Page 68 of 91

Posted on

CELEBRATING AMERICAN SHE-POETS (7): Chirlane McCay, New York City’s First Lady

Chirlane McCray by Kelly Weill, NYU Local.com
Chirlane McCray by Kelly Weill, NYU Local.com

CHIRLANE McCAY is a writer and poet, a speechwriter and wife of New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio. She is also the mother of two children, Chiara and Dante.

According to her bio on de Blasio’s website,

“Chirlane began writing at a young age. In high school she discovered ways to use writing as a tool for activism. While studying at Wellesley College and the famed Radcliffe Publishing Course, Chirlane became a member of the Combahee River Collective, a pioneering black feminist collective, which inspired her to write groundbreaking prose and poetry.”

The poem below is the one – according to the man himself – that made de Blasio fall in love with her. It is from Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology].

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 10: Public Advocate and mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio kisses his wife Chirlane McCray after voting in the New York City mayoral primary on September 10, 2013 (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY: Former public Advocate and then mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio kisses his wife, Chirlane, after voting in the mayoral primary on September 10, 2013 (Photogrpah by Spencer Platt via Getty Images)

I Used To Think

I used to think
I can’t be a poet
because a poem is being everything you can be
in one moment,
speaking with lightning protest
unveiling a fiery intellect
or letting the words drift feather-soft
into the ears of strangers
who will suddenly understand
my beautiful and tortured soul.
But, I’ve spent my life as a Black girl
a nappy-headed, no-haired,
fat-lipped,
big-bottomed Black girl
and the poem will surely come out wrong
like me.

And, I don’t want everyone looking at me.

If I could be a cream-colored lovely
with gypsy curls,
someone’s pecan dream and sweet sensation,
I’d be

poetry in motion
without saying a word
and wouldn’t have to make sense if I did.
If I were beautiful, I could be angry and cute
instead of an evil, pouting mammy bitch
a nigger woman, passed over
conquested and passed over,
a nigger woman
to do it to in the bushes.

My mother tells me
I used to run home crying
that I wanted to be light like my sisters.
She shook her head and told me
there was nothing wrong with my color.
She didn’t tell me I was pretty
(so my head wouldn’t swell up).

Black girls cannot afford to
have illusions of grandeur,
not ass-kicking, too-loud-laughing,
mean and loose Black girls.

And even though in Afrika
I was mistaken for someone’s fine sister or cousin
or neighbor down the way,
even though I swore
never again to walk with my head down,
ashamed,
never to care
that those people who celebrate
the popular brand of beauty
don’t see me,
it still matters.

Looking for a job, it matters.
Standing next to my lover
when someone light gets that
“she ain’t nothin come home with me” expression
it matters.

But it’s not so bad now.
I can laugh about it,
trade stories and write poems
about all those put-downs,
my rage and hiding.
I’m through waiting for minds to change,
the 60’s didn’t put me on a throne
and as many years as I’ve been
Black like ebony
Black like the night
I have seen in the mirror
and the eyes of my sisters
that pretty is the woman in darkness
who flowers with loving

– Chirlane McCray

Posted on

She-Poet, Maya Angelou, Phenomenal Woman

American She-Poet Maya Angelou (1928-2014), Photo 2013, York College under CC BY-SA 2.0
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

 

41kNzUbndlL._SX334_BO1,204,203,200_A reading by Maya Angelou yesterday on Poetry Please brought her front and center in my mind.  How could we celebrate Black History Month and not include Maya Angelou? So here she is, not a conventional beauty, but a Beauty and a Refuge … wise and sassy Phenomenal Woman …

 

 

phenomenal |fəˈnämənəl|
adjective
1 very remarkable; extraordinary
2 perceptible by the senses or through immediate experience: the phenomenal world.

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

– Maya Angelou

© poem, excerpt from Maya Angelou, The Complete Poetry; photograph “Maya Angelou visits York College, February 4, 2013” by York College and shared under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Posted on

THE SUNDAY POESY: Opportunities, Events and Other News

PBD - blogroll

EMERGENCY RELIEF

A Place for Freelance Artists (and Writers), The Haven Foundation (created by Stephen King) “gives financial assistance to provide temporary support needed to safeguard and sustain the careers of established freelance artists, writers and other members of the arts and art production communities who have suffered disabilities or experienced a career-threatening illness, accident, natural disaster or personal catastrophe. Grants are awarded and renewed at the discretion of the Haven Foundation Board.” Details including eligibility guidelines and application are HERE.

The Authors League Fund (writers helping writers) has assisted professional writers and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune. Details HERE.

Human Rights Watch administers the Hellman/Hammett Grants program for writers who have been victims of political persecution or are in financial need. Hellman/Hammett grants typically range from $1,000 to a maximum of $10,000. In addition to providing much needed financial assistance, the Hellman/Hammett grants focus attention on repression of free speech and censorship by publicizing the persecution that the grant recipients endured. Details HERE: 212 292 4700

PEN Writers’ Fund Grants of up to $2,000 available to published writers in acute financial crisis. No membership necessary. Application and details HERE arielle@pen.org Note the next deadline is March 15.

CONTESTS/COMPETITIONS

Opportunity Knocks

Elixir Press announces its 16th Annual Poetry Awards open to poets writing in English. Two prizes: Judges Award, $2,000; Editor’s Award, $1,000 and possible publication. $30 entry fee. Deadline: October 31. Details HERE.

Killer Nashville, a place for thriller, Suspense, Mystery Writers and Literature Lovers, is an “advocate for beginning and mid-list writers, as well as a resource for platform-building for established authors. It is a community of genre and non-genre writers whose work contains elements of mystery, thriller, or suspense.” Their 2016 Falcon Awards offers opportunities to submit under a range of categories and subcategories – including eBooks. Deadline: April 30. Details HERE

The Wenlock International Poetry Competition 2016 is now open for submissions. The deadline is March 7 but you can submit online. Details HERE.

.
Smartish Pace announces its 2016 Erskine J. Poetry Prize. All contest submissions are considered for publication even if they don’t win the prize. Deadline: October 15, 2016  Winning poet receives $200. Details HERE.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunity Knocks

Writespace has opened the submissions call for its second anthology, In Medias Res: Stories from the In-Between. The seek looking stories about characters who are thrown into or stuck between different cultures, communities, families, races, genders, self-images, dimensions, continents, etc. Deadline April 28. Details HERE.

The French Literary Review: twice-yearly international magazine of poetry and prose. The review seeks contemporary poems; short stories and articles (1000-3000 words); novel extracts that stand on their own; paintings / drawings, all of which must have a French connection. Deadlines: 30 July and 30 December Details HERE.

The BeZine submission guidelines and mission statement.

EVENTS

TODAY: A reading of Myra Schneider’s poem Birds from her collection Circling the Core is a feature on Poetry Please at 4:30 W.E.T. Details HERE.

HEADS-UP HOLLYWOOD: Every Saturday night …

6887_1025978297475619_7365908306130727252_n

HEADS-UP SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA: Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion are relocating and this may be your last time to hear Michael read in Berkeley. TOMORROW NIGHT …12744141_10207737672172762_6902229050544911951_n

Second Light Live, Poem of the Month series HERE.

ONLINE POETRY COMMUNITIES

All Poetry dubs itself the largest poetry community, more than 500,000 poets. “Friendly advice and encouragement and detailed critiques when you’re ready. All Poetry hosts free contests with $50 cash prizes, active discussion forums, and an annual anthology to which you may contribute.” Free and optional paid monthly memberships are available. (I have not sampled this myself, but a friend has and reports a mostly positive experience. She was involved for several years.)

d’Verse Poets Pub “is a place for poets and writers to gather to celebrate poetry. We are many voices, but one song. Our goal is to celebrate; poets, verse & the difference it can make in the world. To discover poetry’s many facets and revel in it’s beauty, even when ugly at times.” This is a smaller and more intimate group than All Poetry (above) would appear to be. I can testify that there are some excellent poets participating and coaching one another. This is quite an ambitious project, long running and lead by a dedicated team.

KUDOS

Poetry Space Success: Eggs on Toast Valentines Competition: Carolyn O’Connell’s (Timeline, poetry) poem Lovers in the Window was one of the five selected winners of this competition. It can be read on the Poetry Space website.

Woven Tale Press garnered a review in Kirkus: “New York Times Notable Book author Tyler (Blue Glass, 2014) and her editorial team of artists and writers  [including Michael Dickel (War Surrounds Us, Is a Rose Press, 2015)] present an eclectic collection of artwork and creative writing” You can sample Woven Tale Press by downloading their newest publication for free HERE.

Well done to Second Light Network (SLN) for yet another thumbs-up review. This one is from poet, publisher and educator, John Kilick, for their most recent anthology, Fanfare: “ …. another amazing piece of work, quiet equal to the first book [Her Wings of Glass], and introducing many new names.  The book is so tight thematically and the high standard is never relaxed.”

Cheers for Kingsley Tufts Award Winner Ross Gay, Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude and Kate Tufts Discovery Award Winner
Danez Smith, [insert] boy. Details and a sampling of poems (worth your time) HERE.

POETRY FOR WORTHY CAUSES

RUMOR (Cold River Press) by Silva Zanoyan Merjanian, author and publisher donate profits to the Syrian-Armenian Relief Fund. I believe they raised about $5,000 thus far. Three of the poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. The book won Best Book Award in the poetry category, NABE Fall 2015. Rock on, Silva!

PETRICHOR RISING (Aquillrelle, 2013) an anthology of the Grass Roots Poetry Group for the benefit of UNICEF.  To read the Group’s story, link to “Petrichor Rising and How the Twitterverse Birthed Friendships That In Turn Birthed a Poetry Collection.”

CANBERRA: ONE LAST BORDER (Gininninderra Press, 2016) – poetry for refugees. Co-authored by Helen Hall and Sandra Renew, “launched by Thomas Albrecht the regional representative for UNHCR. The poems were mostly written last year in response to the Syrian refugee crisis, to raise awareness and some money for refugees.” The launch is on March 12 in Canberra. Details HERE.

Hands & WingsHANDS & WINGS, POEMS FOR FREEDOM FROM TORTURE (White Rat Press, 2015).  The poems in it are freely shared by A-list poets. The proceeds go to help with the rehabilitation and support of torture victims seeking protection in the U.K. That made me look into what services specificially designed for victims of torture might be available in other countries and that readers might want to support through donations or volunteer work. You may find your country’s offerings listed HERE.

Posted on

LATE BREAKING NEWS: “BIRD” BY MYRA SCHNEIDER TO BE READ ON “POETRY PLEASE” BBC4 SUNDAY, AT 4:30 P.M. W.E.T.

IMG_0032Bird is an excerpt from Myra’s Circling the Core (Enitharmon, 2008), discussed HERE with an interview.  Myra is an award-winning poet with eleven published collections. She is a writing coach and a tireless advocate for poetry in all its beauty, power and ability to heal.

images2

Link to Poetry Please HERE. It would appear you can stream on demand from anywhere. There’s also a small archive of past shows.

Poetry Please is moderated by Roger McGough, last seen here with Mafia Cats. Well-known actors read the poems. It will be fun to see who reads Bird. According to Wikipedia this show is the longest-running poetry show in the world … twenty-five years.

For your convenience: World Clock Converter.

© portrait and cover art, Myra Schneider