Black Looks

“My mother would
Say, ‘those gay people
Are unnatural…’ just a
Product of her time”.
My Attention asked of her
Thoughts hidden behind
Unspoken present angst:
yalo -the masculine woman,
Ito -the Transgender man,
Julio -The transman, the sworn
Fag hag armed with his
Perky breasts to boot
Are examples to us all
Who do or who do not
Inhabit gender variant
Space. Normative gender
In it’s paranoid
Restriction aims to rob us
All of diversity if not our
Very lives. “I love this woman,
Or what is sh…”
“A woman; a transwoman!” said agent
Provocateur, Easel Pastel.
“Sh looks too masculine though,
Don’t you think?” “A woman!” I said
Sternly, almost alarmed.
“Specifically; a woman.
Women come in all
Shapes & sizes. Nobody is
An Island, no man or
Woman, no Island fare”.
Nobody knows diversity
Until they come face to
Face with it without fear.

Be Spot

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: “Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens”, a collection of poems, prayers, affirmations and stories for the Person Living with HIV/AIDS.” Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens is inspirational stories, poems and affirmations that opens the heart, supports the soul and uplifts the spirit of People Living with HIV/AIDS.
Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens stories have a beginning, middle and an ending that often closes with a punch, creating emotion rather than simply talking about it. Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens stories have heart, but also something extra…an element that makes us all feel more hopeful, more connected, more thankful, more passionate and better about life in general. A story that causes tears, laughter, goose bumps or any combination of these. A good story covers the range of human emotions
DEADLINE: Tuesday, 1 December 2009, cornbreadfishcollard at gmail.com

Editors: Khafre K. Abif
Guidelines for a Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens stories
Submissions will be considered in the following genres in English
Tell an exciting, sad or funny story about something that has happened to you or someone you know. Make sure that you introduce the character(s).
Tell your story in a way that will make the reader cry, laugh or get goose bumps (the good kind!) Don’t leave anything out — how did you feel?
The story should start with action; it should include a problem, issue or situation. It should include dialogue and the character should express their feelings though the conflict or situation. It should end in a result, such as a lesson learned, a positive change or pay-off.
Above all, let it come from your HEART! Your story is important!

What a Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens story IS NOT:
1. A sermon, an essay or eulogy.
2. A term paper, thesis, letter or journal entry.
3. About politics or controversial issues.
4. A biography or testimonial.
Submission Specifications
1. It is preferred that all submissions are sent via email @ cornbreadfishcollardgreens@gmail.com.
2. Stories and poems should be non-fiction, ranging in length between 300-1200 words.
3. No anonymous or author unknown submissions please.
4. Send only one copy of each submission.
5. We do not return submissions, so please don’t send the original.
6. Please submit only stories or poems that have not been previously published. The only exception to this is if your work has only been published in a small local publication with limited circulation.

It can take up to more than a year for the books to develop. Please be patient, as this is an important, yet time-consuming process. If your story is chosen for Cornbread, Fish & Collard Greens you will be notified and your permission to print it will be requested. Please know that we never publish anything without written permission from the author.

Feel free to submit more than one story or poem. Please do not send me any book manuscripts as these will be automatically discarded

NAIROBI STAGED READING OF SHAILJA PATEL’S BWAGAMOYO (THE FATHER): PART II OF MIGRITUDE
PEN International Kenya Chapter and Wasanii Literary Nights Present:

SHAILJA PATEL

Award-winning poet, playwright, theatre artist, and activist

in a staged reading of:

BWAGAMOYO (The Father) : Part II of MIGRITUDE

Special Guest Actor: MUSIRA

What do Samuel Kivuitu’s neck, Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s ribcage, William Ruto’s abdomen, and the hands of a Nairobi “grease monkey” all have in common?

Shailja Patel takes us on a poetic journey, from colonial Zanzibar to Kenya’s post-election violence, by way of the male body.

A powerful, heartbreaking, hilarious exploration of how patriots become patriarchs, muscles queered break down masculinities, and daughters confront fathers.

An anthemic call for a new generation of Kenyans to reconnect gut to heart to voice.
To challenge icons and claim our own power.
To sing ourselves back from our violent histories to new ways of knowing and living the truth.

This reading is dedicated to Bantu Mwaura (1969 – 2009). Brother, friend, truth teller. Mourned and deeply missed.

“Shailja Patel brings out what it means to be a woman in Empire”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“one-woman poetic explosion”
—SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation)

“sets her audience on a collision course with what they know and how they learned it. Stunning and politically charged theatre that will leave you moved, awakened, angry…inspired.”
—Daily Nation, Kenya

DATE: Thursday, July 9th
VENUE: Wasanii Restaurant, Kenya National Theatre
TIME: 7 PM
Followed by Discussion With Audience

Event is FREE, with voluntary contributions requested to Kenya PEN.

NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN

www.shailja.com

How do I speak to Madam?
The member was proof,
Fact is you lived together.
To think I thought we were in love without trust; no trust; no love -
Fact is you lived with her!
‘Who’s there with you?
‘I’m here; alone, why
Do you ask?’ I asked, tasked
The line went dead!
Jealousy became you.
You demand juicy sorries
From not knowing that
You ran out of sorries Long time ago you lived There &, is sex still good?
‘What do you mean, hi?’
Tell me you want sorries,
Sorry babes, I’ve run out.
How do I speak to madam?
How do I speak to
Madam when she’s the cheat here calling me one?
How do I speak to madam when
There’s nothing more to
Say, to say, to say today?

I do not need permission
To speak, to speak today.

Tommorow may bring back my uncompromising voice…

Pray tell me, how do I
Speak to madam?

Mia Nikasimo (c) May 2009

Soul – Broadcasting while Black is an absolutely brilliant site. Vintage flim clips, music clips, articles, interviews with Black artists on Black consciousness, Black identity and politics.

Here is a clip with some music by Taj Mahal an interview with Cicely Tyson and Taj Mahal. Also some clips from the 1970s film Sounder in which Cicely starred and Taj wrote the soundtrack. A truly brilliant film and exciting Black culture/politics site.

Liberation Lit publishes “progressive and revolutionary literature” online and mostly short stories. Here is one by Nigerian Adetokunbo Abiola – The Forgotten Inmate, a vivid tale of a Nigerian prison experience.

Pambazuka News has to be the definitive source for commentary and analysis on social, economic and political justice in Africa. Moving from strength to strength, Pambazuka has developed it’s regular podcasts of interviews and news features to go on to co-produce a radio series, Crossroads, which uses drama to explore the Rights of Women in Africa.

The cast of Crossroads

The series is presently in English but will soon be translated into Swahili, French and Portuguese.

Too tired and not really much to add to my twitters and previous posts.

Opening by Oxfam and their demands on the outcome of the G20:

*Rescue package for poor countries -

*Ending tax havens

*Global governance reform

*Action on Climate Change and Greening the Economy as part of the “New Global Deal”

From poverty to power – a futher statment by Oxfam on the 4 areas which they want action.

*Commodity prices, manufacturing and trade, remittances and aid budgets

No mention of Debt Cancellation

First round table of small discussions – held an Africa perspectives one which developed quickly into a discussion on aid. The positions were fairly predictable with myself and Daudi (read his posts) essentially taking the “Dead Aid” position and non-Africans taking a continuing of aid though eventually conceding that it hasn’t worked but doubtful about the will or ability for African leadership to change significantly to develop alternative strategies. Personally I have more faith in the people of Africa to begin to call their leaders to account and force them to act in the interest of Africans and Africa rather than themselves and the West. Its a matter of time plus a great deal of anger and hope = change.

Discussion around blogging and using social media and how to take discussions offline –

A group of 5 of us left for the City – photos up on WebWandering more added later. A great deal of rubbish is being broadcast on the protests which are peaceful and where there are scuffles it is because the police are penning people in and generally being heavy handed.

Passengers stand
Packed sardine, crabby.
A mother bothered by life Catering for two kids
Tends her wounds on edge. ‘Hold on to the bar, hon,’ She said to one of her daughters, abusively.
‘Do not touch that man.’
Two “gay” people (a man And a woman) amuse
Themselves silly as of old. I can understand homo
-phobes, what is yours?
They chose ‘the talking cure’ which wasn’t new, was it?
Birds of a feather, flock 2gether after Eulij Blinde’s illness. I lose myself in Stephen Parr’s “Bonningate”. Somehow it shields me
From your cutting turrent.
A while past as time does
Then I lit a candle on an
Xmas tree early in spring.
No, I’m not a man, dear,
No, I’m not a leper either.
Mum’s having a bad day that’s All. I’m a passenger Like you and your life “worn” mother!

Mia Nikasimo (c) March 2009