| Author | Message | ||
     Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2395 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Below is a link that refers to an essay that laments the ascendancy of free-verse in modern poetry. http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/23/apr05/yezzi.htm When I have attempted to write poetry, I almost always reflexively assume a more traditional rhyme style. But such, as the article suggests, appears to have lost favor amongst poets over the last 100 years. I’ve attempted free-verse. But whatever I manage to write appear ridiculous to me (of course, some might suggest the same about ALL my poetry, I suppose...Hehe!). I posted this to solicit from the poets out there an answer to this most inane question: What IS poetry? And I’m not looking for a boilerplate response that I could easily acquire from a dictionary. I’m looking for more current and intimate definitions of poetry. And if discourse has no specific, identifiable rhythm, lyricism or “prosody” as the article mentions, how can a reader/observer discern whether he/she is reading/witnessing prose or poetry? | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1111 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Abm: What do you mean, "more current and intimate"? Poetry is an art using language in a rhythmic way, to convey some emotion or evoke some high thought. It can follow very strict forms or have no form at all. It can follow the rules or have no rules (see Dada poetry) There are ways to do this in free verse--use of repetition, parallelism, new methods of rhyme (near rhyme, half rhyme, etc)-- Examples are Walt Whitmans work and the Bible, especially the Psalms. One reason for the abandonment of traditional rhyme schemes and poem forms is because they have been done to death and people are looking for something new. A big reason why people think that the new Free Verse is not poetry is because stupid teachers stuck in the past are still teaching stuff from 200 years ago. 200 years ago there were people who were saying Byron and Shelly weren't poetry. Poetry, like language grows and a lot of people are left in the dust. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2398 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Chris, Your "Poetry is an art using language in a rhythmic way...It can follow very strict forms or have no form at all. It can follow the rules or have no rules (see Dada poetry)" sort of makes my point. Because that appears contradictory. How can something be "rhythmic" yet have "no rules"? And if poetry can have such divergent formats, when does 'it' end and any other form of discourse begin? | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 2205 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
To me, it's harder to write verse that rhymes because you have to be so careful to have what you compose come out as clever rather than trite -innovative rather than a set of phrases configured in an unnatural way just to make words rhyme. Haiku is also very challenging because its minimalist structure requires the conciseness that only a great command of the language can produce. With free verse, however, you can just ramble on and on, this way, that way, a rhyme here, some rhythm there, and best of all, you have the luxury of telling those who get bogged down in your stream of conciousness that they just don't "understand" your genius. The fact that it's such a heady ego trip is probably why free verse has gained so much popularity into today's self-indulgent society | ||
| Mahoganyanais "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Mahoganyanais Post Number: 222 Registered: 01-2005 Rating: N/A |
ABM: And if poetry can have such divergent formats, when does 'it' end and any other form of discourse begin? Mah: I'm sure you just love prose poems, huh? LOL. They are the poetry world's gender-benders. I took a flash fiction workshop, and this one woman was a phenomenal poet...and such a cheater! She brought in poems she'd written, tweaked them, and *voila* she had "prose poems" which doubled as flash fiction. What was the difference? She fleshed it out. Used complete sentences. Changed the sttructure. Playing with structure changed the pacing and the rhythm of it--out went the line breaks, stanza breaks and so forth, in came paragraphs). But..it was still...*tight*, if that makes any sense. Still no throw-away words, and the imagery and "story" was as powerful as ever. Now. One wonders if her poem poems were originally written in such a way that made them conducive to this transformation. Maybe. It's an interesting exercise. Experimentation is good. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1113 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
Abm: You are of the generation that wants to push a button and get a one line answer. Poetry has been composed written and recited for thousands of years. There have been volumes and volumes written about what it is and what it isn't. There is no way I can give you a one line answer. There is no THE poetry just like there is no THE Music. What is music? Some people say that many of the forms of music that I know and love are not music. I wish I had on tape some of the debates between me and my Bebop loving uncle over whether Miles Davis had done any real music since 1955. You want certitude. Poetry is an art. Not a science. There is no right answer. That's what you are looking for. Is ya scairt? Do you give a damn what some stodgy academic sitting away in the library thinks? If you do, don't try to write. Just write your poem. There is always going to be somebody who says it ain't crap. The only thing that matters is what do YOU think? | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1117 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
Abm: Here is a short booklet that I did for a recent writing workshop Seminar on Poetry--it may help move you along a bit. No charge, man USE THE POWER OF POETRY An Abbreviated Handbook by Chris Hayden Copyright Chris Hayden 2005 THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOKLET Note and Introduction I have put together this booklet to provide a written outline of Poetry; its definition, fundamentals, types, history, justification for its study, composition, oral performance and written publication, and a short list of poetry resources available in the St. Louis Public Library. It is a companion to my workshop/seminar of April 9th, 2005, held at the Divoll Branch of the St. Louis Public Library Any person or persons desiring more depth and detail—such as a discussion of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, the villanelle or synecdoche-- should consult excellent manuals, articles and dissertations that exist on these subjects Use the Power of Poetry is intended to serve the apprentice or beginning poet as a gateway or introduction to the Realm of Poetry; to provide the journeyman poet a guidepost and measurement of how far he has journeyed through that kingdom; and to show the master of the craft the extent of his domain. Finally it is intended to help one and all use, harness and direct the Power of Poetry. Chris Hayden St. Louis, MO April 2005 WHAT IS POETRY? Poetry is an art. Poetry is an art of words or language It can be on any subject. It can be written to conform to rigid rules of construction or have no form at all. From The Design of Poetry by Charles B. Wheeler (1966) WHAT IS A POEM? From Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language (Second College Edition) 1972: An arrangement of words written or spoken, traditionally a rhythmical composition, sometimes rhymed, expressing experiences, ideas or emotions in a style more concentrated, imaginative, and powerful than that of ordinary speech or prose. FUNDAMENTALS OF POETRY Note: Free verse-- vers libre—that is, poetry composed of rhymed or unrhymed lines of no set meter, length or regular patter, is the most common mode of Modern Poetry. I write free verse, or a combination of free verse and traditional forms. A mechanic speaks the language of automotives. A physicist speaks the language of physics, and a poet should at least know the language of Poetry. As the man said, one ought to know what the rules are before one breaks them. The Basic Elements of Poetry Words Rhythm—flow or movement through patterns in the timing, spacing and repetition accenting of the elements. Meter --an organized system of writing verse that patterns language by causing an accented syllable to occur at regular intervals of one out of every two or three in the succession of words in a line—traditional meters in English are the iambic, trochaic, dactylic and anapestic Line—a group of words that stand together, may be more than one line of type Stanza—a group of lines of verse forming one of the divisions of a poem (sometimes called a strophe) set off from other such groups by a space—often following forms such as see stanza forms such as couplet, triplet, and quatrain and more esoteric ones like Terza Rima, Ballad Stanza, Ottava Rima Devices used in Poetry Sound devices Alliteration—repetition of the same consonant sounds Assonance—repetition of the same vowel sounds Consonance—use of identical consonant sounds at the beginning and end of a word Onomatopoeia—formation of a word by imitating the natural sound associated with the object or action involved Rhyme—Generally repetition in the lines of a poem of the same end sounds and any consonants and unaccented syllables that follow (see other types of rhyme in the appendix. Figures of Speech Irony—figure of speech in which the words express a meaning that it the opposite of the intended meaning Metaphor—figure of speech containing an implied comparison Personification—figure of speech in which a thing or quality is represented by a person Simile—figure of speech where one thing is likened to another dissimilar thing by use of "like" or "as". Synecdoche—figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole Other Poetic Devices Allegory—A figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another Apostrophe—address made to a person or thing Hyperbole—exaggeration for effect Metonymy—use of the name of one thing for that of another associated with it More elements of Poetry Diction—Style of speaking or writing as dependent on the choice of words Grammar –the formal system of word structures and arrangements Point of View—place from which something is viewed or consideration, attitude Symbol—a material object representing something, often immaterial Syntax—pattern or structure in word order Theme—central subject of a work of art Some Traditional Poetical forms Different types of the same form have different places of origin, times of origin, meters, stanza and line lengths, line numbers and groupings, and rhyme schemes) The Sonnet (Italian or Petrarchian, Miltonic, English or Shakespearean, Spenserian) The Ballade (Ballade royal, Double refrain Ballade) The Chant Royal, Triolet, Rondel, Rondelet, Rondeau, Revendel, The Vai, The Villanelle, The Rondeau Redouble, Chain Rhymes, The Pantoum, The Sestina, The Rhymed Sestina, the Ode, The Haiku, The Tanka, The naga-uta, The Cinquain, the Englyn, The Limerick, The Clerineau, The Little Willie Note: I hold that it is not necessary (or even possible) to be proficient in all those forms—dozens of anthologies and instruction books are written on any one of the more popular ones the poet should select two or three that should hold you a lifetime (aside from plays Shakespeare just wrote sonnets)—working in a form is good for discipline and to learn one's craft. I have studied and worked with the sonnet, ballad and haiku TYPES OF POETRY Epic Poetry A very long poem, the action of which takes place on a national or supranational level, often with the supernatural playing a part The Iliad, Paradise Lost Narrative Poetry Tells a story on a smaller more human scale than the epic The Canterbury Tales, The Raven Dramatic Poetry Uses the direct discourse of its characters to tell the story Original Greek Dramas, For Colored Girls Descriptive Poetry Devoted to the presentation of scenes of persons, and objects Didactic Poetry Aims to teach The Alphabet song, Why's Wise Y's Lyric Poetry Musical, graceful, expressing feelings, thoughts, views of the poet When Malindy Sings Satirical verse Booker T. and WEB Occasional Verse Produced for important occasions Still I Rise Light and Humorous Verse Nonsense verse, parody Jabberwocky, Signifyin' Monkey IS RAP POETRY? Yes. It uses some of the devices of poetry, such as rhymed couplets, spelling rhymes, meter (often iambic) rhythm (4/4 time) and is presented in the manner poetry originally was produced in (to musical accompaniment. In addition to the controversies because of its subject matter it is caught up in the debate between academic vs. street, poets and performance vs. written poetry, high art vs. low art. THE HISTORY OF POETRY Poetry is probably as old as speech itself and its origins are lost in the mists of Time. Some think it may have originated in the religious services of ancient shamans or in magic spells. Certainly though we can trace it to the earliest writing, the tales of Gods and Heroes by Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians and Hebrews. Poetry exists and has existed in all lands and languages and all nations and cultures. Some Bomb Poets (a slightly subjective list) Note: I would be remiss if I did not mention here that it has become de rigueur these days to brag about not reading anyone else's poems. However if one were a musician one would listen to other musicians. If one were a rapper one would listen to other rappers. We all stand on each other's shoulders. The genius sui generic is a myth. You can even learn something from reading bad poets. Herewith a list (by no means exhaustive) of some personal favorites Classical and Ancestral Several Books of the King James Bible, Homer, William Shakespeare, Phyllis Wheatley George Gordon Lord Byron, Walt Whitman, Modern T.S. Eliot, Allan Ginsberg, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Gwendolyn Brooks, Robert Hayden, Bob Kaufman, Nikki Giovanni, Haki Madhbuti, Amiri Baraka, Etheridge Knight, Yusef Komunyakaa, Ntozake Shange, Elizabeth Alexander, Paul Beatty, Sapphire, Saul Williams, Carl Hancock Rux, Kola Boof Local Hari Skye Campbell, Eugene B. Redmond, K. Curits Lyle, Quincy Troupe, Shirley LeFlore.Debra Morrow Loving, Cheryl W.D. Smith, Percy Wells, Marsha Cann, Ron Williams, MK Stallings, Floyd Boykin, Ruth Garnett, Ralph Tyler Jr. WHY STUDY POETRY? Why indeed? In this day and age is it needed? Ain't Poetry rare as Jonah's whale? Ain't it a graveyard full of dead white males? Poetry is all around us. In our songs. On TV in commercials. In our books. Even in our everyday speech. poet From our nursery rhymes to our schoolbooks and manuals to our religious texts. I hold that everybody is a Poet (though they might not know it) To paraphrase Holland Dozier and Holland YOU CAN'T HELP YOURSELF Still, why study it? Isn't it just for Ivory Tower Long hairs? As St. Louis himself might say, "Au contraire". For one thing¸ if one can write a hit song or advertising journey one can make a ton of money. But for the rest of us we can study write read and perform poetry For recreation or fun. For the satisfaction that comes from creation And to partake of the power of poetry. Words have power. When used in poetry this power is intensified. "The Star Spangled Banner" our national anthem, started off as a poem. " If We Must Die" by Claude McKay was written to rouse African Americans to resist lynch mobs and was used by Winston Churchill on the floor of Parliament to steel his countrymen to resist the German Blitz at the start of World War II. The 23rd Psalm and the rest of the psalms are poems. Poetry has been used to win love, to inspire men in war, to exalt the living and memorialize the dead As the old hymn says, "there is power power wonder working power in the poem! PERFORMING YOUR POETRY In 1991 the late Valerie Smith invited me to join the So What Poetry ensemble. On joining she told me that the group had scheduled a reading in two weeks at Lindenwood College in St. Charles and that the group expected me to appear with them and read a total of three poems. At that point in time I had written no poems. Somehow I was able to write three poems and read them. I learned a lesson: The poet may be called upon to read his poems in public! If you are like me, you may have gotten into the writing game because you were under the impression that you would not have to face anyone in person—fear not. I advise to do it—I have never tightened up my work (so that it attains that elusive quality—FLOW-- as well as when I am about to read it or submit it for publication (to be covered in the next topic). How to Prepare Read it aloud by yourself, or to "the gnats and the musketeers" Tape it and play it back and listen. Do it for family and friends and get their feedback. A poem is a lot like an actor's monologue. Consult books on presenting monologues or public speaking for tips. Take tips from actors on film stage or TV. Watch them. See what they do. When preparing ask, who is the speaker? What is his attitude toward the subject? Remember Poetry is all about emotion. DO THE POEM. Don't just read it. Reading v recitation Many performance poets memorize their work—poetry was originally recited. Slam poets get more points if they recite. Venues Once you are confident in your work you can go to open mikes—these are programs where people are allowed to get up in front of their audience and do a piece or two. They are listed in newspapers, the newsletters of poetry and writers groups. Or you can contact other poets and find out about them. Do not be reluctant to set up your own poetry events, readings or book parties, at a school or church or library. All these things will be easier if you network—that is locate and meet with other poets or poetry groups or start one of your own. To remember: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE and PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PUBLISHING YOUR POETRY Is publishing your poetry necessary? In this day of performance poetry some poets don’t even seek usual print publishing, they are, like the rap and music artists cutting and selling CD’s. Beyond this, you might only seek to write poetry for self-expression or a hobby. In a private journal and write in obscurity or be discovered after your death like Emily Dickinson or Van Gogh. But art is about communication. So why not? Submitting your work to publishers. The reference works Writers Market or Poets Market are essential. They contain the names and addresses of journals magazines and book publishers who publish poetry. Read these journals before you submit and always go by the submission guidelines and format requirements (usually typed single spaced on one side of a sheet of 8 ½ by 11 ½ white paper). Keep track of what you have submitted and you should be ready to withstand rejection. Submitting to local journals and papers first is advisable. Self-Publishing Many famous writers had to publish themselves (and still do). You might put together simple chapbook’s cheaply at Kinko’s or other copy centers. There are books on the subject. There are difficulties with this approach; expense, you have to do your own advertising, distribution. Etc. On revision: Many famous and successful poets hold that the only true and honest poetic expression is that which is presented as it first flowed from the pen. Others hold that revision or re writing produces the only good writing. I hold to the latter view. I have never written a first draft that was as good as the last one. Revising has allowed me to shape my words and lines and stanzas so that they produce a free progression of sounds—What the young folks call a flow. I leave it to the reader to decide which path he wishes to take. Technique v Emotion One should always go for emotion. A poem can be many things but it should not be boring. Set down that emotion as honestly as possible and use technique to shape it. BE CREATIVE! USE THE CREATIVE POWER OF POETRY! Poetry Resources in the Library To be a Poet with a capital P I stated above that everyone can be a poet—but that is subject to the qualification that just as I can play basketball but I am no Kobe Bryant there are poets and there are POETS with a capital P—talented, skilled and experienced practitioners of the art. There is no one magical tome that can accomplish this goal, but below are several books and resources available in your public library that can help. Dictionaries—to check the spelling and meaning of words Thesauruses—to locate synonyms or alternative words Encyclopedias—information on poetry, poets, subjects and settings Poets Rhyming Dictionaries—Some consider use of same cheating but when the mind is tired and the memory weak they can come through for you The Poet's Market The Writer's Market—Two books published by Writers Digest Inc that carry information on magazine and publishing markets and have sections on the technical side of getting published Anthologies In the Tradition, The Norton's Book of Poetry, the Norton's Book of Modern Poetry, The Poetry of Black America, Black Voices, The Black Poets, St. Louis Muse, the World Anthology of Poetry Magazines and journals Poetry Magazine, Poets and Writers, River Styx, Boulevard, Drumvoices Revue, Callaloo, Delmar, Natural Bridge Poetry on the Web Poetry Slam international, SpokenVizions, National Academy of Poets, St. Mark's Poetry Project, The Bowery Poetry Project, About Poetry.com, many others Essays and Treatises on Poetry By Aristotle, Sir Phillip Sidney, Dana Gioa, Eugene Redmond and Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) There is a whole section of poetry in the library—# 811 by the Dewey Decimal System The Biography section contains biographies and autobiographies of famous poets. Develop a relationship with the staff of the library—they can help if you have questions APPENDIX A few loose ends and details: Elements and techniques of Traditional Rhyme Masculine rhyme—line ends on a single accented syllable Feminine Rhyme—ends on an accented syllable followed by weak or unaccented one Spelling Rhyme—terminal sounds spelled by not pronounced alike Mood in Rhyme—varying mood by varying the length and sound of a syllable Rhyme Schemes—pattern of end rhymes represented by letters of the alphabet Internal Rhyme—rhyming the middle and end of along line Cross Rhyme—matching the end of one line with middle of the next Near Rhyme Imperfect Rhyme—imperfect chiming of accented and unaccented syllables Unaccented Rhyme—line terminates with feminine or 3 syllable end word Half Rhyme—feminine or 3 syllables; Dissonant Rhyme—vowel sounds are the same, terminal consonants different Assonance and vowel Rhyme—terminal sounds are composed of the same accented vowel or vowels Alliteration and consonant Rhyme—same consonant recurs at the end of the last accented syllable, vowels are different Consonance—identical consonant sounds at the beginning or end of a word Repetition—repeated words Techniques used in Free Verse Stress—stressing a word or words to affect the meaning of the line The Pause—a break in a line or lines Balance Free Verse—balancing the stress groups End Stress—stressing the word at the end of the line Front stress—stressing the word at the beginning of the line Irregular use of traditional forms Scansion—Analyzing and identifying the metrical pattern of a line and poems Poetry as a Career—The overwhelming majority of poets do it as a hobby or avocation. There are few people who make a living writing and performing poetry. Many poets teach on the elementary, secondary, or college level. One interested in teaching poetry should look into undergraduate and graduate degrees offered in English, Literature, etc. BIO CHRIS HAYDEN was born in Centralia Illinois in 1950. A lifelong resident of St. Louis, MO, he was educated at Northwest High School, University of Missouri at St. Louis (BA) and Washington University (JD). He has been writing since he was a child, started to learn about it as a craft in the 80's when he joined Shirley Bradley LeFlore's Creative Arts Ensemble Laboratory and got serious about it after he was hospitalized with a life threatening illness in 1991 (when the late Valerie Smith brought him an anthology of African American Poetry edited by Arnold Adoff. Other art groups he has been a member of are the So What Poetry Ensemble and Ruth Miriam Garnett's Maat Writing Workshop. He is a former board member of First Civilizations, Inc. and River Styx. He has read from his work, poetry, essay and fiction, at many venues, including The Commonspace, Duff's, The Grandel Square Theater, the Vaughn Cultural Center, Break Word With the World, Day of the Dead Beats, Sisters Nineties, The Langston Hughes Poetry Festival, The Julia Davis Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, Southwest Illinois Community College and many street corners, living rooms, backyards and gangways around St. Louis. He has been a guest on KDHX's Literature for the Halibut and Poetry Beat. He has written book reviews for the St. Louis Post Dispatch and Take Five Magazine. His poetry has appeared in Drumvoices Revue, Break Word With the World, River King Poetry Supplement, Aint But a Place, Delmar, Wordwalkers and Sisters Nineties. He is the author of Kongo Groove, a poetry chapbook, and was the editor and contributor to St. Louis Muse, an anthology of St. Louis Poetry. His fiction appeared in Zane's Chocolate Flava. His poetry, fiction and essays appear on many websites. A Vampyre Blues: The Passion of Varnado, published by Door of Kush Multi Media, is his first published novel. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2410 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Chris, I’m not looking for “certitude”. Just your earnest opinions, which is what you’ve offered. Thanks. And relax a tad, willyah. Honestly, sometimes I think you’re about a month past due for a colonic. Cynique, I agree today’s ‘poets’ seem hardly anything of the ‘sort’. They appear more intent to astound the observer with their hammy presentation than with their poetry. I’m too verbose to ever hope to pull off Haiku. I agree it takes a succinctly deft wordsmith to work that Haiku mojo (and, perhaps, almost as fluent an audience to appreciate it). It seems to work best when it evokes a subject matter or theme observers might quickly recognize. Or if the audience is on opium. Mah, I think the finest of prose is almost always poetic in that it has a rhythm and purpose that transcends prose’s typically more mundane, tangible definitions and references. All of Shakespeare’s “Henry the V” is a “prose poem”. Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” is a “prose poem”. And Kola’s “Flesh and the Devil” is a “prose poem”. Kola, I’m reading your amazingly poetic “Flesh and the Devil”...slowly. And I am enjoying the tears. Your writing is so miraculously bold and evocative part of me wishes to hate you. Because I fear you may be better than even your bravado has portrayed. When we first met, I doubted what you are. Forgive me, Sister. Yes. You are crazy. But you are indeed a fiery spear that hath been cast into the darkness. *humblybowing* | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1118 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Abm: Sir, I'm a black man. I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore! Soon, everybody is gonna make me look like Little Mary Sunshine. What did you think of the booklet? | ||
| Kola_boof "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Kola_boof Post Number: 223 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
"Network" is one of my all time favorite movies, Chris. _________________ ABM--- thanks. But the tragic thing...is that few major publishers are willing to back anyone who "new" who does things in a "different" way....and especially when that person is not representative of a "model type of black behavior" they're unaccustomed to. While I am constantly told by heavyweights in the publishing industry what a great talent I am....there still remains an almost criminal-like fear of me and my work. And sadly, almost ALL of the people in power to decide whether my work is published (or Reviewed) have all been WHITE WOMEN. And they find my work "disturbing". If I could really publish the kind of things that I would like to explore and write about...in the way they SHOULD be done...I could really, really show off my talent. I feel as though I'm a singer being asked not to sing too loud or too soulful---"don't riff, keep it Top 40". The industry in America stifles me greatly. But I continue on. Pray for me to find that one brave WHITE person who is ahead of the curve. ALSO NOTE: My editor did not send the finished book to the Printer with all those "ERRORS" in the text. Those were mysteriously created in the plant and the cover was sabotaged in the first batch of printings. We had to do it over and the book was 3 months late coming out----Door of Kush is STILL in legal litigation over the screw ups. At the same time last year---Amazon.Com would not post the Kola Boof page of book titles on their site for HOURS at a Time and when they did, my titles were listed as OUT OF STOCK....this went on for months....and with the support of Derrick Bell and others who wrote letters, we got a lawyer and forced Amazon.Com to display my book titles around the clock and AVAILABLE. I believe Simon and Shuster OR Random House PAID money to Amazon to do that. (It's a long story) Bookstores like "The Afrocentric Bookstore" in CHICAGO do not carry my books as a "personal favor" to certain people who don't like me....such as LOUIS FARRAKHAN and others. In N.Y., although my fans often request my titles at "HUEMAN BOOK EXPERIENCE"---they won't carry Kola Boof books. In TORONTO, both the Knowledge Bookstore and A Different Light DO NOT carry my books, because I'm a "topless" anti-Muslim pagan who "trashes" black men. I'm just not the right type of "Black woman" for America. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 1120 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola: Are you thinking what I'm thinking? The Crazy Black Woman Hour starring Kola Boof and some of your AALBC fam as special guests and cast! I can be the Black Howard Beale (just a suggestion. Of course if you do, I'll need my own dressing room--with a star on the door. Bigger than Cynique's and Abm's. With a window!) | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2458 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola, I here you. But I think things are going to pick up for you REAL soon. You'll be pleasantly SHOCKED by how many great things that are headed your way. Chris: "I'll need my own dressing room--with a star on the door. Bigger than Cynique's and Abm's." ABM: Well. At least you'll finally have SOMETHING that's "bigger" than mine. So...ENJOY! | ||
| Kola_boof "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Kola_boof Post Number: 224 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
LOL--- Chris, you're hilarious. I just love that movie so much. ____________ ABM, bless you. I pray that you're right. Because I'm literally in a very bad place. | ||
| Abm "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Abm Post Number: 2463 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
Kola, Your such a potent, versatile and prolific writer, I should think you're capable of writing all sorts of very interesting/entertaining things that you'd both enjoy and profit from. Might you be limiting yourself a bit too much? |
