Read Out Loud! Family Literacy Festival-Nov. 3rd

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 Out (ARO) – Community Impact/Columbia University
Cathedral of St. John the Divine – Education Department
Children’s Art Carnival
Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement (CTICE)
Fu Foundation School of Engineering/Columbia University
DuEwa M. Frazier - Lit Noire Publishing
Jumpstart
New York Public Library
The School at Columbia
Teachers College – Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC)
Bank Street College
Read to Me, Non-profit organization

ATTENDING AUTHORS/POETS/ILLUSTRATORS:
The Cheetah Girls, Deborah Gregory
Shedding Light From My Journeys, DuEwa M. Frazier
Mama’s Boyz (comics), Jerry Craft
Dana Rondel
Eric Velasquez, Grandma’s Records and others
La Shell Wooten, The Sharing Secret
Yangsook Choi, The Name Jar
Alex Simmons, The Raven League Series (Books #1 and #2), Black Jack
Bryan Collier, Rosa, Uptown, Martin's Big Words, Visiting Langston, Lift Every Voice and Sing

Chatting with L. Divine on Rhymes, Views & News Talk Radio (Oct. 7th)

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 believe other authors) didn't take her seriously at first because she was a young adult fiction author. I myself thought this was ridiculous. Perhaps she was speaking of her colleagues in academia, but anyone with any real intelligence should understand the skill, imagination and discipline it takes to complete a full manuscript of any genre. Because many people are just not able to do it. I can't tell you how many people I have met since living in New York who want to write a book, but they don't know how to start. Or they have been working on the same book since the 70's, but their job or other distractions have kept them from being focused on completing it. And this is real. You can't judge people if you yourself aren't putting forth great effort in your work, or because you don't understand that someone's niche in writing may not be the same as yours.

Creative people just do not always get the respect they deserve. I gave L. Divine her due propers by stating, "Anyone who reads your background would have to know that you are a serious person..." I went on to say that people love to label and box other people and that no one ever knows the extent to what a person can do or is planning to do. This is when L. Divine mentioned "haters" and she quoted the comedian Katt Williams who during his stand-up on a cable special remarked something like, "If you don't have anyone hating on you, you must not be doing anything great" or "Haters hate, that's what they do, just keep doing what you're doing..." What I took from this part of our interview is that L. Divine is talented and focused and that the people who are criticizing her are probably jealous (this is usually the case). L. Divine mentioned she has not just one or two, but several books coming out in the near future and she's working on her memoir. You have to respect someone who is dedicated to their craft.

L. Divine told me she writes everyday, runs a household and takes care of her children. She remarked that some people figure she doesn't do much of anything within her day. Again, people just do not understand the skill and discipline it takes to write a book, and to keep writing and being focused each day, despite daily life drama. L. Divine made it clear that once she received her book contracts she had to leave her full-time job in order to dedicate herself to completing the books and staying on deadline. Anyone who doesn't understand this type of grind needs to 1) Read This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley , and 2) read my previous post on the prolific playwright Suzan Lori Parks (who completed a phenomenal feat by writing one play per day for a year, having them all published in one book and staged all over the country).

I enjoyed my interview with L. Divine. She and I have had similar experiences and I wish her the best in her endeavors. Her books are great if you have tweens or teens who love to read.

The next Rhymes, Views & News Talk Radio interview is with Cartoonist/Author, Jerry Craft - Sunday, October 21st!

The Talented Ms. Parks (Is Trying to Tell Me Something!)

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 literature, drama, politics, sports, civil rights, music, etc). I didn't choose any of the usual people who the kids already know. I wanted their minds to stretch. The assignmnent was titled the HERO PROJECT and Suzan Lori Parks was one of the notable people on the list. I must admit, I myself had not researched her life extensively. I knew titles of her plays, I knew she wrote a novel, Getting Mother's Body, I knew that she won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama and was the first African American woman to do so, but I hadn't fully absorbed the scope of who she is as an artist, or the journey it has taken her to reach these accomplishments. I also hadn't asked myself, "What Can Suzan Lori Parks teach me?" as I had regarding many writer, poets, even actors who I have either viewed their work, met them or purchased their books in hopes of learning more about my craft as an artist.

Fast forward to late September 2007. I'm taking a weekly, evening class, and my teacher says to us, "I have assigned each of you a playwright. I want you to read their works and find out everything you can about their lives." She begins to read the roll of our names and gives us the playwright she wants us to research. "And DuEwa...Suzan Lori Parks. Do you know about her?" my teacher asks. I reply, "Yes, she wrote Topdog/Underdog and she's a novelist." She asks, "Did you go see it? Have you read it?" I reply, rather embarrassed because I call myself an artist and I call myself a writer, and I'm an African American female (aren't we supposed to support each other?) yet I didn't go see Topdog/Underdog (what was I doing? performing at a poetry venue? sleeping? working on my poetry volume? eating a muffin in a cafe? stuck on the subway? talking long distance to my mom? fretting about money? what kept me from seeing that play? DRATS!!!) and yes, I still felt bad about it. But, there is hope. I now had another chance, more like a third chance (after having assigned Parks to a student of mine to do a report, and he did a good job, with my assistance in helping him edit and revise the paper) to delve into the work of Suzan Lori Parks and mean it this time, both for my own artistic good and because my teacher expects us to discuss the playwright in class.

That weekend after receiving the assignment I went on a search, to find a book of Suzan Lori Parks plays, hopefully a compilation and I decided to do some internet research.

My favorite article so far is titled, "THE SHOW-WOMAN: Suzan-Lori Park's idea for the largest theatre collaboration ever" by Hilton Als, get this I found and printed the article out on October 2nd, and it was published on the New Yorker's website in the same month last year, October 20th 2006! The coincidences are erie! What is Suzan Lori Parks trying to tell me? So I read the article, and it's all about Suzan's journey as a budding playwright up to the point when she sits down in a meeting with her friend, Bonnie Metzgar (Associate Artistic Director of Denver's Curious Theatre) and Ben Cameron (then Executive Director of the Theatre Communications Group - publisher of Parks' plays) to explain her idea to have "a yearlong, nationwide staging of a series of very short plays that Parks wrote in the course of a year" which would "launch on November 13th, and will involve nearly seven hundred theatres, in more than thirty cities...". When I read this I was blown away, just the impact of what her plays have had and would continue to have if 365 Days/365 Plays was staged all over the world for 365 days. The article revealed Parks to be a very aggressive, focused, determined artist who sets out on a goal and gets what she wants. I was most impress with reading about how her Mount Holyoke college mentor and teacher, James Baldwin gave her the idea to turn her then short stories into plays since she read them so well, dramatically, during class. How awesome that she had the great James Baldwin as a teacher.

In my research I have learned that in addition to being a playwright and novelist, Parks is also a screenwriter, singer/songwriter, teacher, speaker and practicioner of Ashtanga Yoga.

Parks believes in writing everyday, as a prayer and committment to the craft. She often works on several projects at a time: screenwriting, staging a play, crafting a novel. She resists being labeled, and is aware that she is one of several black women (Lorraine Hansberry, Ntozake Shange, Anna Deveare Smith, and Sarah Jones) who've had plays staged on Broadway. Parks won the MacArthur Foundation "genius" Grant, she is a New Dramatists alumna, and has received numerous other awards and honorary doctorates. She also enjoys inspiring others during her speaking tours. Says Parks, "I get up onstage. I have my stack of books and a glass of water and a microphone. No podium, no distance between me and the audience, and I just talk to people and get all excited and tell a lot of jokes, and sing some songs, and read from my work and remind people how powerful they are and how beautiful they are.” Parks is also married to a blues musician, has several dogs and lives in California.

Parks journey to being an accomplished artist began like so many others. She lived and worked in New York as a temp secretary. She wrote constantly and fearlessly networked with anyone who would help her.

She never stopped believing in herself and people took notice. Her first play "Betting on the Dust Commander" was staged at a bar on the Lower East Side, which had never held a play. Parks' next play "Imperceptible Mutabilities" was staged at BACA Downtown Theatre, when she was just 26 years old. And the rest is history!

In my search for her plays, I visited two Borders bookstores in Manhattan and ended up buying the volume, 365 Days/365 Plays (Theatre Communications Group,November 29, 2006), all short plays and brilliant! Since purchasing 365 Days/354 Plays I've been devouring this book on the train, on the couch in front of the TV, just anywhere and everywhere I can read, when I'm not working. As of last week, we still haven't talked about the playwrights in class, but I'm looking forward to sharing when we do.

Just today I was changing channels on the TV, searching for something interesting to watch, while sitting with some books and my notebook, when I caught the title "Women in Theater" coming on at 12:30pm, on the CUNY TV channel 75. And guess who this segment of "Women in Theater" was about? YUP---YOU GUESSED IT! The Talented Ms. Parks! I was thrilled1 The show was covering the New York City productions of 365 Days/365 Plays. The show featured interviews with the current Director of The Public Theater, Oskar Eustis as well as the directors of New York City based theater companies: MUD/BONE, Classical Theatre of Harlem and Ma-Yi Theater Company.

The short plays are now being staged at The Public Theater. Eustis explained that the point of the stagings is not to make money from 365 Days/365 Plays but to continue to support Suzan Lori Parks and to support the theater artists involved in bringing the works to life. The segment showed clips of performances of 365 Days/365 Plays including "Vase", "Now Gregory Hines is Dead", and "From The Absolutely True Adventures of Afrodite Jackson-Jones." Just watching the segment, I really felt proud of Suzan Lori Parks, the directors and the many actors who are involved with the year-long production. Once again I jumped on the internet to find out if there were 365 Plays being shown in the near future that I could attend. I found a whole schedule on The Public Theater's website - lucky for me!

I wrote all this, for you, to make you aware of the works of Suzan Lori Parks, because she is now one of my artistic Sheroes! But also because I figured out what she, or rather her creative life is trying to tell me, DuEwa.



Here are 10 things I learned from Suzan Lori Parks:

1) You never know when your BIG BREAK will come, so just keep creating, because it may never come and IT'S ABOUT THE ART anyway.
2) You may not be the first to do something, but you can do what you do really well and in your own way.
3) Throw off the labels and any fear(oh I'm a woman, I can't...oh I'm black, I can't...oh this artist/poet/writer/actor/playwright did it this way and they failed-it could happen to me too, BLAH BLAH BLAH).
4) Pretty much leave anyone alone who's not trying to help you (been there, done that already).
5)Do something toward your goal everyday no matter how big or small.
6)Have a practice for yourself that keeps you in shape (and limber) physically and mentally.
7) Be persistent even if you have to hound people about an idea you may have.
8) Marry someone who supports you and all that you do (Parks' husband was the first to cheer her on when she came up with the idea to write one play a day)!
9) Never forget what your mentors did for you, reference them whenever you can.
10) Learn how to be a damned good (whatever you call yourself) AND MEAN IT!

It's VH-1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend!

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 events. Friday has passed of course, but maybe you can check out something on Saturday or Sunday.

Thursday, October 4 - Special Pre-Weekend Event!Official VH1 Hip Hop Honors Screening & After-Party to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation
Create. Innovate. Dominate. Celebrate. Join VH1 & VH1 Save The Music in paying tribute to hip-hop's biggest icons at the Official VH1 Hip Hop Honors Screening & After-Party.
Providence
311 W. 57th St. at 8th Ave., Manhattan
To purchase tickets, call 212-846-7882 or rsvp@vh1.com. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Must be 21+ to attend.
RSVP at 212-846-7882 or rsvp@vh1.com to purchase tickets.
7:00 pm
$150; After-party only: $100
To bid on a fantasy package that includes tickets to the show, go to www.vh1auctions.com.
To learn more about the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, visit www.vh1savethemusic.com.

Friday, October 5
Neighborhood Tour: Hip-Hop Legends Harlem/Bronx TourPioneering emcee Grandmaster Caz leads guests through Harlem and the Bronx, pointing out famous hip-hop landmarks - including the legendary locations seen in the first hip-hop film Wild Style. Tours take place all weekend long. Go to www.hushtours.com for more information.
Hush Hip-Hop Tours Meeting Location: 292 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
212-714-3527
11am
$50 per person
www.hushtours.com
Neighborhood Tour: Tours of Harlem and NYC hip-hop venues
Harlem Hip-Hop Tours is an entertainment company that provides tours of Harlem and NYC's hip-hop industry. Each tour highlights a different aspect of Harlem and hip-hop culture allowing tour guests to tailor their experience. All tours can be booked on any day at any time and include door-to-door car or limousine service.
Harlem Hip-Hop Tours
69 West 106th Street, Suite 5B, Manhattan
212.769.9047
Call for schedule and more info
www.harlemhiphoptours.com

Performance: The "Welcome To Reality" High School Tour
In honor of VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend and Disability Awareness Month, 4 Wheel City will be performing an inspirational hip hop performance, combined with a motivational lecture by Namel "Tapwaterz" Norris & Ricardo "Rickfire" Velasquez, two hip hop artists confined to wheelchairs. Their mission is to honor hip-hop, promote disability awareness, and encourage teens to make responsible decisions in life.
Christopher Columbus High School
925 Astor Ave., Bronx
646-593-5331
12pm
Free
www.myspace.com/4wheelcity

Panel: The Present State of the Mixtape DJJoin The Mixtape Awards, LLC, Hot 97, New York University and Antilia, Inc. as they discuss the present state of the Mixtape DJ. This panel discussion will address everything you need to know about the DJ business. From the legal issues involved in hip-hop music- specifically copyright infringement, legalities involved when creating and distributing a mixtape to promoting your services and product to the general public.

Moderating: Charles Sanders, Attorney at Law / NYU Professor

Panelists:
Russ Jones, Senior Director, Promotions/Lifestyle Marketing RCA Music Group
Ebro Darden, Hot 97 Program Director
Stacy Lynch, Entertainment Attorney & President, The Mixtape Awards, LLC
DJ Sickamore, Director of A&R for Atlantic and Mixtape DJ
DJ Vlad, Mixtape DJ and TV Personality
DJ Kay Slay, Mixtape DJ and Hot 97 Radio Personality

The Michael Schimmel Auditorium at Tisch Hall
W. 4th St. & Greene St., Manhattan
6pm
Free
visit the mixtapeawardsonline.com for more information or email us at info@themixtapeawardsonline.com
Museum Event: First Fridays at the Bronx Museum of the Arts
For October's installment of First Fridays, The Bronx Museum will present "Beyond the Caribbean: Unconventional Tropicalisms," featuring a night of hip-hop influenced voices and sounds from a generation of artists born and raised in the Caribbean diaspora and transplanted to New York. Hosted by DJ Laylo, this showcase features Aja-Monet (Poet-Spoken Word), Okai (MC) and the San Juan Hill Band.

The Bronx Museum of The Arts
1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx
718-681-6000
6:30pm
$5, free for Bronx Museum members
www.bronxmuseum.org
Panel Discussion: "Does Hip Hop Hate Women?"
Black Girls Rock! Inc & Rap Sessions present this community dialogue on the gender crisis within the hip-hop generation. Panelists include a number of leading hip-hop intellectuals and activists, including author Joan Morgan, rapper/activist M-1, director Byron Hurt, and professor Tracy Sharpley-Whiting. Hosted by Black Girls Rock! Founder and DJ Beverly Bond and moderated by author Bakari Kitwana.

The Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
212-534-1673
7pm
Free with RSVP to 212-534-1672 x3395
www.mcny.org
Concert: VH1 Hip Hop Honors Tour featuring The Roots with Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte
Kick off VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend with 2 1/2 hours of must-see classic hip-hop and soul performed by The Roots and past VH1 Hip Hop Honors honorees Big Daddy Kane and MC Lyte.

Nokia Theatre Times Square
1515 Broadway at 44th St., Manhattan
212-930-1950
8pm & 11:30pm
$39.50
Go to tours.vh1.com for more info.
Club Event: Grandmaster Dee & WHODINI at Shadow
Join WBLS as they celebrate VH1 Hip Hop Honors honorees Grandmaster D & WHODINI at the Shadow Night club on Friday, October 5th as part of VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend!

Shadow
229 W 28 St.
212-629-3331
10pm
$10.
DJ Gifting Lounge: The Urban Mix Suite
Ubiquita NYC, DubSpot and Rohn Padmore's Red Carpet Gift Suite are coming together with Going.com, MISSBEHAVE Magazine, Sandboxtv.com and Moet-Hennessy to present the Urban Mix Suite - DJ based gifting suite and celebrity style lounge for DJ's, honorees and other industry tastemakers during one of the hottest weekends dedicated to Hip Hop. This next generation of gifting lounges caters to the VIP who wants it all: cocktails, cool grooves and high-end luxury items.

Stereo
512 W. 29th Street (bet. 10 & 11 Avenues)
Friday, October 5th and Saturday, October 6th, 2007
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
To register to showcase your products (limited space) or RSVP: www.redcarpetgiftsuite.com
For Further info: www.dubspot.com
DJ Event: Sucio Smash
NYC's own DJ Sucio Smash, known for his "The Squeeze Radio" show on 89.9 FM, hosts this evening of beats with special surprise guest DJs. Sucio is also celebrating the first release on his new label, High Water Music. Oh, and it's his birthday, too.

Club Element
225 East Houston Street, Manhattan
212-254-2200
9pm
$5
www.elementny.com
DJ Event: Tha Get Up! With Duane Harriott
One of APT's Friday night residents Duane Harriott (Negroclash, Other Music) welcomes Grammy Award-winning hip-hop producer Ninth Wonder plus special guest Cuzzin B.

APT
419 West 13th Street, Manhattan
212-414-4245
10pm
$10
www.aptwebsite.com
DJ Event: New Yorker Dance Party
The New Yorker magazine hosts an all-out dance party featuring DJ/producer Diplo (Hollertronix, former tour DJ for M.I.A.) to kick off opening night of the 2007 New Yorker Festival.

Hiro
363 West 16th Street, Manhattan
212-242-4300
10pm
$20
festival.newyorker.com
DJ Event: The Freedom Party
DJ Herbert Holler's long-running jump-off, The Freedom Party, serves up a crowd-pleasing mix of hip-hop, classic R&B, dancehall, soul, funk and more for the sophisticated and sexy.

The Canal Room
285 West Broadway, Manhattan
11pm
$7 ladies/$10 guys
www.myspace.com/djherbert
Saturday, October 6th
Exhibition: Jamel Shabazz: Seconds of My Life and Leonard Freed: Black in White America
Celebrated photographer Jamel Shabazz offers a selection of images spanning some 25 years of work from around the world alongside the work of the late Magnum Photographer Leonard Freed, the foremost African-American photojournalist. Events will be ongoing at The powerHouse Arena all weekend long-for more information, check out www.powerHouseArena.com

The powerHouse Arena
37 Main Street, Brooklyn
212-604-9074
Exhibition on view all weekend
www.powerHouseArena.com
In-Store Event: Ode to the "True" School
YUME BKNY presents custom, hand-designed pieces from past and present VH1 Hip-Hop Honors honorees sewn on hoodies and sweatshirts. Select pieces will be painted onsite by graffiti artist See One. Free cocktails and food will be served.

Yume BKNY
925 Bergen Street between Franklin & Classon Avenues, Brooklyn
718-513-3456
12pm-4pm
Open to the public
yumebkny.blogspot.com
Panel Talk and Book Signing: Brooklyn Bodega presents Panel Talks
New Jack Swing: A discussion of VH1 Hip Hop Honorees Teddy Riley and Andre Harrell

Panelists will discuss the impact of the late 80s to early 90s sound that influenced musical genres including hip hop, pop, and R&B. Panelists include Andre Harrell, Ian Steadman ("A Different Kitchen"), Alvin Blanco (allhophop.com), Jake Perry (Brooklyn Bodega). Moderated by Wes Jackson (Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, The Room Service Group)


The Birth of a Legend: A discussion of VH1 Hip Hop Honoree A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest crafted five outstanding albums over a 10 year period that defined what is know referred to as the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. Come join us as we discuss the group's genesis, evolution and legacy. Events will be ongoing at The powerHouse Arena all weekend long-for more information, check out www.powerhousearena.com/wildstyleVH1
The powerHouse Arena
37 Main Street, Brooklyn
212-604-9074
Noon
free and open to the public
www.powerhousearena.com/wildstyleVH1
DJ Gifting Lounge: The Urban Mix Suite
Ubiquita NYC, DubSpot and Rohn Padmore's Red Carpet Gift Suite are coming together with Going.com, MISSBEHAVE Magazine, Sandboxtv.com and Moet-Hennessy to present the Urban Mix Suite - DJ based gifting suite and celebrity style lounge for DJ's, honorees and other industry tastemakers during one of the hottest weekends dedicated to Hip Hop. This next generation of gifting lounges caters to the VIP who wants it all: cocktails, cool grooves and high-end luxury items.

Stereo
512 W. 29th Street (bet. 10 & 11 Avenues)
Friday, October 5th and Saturday, October 6th, 2007
12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
To register to showcase your products (limited space) or RSVP: www.redcarpetgiftsuite.com
For Further info: www.dubspot.com
Audio/Visual Presentation: What Isn't Hip-Hop
New Yorker pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones hosts a discussion on the state of hip-hop as part of the 2007 New Yorker Festival.

Ailey Citigroup Theater, Joan Weill Center For Dance
405 West 55th Street, Manhattan
212-405-9000
2pm
$25
festival.newyorker.com

Free Workshop: Scratch DJ Academy
NYC's Scratch DJ Academy invites guests out to learn the basics of DJing and music production with celebrity DJ Grandwizzard Theodore, Inventor of The Scratch and DJ Excess. Other guest DJ instructors to be announced.

Scratch DJ Academy
434 6th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Manhattan
212-529-1599
2-3pm
free
www.scratch.com

Theater: 'Till The Break of Dawn
This new one-man play from Danny Hoch (Jails, Hospitals and Hip-Hop) tells the story of hip-hop activist Gibran, who leads a group of his NYC friends on a trip to Havana to attend a hip-hop festival. Watch as hip-hop politics, South Bronx angst and Cuban reality all clash in this raucous and provocative theater event.

Abrons Arts Center at the Henry Street Settlement
466 Grand Street, Manhattan
212-598-0400
2pm and 8pm show times
$35
www.cultureproject.org

Awards Ceremony: The 2007 Black Girls Rock! AwardsThe Black Girls Rock! Awards celebrate the accomplishments of exceptional women of color who have made outstanding contributions in their careers, and who stand as inspirational and positive role models in their communities - from the industry's most accomplished icons to lesser known women whose creative contributions often go unnoticed in mainstream media. Celebrity guests and honorees include Gabrielle Union (host), Missy Elliott, Susan Taylor, Common, Cassie, designer Tracy Reese, DJ Diamond Kuts, chef Marcus Samuelsson, actress Sonja Sohn, and other surprise guests!

Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway at 60th Street, Manhattan
212-721-6500
6:30pm
$300
www.blackgirlsrockinc.com
Film Screenings: Old Skool Movie Night
The Black and Latino Filmmaker's Coalition (BLFC) proudly presents the Brooklyn Indie House's screenings of legendary hip-hop movies Krush Groove and Beat Street. So come out and relive the '80s on the big screen, B-Boy style. There will be a Q&A following the movies. Free VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend popcorn with purchase of beverage.

Brooklyn Indie House 900 Fulton Street, Brooklyn
718-857-4360
10:15pm, Krush Groove
Midnight, Beat Street
$7
www.brooklynindiehouse.com

InStore Event: The Official VH1 ThrowBack Party with MC Lyteadidas, Echoing Soundz & Patty Laurent present the official VH1 ThrowBack Party hosted by MC Lyte!

adidas Originals Store
136 Wooster St., Manhattan
212-673-0398
10 pm
Free with rsvp to www.echoingsoundz.com/vh1adidas

DJ Event: Classic Hits & Hip-Hop
Five Spot SoulFood welcomes DJ Kenny Parker (Boogie Down Productions), set to spin a mix of classic hits and hip-hop party jams.
Five Spot Soulfood
459 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn
718-852-0202
10pm
$5
www.fivespotsoulfood.com

Concert: 98.7 Kiss FM Presents Brand Nubian, Fonda Rae and Kool DJ Red AlertKISS FM takes over the Bronx with Brand Nubian and Fonda Rae, with music by Kool DJ Red Alert.
The Paradise Theater
2403 Grand Concourse, Bronx
718-563-2222
11 pm
For tickets call 212-252-4942
www.paradisetheater.com

Live Performance: Channel Live with special guests Alecia Chakour and Scanz
Hakim Green of Channel Live is an intense and charismatic performer, using music as a platform to dram attention to imminent social issues and to challenge people to think and act. Channel Live was discovered by the legendary KRS-One in 1994, and is returning with a long-awaited LP "A Revolution Televised" this fall. Also on the bill are dynamic soul and blues singer Alecia Chakour and producer/MC/DJ Scanz.
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street, Manhattan
212-539-8777
11:30pm
$15 adv/$20 at the door
www.joespub.com

Sunday, October 7
VH1 Hip Hop Honors Celebrity HoopsVH1 and Entertainment Basketball Classic (EBC), the nation's largest basketball tournament of Rucker Park fame, present the 2nd annual Hip Hop Honors Celebrity Hoops - old skool vs. new school. Players include Chubb Rock, CL Smooth, Common, Damien & Tourie Escobar (Nuttin' But Stringz), Dana Dane, DJ Envy, DJ UNK, Fatman Scoop, Grandmaster Caz, LA Sunshine (Treacherous 3), Luv Bug Starski, Lyfe Jennings, M.I.M.S., Mike C (Funky 4 Plus 1 More), Positive K, Saigon, Steve D (Force M.D's) and more. Celebrity coaches Grandmaster Melle Mel, Tyrone Williams, and EBRO - with the national anthem by Chrisette Michelle and a special half-time performance by Swizz Beatz and a special guest. Appearances by Salt-n-Pepa, Irv Gotti, Tiffany Pollard (aka New York) and Melyssa Ford. Presented by VH1, EBC, LIU and Hot 97 with proceeds to benefit the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club.

Long Island University, One University Plaza, Brooklyn
Doors open at 1:30 pm, Game at 3 pm
Tickets available through Ticketmaster at 212-307-7171 or at Ticketmaster.com
$10 for general admission
Slide Show and Book Signing: Charlie Ahearn Presents Wild Style: The Sampler
In 1982, Charlie Ahearn wrote, directed and produced Wild Style - an indie movie that explored the nascent hip-hop culture: DJing, MCing, B-Boying and graffiti. Curated by Ahearn, this slide show features iconic images of hip-hop legends and pioneers, including Lee Quinones, Fab 5 Freddy, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel and Debbie Harry. Events will be ongoing at The powerHouse Arena all weekend long-for more information, check out www.powerhousearena.com/wildstyleVH1/

The Powerhouse Arena
37 Main Street, Brooklyn
212-604-9074 x101
5pm
free and open to the public
www.powerhousearena.com/wildstyleVH1/
Music Event: The Numark Video Mix Party
This unique party, in which guests are treated to popular hip-hop videos, is hosted by Big CED and Dana Dane, and features the VJ skills of DJ Wiz (Kid-N-Play), Uncle Ralph McDaniels (Video Music Box), The Awesome Two (Sirius Radio), and DJ Vernon. Expect a hot mix of hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk and classics.

M1-5 Lounge
52 Walker Street, Manhattan
212-965-1701
8pm-2am
Free
www.m1-5.com
Concert: Southpaw, Lyricists Lounge, Afro Punk, Okayplayer &VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend present Kings of Rock!!! featuring M.O.P. with Game Rebellion, The Lordz, Da Nillaz and DJ set by J. Period.
For the 2nd year in a row, Southpaw brings classic hip-hop back to Brooklyn for VH1 Hip Hop Honors weekend. Come and witness Brooklyn's hometown favorite Hip-Hop group M.O.P. rock out with their live band! DJ J.Period will hold down the decks with performances by Underground Lords of Punk-Game Rebellion, Brooklyn Vets - Lords of Brooklyn and upcoming sensation from the Okayplayer family - Da Nillaz. The crews bring their hybrid of hip-hop and heavy rock to the stage for an all-out celebration honoring the Legendary &Leaders Of Punk "BAD BRAINS"!

Southpaw
125 5th Avenue, Brooklyn
718-230-0236
8pm doors
$15 in advance $20 day of show, advance tickets at www.ticketweb.com
www.spsounds.com
Concert: 2K Sports Bounce Tour featuring Common & Q-Tip
Nokia Theatre Times Square
1515 Broadway at 44th St., Manhattan
212-930-1950
9 pm
$38.50
www.nokiatheatrenyc.com

Open Mic Event: End of the Weak
At NYC's longest running weekly open mic - seven years and counting! - hip-hop, R&B, poetry and spoken word acts are all welcome. Over the years, the who's who of underground hip-hop has graced the stage at End of the Weak - so come prepared to impress.
The Pyramid Club
101 Avenue A., Manhattan
212-228-4888
9pm
$10
www.endoftheweak.com

DJ Event: Stereo Celebrates VH1's Hip Hop HonorsStereo's popular Sunday night hip-hop party hosts a special evening with Hot 97's DJ Envy and special guest DJ Jus Ske (Allido Records). The DJs promise a bevy of special guests for the heavily industry crowd, so expect a serious showing of bold-named guests to be on the scene!

Stereo
512 West 29th Street, Manhattan
212-244-1965
10pm
$30
www.stereonyc.com
DJ Event: Don't Be Cruel
Downtown royalty Va$htie and Oscar host this popular downtown event, where the music and fashion of the early 1990s are in vogue. Celebrity surprise guests seem to always be dropping in (recently, Grand Puba and Redman swung by to perform), and DJs King Solomon and Elle destroy the dancefloor with a mix of '90s hip-hop, R&B, soul, and pop jams. Come dressed in your best retro gear, as the crowd is willing to don Hammer pants and neon British Knights!

R Bar
218 Bowery Street, Manhattan
212-334-0484
10pm
$5
myspace.com/1992theparty
DJ Event: DJ Premier &DJ Evil Dee
Two of hip-hop's most respected figures come together for a special evening of beats and rhymes. DJ Premier - also known as one half of Gang Starr and one of the most influential producers in the game - will introduce his latest project, The NY G'z. DJ Evil Dee will man the turntables and bring his trademarked mix of classics and current hip-hop bangers for the heads in the house.

The Knitting Factory
74 Leonard Street, Manhattan
212-219-3006
10pm
$10 adv/$15 door
www.knittingfactory.com
DJ Event: New Jack Swing Party
The Rub's Cosmo Baker and Scott Melker bring their wildly popular party to Lotus nightclub, where they'll spin a celebratory mix of classic New Jack Swing anthems. In conjunction with VH1 Hip Hop Honors Weekend, lauding 20 years of New Jack, the DJs promise a bevy of special guests for the evening.

Lotus
409 West 13th Street, Manhattan
212-243-4420
10pm
Free with RSVP to spotlite212@gmail.com, $10 w/o RSVP
www.lotusnewyork.com
DJ Event: DJs Make Your Junk Shake
The ladies from Worship Worthy, Boost Mobile and Okayplayer band together for this night of booty-shaking tunes, featuring music provided by The Fearless Vampire Killers, Team Facelift, and Benny Blanco (Bangers and Cash).

The Canal Room
285 West Broadway, Manhattan
212-941-8100
10pm
free
www.worshipworthy.com

How do you Green?

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 more sensitive to smells, chemicals, dust, etc. It may be allergies or it may be the fact that I try to eat alot of organic foods, and keep myself "clean" on the inside...in any case I'm sensitive. So I started looking for ways to clean my house, bring on the constant smell good/feel good, etc. without using some of the well known cleaners. The result, the house is just as clean as it was when I used the other products, but it smells better, my eyes aren't burning, nor am I coughing or struggling to hold my breath while I clean. I have used vinegar and lemon juice to clean counters and the tub. I have also mixed Dr. Bronner's peppermint oil with orange essential oil and water to clean, and it works wonders--and smells good too!

FRAGRANCE/FRESHENING
Did you know you can really make your own room/linen spray and fresheners. Try reusing a plastic body spray/mist or hair spray bottle. Clean it out real good. Now, add some plain water and mix a few drops of essential oils (ie. rose, orange, geranium, lavendar), then try spraying in the less than fresh areas of your home. I'm not saying mix all of the oils together. But use one or two, maybe experiment and see which fragrances you like. This is a natural and cost effective way to clean your home. Another thing I like to do with these sprays is spray my closet, my dresser drawers and you can put drops of essential oils in the toilet to freshen the bathroom for a while. These things really work. And you don't have to have the most creative of minds, or the biggest pocket book to explore these non-toxic cleaning and freshening options.

BEAUTY
Also consider your beauty products too? Ever wonder why your skin stays so dry? Or perhaps your hair just doesn't get as clean as it used to with the products you've been using for awhile. That's because you may need to switch it up! Use some new products. Try products with more natural ingredients for your skin, hair and body. It becomes a real pampering treat when instead of rushing to pick up your regular products you can go online, or in a specialty store or health food store and really browse to see if you which products for your skin and hair you may want to try. Remember for shampoos, conditioners and other beauty products the first ingredient in them should be water. If it's not, most likely these products are weighed down with alot of ingredients some of which may be harmful or at least allergen producers. The same goes for body sprays, oils and creams. Lines such as Carol's Daughter, EO, Heritage Products, and Aura Cacia make some really nice smelling non-toxic products for your body. Some of the products may be considered aromatherapy, soothing to your sense of smell and for your mind, and you can use them in a bath or after bathing.

I won't preach about this, but when I was a kid, my mother used to become very irritated when my sister and I left a room and left the lights or appliances on in that room. Of course when you're a kid and you don't pay the bills, you may not know why your parents are always on your case about turning off the lights, TV's, radios, computers, etc. But as an adult, you should more than understand! Why? Besides the need to be practical and save money on monthly bills becomes important for most people. Turning off lights when they are not needed or unplugging certain appliances actually saves energy, which in turn helps our environment. Some of you may be millionaires, if you are - great! Maybe you don't care about having high energy bills, but it you knew how it will ultimately affect our planet in the long run you just may think twice.

My disclaimer for all of these suggestions I'm giving: I am a work in progress. I may be passionate about these subjects but I am by no means an expert as I am learning new things right along with you! Ha!

So I've given you some tidbits on "green" living, I hope they were beneficial to you. I've also included an informative weblink below which you can check out. There's a whole host of things on this topic that we can talk about, but I'd rather wait to hear from you on it! So Go...GO DO SOMETHING GREEN...(smile)

6 Household Chemicals to Avoid
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/HomeGarden/six-household-chemicals-to-avoid/