REFLECTION & REASON

I purchased Elias Mutendei Akhaya Nabutete's book Shadow Walkers: The Glory of Kings  at the recent Toronto International Book Fair, and received The Poetry Express as a bonus gift. I was drawn to read the poetry first, after reading the individual titles, taking a quick scan of the images, and realizing that this snippet of creations from Nabutete would be a great introduction into his other projects. In this first edition of The Poetry Express , entitled "What Would I Want to Be?" Nabutete presents 17 pieces that explore a variety of topics, emotions, and writing styles. One thing is consistent: Nabutete is a compassionate artist, and also a thinker. A deep and critical thinker. For me, it is difficult to assess and review poetry because the perception of each piece and each message will depend on the reader, the reader's state of mind, and their knowledge of poetry and experience with this form of writing. As a fiction writer--and someone who is admittedly not...

Beyond the Lights. Top to bottom, my kind of film. All I needed to see was that Gina Prince-Bythewood directed and wrote this movie, and I knew I couldn't go wrong. She was a writer on A Different World and Felicity (two of my favourite "childhood" television programs), and of course, she is responsible for the film I watch at least twice a year since it came out in 2000, Love and Basketball . There is a simplicity to Ms. Prince-Bythewood's stories; she always creates characters that speak to me. There is a cultural reflection that is always subtle, but definitely strong in impact. I am admittedly biased...I love (and prefer) to watch a "Black" film with Black characters, and Black writers. It is something inherent in me that I can not change. And as a story writer myself, I am moved by tales that are representative of my generational experience, whether in print, on television, or on the big screen. It happened in Love and Basketball when Monica and Q...

God bless T.D. Jakes. Not only is he a captivating speaker, but he's also a compelling writer and story-teller. I recently finished reading his latest book " Instinct: The Power to Unleash Your Inborn Drive " and I love the way he's used metaphors and imagery of the jungle, personal anecdotes, and the power of the gospel to motivate, encourage, and stimulate his readers. Much like his widely-circulated sermons, 15-second Instagram clips, and motion pictures have spread messages of empowerment, praise, perseverance, and enlightenment, this book was nothing short of inspirational . I first got wind of the book via an Oprah special, and hearing the New York Times Bestselling author T.D. Jakes speak to some of the catch phrases from his book. The one that really spoke to me was " instinct has a rhythm ." That main theme carries throughout the text as he stresses the importance of listening to your inner voice, and following your passion, your goals, and trus...

Beyonce Knowles Carter just came in and stole the entire MTV Video Music Awards show! Just stole it. To the point where I forgot it was an awards show, and felt like I was at the "On the Run" tour itself. And it's a good thing she came on stage, because I was feeling otherwise pretty dismal about the state of popular music and the images these poor young females are being bombarded with. It was all pretty unsettling...but then Queen B came out and did the damn thing with the right mix of confidence, talent, sexuality, and stage presence that these girls can learn from. She paid her dues, however. She did the Destiny's Child thing as a young woman, and has now proven to be a lady of class and grace, so even with Beyonce shakin it up and down the stripper pole on stage...there is enough context of her behaviour and her persona as a performer, that it was embedded in the right amount of context to make it OK . Great performance.   The appearance at the end from B...

I'm the first to watch it, first to believe it, first to be inspired by it...and first to be upset when it all falls down. Back in July of 2012 I wrote about the powerful image of the celebrity couple , and how folks like Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, or Beyoncé and JayZ, could motivate and inspire us commoners to find love, sustain beautiful relationships, and create empires based on mutual interests and such. I totally believe the hype! Every time! In fact, I enjoy the hype . Kim and Kanye...fantastic! A great mix of egos, and expensive clothing and vanity and beaucoup bucks. Completely entertaining as far as I'm concerned...but, if the current patterns of power coupledom are consistent, even those two will be wrapping up their nuptials by about 2018. I don't take celebrity world too seriously, but I do enjoy it. As I've often stated, I can appreciate the power of an image, a message, and the brainwashing and manipulation that goes along with the presentation and...

I don't even have to hear what Anderson Cooper is saying right now, I am just happy to have him "on the scene" live reporting out of Ferguson, Missouri tonight on CNN instead of bitchass Don Lemon. The reporting thus far has been maddddd shoddy. The locals are angry. Americans are on edge. Canadians are like, WTF? African-Americans and Blacks all about are tired. The police down there are probably gearing up ten-fold for another night of perceived/potential/feared trouble. And I am glued to CNN, yet again. I have a very intelligent Jamaican bredren that says he only reads the Toronto Sun, because he knows that it's the paper geared towards a 6th grade reading level and comprehension. He knows that the National Post, the Globe and Mail, and the Toronto Star are slightly more reputable in terms of journalistic integrity and even the level of dialogue that takes place...which isn't a diss at all. Even the headlines and front page photos and captions of each newspap...

Every now and then there is an exquisite Toronto summer moment that makes living in this city feel so good! Fortunately, we have been spoiled, because each and every year there are always a few high-profile artists that perform for free at one of the many outdoor venues in the GTA. I've seen reggae and soca artists galore, to the backdrop of the CN Tower, Lake Ontario, or luscious park area. Last year, for example, I had a fabulous time taking in Bunji Garlin, Fay-Ann Lyons and Kardinal Offishall in Mississauga's Celebration Square. On Saturday, July 12 I had the honour of celebrating the one-year countdown to Toronto's Pan Am games at Nathan Phillips Square with the king of soca, Machel Montano . Being involved so heavily with the Toronto Carnival festivities has its perks. Getting to experience carnival from all sides is definitely exhilarating, and it is essentially what the summer is designed for. The costumes, the events, the boat rides, and the preparation all com...