Every time I travel to DC I'm reminded of how much I enjoy this city.  It features good food, good friends and a good metro system.  This weekend's experience in DC was no different.  The events began on Friday evening with a reading at Dissident Display Studio that was co-hosted by The Backlist's Felicia Pride, who I just learned also edits the literary magazing, Mosaic. 

Dissident Display is an innovate design studio/gallery space in Northeast DC.  I was introduced to co-founder Adrian Loving through BK friend Diana McClure.  As dj/visual artist/film director and entrepeneur it was easy to see why and how Adrian was moved by Songs in the Key to allow me to use his space before he even read the book.   

Felicia read a selection from her forthcoming book The Message and we co-facilitated a conversation on that evening's theme, "Memories and Mantras." 

During a discussion to plan our event Felicia and I discovered that "Memories and Mantras" is an apt way to describe the overlap between our projects.  Her book homes in on the mantras she's developed from listening to Hip Hop, while mine traces back a litany of memories associated with a select group of songs/artists from the last thirty years of pop music.  

On Saturday, I was back at it again, this time at the Culture Shop, an eclectic venue that's part book store, part community resource and all around captivating epicenter of art, music and textiles from Africa and South America.  Along with an old friend from Yale who played host on Saturday afternoon, the reading at the Culture Shop was an opportunity to get acquainted with a troupe of librarians led by Eboni Curry who I met during Book Expo America.  We had a great conversation about faith and the unlimited possibilities of dreaming and the courage it takes to follow those dreams.  This discussion thread was inspired by my reading  from the "If It Makes You Happy" chapter.  It was the first time that I read from this chapter and it turned out to be very timely.  Happiness can be abstract, fleeting, but it's so personal and very courageous to pursue.  The discussion that ensued after the reading revealed to me that this chapter complements the introduction and to some extent, one can even say that it concludes the conversation on happines that ushers in Songs in the Key of My Life.

After the gathering at The Culture shop it was off to Maggie Moos for ice cream-the ideal night cap for this sojourn to Chocolate City.

Be Well

FL

On Friday June 22nd I was blessed to host a listening party with my favorite blogger and music critic extraordinaire, Jalylah Burrell.  The theme that Jalylah and I decided for the evening's discussion was "blue eyed soul."  This theme fit neatly with my meditations on Teena Marie in the chapter on "Portuguese Love," and Jalylah's recent work on the new crop of b.e.s. artists Justin Timberlake and chanteuse au current, Amy Winehouse. 

This listening party was held at Smooch Organic Cafe in fort greene brooklyn (yes, I do have events outside of brooklyn).  The discussion was very animated as we went from discussing Winehouse to the notable black women artists whose work she finds herself being compared to, most notably Lauryn Hill.  As music critic Oliver Wang noted in March: "she's a Jewish, British gal gifted with a voice that's part of the Billie Holiday/Erykah Badu/Lauryn Hill/Madeline Peryoux school of bourboned warmth and rasp, who was a jazz torch singer last album and has, for Back To Black, reinvented herself into a Stax/Motown era song slinger."

 Once we got to talking about Lauryn it was clear to see that people were beginning to open up.  From Lauryn we went on to Erykah Badu, to recollections of Patti Labelle, before making our way over the fellas, namely D'Angelo and the Voodoo that so many of us clamor for him to still do. 

Jalylah is such a generous facilitator and I hope to be able to return the favor when her book drops in the not too distant future.  She helped guide the conversation from the personal to the poltical, from immediate memories to the immediate present, and creating a space in which we can laugh, share openly and think critically.

On Sunday June 17th I had the pleasue of co-hosting a listening party with Beats, Rhymes and Life co-editor Kenji Jasper.  This was the first co-hosted listening party in Brooklyn and it went well.  Along with being the author of a number of novels and the memoir, The House of Childress Street, some of Kenji's work has also been published via Harlem Moon, the same imprint that published Songs in the Key of My Life. 

The party was held at Brooklyn's Grand275 bar and cafe and attracted an eclectic sample of fort green/clinton hil residents, along with a few friends who made the trek from as far as Providence and metaphorically far uptown NYC. 

 It was interesting shepherding this dialogue along with another person.  At times I found myself sitting back and playing the role of spectator and enjoying the dialogue from the outside looking in.  During these moments I was afforded moments of reflection and even introspection that are not as easily acquired at events where I am the sole facilitator.  This was also the first time that the conversation stretched beyond the contents of the books and into the seedy underbelly of the music industry.  Having never  been inside my contributions in this segment of the conversation were mostly speculatiive. 

Still, the dialogue did manage to draw out some of the recurring themes, finding oneself through music, the shifts in black identity caused by the emergence of hip hop, and what is becoming more apparent with each listening party a fond remembrance of days gone by, a revelation that surely points how my peers and I are growing older by the day.

F.L. 

Courtesy of Michael Molina

A Hot 9 Things To Do at the US Social Forum

1. US Social Forum Opening March—Wednesday, June 27th @ 1:00pm
Gather at Georgia State Capitol at 1pm (Take MARTA to Georgia State Station)

2. The Living Cultural History of New Orleans, Workshop Featuring the Hot 8 Brass Band—Thursday, June 28th @ 10:30 am
Where: Mezzanine Center, Atlanta Civic Center

3. Turnin' Tables: Black Men Don't Read, Workshop Featuring Black Men Authors Ferentz Lafargue, Michael O. Molina, and Bryant Terry—Thursday, June 28th @ 1:00pm
Where: Norcross Room, Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown @ 590 W. Peachtree Street, NW, 30308

4. Hot 8 Brass Band night performances at Eyedrum (10 pm), and Django (12am) Rukus Society/BLOC Party present ATL United–Thursday June 28th
Where: Eyedrum, Suite 8, 290 MLK Jr. Drive SE, Atl, GA 30312.... Django, 495 Peachtree St.

5. The Second Line: How New Orleans Can Inspire Social Justice Across America, Workshop, Performances, Speakers, and the Hot 8 Brass Band—Friday, June 29th @ 10:30am
Where: Progressive Sunshine Class, Trinity United Methodist Church, 265
Washington Street, 30303, @ corner of Trinity and Washington Streets

6. The Science of the Cypher: Walking Freestyle Rap Cypher —Friday June 29th @ 1:00pm
Where: Starts in Front of 7 Stages Theater, 1105 Euclid Ave., 30307

7. All Day Block Party and Skate Park—Friday, June 29th ALL DAY
Where: Little 5 Points, Euclid Ave
What: D.J.'s, Vendors, etc.

8. Writing The Revolution—Friday, June 29th @ 8pm
Where: 7 Stages, Little 5 Points
What: Multi-dimensional literary event, Spoken Word, Performances

9. Revolutionizing Education: A New Civil Rights Movement—Saturday, June 30th @ 3:30pm
Where: Cary-McPheeters Gallery Room, Auburn Avenue Research Library @ 101 Auburn Avenue, 30303

Oh my.  It has been quite a while since I posted a journal entry.  Since my last entry I have ventured to New York, Chicago and back to New York. 

In Chicago I was warmly feted by Bernadette Atuahene and her "mighty, mighty, mighty" Chi-town crew. 

I had my first NY event on May 30th at Saje Lounge in Brooklyn.  For all those travelers from the Francophone Caribbean, Saje is a great spot to convene and chat it up with Pascale de Guadeloupe et Shakespeare d'Haiti.  Pictures from the event can be viewed here.  Thanks to Richard Louissaint for documenting the evening. 

 Two more radio interviews are available online. 

June 6th, I did an interview with WBAI's Deepa Fernandes on her wakeupcallradio program.
http://www.archive.wbai.org/files/mp3/070606_080001wuc.MP3 

June 14, KPFA's Weyland Southon did a feature on Hard Knock Radio
http://kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=20744 

The internet(s) are also putting Songs in the Key of My Life on blast.  It was chosen as the Book of the Week on AOL Black Voices More Than Words Blog
http://blackvoices.aol.com/blogs/2007/06/08/book-of-the-week-songs-in-the-key-of-my-life/ 

Songs...also received a warm shout on the blog cypher and syllable.  keep an eye out on that one as it develops
http://mparham.wordpress.com/2007/06/11/slow-going-cns/ 

Finally, if you check out the Book Tour page you will find some updated events.  There are slew coming up in the next few weeks in BK and DC that hopefully you will come out and support.  

Till we meet again

Be Well

FL