An HBO doc, currently in production on child prodigies in the arts (hip hop, spoken word, poetry etc.), is looking for 7-8 year old's who can rhyme or freestyle. Spread the word to any programs in your respective cities that work with kids in writing, poetry and Hip-Hop.
For more info contact Candida: candida@didapopproductions.com
UPDATED 10 02 07 | 12:34PM EST: Last week Variety reported that Miramax and über producer Scott Rudin have optioned Junot's book for a film adaptation that will start production in 2008. Congrats to Junot and his squad!
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By Led Black
It may have taken him ten years to follow up his literary debut "Drown", but for all of those who were longing for his new material, the wait was worth every second. Undoubtedly one of the most exquisite voices of contemporary literature, Dominican writer Junot Diaz has nailed a novel that depicts the Dominican experience from all angles, and believe us, he takes no prisoners.
Titled “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”, Diaz tells us a Dominican story that travels from DR to Jersey, and back and forth in time in signature Sci-Fi approach. The book describes the story of Oscar, your average Dominican teenager and his family, their interactions and their history: Tackling on Dominican Society in the island, the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, and the reasons that provoked Oscar's family to ultimately migrate to the U.S. Diaz pays extreme caution in depicting details that encapsulate not only Oscar's life but the actual state of the entire Dominican community with a distinctive flare and wit that amazes you over and over:
"Every summer Santo Domingo slaps the Diaspora engine back into reverse, yanks back as many as its expelled children as it can...Like someone had sounded a general reverse evacuation order: Back home, everybody! Back home!"
With a prevailing notion of current times, Not only does Diaz focus on Oscar's life...but he keeps on throwing references to major social events that could help people from all walks of life relate to the narrative and Oscar's geeky existence. Yes, there's lots of references to Thee Lord of The Rings, and other major books, but he does know how to drop a throw back and slam you with descriptions like this:
"Oscar, who had never been punched a couple of times by a military trained adult, felt like he had been run over by the entire Steelers backfield circa 1977."
"...It is believed that the arrival of Europeans on Hispaniola unleashed the fukú on the world, and we've been in the shit ever since."
"It's all true plataneros..." as Diaz would say: The man is back. For all of us who made of "Drown" a staple set in stone in our college years, this is a major event. Diaz does a wonderful job of describing our heritage and our experience as part of the Diaspora not only in telling our story through Oscar's life, but in reminding us who we are, were we come from, and leaving us hope as to where we might be heading as a society.
Junot Diaz will kick off his book signing tour starting Thursday September 6th from 7 'til 9PM at Barnes and Noble Union Square
Here are the rest of his book tour dates:
09 07 07 | 7:30PM | Washington, DC | Borders - Bailey's Crossroads
09 08 07 | 7:30PM | So. Hadley, MA | Odyssey Bookshop at Hampshire College
09 09 07 | 2PM | East Brunswick, NJ | Barnes and Noble, 2PM
09 10 07 | 6PM | Chicago, IL | Chicago Public Library Main Branch
09 11 07 | 7PM | Philadelphia, PA | Free Library of Philadelphia
09 12 07 | 6PM | Cambridge, MA | Harvard Bookstore at the Brattle Theatre
09 13 07 | 8PM | Miami, FL | Books & Books
09 14 07 | 7:00PM | Dayton, OH | Books & Co.
09 15 07 | 2PM | Madison, WI | Barnes and Noble - West Towne Mall
09 16 07 | 6:30PM | Iowa City, IA | Prairie Lights
09 17 07 | 7:30PM | Edina, MN | Barnes and Noble
09 18 07 | 7PM | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis Public Library Schlafly Branch
09 19 07 | 7PM | Los Angeles, CA | Dutton's
09 20 07 | 7:30PM | Boulder, CO | Boulder Bookstore
09 21 07 | 7PM | Dallas, TX | Borders – Preston Road
09 22 07 | 2PM | Tulsa, OK | Barnes and Noble - Southroads
09 23 07 | 3PM | Austin, TX | Book People
09 24 07 | 7:30PM | Seattle, WA | Elliott Bay Book Company
09 25 07 | 7:30PM | Portland, OR | Powell's City of Books - Burnside
09 26 07 | 7PM | Oakland, CA | Diesel Books
09 27 07 | 7PM | Corte Madera, CA | Book Passage
09 28 07 | 7PM | Ann Arbor, MI | Borders - Downtown
09 29 07 | 3PM | Houston, TX | Latino Family Festival
10 02 07 | 6PM | New York, NY | Instituto Cervantes
Latina Poets Festival 2007 will feature:
La Bruja, Mariposa Fernandez, Patty Dukes, Sandra Maria Esteves, Linda Nieves Powell, Dr. Myrna Nieves and Prisonera
Special appearances by:
Carmen D. Lucca, Rhina Valentin, Carmen Valle, Lourdes Vasquez Miriam Cruz and Jazmin Caratini
Produced and Directed by:
Miriam Colon Valle and Jack Landron
Literary Advisor:
Soledad Romero
THE PUERTO RICAN TRAVELING THEATRE
304 West 47th street
New York, NY
For tickets:
Admission General $20
Students and senior $15
Group sales are available
Telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6200
PRTT Box office (212)265-1086
For show times and additional info visit: www.echtheit.com
From Russell Simmons, three more historic nights of DEF POETRY JAM will be filmed in New York on OCTOBER 9, 10, 11, 2006 for HBO. Be part of the Live Def Poetry Experience.
There will be two shows each night, see the schedule below for detailed information. As always, the shows will feature roots stars and future sensations. Everything from Nikki Giovanni to Black Ice. Each show will present 10 different poets. Mos Def will host all six shows. In addition to the best performance poetry in the nation, there will be a celebrity guest reader at each show.
YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER TO ATTEND DEF POETRY AND YOU MUST LIVE IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR TICKETS OR BE IN NYC DURING THE TAPING WEEK.
If you are interested in being part of these exclusive free, live television events, please email them at defpoetry06@broadwayvideo.com with the following information in both the subject line and body of your email:
1. Def Poetry 06
2. your full name
3. your email address (one which will not "spam" out our reply to you.)
4. your phone number(s)
5. which show(s) you can attend, Put "ANY SHOW" if you can attend any of the 10 shows
Example: Def Poetry 06/Angela Davis/angelapower@blackplanet.com /(212) 555-1212 /ANY SHOW/4 tickets
Please refer to the shows as follows: (you must be at the shows at least 1 hour before ShowTime)
Show 1 - Mon., 09 09 06 - 7:15PM
Show 2 - Mon., 09 09 06 - 10:15PM
Show 3 - Tues., 09 10 06 - 5:45PM (LINE UP 5:00PM LATEST)
Show 4 - Tues., 09 10 06 - 9:15PM
Show 5 - Wed., 09 11 06 - 6:15PM
Show 6 - Wed., 09 11 06- 9:15PM
"ANY SHOW" - MEANS YOU CAN ATTEND ANY OF THE 6 SHOWS INCLUDING THE EARLY EVENING SHOWS.
(DO NOT PUT "ANY SHOW" IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND THE EARLY EVENING SHOWS ESPECIALLY SHOW 3.)
6. 4 tickets is the maximum number we can allow per request. (please don't ask for 4 tickets unless you are 100% sure you will use them)
You are more likely to receive tickets if you are flexible and can attend any of the shows.
You will be contacted via email with a detailed confirmation if there are tickets available. You should hear from them within a day or two of your response but at latest by Saturday, October, 7, 2006.
PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL DUPLICATE REQUESTS AS THIS IS CONFUSING AND WON'T HELP YOU GET TICKETS.
If you have not heard from them by Saturday, October 7th , 2006 that is because they have run out of tickets.
For tickets e-mail: defpoetry06@broadwayvideo.com
By Led Black
This is a poem I conceived while I was at the Resort feverishly fiending for some Dominican food. It is a bit over the top with Shakespearian overtones but that is how I felt at the time.
I Love Platanos – An Ode to Platanos
Oh Platano, how we Dominicans love you
You are forever welcome at every Dominican table whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, entrée or dessert
You delight in all your incarnations; maduros, tostones, asado, mangu or mofongo
Can’t forget the pastellon or the platano con azucar or any of your many variations
I even had a fresh off the boat cousin who made Platano juice,
Umm umm umm, Delicioso
Your versatility never ceases to amaze.
Oh Platano, how we Dominicans love you
You are the constant companion, the faithful friend of all Dominicans
Without you, rice, beans & meat is just rice, beans & meat
Who would eat Salchichon without your accompaniment?
You are the muse of all Dominicans mothers
Oh Platano, how we Dominicans love you
Woe be to those who refer to you as green Bananas
That borders on being racist
Bananas are bananas and platanos are platanos
I’m also not too fond of the term Plantain
Words tend to lose meaning when they become anglicized
Long Live Platanos!!!
Tags: Travel | Dominican Culture | Dominican Republic | Santo Domingo | República Dominicana
The Hip Hop Theater Fest has teamed up with Bolt Media in the search
for the most freshest and fearless voices in America. Help spread the
word and enter.
One lucky winner will be flown to NYC for a three night and four day stay, be featured on our NYC Mainstage at The Public Theatre, audition for Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam and receive a $1000 dollar performance fee!
1. We are looking for monologues, poems and rants.
2. ALL media types (video, audio, photos, blog) are acceptable.
3. Written entries should be between 500 and 1000 words.
4. We are looking for creative expression with a powerful statement about now.
5. The Bolt community will select the Top 10 and then the Festival's Artistic Director will pick ONE Lucky Winner.
To enter click--------------> Here!!!
Tags: Poetry | Def Poetry Jam
HHTF is proud to announce that our Mainstage performances will be at The Public Theatre this year. They are bringing two premieres to New York City: The New York Premiere of Jerry Quickley's "Live from the Front" and the US Premiere of Brazilian B- Boy Frank Ejara's "Som di Movimento".
Directed by reg e. gaines, Jerry Quickley's "Live from the Front" will be coming off a critically acclaimed run at the Mark Taper Forum. Other work in the Festival will include Ben Snyder's "Rock Paper Scissors" and excerpted works from talented playwrights and performers like Edward Lee Gibson who played Oedipus in Will Power's "The Seven". Their Staged Reading Series will also return to the New York Theatre Workshop's 4th Street Theater and will feature the work of Dominique Morisseau, Zaqiyaa Alexander, J.Kyle Manzay and Ishle Park. They will be announcing the NYC Festival Schedule shortly.
FOR MORE INFO VISIT: HHTF
Tags: Hip Hop Theater Festival | HHTF | Theater Festival
Wednesday, March 22nd
7pm Doors
$10 Admission
W/ Special Guests
El Grito De Poetas
Aquavibe
Desiree Marshall
And
DJ Precision (The X-ecutioners)
"the multi-talented LA BRUJA overflows with such affection for her people, and she projects so much charisma, that she makes you want to dance to her beat"
-The Village Voice-
The Nuyorican Poet’s Café
236 East 3rd Street (Between Aves, B & C)
New York, NY 10009
Hotline: 212-505-8183
Show Starts at 7:15pm Sharp
Limited Seating So Arrive Early!
