“The Heart it Took”: Abbey Lincoln Listening Session Jan. 12 (Save the Date!)

Join us for the first of the Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind’s series of potluck listening parties featuring the genius of black women vocalists.

Wednesday, January 12

6pm

at the Inspiration Station

Bring food to share if you can. Your favorite Abbey Lincoln track and your listening heart.  See you there!

♥ lex

p.s. folks who don’t live in Durham can share too! By sending your favorite Abbey Lincoln track and/or a written or audio recorded reflection on what her work means to you to brokenbeautifulpress@gmail.com or by donating to the Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind!

The Queerness of Love: Photoshoot from the Juneteenth Freedom Academy

(a genderqueering photoshoot
after June Jordan’s “Poem for My Pretty Man”)

the complexity is like your legs
around me
… See my Tabblo>

The Messiness of Love

Greetings loved ones!   For those of you who did not experience the delicious first session of the Juneteenth Freedom Academy on Love Poems here are some highlights from but one of our incredible poetic exercises!

See you next week? Event details here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=103868#!/event.php?eid=135017403218949

Voicemail messages after June Jordan….

direct link: http://brokenbeautiful.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/messiness-of-love.mp3

After June Jordan’s  “Resolution #1,003″ and “Why I Became a Pacifist and How I Became a Warrior Again”

(transcript of response to Why I Became a Pacifist and How I Became a Warrior Again)

I dare you to listen

to this entire message

My only apology is

to the self I will never again suppress.

I am singing my song and it sounds like

loving every smell every noise every accidental shine

of the self I came to be.

Also known as (sung) yeeeeeesssssssss!

My head clear and open

nobody else’s voice in there

except maybe a lullaby from my grandmother.

And I dare you to keep listening

if you can stand to sit still long enough to hear

an anthem

that praises something other than your sorry ass.

Singing my song feels like hearing my baby’s

heartbeat for the first time…and the more than that

is putting down my shield, laying down my sword

and facing love beautifully naked.

I need space to sing my song and you take up all the space.

I am ready for a room where I can breathe

and sing and smile and take off my clothes.

I live ready for live so

full so loud from my song

so explosive

love so deep and naked and vulnerable

armed

with ALL my nerve

and my sword

and my shield

(sung)  singin’ my war song

Because my song twists and turns in the

autumnal blaze of this battlefield

Because you want to hear the notes turned

inside out

To choose them

To take them home

To sharpen them against a blade

To surrender to them

I will be experiencing

sensing

seeing

smelling

unshrouded.

My soul sings with the joy of knowing

I have much more to offer the world than another sorry.

And I dare you to listen to this entire message.

We love you!!!

love,

lex

and p.s. donations are ALWAYS welcome in the form of money, toilet paper, or forks and plates!