DuEwaWorld News! by DuEwa Frazier

I'm featuring along with other authors  for Morningside Alliance and Jumpstart's Read Out Loud literacy program for kids. I'm going to read from my first book of poetry, Shedding Light From My Journeys , as well as the poetry picture books I Live in Music by Ntozake Shange (with paintings by Romare Bearden) and A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein , for the kids. The festival will take place in Harlem this Saturday November 3rd, from 11am - 3pm. So if you know anyone with young children this is an ideal literary program for them to participate in. There will be storytelling, poetry activities, art making and book giveaways for the kids! See full info and participating orgs. below. All the best, DuEwa =================================== READ OUT LOUD! A Family Literacy Festival PS 165 The Robert E. Simon School 234 W. 109th Street (bet. Broadway & Amsterdam Ave.) Harlem, NY ATTENDING LITERARY and/or EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS: Artists Reaching ...

On October 7th I interviewed L. Divine , the young female author of the young adult fiction series Drama High. L. Divine has three books that are currently out: The Fight, Second Chance and Jayd's Legacy . All of her books feature Jayd Jackson, a high-spirited, independent, sassy teen who is loved by her circle of friends. During our interview L. Divine shared with me her background as a former school teacher and that at one time she lived in Jamaica. L. Divine is also a priestess who is originally from California but she now resides with her children in Atlanta. L. Divine also holds advanced degrees in African American studies from UCLA. The author talked about her work as a writer and the fact that she initially self published her first book, she said, "Remember Mya on 'Girlfriends' selling her book on Crenshaw Avenue? Well that was me." From there she received a two-book contract with a major publisher, Kensington Books . L. Divine revealed that many (I ...

I've known about Suzan Lori-Parks for quite some time. I remember when her play Topdog/Underdog ran on Broadway featuring Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright. I kicked myself for not having gone to see it because I love theater, especially productions written by and about people of color and women. Several years ago (I don't remember the year exactly), an acquaintance of mine gave me a promotional postcard. The postcard listed a discount ticket price for the London production of Topdog/Underdog. Of course I couldn't go, and this was after T/U closed here in New York City. Fast forward to my work as a middle school English teacher this past year (2006-2007). I gave my students a writing project. The project was for them to research a person who they may consider to be a modern day hero. So they wouldn't procrastinate in their search, I came up with twenty to thirty people who I believed would be great women and men for the students to know about (in the fields of literat...

I'm a woman who still loves hip hop, especially the classics and the folks who laid the foundation for the music. This weekend is the official VH-1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend featuring everything from theater and old school film showings (Krush Groove & Beat Street), to DJ workshops, book signings, panels, a celebrity basketball tournament and more! The show premieres on VH-1 Monday, October 8th featuring this year's honorees: A Tribe Called Quest, Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, Whodini, New Jack Swing (Teddy Riley, Andre Harrel) and Wild Style. As far as the events go, I hope to attend one of the panels. But I really wish I could go to the Black Girls Rock Awards Show at Lincoln Center, I know it's going to be a great event. Too bad for my purse that the tickets are listed at $300 (someday, someday y'all)! I know it's for the worthy cause of serving at risk youth, DJ Beverly Bond (BGR Founder) is to be commended for her work and dedication. Check out the below even...

CLEANING There are times when I am absolutely obsessed with cleaning: sweeping, mopping, cleaning the tub, counters, dusting, etc. I want that clean, fresh smelling and feeling in my home all the time. Despite my busy schedule I try to be this sacred home decorator/house keeper. In recent years I have gotten more and more interested in using more natural or non-toxic cleaners than in the past. Let's face it, buying the local grocery store all purpose cleaner, bleach and other cleansers may at times seem cheaper, but some of the ingredients in the cleaning products we grew up watching our mothers and grandmothers clean with have BIG TIME toxic stuff in them! Some of us may wonder why we can barely breathe when we clean, or why our children get sick around certain cleaners, or more seriously why we have high occurences of asthma and other allergies in our families? Well, it may have to do with what you're using to clean your home. As I've gotten older I've become mor...