tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39650870995944440022024-02-19T00:34:59.803-08:00Chronicles of an Afro Art Nerdmy afro. my art. my nerdy obsessions.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-25086821534192394682013-02-11T11:20:00.000-08:002013-02-11T11:21:25.476-08:00Tending My Mothers' Gardens in a Room of My Own: The Muse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Alice Walker celebrated her sixty-ninth birthday on Saturday. Walker's novels, essays, and poems are a receptacle for black women's intellectual traditions, culture, and language. She has been a force behind so much of my creative and intellectual exploits as a scholar and an artist. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOojaE7YTw9BU7FDJelioPgnZ-eBNRyHNCnsEn36dvH9w1Kdq6gdJRRqBmZmitAICCC_Oa_CwiYDU8KsE5sFr_lSa7Ry8wcssLkZZnBNy_78pBU-NzAIH1kQhR8Rs3xLfN2yB8e3Dk3g/s1600/AWalker.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIOojaE7YTw9BU7FDJelioPgnZ-eBNRyHNCnsEn36dvH9w1Kdq6gdJRRqBmZmitAICCC_Oa_CwiYDU8KsE5sFr_lSa7Ry8wcssLkZZnBNy_78pBU-NzAIH1kQhR8Rs3xLfN2yB8e3Dk3g/s320/AWalker.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://alicewalkersgarden.com is Alice Walker's official site.</td></tr>
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On this blog I write <a href="http://afroartnerd.blogspot.com/search/label/TENDING%20MY%20MOTHERS%27%20GARDENS" target="_blank">a series</a> inspired by her famous essay "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens" in which I share my memories of how my grandmother and mother fostered my creative and intellectual potential. I share their stories so that my daughter will never have to search for her mothers' gardens, but carefully tend them. Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-49299176534249543892012-12-28T08:04:00.000-08:002013-01-18T14:23:50.403-08:00Mental Notes: Django Unchained<br />
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Quotes from Toni Morrison’s <i>Beloved</i>, New York: Vintage
Books, 1987<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Django Unchained</i> reminded me that Toni Morrison’s theory of rememory
works both ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sethe, a former slave, lived
with a great fear that her daughter Denver would return to the plantation from
which she escaped, Sweet Home, and experience a tortuous life of slavery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consequently, Sethe lived with vivid
pictures, rememories, of what Schoolteacher, the overseer, had done to her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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“It’s when you bump into a rememory that belongs to someone
else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where I was before I came here,
that place was real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the whole
farm – every tree and grass blade dies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
picture is still there and what’s more, if you go there—you who never was there—if
you go there and stand in the place where it was, it will happen again; it will
be there waiting for you, waiting for you” (43-44).</blockquote>
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However, what Sethe experienced as torture Schoolteacher saw
as an experiment on an object of no consequence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Schoolteacher’s mind, what would rememory
look like? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very thought makes me
shudder, but I think I came close to those rememories in the theater as I
watched <i>Django Unchained</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Candie’s <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>sadistic, phrenological tirades, he was the shadowy
mirror image of Schoolteacher in Toni Morrison’s Beloved (the coincidental
Candieland and Sweet Home).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Mr. Tarantino wanted to make a movie about slavery because
Hollywood ignores the subject, which is noble, some might say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But his efforts were a spectacle on and off
the screen, as viewers laughed at the most abject scenes of inhumanity inspired
by this country’s most shameful histories of slavery. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was enthralled by the spectacle—knowing that
anything at any moment could happen in this movie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I bumped into rememories that belonged to someone else…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-30050150025584085792012-12-24T10:03:00.000-08:002013-01-18T14:24:28.717-08:00Mood Board Monday: Tea Time May Be My Nerdiest Obsession<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rR3U093pirV2WOG9F4WSIZwSEnyoARDp0kzX-JnSTr8I85C7b0_WCqiEHWvolVKnPU_6JOn5bGSX6fCw8KrGeMvMx48PEJ8US-ldXHIwtJegyfGx_NQAwk-CFX3y-Ed01VorgfH7eGw/s1600/Simplicity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rR3U093pirV2WOG9F4WSIZwSEnyoARDp0kzX-JnSTr8I85C7b0_WCqiEHWvolVKnPU_6JOn5bGSX6fCw8KrGeMvMx48PEJ8US-ldXHIwtJegyfGx_NQAwk-CFX3y-Ed01VorgfH7eGw/s640/Simplicity.png" width="432" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRLTijXkpIEvkXOWVhhMgWYLpBzN5TW2q-CglwqzAHPU8po4SnOFsss9MbNP8b1bMdEmvdUNLBAR60xs6ZG262ZnpAnTgIzXdo_6Lb9R-N0_WwvqFxINUkKMmtdCJWmnpB1gDOu6KA18/s1600/my+nerdy+obsession.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrRLTijXkpIEvkXOWVhhMgWYLpBzN5TW2q-CglwqzAHPU8po4SnOFsss9MbNP8b1bMdEmvdUNLBAR60xs6ZG262ZnpAnTgIzXdo_6Lb9R-N0_WwvqFxINUkKMmtdCJWmnpB1gDOu6KA18/s640/my+nerdy+obsession.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWun7w6DAUrTD0oiYo4ixbB9GYkS4-uEoI8EyFMOY1_oJ9OBacAcxonMJd-dhIR2_6UX4yNlF8E2OEEmN-zbrosGqlLkDkRs-GH8ZQUTDiP_8QEXUkXOSTBY_8MDxHjjZCJZC537M7aTo/s1600/beat+it+Alice!TeaParty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWun7w6DAUrTD0oiYo4ixbB9GYkS4-uEoI8EyFMOY1_oJ9OBacAcxonMJd-dhIR2_6UX4yNlF8E2OEEmN-zbrosGqlLkDkRs-GH8ZQUTDiP_8QEXUkXOSTBY_8MDxHjjZCJZC537M7aTo/s400/beat+it+Alice!TeaParty.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">I take my tea very seriously <a href="http://afroartnerd.blogspot.com/2011/10/tending-to-my-mothers-gardens-in-room.html" target="_blank">(read here why)</a>. On cold</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> rainy days like today (or sunny
warm ones) tea time is my perfect ritual to focus and center, because if there
is a such thing as a “Christmas person” I am <i>not</i> her. I find this time of year
depleting and hectic and I’m ready for it to be over. My tea is a bit of liquid courage to handle
all the Merry Christmases and Happy Holidays.
I’m such a Scrooge, but at least I’m aware of my Scrooginess (laughs to
self). Here are my favorite tea making accoutrement (and, no they weren’t
Christmas gifts): </span></span></div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-43048755995656665742012-12-21T11:16:00.000-08:002012-12-21T11:19:38.403-08:00What I Wore: Mix Master, Hearts & Stripes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHpDmXUYqlBKMW8Krg7K3O2PDHdLpkHbGSJ-8-cgNBYcjgYGQPi3qYJH3UihSpQJGjPUY3Jy0PjnY64kB8gVCBO3xRtTJvz93dCDoIIc2KjDSU4PAxBWuCf8AhFwwqIM0ARRQkewbDrI/s1600/pattern1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPHpDmXUYqlBKMW8Krg7K3O2PDHdLpkHbGSJ-8-cgNBYcjgYGQPi3qYJH3UihSpQJGjPUY3Jy0PjnY64kB8gVCBO3xRtTJvz93dCDoIIc2KjDSU4PAxBWuCf8AhFwwqIM0ARRQkewbDrI/s640/pattern1.jpg" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Jacket: Gap | Dress: Old Navy | Tights:
Target | Shoes: Nine West </span></span></div>
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I love playing with patterns. A little levity in my wardrobe has gone a long way in lifting my spirits. I found the most whimsical little motor scooters and knew immediately they had to be earrings. They're my new favorites now I just have to find a way to keep them from getting tangled in my hair...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scooter Earrings: Handmade by Me</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Beasts of the Southern Wild </i>is</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> a dramatic film about a five-year-old
girl on a quest. Along the way, she faces and defies the terrors that lurk in
the wild. Although the movie is critically-acclaimed, winning </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">prestigious awards from the Sundance and
Cannes film festivals, </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">and has the most adorable
protagonist named Hushpuppy, I could not connect with the film. I wanted to
love it, but I just couldn’t. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three
particular points left an acrid taste in my mouth:</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-format: "numbullet3\,1";">1. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">The striking similarities between the
movie and a novel by science fiction writer Octavia Butler,</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-format: "numbullet3\,1";">2. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">A plotline with an invisible mother who
Hushpuppy longs for but the mention of the mother in the movie only conjures
the Beasts, and</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-special-format: "numbullet3\,1";">3. </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">The constant insistence of Hushpuppy’s
father that she be a man.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">All
of my observations have to do with metanarratives of black motherhood,
femininity, and the co-opting of black women’s cultural production. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;">For those of you who haven’t seen <i>Beasts
of the Southern Wild</i>, I don’t want to provide too many details and spoil it for
you. But those of you who have already seen it, let’s talk about it…</span></span></div>
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Sewing has become a refuge for me. I love the meditative hum of my machine as I tune out the world and focus on a project. The latest is a dress inspired by Tracey Reese. I love contrasting sections of the bodice and skirt. Instead of the floral pattern on Reese's design, I'm using an Ankara fabric from my stash combined with navy blue with Simplicity Pattern #1803.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
And it's December! I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge ROSA PARKS (!) the seamstress who gives me constant inspiration with her revolutionary act of refusing to relinquish her seat on a bus, which sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; line-height: 16px;"><em style="color: black; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Portrait of a Woman with a Sewing Machine<br />by Renowned Malain Photographer Seydou Keïta<br />I wish I had her sewing machine.</span></em></span></td></tr>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-41895948891562404272012-12-09T13:39:00.000-08:002012-12-09T14:03:41.545-08:00What I Wore Today: Purple, Pleats, & Polka Dots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-91936873552014870882012-11-06T19:47:00.001-08:002012-11-06T19:47:52.591-08:00BLACK.PLAY.BOOK.: Black Love and Politics at the DNC; or “Introducin...<a href="http://blackplaybook.blogspot.com/2012/11/black-love-and-politics-at-dnc-or.html?spref=bl">BLACK.PLAY.BOOK.: Black Love and Politics at the DNC; or “Introducin...</a>: "For Barack, success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference you make in people's lives." ~@MichelleObama #DNC ...Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-65729378327409230152012-09-19T20:46:00.002-07:002012-09-19T21:11:52.453-07:00What I Wore Today: Sun Day <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only made it as far as Starbucks that day but I did it in style ♥</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">REMEMBER:</span></span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt;">Mommy</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 12pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> is still rooting for you!</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go the library if the house becomes too
distracting</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When utilizing your home office, begin
your day with a clear, direct, and regimented schedule of tasks that you
planned the night before. Turn off the internet connection and get to work!</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s OK to continue sewing, so-called
“pleasure reading,” and indulging in an occasional<b>(KEYWORD!!!!)</b> guilty pleasure
that is a total waste of time. Mine is watching <i>Basketball Wives</i> {hangs head in
shame} or reading <i>Yoga Journal </i>and<i> Lucky</i>. Grad students who act like they are so
academically devout aren’t better than me. In fact, they’re probably miserable
or lying.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Mini-Me says, “<i>You’re my Mommy not a
machine.</i>” Take care of yourself! Lean on your sisters, friends, and mentors.
Ask for help! Remember that you <b>ALWAYS</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>feel <b>BETTER</b> after you run and do yoga and <b>LOUSY</b> after you eat M&Ms. As I take care of myself, I promise to be mindful of <a href="http://afroartnerd.blogspot.com/2011/06/mid-phd-burnout.html" target="_blank">burnout</a>. Before I reach that point, I will set any offenders on fire and refuel myself with the energy of the blaze.</span></span></li>
</ol>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I started reluctantly, I know this is going to be a great semester! </span><br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-17455758166947303992012-08-30T18:30:00.001-07:002012-08-31T17:15:47.600-07:00In a Room of My Own Tending My Mothers' Gardens: The Only Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart...Broken hearts, burnout, and weary spirits are inevitable. Internal conflict changes us. External conflict may even rearrange our countenace for good or bad (the choice is our own). However, Alice Walker's autobiography says it all in the title<i> The Only Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart</i>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7eMoOsQjPFn1-VHtoimSbK1XSW0B2uAGk1MXKW3l7Smoxc4ck-MEISLQSmx3immLPymvM_JPo6mDSnORcb3qbOrm0ZyihghhX25fbpwxgP2RxsHFzcHUON7dDHDU7e9oaC84Tbdea40/s1600/%E2%99%A5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7eMoOsQjPFn1-VHtoimSbK1XSW0B2uAGk1MXKW3l7Smoxc4ck-MEISLQSmx3immLPymvM_JPo6mDSnORcb3qbOrm0ZyihghhX25fbpwxgP2RxsHFzcHUON7dDHDU7e9oaC84Tbdea40/s640/%E2%99%A5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The only forward motion I could make in the past year was in a circle as I dealt with so much uncertainty, self-doubt, indecision.<br />
<br />
It's time to move forward broken heart and all.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQKJ78pSyj9_ylvURfOtZvxIoR6_s9-db81ZEeLJMGDeafnfmhwRFvO0fBYLKkCrGZCCRt38TsdZDECxCn8CwiGXeT5s6nDGMbAf9XxArD2Qq0Y8ZGbHd3qcjxsriZK5jXqJ5umNtS74/s1600/necklace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQKJ78pSyj9_ylvURfOtZvxIoR6_s9-db81ZEeLJMGDeafnfmhwRFvO0fBYLKkCrGZCCRt38TsdZDECxCn8CwiGXeT5s6nDGMbAf9XxArD2Qq0Y8ZGbHd3qcjxsriZK5jXqJ5umNtS74/s640/necklace.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bib Necklace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWYM3iG-ELky37yr3bO_ZJecvrdyskorxFi4a32raYmb3fbmHrSLlN8N5MijvvCMHwmu2VzDe8KfLSzhXMR-7vB_oqgYXF-bxE24YwEEiDDtX2DYvPKHynGicGbof_jkIJEP8LzF5xQM/s1600/newVintage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWYM3iG-ELky37yr3bO_ZJecvrdyskorxFi4a32raYmb3fbmHrSLlN8N5MijvvCMHwmu2VzDe8KfLSzhXMR-7vB_oqgYXF-bxE24YwEEiDDtX2DYvPKHynGicGbof_jkIJEP8LzF5xQM/s640/newVintage.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardigan: Limited | Brooches: Handmade with Materials from Hobby Lobby | Bracelet: Betsy Johnson | Dress: Handmade with Robert Kaufman Fabrics and Simplicity Pattern 2444 (I should have done a quick steam on my dress before I took pictures after coming home after work, but such is hindsight)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I used to watch YouTube videos religiously and a common theme was “the haul.” The gist was to go to a store usually a thrift store of a discount chain and get as many clothes as possible for a ridiculously small amount of money. To be sure, the women on YouTube should be applauded for their frugality and ability to be so resourceful, but are their any implications for these hauls; and if so, what are they? <br />
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I see this pin on dozens of pin boards all over Pinterest. I cringe every time I do, because I have gone into Target and didn't find anything as I wait for a prescription I need.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/130463720426150642/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/130463720426150642_0qlBEYVm_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After scrutinizing the clothes, shoes and accessories, I realize that the quality is not worth the price and I’ll wait until it’s 70% off or forgo the purchase completely. I check seams, fabric, and, construction methods. I have found some polyester garments pilling and running on the hanger! I’ve even seen accessories with visible hot glue—for shame!!! <br />
<br />
I love Target and shop there often but I do so discriminately and conservatively. There are reasons for you all to consider doing the same: <br />
<ol>
<li>If the market is flooded with throw-away clothing then what will our children and grandchildren have as <i>the next generation of vintage clothing</i>? Who will carry on the traditions of our grandmothers?</li>
<li>Materialism: I raised this issues in a posts that I wrote last December: <a href="http://afroartnerd.blogspot.com/2011/12/what-i-wore-today-art-nerds-day-out-i.html" target="_blank">"I Shopped 'til I Dropped"</a> and <a href="http://afroartnerd.blogspot.com/2011/11/heart-of-gray-matter-aftermath-of-black.html" target="_blank">"The Heart of the "Gray" Matter"</a></li>
<li>This<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/overdressed-book-elizabeth-cline_n_1587413.html" target="_blank"> article from the <i>Huffington Post</i></a> about Elizabeth Cline the author of <i>Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost Of Cheap Fashion</i>, makes several salient points as well. </li>
<li>This blog post from <i><a href="http://coutureallure.blogspot.com/2012/07/modern-clothing-manufacturers-are.html" target="_blank">Couture Allure Vintage Fashion Blog</a></i> explains the anatomy of a cheaply constructed garment. </li>
</ol>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-55320324148163178642012-08-13T10:13:00.000-07:002012-08-20T19:34:26.136-07:001950s Inspired, Please Hold the Nostalgia!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
My personal aesthetic is inspired by 1950s sophistication and beauty of women's attire:</div>
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full skirts, cardis, gloves, and pumps (although the Afro is a decade too early). I have conflicted feelings about "vintage," because Georgia in the 1950s was hardly a time to be blindly romanticizing fashion. However, I'll spare y'all for now and save the social implications for another post...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxovhtnCiwTBcxn7tJpphRX0ITtD_bFNLvMjjpWLnKlX9VKjYXRZ3aj60jNhnrldNdYKGSAJcV5zweeUHjvl9lGRSAzDQheKtHM6eD-sBTxt20jXBCzj1_UfKw-3BvkmpdHEfnD9MlbPI/s1600/WIWT.710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxovhtnCiwTBcxn7tJpphRX0ITtD_bFNLvMjjpWLnKlX9VKjYXRZ3aj60jNhnrldNdYKGSAJcV5zweeUHjvl9lGRSAzDQheKtHM6eD-sBTxt20jXBCzj1_UfKw-3BvkmpdHEfnD9MlbPI/s640/WIWT.710.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I always find the most amazing inspiration at: </div>
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<a href="http://16stonevintage.com/">http://16stonevintage.com/</a>, </div>
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<a href="http://vintageblackglamour.tumblr.com/">http://vintageblackglamour.tumblr.com/</a>, </div>
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<a href="http://ofanotherfashion.tumblr.com/">http://ofanotherfashion.tumblr.com/</a>, and </div>
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<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/vanvechten/">http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/vanvechten/</a></div>
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The Outfit Details:</div>
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Dress: Handmade (by Me) </div>
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(using a Simplicity pattern that is unfortunately discontinued </div>
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and Brother & Sister brand fabric I purchased at Hobby Lobby )</div>
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Cardigan: The Limited</div>
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Sweater Clip: Vintage (via Etsy)</div>
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Gloves: David's Bridal</div>
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Hair Accessory: Old Navy</div>
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Shoes: BCBGeneration</div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-65124891447751706192012-06-11T19:10:00.002-07:002012-08-06T21:04:51.473-07:00Bibliothèque Chic: Stacked in the Stacks (Pun Intended)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7DD6PL1eVM0QCoC3pQqzOCl5KXLijQyV5svdd3PhAITiHLegW_jQfRiTl12UACgfaVgAkXkKZC1iiQ_USiawtj3h-jdEwAa1snVf4RoOK0pGPPj8SqyGijkd7P5c4nBLV4YgvPS9epo/s1600/STACK.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7DD6PL1eVM0QCoC3pQqzOCl5KXLijQyV5svdd3PhAITiHLegW_jQfRiTl12UACgfaVgAkXkKZC1iiQ_USiawtj3h-jdEwAa1snVf4RoOK0pGPPj8SqyGijkd7P5c4nBLV4YgvPS9epo/s640/STACK.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Books</b></div>
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Henry Dumas <i>Goodbye Sweetwater</i></div>
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Sharon Draper<i> </i><i> The Copper Sun</i></div>
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Nalo Hopkinson (ed.)<i> Whispers from the Cotton Tree Root</i></div>
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Nalo Hopkinson (ed.)<i> So Long Beeen Dreaming</i></div>
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</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-60838412228950328222012-06-10T10:39:00.000-07:002012-06-10T11:41:10.781-07:00Been a Long Time...<div style="padding-bottom: 2px;">
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/248401735667498897/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/143833781819157771_uYW9mrFc_c.jpg" width="440" /></a><br />
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“I Know You Got Soul,” </div>
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<i>Paid in Full</i> </div>
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by Eric B. & Rakim</div>
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</div>
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It’s been a long time I shouldn’t have left you </div>
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Without a strong rhyme to step to </div>
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… </div>
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I start to think and then I sink </div>
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Into the paper like I was ink </div>
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When I’m writing, I’m trapped between the lines, </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">I escape when I finish the rhyme I got soul</span></span></div>
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Source: <a href="http://society6.com/product/weapons-of-mass-creation-S0P_Print?tag=illustration" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">society6.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/jamalajohns/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Jamala</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-1064445705023579712012-06-09T17:51:00.001-07:002012-06-09T17:51:53.397-07:00Mourning, but Qualified to Live…<div style="text-align: center;">
The wall that I hit after my last post in April was thirty feet thick, and it looked like this: </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpZlkJgSc7CZmjz0JYBbRvGOX4oVSWWzgzl1M_b22njtpqSPaVasSH07apX9SHfiSuotA99jh8BwtrRfZ4RUkL7UZVB8ibYspVpkQcb6Yq0BAuhZ7FWSQObmk7YIRZXS5ZrfOsnaN_4/s1600/mday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbpZlkJgSc7CZmjz0JYBbRvGOX4oVSWWzgzl1M_b22njtpqSPaVasSH07apX9SHfiSuotA99jh8BwtrRfZ4RUkL7UZVB8ibYspVpkQcb6Yq0BAuhZ7FWSQObmk7YIRZXS5ZrfOsnaN_4/s640/mday.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was in Target picking up an Rx only to see this display. I ran to the restroom nauseated and in tears at the reminder of my Mother's death. "She was only 51!" That was the litany that replayed in my mind...</td></tr>
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<br />Emotionally the wall I faced began to mount, and I felt like I had to dig my way through with a teaspoon. I was dreading my first May without my Mom: the days that lead up to Mother’s Day, the day itself (I slept through most of it), and the residual May mushiness. June couldn’t come quickly enough, but NOW June is here.<br /><br />The smallest tools are more powerful than we may think; because, the teaspoon worked. I see the sun.</div>
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I have gardens to tend...</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-61086826493791150812012-04-19T19:33:00.001-07:002012-07-27T22:57:01.397-07:00A Poem for Nerds: National Poetry MonthThis poem is for those who feel like they have never fit in. It's for those who feel misunderstood, like a square peg. Up until I was thirty years old, I was calling my Mother, sometimes in tears, to ask her why I didn't fit in anywhere. I felt clumsy, awkward, and sometimes alone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB8fWUsG7lzBDNCUcyF5cXeV3rA7DvI3ErjCiPh5d0aVS-1V0vyRckhz7v3flhqfkbWegoh0otXHt4cAzDI5rE9SKzPtNHtqADaSc1m1VFf7_VtQjWg0BVC6YMar7NP-zc0lo4bW2EPQ/s1600/AAN90s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB8fWUsG7lzBDNCUcyF5cXeV3rA7DvI3ErjCiPh5d0aVS-1V0vyRckhz7v3flhqfkbWegoh0otXHt4cAzDI5rE9SKzPtNHtqADaSc1m1VFf7_VtQjWg0BVC6YMar7NP-zc0lo4bW2EPQ/s400/AAN90s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
After my Mom passed away I mourned for the one who reminded me that I was a precocious child and as an adult I was peculiar, that is singular and special. I was never meant to fit in...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId-FVGkFQom5O1prgBr-3rWRUbneO7p8CLiKBflS5l7U05uoHBf83dyBLXnjh-RKpsOHQdBkaTZtNJvJHTkTNnkqZPc5o65fh8Ah9HyRCkbZnjRX7QcGX6Z7Bjy2JfkBf6nGYz7c6f0w/s1600/AAN80s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhId-FVGkFQom5O1prgBr-3rWRUbneO7p8CLiKBflS5l7U05uoHBf83dyBLXnjh-RKpsOHQdBkaTZtNJvJHTkTNnkqZPc5o65fh8Ah9HyRCkbZnjRX7QcGX6Z7Bjy2JfkBf6nGYz7c6f0w/s400/AAN80s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Now that I realize where my place is in (or out) of this world, I have peace. Finding this poem was my consolation and my confirmation:<br />
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<a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2006/2/13/i_am_a_renegade_an_outlaw">"Be Nobody's Darling"</a> by <a href="http://alicewalkersgarden.com/">Alice Walker</a><br />
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<a href="http://alicewalkersgarden.com/"><br /></a>“Be nobody's darling; <br />
Be an outcast. <br />
Take the contradictions <br />
Of your life <br />
And wrap around <br />
You like a shawl, <br />
To parry stones <br />
To keep you warm. <br />
<br />
Watch the people succumb <br />
To madness <br />
With ample cheer; <br />
Let them look askance at you <br />
And you askance reply. <br />
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Be an outcast; <br />
Be pleased to walk alone <br />
(Uncool) <br />
Or line the crowded <br />
River beds <br />
With other impetuous <br />
Fools. <br />
<br />
Make a merry gathering <br />
On the bank <br />
Where thousands perished <br />
For brave hurt words <br />
They said. <br />
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Be nobody's darling; <br />
Be an outcast. <br />
Qualified to live <br />
Among your dead.” </div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-50505590589777200542012-04-17T18:03:00.000-07:002012-04-17T18:03:44.586-07:00I'm a BGLH Natural Hair Style Icon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQrC1pe2MfHwKUStccl0VHlCrU7C-LIRHBDdP0j9V2k2mGyELicT5uCPnMLJWLNYdlcmJQbX9DNdC_Rt0XvgzPmKr3rtbaOLGuzWm-cKT0bU7S8DGq-8lCNlSFyySauS0pG0I-Pv7pqA/s1600/BGLH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQrC1pe2MfHwKUStccl0VHlCrU7C-LIRHBDdP0j9V2k2mGyELicT5uCPnMLJWLNYdlcmJQbX9DNdC_Rt0XvgzPmKr3rtbaOLGuzWm-cKT0bU7S8DGq-8lCNlSFyySauS0pG0I-Pv7pqA/s200/BGLH.jpg" width="148" /></a></div>
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What an honor; Thanks BGLH!</div>
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<br /></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-64074964627723847002012-04-16T19:21:00.000-07:002012-04-16T19:21:14.761-07:00In Honor of National Poetry Month...<div style="text-align: left;">
I love this poem because it deconstructs the romantic idea of the wildly inspired artist. Through Mullen's stream of consciousness, I've become more conscious of my own self-defeating habits and thoughts. I hope you all enjoy this poem as much as I do and get inspired to power through your day tomorrow!</div>
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"All She Wrote" by Harryette Mullen</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-PBhfkaMOtjVLNO6BDP5GR7Bo9w1PKScYnLkCa5wwK2PYlXQ-gTFPoeo7VHW2Ewe6JFTNmqDW-Q5qCzPnbrROfPrQt3y50kNgTiZxrJADccfDkEx9q-xke8zP5hO6vpfySmIRsWrFRA/s1600/harryette-mullen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-PBhfkaMOtjVLNO6BDP5GR7Bo9w1PKScYnLkCa5wwK2PYlXQ-gTFPoeo7VHW2Ewe6JFTNmqDW-Q5qCzPnbrROfPrQt3y50kNgTiZxrJADccfDkEx9q-xke8zP5hO6vpfySmIRsWrFRA/s320/harryette-mullen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #909090; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9px;">Harryette Mullen (b.1953) photo byJudy Natal </span></td></tr>
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Forgive me, I’m no good at this. I can’t write back. I never read your letter. I can’t say I got your note. I haven’t had the strength to open the envelope. The mail stacks up by the door. Your hand’s illegible. Your postcards were defaced. Wash your wet hair? Any document you meant to send has yet to reach me. The untied parcel service never delivered. I regret to say I’m unable to reply to your unexpressed desires. I didn’t get the book you sent. By the way, my computer was stolen. Now I’m unable to process words. I suffer from aphasia. I’ve just returned from Kenya and Korea. Didn’t you get a card from me yet? What can I tell you? I forgot what I was going to say. I still can’t find a pen that works and then I broke my pencil. You know how scarce paper is these days. I admit I haven’t been recycling. I never have time to read the Times. I’m out of shopping bags to put the old news in. I didn’t get to the market. I meant to clip the coupons. I haven’t read the mail yet. I can’t get out the door to work, so I called in sick. I went to bed with writer’s cramp. If I couldn’t get back to writing, I thought I’d catch up on my reading. Then Oprah came on with a fabulous author plugging her best selling book.<br />
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Retrieved from: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15458<br />
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Originally published in Santa Monica Review, fall 1997<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', Palatino, Georgia, serif; font-weight: bold;"> ©</span>1997 Harryette Mullen</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-77463517987748269752012-04-14T20:31:00.003-07:002012-04-16T19:38:47.891-07:00National Library Week: Fast Forward<div style="text-align: center;">
Today marks the last day of National Library Week. My posts for the past few days featured women who were firsts. They paved the way for this remarkable young librarian--Kimberly Smothers Clayton. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy71z__Dau01y07VbbmoswE73N2l_bvH-6K1IoObqNn9kfWNoLFta7xY1hped-9fTd6yeeSDoiOVquIle19xPqEsked1bNVQd7tGFOCkQJmc1vkKpmZ_vNp9d8LdWTmGhEgjnbSR_Lh3I/s1600/Ksc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy71z__Dau01y07VbbmoswE73N2l_bvH-6K1IoObqNn9kfWNoLFta7xY1hped-9fTd6yeeSDoiOVquIle19xPqEsked1bNVQd7tGFOCkQJmc1vkKpmZ_vNp9d8LdWTmGhEgjnbSR_Lh3I/s640/Ksc.jpg" width="475" /></a></div>
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Ms. Clayton is a modern Renaissance woman, a gifted musician with degrees in music, biology, business, and education, but her love of reading drew her to librarianship. </div>
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She is a Georgia native and her favorite author is Alice Walker. She cites <i>The Third Life of Grange Copeland</i> as<i> </i>her favorite book in Walker's oeuvre. Just as her predecessors preserved history for future generations, Ms. Clayton does as well. She is a conscientious steward of cultural knowledge for the next generation.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_uSqJHZO7N5KnODkzt4jY0_uVr1bvufNHv9Sz8PLzTcViKW-cDhRmxgKQuAfUMukf2DUNHwTKao_eg0iRISH8d6Cgb44dRQbFpJBHj6mCI4MGX4Cs3MQorzwdCSKNsMchQWbA9Ifeb8/s1600/ksc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG_uSqJHZO7N5KnODkzt4jY0_uVr1bvufNHv9Sz8PLzTcViKW-cDhRmxgKQuAfUMukf2DUNHwTKao_eg0iRISH8d6Cgb44dRQbFpJBHj6mCI4MGX4Cs3MQorzwdCSKNsMchQWbA9Ifeb8/s640/ksc2.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ms. Clayton has spread her love of reading by also serving as a children's librarian.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-20755980136915195592012-04-13T18:58:00.000-07:002012-04-13T18:58:35.689-07:00Library Chic: National Library Week (via Of Another Fashion)<a href="http://ofanotherfashion.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><i>Of Another Fashion</i></a> is a rich virtual repository of images of women who once occupied societal margins. Consequently, their sense fashion was also marginalized. <i>Of Another Fashion</i> has scanned the archives, collected family photos, and accepted contributions from readers to amass a collection that will honor women of color and their place in the annals of vintage fashion. <br />
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In honor of National Library Week the two women below are trailblazing librarians:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-h5BPx3T7URVhgmH_vNRBMkQaztXg-zDWjjQQy2L5sTWtME3kOLYH-VN4HHk0j4JqTc4x7kYc-S6_JU3ftsG5j8m9LXWSJzrboWxVlDgpWn_mUzyJcjhuKWFBT7JrxL98a-3r1o6W8k/s1600/LucilleBaldwinBrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-h5BPx3T7URVhgmH_vNRBMkQaztXg-zDWjjQQy2L5sTWtME3kOLYH-VN4HHk0j4JqTc4x7kYc-S6_JU3ftsG5j8m9LXWSJzrboWxVlDgpWn_mUzyJcjhuKWFBT7JrxL98a-3r1o6W8k/s640/LucilleBaldwinBrown.jpg" width="458" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Lucille Baldwin Brown was the first Black public county librarian in Tallahassee, Florida.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nS2J3mYc_XWYdwLeN6jc_tt8V2B8m0DjAK4iNAA6-MlexpgnBx-8zjLe5jIrxK2sPt_D-IDP45K6v6Le-33qk-QAmzFG3MF57kXhF31qz1OoWtu9pXja_ba8qWOU6jBAEtlxM71VWSM/s1600/VivianGordonHarsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nS2J3mYc_XWYdwLeN6jc_tt8V2B8m0DjAK4iNAA6-MlexpgnBx-8zjLe5jIrxK2sPt_D-IDP45K6v6Le-33qk-QAmzFG3MF57kXhF31qz1OoWtu9pXja_ba8qWOU6jBAEtlxM71VWSM/s640/VivianGordonHarsh.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">In 1924 Vivian Gordon Harsh first</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> African American librarian to work at the Chicago Public Library.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-79795553039549039532012-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:002012-04-12T19:15:54.740-07:00True Fashion Icon: Dorothy Porter Wesley<div style="text-align: center;">
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Library Chic: National Library Week</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pcZ97APiAegCTirUzgbcCEhcKlNOwVivcgVvg5JL5wM-ZPu4zE0Ql0M0qFg0DGWckGncII_u6BbAPc5hXQLIQ7xPk6Io8UkV-OLGDrGGujcsqCqsw1BFLksN2SSvAlG_59vBv5yKE4Q/s1600/MrsDPorter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_pcZ97APiAegCTirUzgbcCEhcKlNOwVivcgVvg5JL5wM-ZPu4zE0Ql0M0qFg0DGWckGncII_u6BbAPc5hXQLIQ7xPk6Io8UkV-OLGDrGGujcsqCqsw1BFLksN2SSvAlG_59vBv5yKE4Q/s640/MrsDPorter.jpg" width="492" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Dorothy Wesley Porter (1905 - 1955). Photo taken by Carl Van Vechten (1880-1964) in New York, May 23 1951.<br />From Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Retrieved from http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/dl_crosscollex/brbldl/oneITEM.asp?pid=2027251&iid=1104674&srchtype= </span></td></tr>
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Dorothy Porter was the first Black woman to be awarded a Masters of Library Science from Columbia University in 1932. Her first job was at Howard University and she remained there for forty-three years. Porter was tasked with making the Jesse Moorland collection a modern research library. She created a logistically sound collection that served Howard's students and visiting scholars. She expanded the collection and authenticated materials with extensive bibliographies. She was responsible for Howard's most prized acquisition, the Spingarn Collection, and the library became the Moorland-Spingarn Research Library. Porter retired in 1973 and Howard University dedicated the “Dorothy B. Porter Reading Room” in her honor.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">References:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.howard.edu/msrc/about/HistoryFULL.html</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/dorothy-porter-wesley-developer-modern-research-library-black-studies</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/20/us/dorothy-porter-wesley-91-black-history-archivist.html</span>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3965087099594444002.post-82149229205851603012012-04-11T21:07:00.001-07:002012-04-12T06:08:51.335-07:00Library Chic: National Library Week, April 8 - 14, 2012I <b><i>hate|loathe|despise</i></b> wearing pants. There are very few stores that tailor pants that can accommodate my ridiculous hip to waist ratio. The Gap's Premium Fit Trousers usually do the trick without spending a fortune in tailoring (but I digress).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardigan & Trousers: Gap | Top: Old Navy | Wedge Pumps: Jessica Simpson</td></tr>
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Pants are an occupational hazard. Who wants to be in a dress when two little girls come into the library and ask for every book about Cinderella? We scoured the shelves from top to bottom, and sat on the floor between the stacks scanning pages for "authenticity." I wasn't exactly sure what my new friends were looking for, but they soon expanded their search to include any and all princess books. I was excited because I was ready to pull two of my favorites: <i>The Paper Bag Princess </i>and <i>Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters</i>. The two girls quickly dismissed my suggestions; then, I realized their search criteria -- Disney princesses. <br />
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So we regrouped & found every Disney princess book available. <i>It took all I had to keep my mouth shut and remember this was not Mini-Me! NO SOAPBOX RANTS IN PUBLIC PLACES...</i></div>
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The girls and their mother checked out their haul of books. They are extremely blessed with voracious appetites for reading and I was blessed to be a part of their quest for princesses. </div>
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I still <b><i>hate|loathe|despise</i></b> wearing pants, possibly even more now. </div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14594271935028151491noreply@blogger.com3