Southern Eccentrik
Chandra Kamaria
Letting Art Imitate Life….
So, here I am, deep into the draft for my next stageplay, Honey’s Kitchen. I’m constantly developing the story, the characters, and envisioning the set. Then, one day in February, a tragic event stopped my creation process dead in its tracks. I came across a headline about an unarmed teenager murdered by, of all things, … Continue reading
20 Books That Every Black Woman Should Own
This is not an exhaustive list and surely, there can be many more added, however, here are twenty of the most essential books by Black women writers that every Black woman should own, according to me….and I ain’t no junk, ya dig? 1. Their Eyes Were Watching God — Zora Neale Hurston 2. Sula … Continue reading
A Perspective (and Rant) About Red Tails
By now, you’re fully aware that, Red Tails, George Lucas’ cinematic account of the Tuskegee Airmen opened in theaters across the country this weekend. Sitting in my cushiony seat at the Malco Paradiso theater on Saturday night, I thought about all of the hype before the film; the barrage of posts on my FB newsfeed … Continue reading
A Word About Amber Cole
So, I went to dinner with three friends this past Friday night. We were sitting at a hibachi table with a brotha and his daughter and son. Before they left, we found out that it was the young girl’s birthday and that she was turning fifteen. In the midst of dinnertime conversation, the subject of … Continue reading
Tipping on the Tightrope: Balancing Cosmic Flyness w/ Being ‘Regular’
I’ll admit it. I have trouble being myself all of the time, not because I don’t know me. On the contrary, I’ve been studying myself for as long as I can remember so I’m quite comfortable with all of my imperfections and facets. For a brief moment in my life, though, feeling like an oddball … Continue reading
Cultural Translation, or, They Might Read About ‘Madea’ in a History Book One Day.
Cultural Translation: The first time I heard this term, it was being used by a political science professor to describe the late Isaac Hayes. At the opening ceremony for Kwanzaa 2006, the artist formerly known as Black Moses was standing alongside the former Superintendent of Memphis City Schools (Memphis, TN), Carolyn Johnson as official ceremonial royalty. … Continue reading
How to Survive in Memphis (or just about anywhere)…..When You’re an Artist
There is a definitive difference between artists and entertainers. The most common but erroneous difference is that most people think artists are broke and entertainers are rich. On the contrary, there are some rich artists and some broke entertainers. Artists are generally, although loosely, defined by their ability to create a work with a specific … Continue reading
Marcus Mosiah Garvey
August 17, 1887–The spirit formerly known as Marcus Mosiah Garvey was born in Jamaica. Early in his life, he emigrated to the United States and became one of the greatest black leaders in history. Through his organization, the Universal Negro Improvement Association, Garvey instilled a philosophy which sought to unite all Africans across the globe. … Continue reading
“I’m Open”: The Beauty of Emotional Vulnerability
Here’s a post that I just wrote for the blog, Love Jones Lifestyle. I’m a co-contributor over there…. Whether we admit it or not, all of us have veils to cover our faces and fortresses around our hearts. Anything that will reveal the depth of our emotions is generally shielded from the piercing eyes of … Continue reading
What Non-Writers Need To Know About Writers…
This is for all of the non-writers out there. Writer friends, feel free to share this with your non-writing friends so they can ‘get’ us, finally. For many of my writer friends, I speak for them. We hold Skype video chats and bi-monthly conference calls discussing people like you who complicate our writing process due … Continue reading
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