Hail Langston Hughes aka President-Elect Barack Obama!
As a writer, I have long admired Barack Obama’s articulateness on and off the page. (For her ability to answer hard-driving questions with wit, agility, and skill, I am still amazed by Hillary Clinton and can’t wait fort the day she leads the Supreme Court!) For a FREE STICKER or to buy a POSTER of this image, see below).
So I wasn’t surprised to know that Pulitzer Prize winning author Toni Morrison, who will be speaking at the LA Central Library Nov. 19, also admires his prose.
I was surprised, however, to discover that Barack Obama is a poet of such skill that Harold Bloom compared his poetry written as a student to the work of Langston Hughes, Harlem Renaissance author of such works as “America” and “Harem” which is popularly known as “dream deferred.”
Each week on this blog, in addition to my own poetry, I like to offer a poem or two by a poet I enjoy, appreciate, admire. Since I don’t have any of Barack Obama’s poetry at hand (yet!), I offer work by Langston Hughes.
I, Too
I, too sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed–
I, too, am America.
Harlem
-
- What happens to a dream deferred?
- Does it dry up
- like a raisin in the sun?
- Or fester like a sore
- And then run?
- Does it stink like rotten meat?
- Or crust and sugar over
- like a syrupy sweet?
- Maybe it just sags
- like a heavy load.
-
- Or does it explode?
Let America be America Again
LANGSTON HUGHES 1938
Originally published in Esquire and in the International Worker Order pamphlet A New Song (1938)
Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed– Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air Read more…
Is it just me or is everything looking up?
High Desert Test Site
Maybe it’s just that after that long divisive election, we’re waking up and coming round to seeing what else is going on in the world. Literary series are starting up, universities are bringing people around, it’s too dark to work in the garden or go for a late afternoon bike ride, so might as well make some plans to put the arts into your life. Read more…
Art Predator Turns One w/32,000 Page Views
It’s true: one year ago, on November 4, 2007, I, Art Predator, started my blog.
And today I have over 32,000 page views!
THANK YOU!! Thanks to everyone, for coming around and reading and commenting on my blog this past year!
So, what would you like with your cake? Ice cream? Coffee? Champagne? A poetry reading?
To celebrate, I thought I’d list how I got here– my Top Twenty posts of the past year, all which received over 200 page views:
What I am most proud of is how blogging has motivated me to create more, to write more, to learn to make videos of my poems, to have a venue to respond to what’s going on in the world. It has been important also this past year to be a part of several on-line writing communities like the one Paul Squires has created over at gingaTao, read write poem, and the Poetry Train, and to discover and join wine blogging communities as well (look for my first Wine Blogging Wednesday post!)
It’s been really rewarding watching this baby grow from only 728 page views during the month of November 2007 to 4,844 one year later during the month of October 2008. In 365 days, from my first posts and the rare comment to 347 posts and 1040 comments (yes that’s almost one post a day and 3 comments a day!).
Last week was my biggest week ever (well, except for the week with the lunar eclipse back in February!)
| 10/27 193 | 10/28 245 | 10/29 212 |
10/30 308 |
10/31 368 |
11/1 147 |
11/2 203 |
week total 1,676 | week ave
239 |
Obama Celebrations: No kids allowed in Ventura
As people come together all over the country
to celebrate Barack Obama’s victory,
black, white, brown, young, old, families, straights, gays
come together with tears and hugs and champagne toasts,
as people come together to celebrate yes we can–
we walked from our house to our polling place
and from there to a gathering
where we were told no we can not–
we were asked to leave the Obama celebration
the gathering in our neighborhood
at the Sylvia White Gallery on Main Street in Ventura.
We were asked to leave because we have a child,
a child so well behaved that people commented on it to us,
a child who has grown up at art openings and poetry readings,
a small child yes almost 5, a kindergartener
a child who knew about Barack Obama
a child who drew the line on her mother’s ballot
a child who dropped his father’s ballet in the box
a child who has been to a dozen war protests
a child who understood what it meant that Obama won.
This child born of parents and grandparents and great grandparents
all born and raised in this town or the next one over
voting in every election–
this child was told to leave as all the other children were told to leave.
This child who represents to many why they fought so hard
for Obama’s victory
for this change
this child had to leave–
a red balloon tied to his shoe
he cried most of the way home.
There were no words to explain:
except these–
Boycott Sylvia White Gallery in midtown Ventura:
Let them know that this is a town which includes its children
in its life, its art, its politics.
They are the newcomers here. School them.
This is not the Big City. This is a family town.
Back home we listen to Obama on the radio ask
“Is there anyone who still questions the power of our democracy?”
Yes, Mr President elect, there is. Our democracy wasn’t powerful enough
to welcome children to the Sylvia White Gallery on Main Street in Ventura on election night.
Yes, we can, Mr President-Elect. We elected you, but we’re not done. There is much we can do, yes we can. But we must include everyone. And yes we can.
“This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance to make that change,” Obama said.
So come on up for the rising…
Yes WE CAN! Obama wins!
I still have tears in my eyes–just heard that Obama carried Ohio!
After the swing state of Pennsylnvannia coming in for Obama, as long as the states which have been strong all along for Obama continue on their projected path
WE WILL HAVE CHANGE!!
I think I’m going to cry again.
Obama has 207 vs McCain’s 110.
Okay, there IS a possibility that McCain could win–when pigs with lipstick fly to the polls to vote in California, enough of them anyway to send those electoral votes his way.
Love & Terror at 3:15am: 8/4/08
8/4/08
The night terrors are small
but angry
these days
a long legged dinosaur a T Rex
on stilts weaving a bat
flying a kite
a very long legged menace
in navy blue w/a
white blouse & dark hair
cut in a page boy—
that was just him
there was another one tho
but I don’t remember it—
maybe a stegosaurus?
but hard on the heels
of a myclonic jerk—
a big black spider zooms down
boom lands in front of my nose
races off
it said something to me
I don’t remember what
that it talked
made me realize 2 things
one it wasn’t real & 2
fake spiders don’t talk
there was something else
insightful mindblowing
I was sure to remember
But can’t
This is my eighth year participating in the 3:15 Experiment. where poets from all over the world wake at 3:15am every night in August to write then post their unedited works at the 3:15 website. Danika DInsmore and Bernadette Mayer started the experiment in 1993.
You can find more of my 3:15 poems at the 3:15 Experiment website or on my poetry page.
Or click on past Mondays in my archives–I’ve posted a poem almost every Monday since I started this blog a year ago!
Cider Press Review Poetry Call
|
Cider Press Review is now accepting manuscripts for the 2008 Annual Book Award. The CPR Book Award offers $1000 and publication for a full-length book of poetry. Manuscripts will be accepted between September 1 and November 30, 2008 (postmark). |
2007 CPR |
|
Final Judge for the 2008 award is Dorothy Barresi, American Book Award winner and author of All of the Above, The Post-Rapture Diner, and Rouge Pulp. |
|
|
How to enter: |
|
|
Submit 48-80 pages of original poetry in English not previously published in book form (individual poems may have been previously published in journals, anthologies, and chapbooks). Manuscripts may be submitted electronically or by mail. |
|
|
Learn more at ciderpressreview.com/BookAward. We encourage all entrants to use our convenient online submission form and pay the entry fee online using Pay Pal. |
|
|
Please read our guidelines online or in Poet’s Market before submitting. All entrants will receive a copy of the winning book. |
|
|
For hard-copy submissions, mail to: |
|
|
Cider Press Book Award |
|
|
Find more information and complete guidelines on the website: ciderpressreview.com/BookAward/ |
|
Lettre Sauvage Chapbook & Broadside Contest: Due 11/15
The Lettre Sauvage Chapbook and Broadside contest submission deadline has been extended two weeks; submissions must be postmarked by November 15 to be considered. This post on the contest has more details and a poem by judge USC prof Mark Irwin.
Lettre Sauvage chapbook by Mark Irwin
First Prize:
Limited Edition of 100 chapbooks letterpress printed on fine paper
Second Prize:
75 Broadsides of a poem or excerpt selected by the judge letterpress printed on fine paper
Lettre Sauvage Annual Poetry Contest Submission Guidelines
Deadline: The deadline is November 15, 2008. The submission deadline is by postmark. All submissions
postmarked by November 15, 2008 will be considered.
Submission by Email: Send to info@lettresauvage.com as a MS Word attachment. A payment request from Pay Pal for $10 will be sent to you upon receipt.
Submission by Post Send to Lettre Sauvage 1310 Forest Drive Santa Paula, CA 93060 along with a check, money order, or credit card information including number, expiration and billing address.
Manuscript Guidelines:
- Limit 13 pages of poetry.
- Number all pages including the total number (i.e. “3 of 13”).
- Include your name and the name of the manuscript on all pages.
- Please include your name and contact information (no other biographical info) on the first
- page of your manuscript, preferably a cover sheet.
- Poems previously published individually are accepted.
Winners will be announced February 13, 2009.
You can submit more than one manuscript as long as you pay the $10 fee for each manuscript. I plan to submit work from my recent projects as well as a selection from my manuscript Love and Terror at 3:15am. In exchange for a copy of his exquisite self-published poetry collection, The Puzzle Box, I’ve also selected work to submit from Paul Squires aka gingaTao.
River of Skulls: the perfect wine for Halloween & Dia de los Muertos
Twisted Oak's River of Skulls
This is the wine you need for this weekend: Twisted Oak’s River of Skulls, a mourverde with a little syrah thrown in.
Not just because the bottle itself is impressive. Which it is–the graphic was created by El Jefe’s son Andrew Stai when he was 16, with all that intensity for which 16 year old boys are known. (Andrew, by the way, has made it to 20). The punt of the bottle is sensually curved and ribbed, asking you to run your finger around its rim. The shape of the bottle itself calls out to be held, grabbed, carressed, and slugged. Really. It is the perfect wine for a pirate and begs for a candle when it is downed and out.
I first tasted this wine with El Jefe at Doug Cook’s birthday celebration at the Wine Blogger’s Conference last weekend at Santa Rosa. We were talking between pours and he pointed out the bottle which I’d been admiring for awhile, not even knowing it was his wine, or a mourverde (recall my fondness for Quivira’s? Or the RBJ 2002 theologicum mataro?)
So he opened it up lickety split and poured. Considering the powerful wines that had crossed my palate from Doug Cook’s cellar that night, it stood its ground (of course, mourverdre will do that for me!) There was a some left in the bottle so El Jefe let me take it with me–lucky me!
It was the first red wine I enjoyed when I returned home–with a dinner of cioppino and brown rice and a salad with blue cheese, walnut, and apple. Some lovely musky earth and spice balances the fresh lively raspberries. Certainly enough to wake the dead or to serve them on your altar. Saints and sinners will appreciate this offering.
from Twisted Oak in Calaveras County CA
This is a special creature, this wine. Sorry to say that unless you have a trip planned to Calaveras county, you will be out of luck this Halloween and dia de los muertos. You can get on the list now for next year! Sign up here.
Or if you can’t wait that long, head out to the winery for next weekend’s library tasting! Tell El Jefe (that would be the tallest guy in the room with the ponytail, beard, big smile, and abundant laugh) that the Art Predator sent you. And if you see me there (which I hope you will!), be sure to say hi!
art predator 