspect. Which is all encompassing. There is so much information out there, I’m finding my biggest challenge is narrowing it all down and keep the piece dramatic. There is so much there, it would be easy to get distracted from the bigger picture. A friend recently told me, when you are writing about WWII, you are not really writing about WWII, you writing about something else, don’t find what it is you are writing about, and make that the focus. He’s right.
So right now, all I’ve got is a really basic outline. I’ll have a treatment done by the end of next week along with character sketches.
Project 3
New American Gods
This is my last big project of the year. If you read this blog you’ll know I’m teaching at a small school in Jacksonville. Every year the school does a musical and as the drama teacher it’s my job to make it happen. This year, I decided that I would do an orginal piece. NAG is about, how we in America idolize, celebrity, and how it affects our opinions about people and ourselves. I love to work on relevant topics for kids, so the piece is also wrapped around things that are happening in the schools as far as violence, and standardized testing. It’s a big piece, and different then anything I’ve done yet, this is a full scale musical. The due date for the script is in April.
Am I crazy? Yes. Working on 3 pieces at the same time is nuts. I’ve done it before though, and I’m confident I can do it again. It’s a matter of discipline, and planning. I actually think I get more done when I’m working on more then one piece, because they writing in each tends to inspire the writing in the opposite. Plus, the Julius X piece is pretty much done, it’s more me just supervising. I have plenty of time to write, I just need to get in the discipline of writing at times that are different then what I’m use to. Over the years, I’ve been able to sit myself down and work, I’ve created a time and space in which to do it. Because I have a 9 to 5 now, that has to change. I have to find a new time, and I need to learn to use the time I have more efficiently. At the same time, I have to balance all this work, along with a family.
Writing is always a process of discovery for me. I’m always sitting down, going, how in the hell do I do that? It’s never the same every time it happens differently. The one thing that is similar is the beginning. I research, and create an outline that I will ignore later, and then I get to work. I’m in the process of doing that now. It’s an exciting and scary time for me professionally. I get to this point and think, I don’t know if I can do this. But the only way I get over all of that, is by attacking it. If I just run from it, then I’ve been beaten. I’m too competitive to even contemplate losing.
I plan to write about the process of the writing, as well as the ups and downs on the business side.
So, buckle up. Cause here we go.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Trust
Wow, it’s been a long long time, since I sat down to work on this blog. For those of you who read it (all two of you) I’d like to apologize for the long silence. I’ve been in the midst of a ton of stuff, personal, professional, and otherwise. When I get to that place, I’m pretty bad about blogging. I just need to live a little to get to the point where I can write a little. Some big transitions coming up, so I figured I need to get back in the habit of blogging.
So what’s happened since my last writing? Mostly good stuff Griot went to NY and got great reviews. To see that go to www.griot3.com. I have a lot I could write on the whole situation, but honestly, it’s too much to write. Suffice to say, I had a great time, the shows went well, and I think I have the opportunity to build off the success of the show. Griot, itself may not benefit from that springboard, but certainly future work will.
I’ve been come pretty unsentimental about my own work. I want to put it out there, and move on. I’m really scared of being trapped in a piece, and not creating new work. That’s not where I want to be. I think each piece needs to live it’s life and I need to not try and control it, but in the words of Ray Charles, “Let it do, what it do.” On the flip side, I also don’t want to give up on something before it’s had time to mature. I love Griot. But there are some issues that make me ready to move to the next piece. Pretty soon, I’ll be announcing here the title of my new play that will open in Baltimore in the Summer. Pretty excited about it. I’m still in the research aspect of it, and I’m not quiet sure where the concept will lead me, but it should be an interesting journey.
I look back on my career, I’ve learn that I just need to trust. Trust that the Lord hasn’t given me a gift to let it waste. Let it find it’s own way. So that’s where I am with my work.
Other news: I’m teaching fulltime now. Pretty excited about it. I’m the creative arts director at the Foundation Academy in Jacksonville Beach. A very cool school with very cool kids. I’m happy to be there. I’m really looking to do more young adult work like Chalk, so being at this school will help make that a reality.
I’ve got another large project I’m working on, but mums the word for now. If it works out, it could be pretty big for me. If not, I’m still pushin’ on. See ya soon.
So what’s happened since my last writing? Mostly good stuff Griot went to NY and got great reviews. To see that go to www.griot3.com. I have a lot I could write on the whole situation, but honestly, it’s too much to write. Suffice to say, I had a great time, the shows went well, and I think I have the opportunity to build off the success of the show. Griot, itself may not benefit from that springboard, but certainly future work will.
I’ve been come pretty unsentimental about my own work. I want to put it out there, and move on. I’m really scared of being trapped in a piece, and not creating new work. That’s not where I want to be. I think each piece needs to live it’s life and I need to not try and control it, but in the words of Ray Charles, “Let it do, what it do.” On the flip side, I also don’t want to give up on something before it’s had time to mature. I love Griot. But there are some issues that make me ready to move to the next piece. Pretty soon, I’ll be announcing here the title of my new play that will open in Baltimore in the Summer. Pretty excited about it. I’m still in the research aspect of it, and I’m not quiet sure where the concept will lead me, but it should be an interesting journey.
I look back on my career, I’ve learn that I just need to trust. Trust that the Lord hasn’t given me a gift to let it waste. Let it find it’s own way. So that’s where I am with my work.
Other news: I’m teaching fulltime now. Pretty excited about it. I’m the creative arts director at the Foundation Academy in Jacksonville Beach. A very cool school with very cool kids. I’m happy to be there. I’m really looking to do more young adult work like Chalk, so being at this school will help make that a reality.
I’ve got another large project I’m working on, but mums the word for now. If it works out, it could be pretty big for me. If not, I’m still pushin’ on. See ya soon.
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