Reintroducing Elizabeth Fabien

Photo Provided by Elizabeth Fabien

Elizabeth Fabien is a poet, playwright and the author of the collection of poems, W.O.R.D.S.: Wisdom to Survival. A four time recipient of the International Library of Poetry Editor's Choice award, she often performs her pieces at Boukan Night in Florida and has over 400 written pieces in counting. She discovered the joy of writing 14 years ago after watching the Christmas contests in Haiti, which were filled with talented composers. The poetic music inspired her to explore her inner writing ability. Moreover, after moving to the U.S., she used writing as a way to learn English. What was just a tool to practice English turned into a form of expression for her, tapping into subjects like love, nature, God, society and the Haitian culture. She had the opportunity to recite her poems at her Alma Matter, at weddings, galas and literary clubs. Fabien hopes to publish her works in the future and to be know nationally and internationally. She is currently working on a project for Haiti, titled “Phoenix has risen.”

Tanguy Exume's "Sur Mon 31" soon to be published!

It came on December 20th, five days before Christmas and 12 days before the new year. It was just an email with a simple subject line yet a message big enough to push a long scream out of Tanguy Exume.
"It was a long yell as if someone in my family passed away [followed by] constant laughter," divulged Exume. "I just couldn't imagine it. Finally I had a positive answer on having something published."
Now begins the process to publishing Exume's collection of poems, "Sur Mon 31," and he is more than ready for it. He has already signed the contract, sent corrections, took out the English poems (including the poem that will feature a rap verse by Mizzy) and replaced them with French poems. He will soon receive a tentative cover, and from there, there will be a lot of back and forth to bring the book to its final look before officially publishing it in four months or less.
It all started 10 months ago in March as a "tentative project" (as Exume describes it) to challenge himself to write 31 poems in 31 days for his 31st year on earth.
"I was working on just following a task, so sometimes it was painful," he admitted. "Some nights, I would be like 'OMG I have to write a poem today.'"
Other nights, he would wake up in the middle of the night realizing he forgot to finish a poem.
"It was the first series not based on inspiration," he said. I was forcing myself to write as opposed to feeling something and writing about it."
The collection is made of a diverse set of poems varying from political and social issues to pure love. As Exume pinpointed, several of the poems contrast with the title, which refers to the expression "Sur mon 31" (meaning to be on your Sunday best).
He wrote one of the poems (also one of his favorites) in Vancouver Island where the aboriginal heritage is celebrated.
"We went by a lot of Totem Poles, and that day I had to write a poem," he narrated. "And I [thought] if they ask me build a Totem Pole, what would it be, what would it contain, what would be my heritage and what would it represent?"

"Mon Totem/ Un poeme/ L'embleme de ma vie boheme/ Le siege de mes dilemmes/ Mon Totem..." he wrote describing every aspect of his life. 

He joked about his inability to draw and explained writing the poem was his way of drawing with words his Totem pole.

Also in the collection is a poem on Aida, the love goddess and on John Coltrane, the famous Jazz saxophone player.
"It about how I feel when I listen to John Coltrane, and the fact that I grew up with my dad playing the saxophone," said Exume. "All of those memories resurface throughout the poem, but the poem is really based on the accomplishments of John Coltrane and his influence on me."
Once the book comes out, he plans to tour and promote his book in Vancouver and Montreal, Canada and of course, his country Haiti.
As mentioned in my first article on Exume, he is also hoping to produce a CD composed of a dozen of the poems. Due to budget and time constraints, he didn't start this project yet. Nonetheless, Exume is determined to give his fans something concrete to remember him in addition to his live performances.
Of course, the upcoming book will also fulfill this goal.
In two weeks, he will his release his video project with new poems on YouTube. Please see the video for a preview.
Exume, elated, talked about his excitement for upcoming reactions for his book.
"I am not afraid," he said, welcoming both positive and negative feedbacks. "I do it because I love writing. I have no commitment to writing. I am very excited for 2014."

Tanguy Exume: "My work is a reflection of who I am and who I want to be"

Photo provided by Tanguy Exume

"I like to see writing as a mirror... and as a writer I believe I am a mirror," revealed Tanguy Exume, a young and passionate Haitian writer with a fierce voice diffused through postcasts accompanied with soft melodies on his blog. "I absorb conversations, sounds and feelings. That's what I try to depict in my writings."
He becomes highly critical of his surroundings, fetching for bits and pieces that he stores for future creative work.
This love for writing mellowed while he lived in Montreal. Far from the homeland, conversations about Haiti erupted among Exume, his friends and his elders.
"...But when you're a kid, you are not heard," he explained, so he began to put his thoughts into papers transforming writing into his voice and bearing his multi-performed piece, Haiti Parle (Haiti Speaks). Yet this very love for writing started much earlier than that with teenage love letters to girls.
"You listen to songs," he divulged with a chuckle. "We didn't have internet back then, so you write lyrics and you start familiarizing yourself with how beautiful those lyrics are. But, more precisely, my love for writing comes from my father."
He described his father as a heavy reader and quoted, "I've never known my father without a book. He used to joke: 'When he's dead, the only thing that he would leave us is a bookshelf.'"
Through books, Exume noticed the important of literature in conveying messages. His goal is to send messages marked mostly by the political landscape and the strong sense of community and family in Haiti.
In the midst of the interview Exume remembered his earliest, most vivid memory as a 4-year old child on a troubled January 1986. His father and mother, then pregnant with Exume's younger brother, led him to a demonstration against Duvalier.
"I remember the day Jean-Claude Duvalier left," he related. "We were living on Rue Capois then, not too far from Palais National. We went out in the streets and chanted."
A song came to mind, and Exume began to sing: "Se nan riyel vayan ohhh! Yo tiye neg vanyan ohhh!"
This song, depicting the massacre of November 29, 1987, resounded in his mind as if it were yesterday.
In his household, the political and social situations in Haiti were the main topics. Under a sweltering sun, his brother and he, grey or brown from the soil, played soccer in the large backyard while the parents and friends from the balcony, discussed the political situation of Haiti.  Furthermore, outside was where most of his cherished and vibrant memories took place.
This desire to be outdoor stayed with him. Unable to write at home, he finds inspiration when he is outdoor.
Outside, little ideas pique his interest and develop into bigger ideas. Writing for Exume is a slow and meticulous task that takes time.

Photo provided by Tanguy Exume

His poem, Petit Pays, posted on his blog on July 29, 2013, engendered from a regular day of him listening to Cezaria Evora's song, Petit Pays. In this poem, he opines on the inequality between Creole and French and the complicated political situation in the country.
"Petit pays, petit pays, je t’aime beaucoup," he concludes in the poem because as he stated, "despite all this, you can't deny the love you have for this country."

Amid his purpose to describe the crude reality of Haiti, he recounts in Nan Fon Ke'm the pride of Haiti, the pride of being among the descendants of "those who helped Bolivia, nurtured minds like Guevara and Lumumba" ["Men tankou sa-a yo ki te ede Boliva,/ Ki te bwode lide Guevara ak Lumumba]. 

Yet, Exume, who is a multilayered writer, embraces diverse topics aside from Haiti. Questions, such as are we practicing what we preach?, are we happy? and can we believe we will not exist one day? are addressed in his works. 

In two of his poems, Perdu and Nan Yon Kafou, he invites his readers to travel inward and discover the different avenues of their mind. He uses the dilemmas that he faces and present them in his work.
His poem, C’était comme ça dans le temps, was triggered by a twofold question asked by one of his student: What is the difference between abortion and suicide? Isn't it the same thing? [the student gave him permission to write a poem based on the question]

Exume currently has two projects ready for publication. The first is a collection of 31 poems, titled Sur Mon 31, he wrote in 31 days for his 31st birthday. He will also produce a CD version with 12 or 13 of the poems. He intends to have a rap collaboration with Justin Mizzy Mejia on one of the poems. Exume previously recited a poem as the intro track of Mizzy's album, ComMiZZerate Your Soul (CYS).
The second project is a novel about a mathematician who, unable to find a pertinent job, worked at a call center and discovered another side of society. The title of the novel is, Le Centre, and the novel was revised by Gilbert Mirambeau Jr.
Soon, he will posting some of his performances on Youtube not for visual purposes but rather to give his audience a chance to see how he is on stage.
Exume is also venturing into Spanish while finding inspiration from the Chilean poet,  Pablo Neruda because of his ability to condense emotions and send it out to the world in the form of concise, powerful poems. However, his favorite poet remains Michel Welbeck. 

Gilbert Mirambeau Jr: Ray of Sun

Photo provided by Gilbert Mirambeau

Please click here to be directed to Gilbert Mirambeau Jr's newest blog entry, "Ray of Sun," depicting a dialogue between a child soldier and his memory.
"I was dreaming all night and couldn't sleep," recollected Gilbert. "I was thinking about these kids, soldier children..."
As he wondered about those kids, he thought of them strolling and wanting to forget about "these monstrosities."
In an effort to understand how those children would surmount the challenge of forgetting their past, Gilbert created this piece.
"I'm always trying to find these impossible dialogues between a writer and his character,"  he explained. "Here I went beyond, where the child is talking to his memory."

Reading List: Acclaimed books I enjoyed reading

I must say I don't find all acclaimed books impressive. Therefore, I decided to make a short list of classics I love.

1. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter- Carson McCullers was only 23 when she wrote this insightful book, exploring the thoughts of unsettled minds. "When a person knows and can't make the others understand, what does he do? (p. 69)" is a powerful question asked by one of the characters in this book. It is one of those books that help you become an independent thinker. 
2. For Whom The Bell Tolls & The Old Man And The Sea- I love Ernest Hemingway's writing style. His ability to show rather than tell is remarkable. I think those books are great for discussions and for reference for aspiring writers. 
3. Animal Farm- I read this book through my sister. I think this book is not only symbolic of the Russian Revolution of 1917 but can be used to describe different moments throughout the history of humanity. 
4. The Catcher in The Rye- It was J. D. Salinger's first novel. I read it in high school. Indeed, it was one of the few books I enjoyed reading. It's very different from other 1950's novels. 

Luca Guardabascio: Upcoming Events and Projects

This Friday, Luca Guardabascio will be presenting his book, "La Percezione della Morte" (Feeling Death), at noon in a high school in Castellammare Di Stabia, a commune near Napoli. Then, at 7 p.m., Guardabascio will be presenting the second edition of "Another Summer,"in Eboli.
His book, "Johnny Carnage," a historical thriller set in Australia between 1899 and 1922 he co-wrote with Stefano Stanzione, will be published by Historica Edizioni/Il Violino this April 12, 13 and 14 at the Romagna Book Festival.
"[It is] a big event in Cesena... organized by Francesco Giubilei, the youngest editor in Italy," said Guardabascio. "My next step will be to present the Movie 'Angela Volpini: Dove posarono i suoi piedi,' a documentary about the Virgin Mary apparition in Italy at Casanova Staffora (Pavia) from 1947 to 1956 written in cooperation with the author Manuela Orrù."
"But, my masterpiece is Joshua Nathan," He concluded. "My little son is the most important gift I had in my life."
http://fanfantwins.blogspot.com/2012/09/guardabascio-gets-awarded-for-his-book.html

Naomie Labaty: Nan Yon Ti Kay Pay

New uploaded video in Naomie Labaty's youtube channel

5 things an aspiring writer needs to know

I thought it will be great to share with you, dear readers, tips I have learned over the years as a reader and writer.

1. First and foremost, details are keys to transferring emotions to readers. "Show, don't tell" is one of the basic thing we learn in writing 101, but it is not easily achieved. I've noticed in books I've read that authors tend to focus greatly on details to convey their message and emotion. Read this following passage from In Praise of The Island Women and Other Crimes by Brenda Flanagan: "A few hours later we were in Philip's boat and Flash was rowing us over the waves, two fishing poles at our feet... I stared at the water, my heart crying blood, my thoughts hot... Flash kept trying to smile away the cut-eyes I was sending him... The sea turned from green to blue as Flash row us away from the shore, and when I thought it was blue enough, I dove into it." Notice how the author cleverly described the moment before the character attempted to kill herself with thoughtful details. The author did not have to tell us point-blank the character was in despair. She told us so through the details.  
2. Reading is a perfect way to overcome a writer's block. I am no psychologist, but reading seems to act as a great engine to get your willpower going. You may notice after reading a book or an article that your thoughts are more easily transformed into words than before. 
3. Don't be afraid to keep it simple. Sometimes, simplicity is the key to writing a masterpiece. Refer to the passage above. The author uses clean and understandable vocabulary words to vividly portray the character's emotion. 
4. Read a copy editing textbook from time to time. When Words Collide is geared toward journalists, but it has vital information for every writer. It helps you in writing crisp and neat pieces. There are other good editing textbooks you can find. The point is to always refresh your memory with writing guidelines. 
5. Exercise. This is one of the best advices I received from Women's Health Magazine. Exercises help stimulate your brain, especially your memory. It keeps your brain active and healthy; therefore, you are able to avoid those times when words escape you and when you experience a writer's block. 

Naomie Labaty on Her Cultural Shows and Her Writing

Photo provided by Naomie Labaty

In 2009, Naomie Labaty and her friend, Angeline Bell, founded Boukan Night, a show where established and upcoming writers could share their work. Yet, what started as a small poetic venue turned into a hot spot for Wednesday nights, not only among Haitians but  among other people with a love for good music and sublime poetry.
"It evolved into a big thing to preserve [the Haitian] culture in Miami especially with non-Haitians and [Haitian-Americans]," Labaty further explained.
Many eminent artists, including Beethova Obas, Joel Widmael, Mikaben and King Kino, came to perform at Boukan Night. They all had something positive to say about this weekly event. Steve Brunache, who was already a fan of Labaty's work, was more than happy to perform at Boukan Night.
"It was a very good show," remembered Labaty. "People asked for more."
Labaty talked about the impact Brunache had on Haitians and the patriotic feeling he brought to the crowd.
Moreover, Stevy Mahy from Guadeloupe also performed at Boukan Night on June 14, 2012.
Labaty and Bell also collaborated with Ayiti Deploge for one of the most attended Boukan Night.
"There was no place to move," said Labaty. She also added that Boukan Night is always well-attended.
"We are [startled] every time by the crowd," She expressed.
Aside from the quality of the show, the small entrance fee also keeps people coming.
"Most of the time, it's only $10," Labaty asserted. They wanted to make it affordable for college and high school students, their targeted audience.
Labaty's television show on Island TV, Plezi Soley, is among the most watched show in South Florida.
"The show makes you feel connected to people," she explained as she becomes a popular figure in South Florida.
The show was previously named Island Entertainment, but she boldly changed it to Plezi Soley to better embrace her Caribbean and her Haitian roots.
Yesterday (Tuesday November 13), Labaty debuted her new radio show on WSRF 1580AM, a Haitian-American radio station.
"It's what I always wanted to do," said Labaty. It will be a 2-hour long show with a discussion component for the first hour and a music session for the second hour.
When it comes to her writing, the CD compilation of her best work is still in production.
"As time passes, I write new poems that I want to include, and quality takes time," she explained.
One of her newest poem is posted on her blog, Anthology of a Heartbreak.
"I think I was going through something when I wrote this poem," she disclosed. "[But] when I write, I try to be less personal. I create illusions, tragedies and transform them into work."
***

P.S. Boukan Night's latest event featuring Boukman Eksperyans is tonight at 8 p.m. Click here to be directed to the official facebook page.

Guardabascio gets awarded for his book

Photo provided by Luca Guardabascio

Luca Guardabascio is praised for his latest book, Ancora Un'estate o Un'estate Ancora, for which he received multiple awards. But, Guardabascio is not stopping here. He is already working on multiple projects, including two documentaries and another book.
"I am editing two documentaries about Christianity," stated Guardabascio. The first one, titled Angela Volpini: Dove Posarono I Suoi Piedi, recounts the story of a young girl whom the virgin Mary appeared to and spoke to to help Italy come out of all of the problem caused by World War II. The virgin Mary told the girl: " I came to teach you the way to be happy on this Earth."
The second documentary recounts the story of Francesca Lancelloti who had the holly spirit inside of her and performed several miracles.
"She came from her little town in Basilicata region, Opido Lucano and went to Rome to help people in the name of God," related Guardabascio.
"We filmed part of the documentary that go on Rai 2 in a special named TG2 dossier called, Saint Michael and Francesca: In the Name of God," he said.
Guardabascio is also working on a horror story with another writer named Stefano Stanzione. The book, Johnny Carnage: The Sadness of the Devil, will be part of a trilogy a
Lastly, Guardabascio will be showing some of his short films in the Palestrina Movie Club Film Festival. There will also be a presentation of his book.

David Wade: The path to God

Photo provided by David Wade

"I was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh," said David Wade. "It's a  pretty ghetto part, but it's my city. I love it."
Growing up in Washington, Pa turned Wade into the artist he is today. There, he began writing poetry, fell in love with rap and produced his first mix tape.

He reminisced one of his earliest memories in this adored neighborhood when he transfered his father's biblical accounts into comic books. Then in 7th grade, Wade indulged in poetry.
"Shortly after that is when everybody started rapping," he recounted. " I knew it was something I would be good at because it combines storytelling and poetry."
He tried rapping and instantly became good at it, piquing his schoolmates interest. One of his best friends, Adam, who was a more experienced rapper, mentored him.
"He helped me develop my draft," revealed Wade, who also turned to the Late Registration album of Kanye West for inspiration.
"I used to sleep listening to it and thinking I could make great music like this one day."
Determined to follow his dream, Wade, along with Adam and his brother, Scott, formed a group called Shottas (a Jamaica word for gangster).
They purchased soundtracks from Radio shak and made the living room of Wade's mother their studio to record their first mix tape.
"[It] was a shout out mix tape," he recalled.
"All my friends were coming over. It was our voice, our story, what were were experiencing in that part of our life."
"It was so memorable because we made it and printed all of those CDs on my mom's computer. We played it outside in the project."
"One of our friends' older brother had a really nice car, and we played [the mix tape]. Everybody from the neighborhood came out and [sang along]. I didn't even know they knew the lyrics. That was my first mix tape experience. It's crazy to see where I came from."
Wade went on to produce another mix tape when he moved to Ohio. It was his first solo mix tape, marking the beginning of his career.
"I wanted to become the best rapper in the world," he stated. "That was my dream." After graduating high school, Wade went to New York University to study dramatic writing. There he found people who shared his passion for music and who helped him fulfilled his dream.
"My friends hooked me up with some amazing beat-makers, producers and engineers."
His popularity as an underground rapper started growing. He even had a sold-out show in Union Square.
"I started an independent label. I had committed people working for me. I was recording my first album in a multimillion dollar studio."
He was a rising star, but on April 2010, he brusquely changed his path.
"One night I was tripping on [magic mushrooms] and started hearing demonic voices telling me to kill myself," he vividly remembered. "The only thing I could say was 'Jesus.' [After that], the voices were silenced, and I felt protected. I ended up butt naked in a field after this crazy spiritual battle, and when I came down from tripping, I didn't know if what I just experience was real or not. The next day, I decided to stop doing drugs and to start reading the bible to see if what I heard in church was real."
"I read through the scriptures , and I was convinced he was who he said he was. He is God."
"He was all I needed as well," he added. "It was like a process. [I was] meeting God through the bible." This new discovery urged him to become a disciple of God.
"I had a crazy opportunity, and in the middle of it, I decided to start following God."
"It was a hard thing to do, but I left that stuff to find my new identity and find who I was before pursuing these things so that I can do it from the right perspective."
As a result, rapping became a way for Wade to convey the message of God.
He wants to be a positive role model. His goal is to continue being the best rapper that he can be without the drugs and the sex.
"I'm just a guy writing about my story. I came from the bottom and rose to the top. I started following Jesus and left all of the glamour."

Gilbert Mirambeau: "Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain"

Photo provided by Gilbert Mirambeau

Writing is second nature to Gilbert Mirambeau. In fact, he spends most of his free time writing. He enjoys going to the movies, hanging out with his friends and cooking a good vegetarian meal, but at this point in his life, his mind is very focused. 

He plans to become one of the contemporary writers that is studied, and with the dedication he has, he is one step away from actualizing this dream.

Everything related to culture interests him and strengthens his exclusive mentality. 

Born and raised in Haiti, writing gradually became a part of Gilbert's life in high school until it became a compulsive need to vomit a divine thing (as he describes it) on paper.
It all started with him being excruciatingly bored and probably annoyed at the French literature that he was forced to read and memorize while at St. Louis de Gonzague in Haiti. As a way to rebel against this educational system, he started writing poems.
For the longest time, it was just a habit until he discovered The Battle of the Titans and fell in love with Greek mythology.
The way that the characters were contrived definitely got his attention. It inspired him to write, create astonishing characters and take on other literature genres aside from poetry.
He only started writing professionally 3 years ago. Although not specified, something happened. He attended several workshops and became even more dedicated to writing.
Although he is an avid reader, Gilbert tries to not be influenced by other writers and create his own masterpiece.
"I want to sketch my own path," he explained. He defines his writing not as a gift but rather as a message that he is compelled to share with his readers. He attests that a divine thing comes to him in the form of an image and he projects that image in his writing.
He decodes that picture and brilliantly pulls the senses of his readers towards every last bit of details that composes the whole picture. Because of that, his writing tends to be very graphic. The quote in the title of this blog post ("Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain") describes that powerful step that he goes through before editing and polishing his works.
However, behind the sweat, the bashing and the smell of his words lay a simple yet unique man with a systematic plan to impact his society. He admitted that he has always been an outcast with a constant need to pick apart society as a whole and isolate himself from shallow attitudes that cripple our mentality. Hence, his writing is his weapon against all entities that are destroying our daily life. His piece, Les Miens, deals with this issue of self vs. society.
Moreover, as an activist, he needed an extensive medium to pass along his message. This quest guided him towards playwriting.
"When you assist a play, it is more in your face," he said. "The actor is living the character for an hour and a half in your face. It is so believable that you grasp everything- the emotions, the tears and even the breath."
He once hired a cast and crew and presented a play in Montreal with family members, friends and professional actors in attendance. It was a way for him to test the market, and he received many positive criticisms for his play.
Writing takes more than just the willingness to write, and Gilbert understands that. Now, he is in the process of moving back to Haiti to present his play. This will also help him reconnect with the people of Haiti (outside of Port-au-Prince) and draw inspiration.
Eventually, he will travel the world, especially Europe where the theatrical culture is at his highest, and tour his plays.
He has four major projects that he is working on. The first one, My Last Orgasm, depicts a mentally challenged, old woman looking for herself; the second one addresses the issue of skin color and loveless marriages; the third one, 4 H 53, is related to the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and his last project centers around the life of a restavek in an urban family.
To know more about Gilbert, please visit his blog. Do not forget to translate the page in English if you do not speak French nor Creole.

Naomie Labaty

Born in Haiti after the ousting of Jean-Claude Duvalier, Naomie Labaty describes herself as a person with a creatively incoherent mind; therefore, she decided to write poems.

"I always have tragic thoughts in my mind,"said Labaty, who writes about Haiti, love (especially love that is unfulfilled) and other entities that she is deeply drawn into. 

She partly grew up in Haiti where she completed her primary education at Saint Francois D'Assise and spent two additional years at Centre D'Etude Secondaire.  At age 13, Labaty moved to the United States and finished high school there.
Labaty spent three years at a university in Boston, but  couldn't decide what career path to take. It wasn't until the massive earthquake in Haiti (12/01/10) that she realized that her actual goal in life was to be helpful to her country. Thus, she moved to Florida to feel closer to Haiti and to study political science and international relations at Florida International University.
Labaty also became involved in many cultural activities promoting the Haitian society. She even had the chance to perform in a spectacle called Ayiti Manman Libete, which focused on dance, music and poetry to support the culture of Haiti.
Along with a friend, she founded Boukan, a cultural night, at Moca Cafe in Florida.
In addition, she enjoys reading and reciting her poems, and to share those poetic thoughts with others, she videotapes them and uploads them on youtube. Above is one sample of her videos recounting the animated life of the haitian youth in a first person scenario. She had received great feedback for it and explained that many thought that she was telling her story.
"When something speaks to them, they give so much back," said Labaty.
Labaty, who describes speech as her forte, also host a show on Island T.V., called Plezi Soley, at 8 p.m on Fridays. 

She has a blog, Anthology of a Heartbreak, where she shares writings and videos pertaining to the subject of love. Please take a look at it at http://naomiel.blogspot.com/. I find her poems conversational and undisguised with just enough literary devices. 

Do not forget to follow her if you enjoy her poems. ☺
Labaty is currently working on a CD version of her most praised poems and short essays. 

Here are additional links to her facebook page and youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/user/naomiel1

https://www.facebook.com/naomielayiti?sk=wall

An Irish evening with Batt Burns

On Friday October 14, Batt Burns performed at the Penguin Book store in Sewickley, PA for the book-signing event of his collected short stories, The King with the Horse's ears and Other Irish Folktales. This book can now be purchased at the Penguin Book store.
His other published works, including two CDs where he recounts stories of Ireland, were also available for purchase.
He performed a couple of well-known Irish folktales and sometime with an old Irish accordion played by his beloved wife.
At the end of the performance he chatted with the audience and offered more in-depth information on the spectacular story of Ireland.

Poetry out Loud: Chauncey Alexander

Being the youngest of four children is not easy; therefore, to be heard Chauncey Alexander would write his thoughts down on paper.
Alexander is a college student at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania, studying Communications/advertisement. Nevertheless, one of his most precious dream is to become an actor.
He started writing at a very young age, but he would keep all his poems to himself (hidden from everyone, including his family) until, one day, his mother accidently found one of his work. She was very amazed by Alexander's talent and would encourage him to share his work.
"She would bring it up in conversations, and offer me to read my poems," said Alexander.
The first time Alexander actually perform was in the fall of 2011 at an open mic night at his university.
"When I heard about open mic night, I was very excited and told myself to do it," added Alexander.
He also explained that he was very nervous the first time he performed. Nonetheless, as he became more of a regular performer, doing poetry out loud became more relaxing and easier to him.
He focuses his poems on soul-searching and redefinition and has for role models Nikki Giovanni and Joshua Bennett. The first poem that I actually saw him perform depicted him through the eyes of an outsider.
To learn more about Chauncey Alexander, please visit his blog, that-boysimba.tumblr.com

Becoming a writer: Elizabeth Fabien

Elizabeth Fabien is a young and upcoming writer who caught my attention when she created a facebook group, Poetry Corner, to help her network with other people and promote her book W.O.R.D.S.: Wisdom to Survival. The title of the book is actually an acronym for Wisdom & Willingness, Objective & Obligation, Reason & React, Dream & Dare, and Suffer and Survive.
Fabien grew up in Haiti where she completed her entire schooling and discovered the joy of writing. She explained that she was listening to the beautiful christmas songs written by candidates in a christmas song competition that was held in one of the Haitian channels. The well written lyrics inspired her to write a christmas song as well. She wanted to know how that would feel. She also explained that it seemed like an easy task. Indeed she wrote her first song, "sonje wou ton nwel," and realized that writing was something that she enjoyed.

Fabien used writing as a tool to practice English. She bought a notebook, numbered the pages and came up with titles for every journal entries that she wrote. Eventually, writing was not just a tool to learn English; Fabien started writing about entities that were dear to her heart, including her country, Haiti.
Fabien moved to the United States in 2005 to pursue her post-secondary education.  She continued to write and occasionally shared her work with other people. Many who admired her work encouraged her to publish it. Therefore, Fabien decided to put her manuscripts together. In december 2009, when she finally completed the book, she sought a publishing company, submitted her work and got published.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/words-elizabeth-fabien/1020978620

I haven't had a chance to read her book yet, but as soon as I do, I will tell you what to look forward to when reading it.

The surviving mind

It is no rare fact that Ireland is blessed with great folk tales and writers. On my trip to Ireland, I definitely anticipated on learning more about this creative side of Ireland. Little did I know that the tour guide, himself, was one of the gifted soul of this country.
Batt Burns who grew up in Sneem, a small town in Ireland, discovered the art of storytelling at a young age. His grandfather, Clifford, was a seanachie (storyteller), and Burns will spent relatively long period of time with him listening to the old tales of Ireland, including stories of the wee folks.
Batt Burns in turn became a seanachie, performing all over Ireland and the United States and keeping this old tradition alive. He laments about the gradual disappearance of this art, blaming it on technology because storytelling was a form of entertainment in a time when TVs were nonexistent. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find a seanachie in Ireland.

Burns wrote an award-winning book, The King with Horse's Hears and Other Irish Folk Tales. As previously mentioned, Burns host tours of Ireland, and has incomparable knowledge of this land. For more information on Burns, please visit his website, http://battburns.com/.

When you're dead, you have more power

"When you're dead, you have more power," said Dr. Brenda Flanagan, author of You Alone are Dancing and In Praise of the Island Women and Other crimes.
And this power is also entrusted to her ancestors and inspires her to write those award-winning pieces that she published.
Every writer has something or someone who guides their thoughts and help them write remarkable pieces. Flanagan explained that she sometimes call to the spirits for help in writing her books.
"There are spirits that guide you," she said.

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Dear Ms. Stockett,

What a wonderful book you wrote. I haven't read a book that reached me so deeply in a long time. They say the best stories come from the heart, and in your case, it truly did. I compared Skeeter's character with the brief bio that was set at the end of the book cover for you. I might be wrong, but I felt that her character was inspired by your very own person. By the way, Skeeter was one of my favorite character, along with Aibeleen.

Nonetheless, it was Aibeleen's soft nature that I admired. Sometimes, I wanted to skip through the chapters just to catch up with her. I always say to myself that someone has to be righteous in this world (there just has to be one) to inspire the rest of us who are striving everyday. Her soul reached me through the book and gave me courage in a way. 

A Librarian once told me that some books are more focused on characters whereas others are more focused on plot ( I guess the ones that you can't put down would be categorized in the latter genre). This book was a fairly even mixture of a powerful plot and complicated characters. It kept me going, and I just wanted to ditch all my work just to read it. Yet, it also had enough emphasis on the characters that I took my time to learn every single one of them. 

I love the mystery of the characters. Such unexpected yet almost innocent revelations and such pleasant way to unfold everything!

My favorite quote from the book was about things unfolding like silk or something like that (I can't seem to find it. stupid me forgot to mark the page).

Congrats on a good work!

Sincerely,

Ba

***

Dear readers,

I truly recommend this book to you. You will most likely have a different opinion than I did. I don't want to say more because I don't want to ruin it for you. I can almost assure you that you are going to love it. I looked at the reviews on amazon. They were full of positive feedbacks. The book is about motherhood, friendship, love, hate and how we all find a way to survive in this world of "madness."

Best,

Ba

http://www.amazon.com/Help-Kathryn-Stockett/dp/0399155341/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297575646&sr=1-1