10/20 RADIO INTERVIEW: Poet, Tamara Madison on Rhymes, Views & News Talk Radio

 

Poet, Tamara J. Madison

 

 

Kentucky Curdled by Tamara J. Madison

Rhymes, Views & News Talk Radio is ALL NEW this month with your host DuEwa Frazier!  Listen live on October 20, 2013 @ 5:30pm EST with featured guest poet and author TAMARA J. MADISON!  Tamara will discuss her new book Kentucky Curdled and share her poems.   Call in to the show, at (646) 716-9474 to join the discussion! 

My new book! Goddess Under the Bridge: Poems

Goddess Under the Bridge: Poems by DuEwa Frazier

It's been a long while since I have actively promoted my books - so I'm happy to finally post about GODDESS UNDER THE BRIDGE: POEMS (Lit Noire Publishing) my new volume of poetry which was published this spring!  

You can find (and purchase) Goddess Under the Bridge here:

Lulu.com Paperback

Amazon.com Kindle Edition


Follow me via Twitter @duewa1 and @DuEwaWorld for updates!  Visit my website at DuEwaWorld for my blog posts and calendar.

Entertainment: Isaiah Washington Digs Deep to Portray DC Sniper in Blue Caprice

Isaiah Washington in "Blue Caprice"

Isaiah Washington Digs Deep to Portray DC Sniper in Blue Caprice

by DuEwa Frazier   

                                                                                                        

Former “Greys Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington transformed as an actor to play the role of D.C. sniper John Muhammad in the film “Blue Caprice.”  Washington who has been relatively out of the spotlight since his departure from “Greys Anatomy” says of the time right before the “Blue Caprice” role was offered, “I had been traveling abroad, extensively working on my interests in West Africa in this wonderful nation that I believe in, Sierra Leone.  I was in a place where if something came in I was fully in control of what I wanted to do as an artist.”

Washington prepared for the role by reading two sources given to him by the film’s director Alexandre Moors - Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground and the memoir of John Muhammad’s ex-wife, Scared Silent.  The readings helped put him in the pain filled mental state he needed to be in order to play Muhammad. Washington says of his preparation,“I read Scared Silence in like two days…I said ‘I get it you want me to really be in that place, but if I go any further…I’ll be like the roach in Kafka’s Metamorphosis.’”

The film depicts the psychological and emotional disturbance of John Muhammad the man who manipulated a young teenager from Antigua, Lee Boyd Malvo, to kill and injure dozens of people across the Beltway area.  Washington was initially on the fence about taking the role saying, “I pick up the phone and call producer Isen Robbins, he gives me the whole spiel.  I’m feeling it.  Then he says we’re doing this story on the D.C. sniper.  I say ‘You got the wrong guy’.”  But after more talks with the film’s producer and director Alexandre Moors, Washington found that the project would give him the opportunity to connect with his need to “make art” and tell a story.  Washington talks of what sold him about the role, “I read this wonderful missive that he [Moors] wrote to me.  It reminded me of the artist that I always wanted to be when I was working with Spike.  Reminded me of the days of “Clockers” and “Get on the Bus” and “Girl 6”.”  

The role was not about making a Hollywood comeback for Isaiah, but rather who he could become as an artist through the project.  Washington says of his transformation, “I was emancipated on many levels because of this film.  I was emancipated as an artist.  I was emancipated as a human being.  This is probably the most challenging, the most difficult endeavor I have ever embarked upon.”  

Director Alexander Moors discusses why he made the film. “It is not a biopic. I felt I needed to do something to bump my head against this thing that troubles me…how people choose to embrace violence in such an easy way.  I needed to understand why we choose violence as a means to an end.”

Isaiah Washington hopes that people will support the film, but “not for me.”  “This isn’t a black movie, or just about black people…this is a human story,” says Washington.  He believes the film will serve to make people think critically and embrace in depth depictions of human experiences in film.  Washington says of his journey as an actor, “I’ve been fortunate to have some extraordinary opportunities.” 

 

“Blue Caprice” opened on September 13^th and will extend through October.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/bluecapricefilm and www.bluecapricefilm.com for a complete listing of screenings. 

5/27 EVENT Word Canvas: Garden of Poetics

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Monday, May 27, 2013, 7-9pm FREE
Word Canvas: Garden of Poetics
@ Bluestockings Bookstore
Hosted by Robert Gibbons

Featuring

Monica Hand
DuEwa Frazier
Metta Sama

Join us in celebration of the word with three intriguing women poets reading and discussing their new and selected work.  Discussion hosted by poet, Robert Gibbons.

About the Poets

Monica Hand, author of me and Nina, (Alice James Books, 2012). Her poems have appeared in numerous publications including Aunt Chloe, Black Renaissance Noire, Naugatuck River Review, The Sow’s Ear, Drunken Boat, Beyond the Frontier, African-American Poetry for the 21^st Century, Gathering Ground: A Reader Celebrating Cave Canem’s First Decade and American Creative Writers on Class. She has a MFA in Poetry and Poetry in Translation from Drew University. A Cave Canem alum, she is also a founding member of Poets for Ayiti. Currently, she is a PhD candidate – Creative Writing – Poetry at the University of Missouri- Columbia. 

Metta Sáma is a poet, professor, activist, painter, collage artist, fiction and essay writer. She is the author of South of Here (New Issues Press, published under the name Lydia Melvin), a collection of poems, and Nocturne Trio (YesYes Books, 2012), with visual artist Mihret Dawit.  Her work has appeared several journals. She received her MFA in creative writing from Western Michigan University and her PhD in English with an emphasis in creative writing at SUNY – Binghamton. 

DuEwa Frazier is a poet, author and educator.  She is the author of Goddess Under the Bridge: Poems (Lit Noire Publishing, 2013) and the forthcoming young adult novel, Deanne in the Middle.  Her work has appeared in Tidal Basin Review, Reverie, Kweli Journal, Poetry In Performance, X Magazine and others.  She earned the MFA in Creative Writing degree at The New School.  DuEwa is a candidate for the Ed.M. degree in Educational Leadership at Columbia University.  

 

Bluestockings Bookstore
172 Allen St  New York, NY 10002
(212) 777-6028

www.bluestockings.com

4/7 RADIO INTERVIEW: Gregory Reed Esq., Author of Obama Talks Back: GLOBAL LESSONS

 

(L) Tony Rose, Publisher Amber Books with (R) Author, Gregory J. Reed, Esq.

RHYMES, VIEWS & NEWS TALK RADIO is all NEW on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 5pm EST, featuring NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, Mr. Gregory J. Reed, Esq.

Mr. Reed will discuss his award winning book, OBAMA TALKS BACK: GLOBAL LESSONS - A DIALOGUE WITH AMERICA'S YOUNG LEADERS WORK (Amber Books).  Listen LIVE at 5pm EST on April 7th and call in at  646-716-9474 to speak with Mr. Reed about his new book!

Visit www.blogtalkradio.com/duewafrazier 

for more information.

 

Art + balance: Creativity and the graduate student

I've been in graduate school, since 2004.  Yes.  I'm on my fourth degree.  Some might say that I'm "over-educated."  I don't care.  People have asked me, "When do you find time to write?"  How about when do I find time to LIVE!?  Well I happen to believe that each degree program I've pursued, has been very useful for my work and career.  And of course my MFA degree was in writing, which I am still finding to be worthwhile as I work to strengthen my craft.  I love learning.  I'm proud to be from a family of educators who instilled a love of education in me.  The arts became a passion of mine early on, and so writing + education has been at the center of my life work.

But there is a drawback I've found to being an artist + graduate student.  The time and mental energy it takes to focus on classwork for graduate school, over time, can take away, from creative pursuits.  And that is if you do not structure your time, learn to say "No" to unnecessary activities or commit to what you say you really want for your art.  I've also found that over the years my eyes have become strained through repeated close reading and constant computer usage.  It could also be that with age, comes weaker eyes.  If you're an artist in an arts program that informs your work, it may be easier because you are constantly surrounded by people who are immersed in their art as well.  And perhaps they are giving you critique and helping you grow. 

So, how do you balance creativity with work + school?  Writers I know who are enrolled in MFA programs, find that their writing falls in line with their graduate studies.  But what if your grad program is not really aligned with your art?  One could refer to The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron, a daily, self help practice workbook for artists who need a an inspirational boost.  Cameron encourages artists of all genres to commit to solitude and writing "morning pages" in order to bring ones self back to creative balance.  I used the book years ago, during a summer when my mind wandered more than my pen did onto the page.  I also repeatedly read Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain to inspire my creative vision as a writer. 

Listening to music while working or resting is a great way to inspire the artist within, especially if you have neglected your art for awhile.  I love the relaxing Cafe del Mar chillout and Buddha Bar hour-long playlists.  As a full-time educator and graduate student, I find that it's important to build in those joyous breaks between working and studying.  Academic life can be very non-creative and can feel like, "when will this be over" but it's necessary for certain career progress.  I have to build in time to write.  Early mornings.  Late evenings.  Sometimes only once per week.  I jot down ideas on my iPhone until I get to my computer or notebook.  When I sit down to really write and revise, I do it for three or more hours.  Water, herbal tea and a snack is close by.  And in this space I try not to think about the paper I have due in a few weeks or some other to do list.  Because I know that I will get it done and it will be thorough.

Self care for artists, whether you work full time in addition to graduate studies, or not.  How you take care of your mind and body is important.  Sleep is not overrated.  Our fast paced culture promotes the idea of "grind now, sleep later."  But you won't have a grind now or later if you don't sleep.  Lack of sleep can cause digestive problems, anxiety, depression and an overall bad mood.

Your mind, body and spirit need rest and intervals of quiet to rejuvenate and sustain.  That's the truth.  Studies have shown that lack of sleep can affect your heart, your mental stamina, and can accelerate aging.  Sleep, proper nutrition, hydration, even being around positive vs. negative energy all has an affect on your creative output, your mental outlook and overall productivity.  The next time you think you have some type of block, like writers block - ask if you are getting enough self care in the above areas.

There's light at the end of the tunnel.  Sometimes I feel my pursuit of "book knowledge" in higher education will never end, yet it is necessary for certain goals I may have.  There is always a gnawing inside of me, a reminder and a whisper telling me to "don't forget to write..." no matter how tired I am.  Eye strain.  Bad attitude.  Phone calls.  Assignment deadlines.  Hunger.  Need to be social.  Nothing should keep you from your art.  Otherwise, you'll search for something outside of yourself, to feed your soul. 

How do you fit your creative practice into your busy work + school schedule?

3/17 RADIO INTERVIEW: Truth Thomas Author of Speak Water

RHYMES, VIEWS & NEWS TALK RADIO with host DuEwa Frazier is *ALL NEW* on Sunday, March 17th @ 5pm EST featuring poet, singer, songwriter and author of the NAACP Image Award winning book SPEAK WATER - TRUTH THOMAS!

Listen LIVE or call-in to hear Truth Thomas speak about his award winning new book!  Call in to speak with the host and guest at (646) 716-9474.