caribbean woman writer as scholar

The Caribbean Woman Writer as Scholar: Imagining/Theorizing/Creating
May 30 - June 3, 2006, Hollywood, Florida

At the end of this month, I will be presenting a paper at the Caribbean Woman Writer as Scholar Conference, put together by African New World Studies at FIU. I have received the preliminary program and it looks to be a jam packed conference with presentations, art, performance and good company. Some of the topics include: Caribbean Spirituality; Race, Nation and Imagination in Caribbean Women's Writing; Zami, Sexuality and the Politics of Desire; Beyond the Mother Construct; Language, Voice and Caribbean Women Writers; and Unpacking Masculinities.

Here is a brief description of my presentation:

The Rests between the Beats: Addressing the Silencing of a Voice

In addressing the systematic silencing of Caribbean women, we often look to the outside world for rationale. However, just as internalized racism causes much harm, so too does internal silencing. For women who self-identify as artists, scholars, writers or activists, the time in between “productive” activity can produce a heavy burden. These women may feel a loss of self-esteem, self-worth or direction. Or, they may simply abandon their passion along the way. This work in progress attempts to uncover women’s views on this silent period, and how their internal dialogue is exists with societal systems of racism, sexism and homophobia. This work will be part of a larger work in which I address the ways in which Afro-Caribbean women utilize their bodies to explore theories on exile and displacement.

artists' exchange: create and share

A fellow artist and I discussed swapping pieces of work. Well, actually, she brought it up and I was hesitant. I thought, "Give away my artwork, why the heck would I do that?" Later on, I realized that she had a point, we could all benefit by sharing our work with fellow artists. I see two primary reasons: 1) Community is hard to come by,and 2) my old work ends up sitting in a box in my studio. Instead, I'd like to get in out there into the world again, and bring someone else's work into my home and small art collection.

So, this is my proposal, and it is limited to visual artists, at this point in time. Find one piece of work in your studio, and exchange it with another talented artist for one of theirs. There aren't necessarily any size limitations, but the artist is responsible for shipping of the work, therefore it may be worthwhile to pick an unframed work, and let the other party handle that. The work should be something that you consider some of your best work, not something headed for the trash (although maybe to some self-deprecating people, that is their best work, and they just are too hard-headed to see it . . . but that's another discussion for another day). This swap is limited to those who view themselves as professional artists (meaning that in your head, or in reality, that is your primary occupation). In this way, we can ensure the highest quality of the work to be swapped, and artists won't feel jipped out of their hard-produced work.

Once you get your artist swap partner, send or deliver the work to them by June 9 (sooner is ok, later is not!) Please only sign up if you feel you can commit to sending a fellow artist one piece of work by the deadline. It would be a shame to have a one-ended swap and a sad artist.

And, by the middle of June, each of us will have a new piece of artwork by a talented artist. How's that for starting an art collection and community building at the same time?!

Get started, create and share
You'll need to set up a free swap-bot account and enter the password "artist" to join the swap, as it is not a public swap.

Email me with any questions or concerns:
reachout@larasteinpardo.com

Travel and Research in Cuba Threatened

In a ridiculous attempt to ban intellectual pursuits and creative knowledge, Florida's Legislature has approved a ban on travel to Cuba by students and professors. While they say that this only applies to those trips using certain funds, it includes nearly all possibilities a student or professor has - grants and even private donations! Private donations! That means that they are legislating organizations which are not even technically under governmental authority.
But, that point is merely an adjunct issue to the main issue- Why place this ban on research, education and outreach? Many important projects take place in Cuba, and Florida has a particularly important role to play in keeping up with Caribbean nations - blockade or not. Their rationale is that Cuba is a "terrorist state," and the money will benefit this "terrorist nation." That is really a load of garbage. What it is doing is keeping knowledge about Cuba out of the US, that is the true intention. People fear what they do not know, and this is a propagation of that intention.

I urge you to write to dissuade the governor from passing this bill. Without the ability to pursue research or other creative/intellectual endeavors, we are only hurting ourselves with self-imposed ignorance.



My senior thesis was on Judaism in Havana, Cuba. A photo series can be viewed on my website. I completed this research at the University of Colorado with the support of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grant. Through this research I was able to add to the body of knowledge on Judaism in Cuba and the state of Cuba after the Special Period. It was an important step in the foundation of the work I plan to do while working towards my PhD in Anthropology at the University of Michigan. It is unfortunate that I am so happy to leave Florida for my education, but it would be impossible for me to enjoy the intellectual and creative freedom that I would have in almost any other state. Why does Florida want to push out scholars and artists?

OK- HERE IS THE HERALD ARTICLE FROM TODAY'S PAPER . . .

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE
School trips to Cuba face ban Legislation banning college and university students and professors from traveling to 'terrorist nations' -- including Cuba -- is headed to the governor.
By JENNIFER MOONEY PIEDRA
jmooney@MiamiHerald.com
TALLAHASSEE - A bill aimed at banning public and private universities and community colleges from sponsoring trips to Cuba and other nations labeled as ''terrorist'' by the U.S. State Department cleared both chambers of the Legislature and is on its way to the governor.

The plan, which is the brainchild of Miami Republican Rep. David Rivera, will block the schools from using state funds, private donations and grants to ``implement, organize, direct, coordinate, or administer activities related to or involving travel to a terrorist state.''

That's bad news for students like Brett Jestrow, who says he could not have written his doctoral dissertation on plants native to Cuba without doing research in the island nation.

The 27-year-old South Miami resident was able to go there in 2004, study at the National Botanical Gardens in Havana, work with Cuban botanists and drive around the country looking for different plants -- all possible because of a $1,000 grant from the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University.

''Taxpayer money should not be used to support or subsidize terrorist regimes -- period,'' Rivera said. ``Particularly when America is fighting a war on terrorism.''

Under the plan, colleges and universities in Florida -- both public and private -- would not be allowed to send students, professors or other faculty members to Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria.

Rivera made no secret of the target of his legislation.

''Its practical impact in Florida will focus squarely on one country -- Cuba,'' he said. ``Cuba has been a sponsor of terrorism. The Castro dictatorship is a force for evil.''

School administrations, Rivera said, would be responsible for enforcing the law.

For the University of Miami, that is not a problem.

''There is no question the University of Miami would always be compliant to any bill or law that is passed,'' said Margot Winick, a university spokeswoman.

Even if the governor signs the bill into law, professors and students still could travel to terrorist nations -- but they would have to pay out of their own pocket.

Critics of the measure say it is ''political demagoguery'' and that Rivera, a Cuban American, is trying to use anti-Castro legislation to appeal to the emotions of voters.

''His record representing his district has been rather poor,'' said Lisandro Pérez, a professor at Florida International University and former director of FIU's Cuban Research Institute. ``It's reprehensible that Rep. Rivera uses Cuba and this issue to further his political career.''

Perez, who regularly travels to Cuba for research using grant money, said he will continue his studies, regardless of any changes to the law.

''My research is on Cuba and if I need to go, I will go,'' he said. ``I'm not going to change my behavior because of a ridiculous law.''

The push by Rivera was fueled by the January arrests of FIU professor Carlos M. Alvarez and his wife, Elsa, an FIU counselor. The couple is accused of being unregistered agents for Cuba.

Rivera tried passing a similar bill two years ago, but it was killed in the Senate.

This session, the Senate bill won unanimous approval April 27 and the House version also had unanimous support during its final vote Wednesday.

Despite the country's communist regime, students and professors who conduct research in Cuba say they have a right to go.

''It would be a real drag, a real drawback if students couldn't go to Cuba,'' said Jestrow, who spent a month conducting research on the island as an FIU student. ``For some people, it's really important to go there.''

Go Back to Mexico? thoughts on a Day of Action

“Go back to Mexico!” That’s what one of my students heard while she was on Spring Break.
“But, I’m not Mexican,” she replied.
“You’re a beaner.”
“What is that? I’m Cuban, not Mexican.”

Identity is important in every person’s life. It is also important to realize when everyone needs to come together for something larger than an individual’s country of origin. And, this does not mean giving up that identity. It means realizing that amongst the many differences there are also a load of similarities.

Miami had fewer protesters than every major city in the United States. In a city where most of the population was born in Latin America or the Caribbean, one would think that people would turn out in droves when asked to support immigrants’ rights. However, a disappointingly low 10,000 spread among 4 separate protests was all Miami could muster. Denver had 75,000 people, Oakland with 17,000 and New York and LA each gathered a whopping 400,000 people.

So, why the low numbers in Miami? Despite cries to come together as one large “American” immigrant community, the answers lie in countries of origin. There is no shame in identifying country of origin. It does not imply dissent, when used to express identity.

Our largest immigrant community, Cuban Americans, unlike Haitians, Mexicans and others, have rights and benefits thrown upon them in Miami. In the hotly debated "Wet Foot/Dry Foot" policy, any Cuban who reaches land is eligible for political asylum in the US. This policy does not apply to any other people who attempt the same dangerous pursuit. Namely, it does not apply to Haitians, who are the second largest group to attempt long sea voyages to Miami in search of asylum. If they are caught, they are first held in horrible prison-like conditions, and then sent back to Haiti. But, I digress. To be sure, there are many immigration issues which are not only unfair, but also unjust. Primarily responsible for low numbers in Miami, low Cuban turn-out.

Why Miami immigrants did not feel part of yesterday's Day of Action? Cuban Americans already benefit from the unjust system in place now. Haitians have a lot to lose by gathering in large numbers to protest the US government, and I do not think many felt safe enough to take bold actions. As Marlene Bastien, executive director of Haitian Women of Miami, explains, Haitians attempted to boycott shopping, but went to work "because they don't know their rights" (Herald article 5/2/06). Unlike Cubans, Haitians feared being fired from work, found out as illegal, being viewed as illegal even if they are not, and need to keep up a good public image.

Across the country it seemed that there was an idea that this Day of Action was aimed solely at Mexican Americans. I do not believe this to be the intent, but many here in Miami may have felt that this was not their issue to debate. There was a belief that traversing the waters from Latin America, the Caribbean or other country to the US is not the same as crossing a “land border.” But, borders are borders, and they come in many sizes, shapes and spaces. Crossing them requires different tactics of negotiation and risk, but they are being crossed, no less.

Portrayed as a Mexican American issue, many rallies addressed issues of farming and work in related fields. Here in Miami, there are many Mexican American immigrants who do work in farming. They work in Homestead and turned out for the rallies and protests. Many of the growers were in favor of the Day of Action, and gave their employees the day off. (This gesture, I think, has much to do with their need for labor at cheap rates. If their workers are legalized, then they would ultimately face less risk of punishment for hiring “illegal” workers.) In fact, according to the front page article in the Herald today, this was the largest rally in Miami, with 5,000 people.


(from BBC, Homestead Protest)

Finally, what goes unrecognized are the thousands of people who are “in limbo” – not with papers, but not without. Many of these people have been waiting patiently for years on end for their day to come, for immigration officials to send them their precious promised documents. I know many people in this situation, and they do not have the same concerns as those who have come on a more “illegal” basis – ie rafting, swimming, running to shore. These people have tried to pursue all “legal” lines of residency and citizenship, and yet still await any official action. Herein lies the dilemma. If some sort of “legalization” occurs, will it provide any benefit to those people still waiting in line? Or will they be asked to take a back seat, and wait patiently for a few more years while they process everyone else? These are major questions which need to be addressed before any official immigration action can be taken by Congress. And, these people need to stand up and let themselves be heard as well.

It thrills me to see so many people stand up, nationwide, and demand to be heard. This is only one step, and cannot possibly stand for every voice. Miami, in particular, is in a unique situation, with people coming from many countries trying to form this diverse city.

participants needed: performance art

My friend, and talented artist, Ayanna Jolivet McCloud is creating a performance piece for Diaspora Vibe Gallery. She sent this to me and others requesting participants for this piece. Let her know, directly, if you are interested. Her email address is archipelaga@gmail.com.

Loosing Ground, 5 x 7 inch, Digital Print(2005) from a peformance at Diaspora Vibe

PLEASE FORWARD & POST to artists, students, and community members:

---------
CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS (MIAMI, FL)

Artist Seeking Participants for Performance Installation at gallery on
Friday, June 9, 7-9 pm and rehearsal on sat, May 13, 1-2pm. Looking
for everyday people, performers, artists, actors, non-creative types,
mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, all ages, body types, genders.
Prefer people of color. All participants will receive photo
documentation and an immeasurable amount of gratitude from the artist.
This is a very simple and very inactive performance. Participants are
asked to simply lie on the gallery floor and stand up every 15
minutes. The performance is for 2 hours. This is nonpaid, but is truly
a unique experience to put on your resume and a great way experience
art. Participants will be acknowledged in online catalogue.

To participate send name, email, phone to: archipelaga@gmail.com

About Performance:
Goofer Dust is a performance installation by Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud
exploring memory, time travel, and Afro-Diasporic ritual. In this
newly created work, images, video, sound, and live bodies are
interwoven to reveal rituals of dreaming and the inconsistencies of
time. Using the body as an ephemeral object, Goofer Dust, frames the
body's relation to time, space, itself, nature, the community and the
celestial. Goofer Dust will be presented as part of the Off the Wall:
Experimental Lab Series at Diaspora Vibe Gallery on Friday, June 9,
7-9 pm. An online catalogue with images and text will be presented on
labotanica.org.

Amber Sharp's "Triple Minority" - Best Short In MGLFF

At it's east coast premier, this was the first film I have seen at this year's Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival that truly caught my attention. It was definitely a relief, in a way, since I am her official "Miami Host." I have to say that after watching the films in the Shorts Program, What Girls Like, on Sunday evening that I was beginning to wonder if the short format is viable. On Monday at Cries of Freedom, the Shorts Program for films by African American women, I was thrilled to see some great pieces.

Amber Sharp wrote and directed "Triple Minority." This 15 min short is about a Black woman named Clair who seeks to negotiate familial ties, religion, and years of ostracism from family and church brought about after she "comes out of the closet." Her partner, Rebecca, has a powerful role in the film as confidant and heroine - unwilling to lose her love to society's norms.


Amber Sharp, Photo from Triple Minority Website

When speaking with Sharp, she explains that this film is not autobiographical, but of course, there are elements "which I can relate to, as most Black women can." In the Q&A following the film, she explains that she comes from a "dysfunctional family and had to learn to just leave the garbage behind." In this film, Clair tries to deal with her family's dysfunction at the encouragement of her partner, Rebecca. Eventually, though, she does chose herself and her love for Rebecca over family and church acceptance in a bittersweet ending that had me nearly in tears. Despite the short nature of the film, it is easy to get emotionally involved with the characters and wish them well when it's over.

Interestingly enough, the title "Triple Minority" comes from a scene that was ultimately cut. Coming from the film program at University of Southern California, "we had strict time limitations . . . every film had to be 12 1/2 minutes." Her partner and producer, Seema Gaur, explains that Sharp had to petition for the extra time to extend her film to 15 minutes. After comparing this film, with other shorts, I tend to agree with those strict time limits. It forces the filmmaker to narrow in on their artistic voice and the actual story they want to tell. As Sharp says, "get in, tell the story, get out . . . that's pretty much how I am anyway."

As for what she'll do next, Sharp plans to write a television series and is already busy working on a pilot. She tells my partner and I that we might end up being part of composite characters in an upcoming project. Wow! That's great. Can't wait to see us on the big screen. Although we probably won't be able to tell which character we are, since as most writers do Sharp takes a little something from someone interesting and blends that into a character. Gaur,also a middle school therapist, commends her style and the "way her mind works . . . it's fascinating . . . you know, tonight, she'll go back and get right on her laptop and start writing."

I am fully impressed with the work of Sharp thus far, and look forward to whatever she pursues in the future.

missing miami already

It won't be for another few months until I leave town for Ann Arbor, but I'm already pining away for that sabor Miami. It's something that's hard to explain until you've experienced it, and even then it's easy to take it for granted once you've got it. Miami is unlike anywhere I've ever been - sort of a awkward combination of everything I've ever seen in another country. It doesn't come together easily by any means. People are angry here, people can be hostile towards those who aren't from the same country, but every now and again there is a break through.

Today on a stroll down Lincoln Road after my yoga class, I overheard two men talking, in Spanish (I'll write it in English):

"Can I have one of those," one man says pointing to the other's cigarette.
The other man reaches to his pocket to give him one, and says,"What country are you from?"
"I am Bolivian," the man replies.
"Oh, I am from Uruguay," he smiles and lights the cigarette for his new compatriot.

While simple, this kind of exchange made me smile. Two men, who don't know each other, share something. In the process they learn where one another are from. Even if this exchange never moves beyond knowing the others' country of origin, something is gained - a knowledge that there are so many people living in Miami who are from somewhere else and each has their story to tell.

Miami truly fascinates me and I will miss so many things about it's sabor (flavor).

And the list begins: (in no particular order)Let me make a disclaimer: this is by no means comprehensive, and I am not including anything which specifically deals with missing certain people...trying to stick to experiences.
1. The sunrise over the Julia Tuttle Causeway
2. Arepas in any grocery store
3. Israeli cheese has just appeared in the "new" Publix on the Beach
4. Sweaty yoga (just cause it's hot outside)
5. Cuban spanglish
6. Brazilian Portuguese
7. Sports beach (3rd and the sand)
8. Yoga on the beach
9. the Boardwalk and the Sweat Sisters
10. 30 min flight to the Bahamas
11. driving to Key West
12. Ethnic Bakeries (Haitian, Jamaican, Argentinean, Jewish, Cuban) run by those people
13. Creole radio on NPR
14. the Venetian Causeway
15. Palm Trees
16. Cafe con Leche from anywhere, not just a cuban restaurant
17. preparing to hunker down for a low-grade hurricane
18. the hurricane kit my hunny has so dutifully prepared
19. south pointe park and the pier
20. that Epicure has turned from a store for little Jewish old ladies into a gourmet market for everyone

More to come. . .

job posting: education outreach - fairchild

Not much time to write, but I got this email about a job and it seems great. Here's the email I received:

Dear Educators,

Many of you know Bridgette Michaels -- a valued colleague in the Fairchild Challenge program. She has worked tirelessly with Netiva Kolitz to coordinate the High School Challenge over the past two years. We are sad to announce that Bridgette will be leaving Fairchild to move with her family to Anapolis, Maryland. Bridgette is a much respected colleague, and she will be missed.

This leaves us with a position to fill, and an opportunity to infuse the program with new talents and perspectives. The position description for an Education Outreach Coordinator is attached. The person in this position will work closely with Netiva Kolitz to coordinate the High School Challenge program, and will work fluidly with the rest of the Fairchild Challenge team, as well. Please help us spread the word, and forward the attached position description to interested colleagues.

We plan to have the candidate selected by the end of May, so please don't wait if you know anyone who might be interested. Questions can be directed to Dr. Cynthia Klemmer, Manager of the Fairchild Challenge program, at (305) 667-1651 x 3354 or cklemmer@fairchildgarden.org.

Thanks very much for your help in getting the word out!

Sincerely,

Cindy, David, Netiva, and Eva
The Fairchild Challenge Team


Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
10901 Old Cutler Road
Coral Gables, FL 33156-4233
(305) 667-1651 x 3354
www.fairchildgarden.org

lila downs rocks miami

Lila Downs, Mansion, South Beach, FL, April 9, 2006

Last night Lila Downs performed to a disappointingly small audience at Mansion on South Beach. The lack of turn out, though, is not a reflection of her talent as an artist. Put on by the same folks (Easton Bravo Productions) who organized last year's Latin Funk Festival, the line up also included local bands like Locos Por Juana.

Downs' combination of intellect and artistry lend to an experience for the mind, ears and eyes. She sing melodies which incorporate socio-historical knowledge, while using her body to express the many characterizations of the songs - from protagonist to lazy politicians. She consistently enagages the audience in Spanish and English and leaves little doubt in my mind that we have yet to see the last of Lila Downs in Miami.

For more information on Lila Downs check out:
her interview and sound clips on NPR

Art Blogging Forum . . . a bust? not necessarily

Last night's Art Blogging Forum at the Miami Beach Library was a good start to a conversation that artists and bloggers should be having. And, in an interesting twist to the typically cyber-world, we had the conversation in person!
It was definitely more of a panel than a dialogue and only a few audience members managed to get any words in edge wise. I think most were concerned about the strict time limitations which was made VERY clear. "The library is closing at 8:30, so we need to end promptly at that time." In fact, the library does not close until 9:00 PM. While I was unable to continue on to Parilla's for more discussion, I am glad that I went to listen in on the start of the discussion about Art, Blogging, Intention, Responsibility, Media, and more.

A few statements remained on the forefront for me, mostly because I disagree with their inherent assumptions:

1) Art is a free-for-all, and consequently art blogging is a free-for-all.
2) Blog v Print Journalism - how they are similar.
3) An artist uses the content of blogs (their own or others) to inform their art.

Today I will address #1 Art is a free-for-all, and consequently art blogging is a free-for-all.

Art is in NO way a free-for-all. I am an artist and I certainly don't feel like a kid running wild in the playground. If art was in fact a free-for-all, then art would really have no standards of quality or artistic integrity. Additionally, this statement does not take into account the systems at play in the world of art making, namely museums, critics, money, etc. These systems of power hamper the free-for-all nature which is a false belief about art making, viewing, selling.

Art blogging - not a free for all either. I don't consider myself an art blogger, as I typically write about whatever random thing I feel like. However, those that do consider themselve "art bloggers" certainly wouldn't just "have at it" with no sense of structure. Or, if they do, I am certainly not reading them because it would just be too annoying to read through poor grammar, sentence structure and incoherent thought patterns.

Where there is some freedom is in the nature of blogging. For one, it's FREE. Yup, nice perk. I can get on here and say what I want with minimal effort. So, it enables me to be more free than on my website. On the website, I have to plan and present myself well. But, again if it was just random rattlings of my mind and boring explanations, then there would be no readership. And, those that consider themselves art bloggers need to have some readership, or it becomes merely a journal.

At a later date, I will address points #2 and #3.

For a detailed account of last night's forum, visit Greener Miami. Rebecca took pictures and created a live blog for the first hour.

Other sources for thoughts on the panel:
Critical Miami
Art Blog
TNFH
Tu Miami (en espanol)

Gettin Funky in Miami, Latin Style

website updates and Spring show

So, I've been quiet on here because I've been paying my neglected website some attention. It's still in progress, don't think that'll ever stop, but check it out. I'm adding new images and writing soon. I am super thrilled with the work Kathy has done on the design.

Here's a sneak preview of some work that will soon be appearing on the site . . .

Yerba Buena in Miami

Gusman Theater Post

Door in Santiago de Cuba

And, my work will also be in a show next weekend. Here's the invite:

lost and found

I was doing some photo filing, and I came across this image. It was taken during the making of project/kria. That's me there in the background, and Lissette in the front. What an awesome experience to have such wonderful people help me to create images which had haunted me. Just wanted to share one from the archival lost and found.

The series that became of this private performance are the visual outpourings of a "near car accident." A piece of road debris flew up from the pavement on the highway and catapulted through my windshield. Luckily, it lodged itself on the dash, and I was okay. Needless to say, I was shaken. For weeks, everytime I closed my eyes, I saw flashes of the photographs I needed to create. There are several times when I have had such clear ideas of what I needed to do, and this was one of them. Within 3 weeks of the incident, the project was complete. My intention was to create the visions that I had; only later on did I complete an analysis of the symbology and name the piece.

Looking for a Forum

The panel takes place on Thursday, April 6th, 7 to 8:30 pm, at the Miami Beach Regional Library auditorium, 227 22nd Street, Miami Beach. Mark your calendars!

Looking for a Forum:
Art bloggers and artists on writing art and culture in Miami

Topics:

The impact of blogging and online communication on critical discourse around art and culture in Miami—why is it significant?
How writing about the art of a community helps create that community’s sense of itself—or does it? Including comparisons between print vs. web formats
Addressing and identifying the different arts sub-communities in the city
Cross-pollination—how blogs are creating a space where people in the same city interact who might never do so in real life
Bloggers’/writers’ role in documenting the local art scene
Blogs as artistic infrastructure
Accessibility issues – are there barriers to participation in these conversations?

Participants:
Franklin Einspruch, Artblog.net
Alesh Houdek, Critical Miami
KH, The Next Few Hours
Onajide Shabaka, Miami Art Exchange
Alfredo Triff, Tu Miami Blog

Moderator: Helen L. Kohen, Director of the Vasari Project and Art Critic Emeritus for The Miami Herald

Organized by Denise Delgado, Curator, Miami Dade Public Library System

Do you know tea?

Well, it appears that even though I thought I was well versed in tea, I didn't get 100%! Humph. I better keep drinking, and try again. Check out the Tea Association's website and try the tea test for yourself. Let me know how you score.

kids and candy

Aren't they cute? These are the Valentine's Grams that the Cultural Arts Club sold for its very first fundraiser! Inside these bundles are sweet candy and a nice little handmade card. Each gram was personally delivered to each student's homeroom by a member of the Club.I still have to do the final tally, but we are definitely not in the red. With only about 12 members, these kids made, sold and delivered grams to about 200 other students.



Not that the Hallmark holiday is worthy of all this effort, but the students are. And, getting lots of yummy candy to eat for the past week has been an added perk.

Despite all the hassles that come with being a high school teacher, the students in the Cultural Arts Club make my job worth it. Their smiles, motivation and ideas light up this place like nothing before. No, not even launchcast can make my classroom that fun!

women's bean project

Just had to share. This is great organization that's actually DOING something to help "the cause." I bought the above pictured gifts for two of my profs that I'm assuming wrote outstanding letters of rec for grad school :)

A nice gift and a good cause....what could be better?

Here's a brief description of what they do :

For 16 years the Women's Bean Project has helped women break the cycle of poverty and unemployment. We teach workplace competencies for entry-level jobs through employment and by teaching job readiness and life skills in our gourmet food production business.

to get me through the day

posted by Keri Smith, some thoughts that made me feel good about myself today. . .

January 20, 2006
insights from a hangover



a rather hopeless morning begins with me feeling "under the weather" because I consumed too much wine at a dinner party last night. I always beat myself up when that happens, because I know all too well having spent many months in the hospital with my mom that there are so many people out in the world who struggle with genuine illnesses every single day, and here I am doing it to myself.

overindulgence. a dirty word. so I sleep a little longer than usual. I try to keep some tea down and remind myself that I am human and prone to make mistakes now and then.

it is only in the last two years that I have really embraced my mistakes. picked them up off the dirty floor and hugged them for all I am worth. Not just the mistakes, but the insecurities, the fears, the junk. What does it mean to love those bits of yourself that you think are ugly?

For my whole life I have had difficulty looking at photos of myself. It was as if that person could never be enough for me, I did not want to see any of my flaws (or the things I percieved as imperfect). Now as I sit here at this cluttered desk (nursing a headache), I liken it to the process of creating a piece of artwork, and being willing to make work that is imperfect and flawed. This morning I was reminded of an article I wrote in "Living Out Loud", entitled "how to wreck a sketchbook". I feel another article coming on right now along the lines of "how to take bad photos of yourself". How to really look at those photos and let them be. How to love that image flaws and all. Yeah it looks like I have a double chin and a huge nose, and I don't know why I ever thought that skirt looked good on me. fuck it. that is all of me. Yes I can love me when the situation is favourable and flattering, and everything is just so, but can I love me when things are messy?

there is me the beautiful, inspired, kick-ass, full of life woman. and there is me who had too much to drink and wishes she could take back the last 12 hours, in her pyjamas that smell like cereal and milk. and there is the me that worries if people see a bad photo they might not like me as much, I will be taken off the list of "beautiful people they know", and put onto the list of "people who look unique".

all of me.

and if you want to work on embracing these things in yourself I suggest you go spend some time with some woman friends who will look at photos of you and see your real beauty (the stuff you can't see because of all your shit), and they will tell you about the little details, how your personality was captured by the way you tossed your head or held a glass, or how your eyes lit up for an instant and they saw your soul flood out. And if you are lucky, if you allow yourself (even if you really don't like the photo and want it burned), you might for an instant be able to see what they are seeing. you might start to realize that the real essence of you has nothing to do with what you are wearing or what your hair was like that day.

It is possible to love the bad photos. I'm actually thinking of creating a new gallery for them in my house.

Some little pangs of hunger start to creep in. a good sign I am on the road to recovery.

In Motion In Miami - Beyond the History Books

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division

Henry T. De La Beche, Notes on the Present Condition of the Negroes in Jamaica (London: Printed for T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1825)



BLACK HISTORY Exhibit dramatizes how black flight benefited U.S.A traveling exhibit showcases how 400 years of black migration has influenced life and history in the United States, including South Florida. BY ANDREA ROBINSON

The black migration experience in America often is defined by the voyage from West Africa to bondage on Southern plantations, or the mass flight of men and women from poverty in the South to chase dreams of prosperity in Northern factories.
But what about the voyages of Haitians fleeing violence on rickety boats in search of a better life in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, or Bahamians who arrived in the 19th century to develop Key West and Miami? Even less is known about the journeys of African Americans who fled this country's slavery for freedom in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and even Africa.
Just in time for Black History Month, an exhibit from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York opens today in Overtown that expands the boundaries of black Americans' migration patterns over the last 400 years.
The exhibit, In Motion: The African American Migration Experience, traces 13 migration patterns of black people in this country, starting with the transatlantic slave trade and ending with the more recent journeys of Haitians to South Florida in search of freedom and opportunity.
The exhibit, which opens today at the Lyric Theater, grew out of a website project and art show created at Schomburg more than a year ago. This marks the first time the exhibit has traveled outside the New York center.
Schomburg Director Howard Dodson said the project's purpose is to educate children and adults beyond the traditional history lesson about the voyage of slaves from Africa to the West Indies and the United States.
''It gives us an alternative way of thinking and writing about African-American history,'' Dodson said. ``In fact, the individuals involved in the migratory movements are history makers in a major way. They redefined the history of America as a whole.''
The show will be in Miami through May 31, to celebrate Haitian Heritage Month. Dodson said those dates were purposefully selected, given the area's diversity of black people.
''Our agenda is to foster a greater level of understanding among the African people in Miami,'' he said. ``Miami is a microcosm of the African diaspora.''
The exhibit caught the eye of Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence Jones, who viewed it last year during a trip to New York while she still worked as a senior aide on the staff of Mayor Manny Diaz. She was floored by the images and the connections to South Florida.
''We need to bridge all of the various communities together,'' she said.
Spence Jones asked Dorothy Jenkins Fields, founder of the Black Archives Research Foundation of South Florida, if she'd be interested in hosting the show.
The original project, funded by a $2.4 million federal grant, tracks the circular migration patterns of blacks in, out and back into the United States in 13 categories.
Included in the project are a website, a book published by National Geographic and lesson plans for schools. The website has close to 17,000 pages of essays, manuscripts and maps, and 8,000 photographs that trace the movements of about 35 million people of African descent.
Dodson said he hopes the exhibit and the website give viewers, particularly blacks, a better understanding of the importance of black migration in the United States.
``They should understand how they dispersed throughout the United States and transformed themselves and their communities.''

student inspiration

As I did not "plan" to be a teacher, a lot of the work I do can be very frustrating for me. I was used to making my art, doing my research and most unaccustomed to teaching 180 people basic photography. But, here I am a year and a half later, and at least once a day a student comes along whose smile can remind me why this turmoil is a good thing.

With all that said, I have two things to share. First, after my friend Kathy introduced me to Keri Smith's work via her blog, I just had to try some of her creativity exercises out with my classes. Since the students keep a journal, I decided to the 100 ideas. The kids each picked one square out of a bag and had a week to complete the task. I'll get some digital photos up here soon. Some of them are hilarious. Try some of her activities out for yourself; they're great!

Secondly, this week I took about 20 students to the Miami Art Museum to see the Ana Mendieta exhibit. Great! Thrilling! Immense! are they words that come to my mind. While there, my students collectively created a poem, and I want to share it:

different
enlightening
amazing
Mother Nature
life
transforming
heritage
creator
expressive
nurturing
unique
extravagant
creepy
mysterious
sorrow
heartfelt
mother
Cuba