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Griots Arts, a digital media marketing consultancy, was started by me, Marva Jackson Lord. I am an original nerdy woman and love all things nerdy and arty. I build and mantain websites, plus sometimes offline poetry events

[travelnotesofageecheegirl-blog]

Watch The New School's bell hooks + Chirlane McCray: Critical Thinking at The New School on Livestream.com. Join bell hooks and Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City and Chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, in a conversation about critical thinking and healing in contemporary society. bell hooks (nee Gloria Watkins) is among the leading public intellectuals of her generation. Her writings cover a broad range of topics including gender, race, teaching, and contemporary culture. Join the conversation: #bellhooksTNS

Join bell hooks and Chirlane McCray, First Lady of New York City and Chair of the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, in a conversation about critical thinking and healing in contemporary society. bell hooks (nee Gloria Watkins) is among the leading public intellectuals of her generation. Her writings cover a broad range of topics including gender, race, teaching, and contemporary culture. Join the conversation: #bellhooksTNS

[lookingforlovefilm]

Looking for Love new documentary film by Menelik Shabazz (The Story of Lovers Rock, Burning and Illusion) screening in cinemas from 21st August

[lookingforlovefilm]

Thanks to everyone who has supported my films over the years. Hope to you can make it to see my latest film Looking For Love when it opens in cinemas - Menelik

[mediadiversified]

When French Beauty Means White Beauty

When French Beauty Means White Beauty

by Vanessa Willoughby When we talk about French beauty, we’re often discussing a few select traits that reflect a monolithic and colourless idealization. The usual idols are brought up as universal representations of the epitome: Brigitte Bardot, Anna Karina, and Françoise Hardy to recent celebrities including Marion Cotillard and Audrey Tatou. These women represent an effortless, carefree…

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[neil-gaiman]

Dear Neil, I am a horrible person. How to be kinder, please?

Sometimes I suspect we are all horrible people. Or at least, we are human people. Same thing. We are impatient, judgmental, irritating and irritated, grumpy, easily offended and the rest of it.

So how to be kinder if it doesn’t come naturally? 

Fake it. 

Fake it a little bit at a time. 

Because there isn’t actually any difference between doing something nice for someone because you are naturally saintly and perfect, and doing something nice for someone because you are secretly demonic and trying to cover it up. It’s still an act of kindness either way, and you still made their lives better.

Smile at people. Say hullo. Ask about their lives. Remember what they’ve told you about their lives. Do small things to try and help them. (They will not know you are horrible, do not worry. They will just perceive that you are helping.)

Give people the benefit of the doubt. Remember that it’s more often stupidity to blame than evil, that everyone can screw up (including you) and what’s important is learning from that.

Think “What would an actually kind person do now?” – and do that. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail. Just be as kind to yourself as you will be to others – even if you have to fake that.

And good luck.

[travelnotesofageecheegirl-blog]

The importance of Vertamae Smart Grosvenor and the importance of diverse stories about Black women. Thank you for sharing our journey. Please share and help us reach ou rgoal, http://igg.me/at/TNGG/x/8177908.

[griotsarts]

[griotsarts]

Lillian Allen at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Monday Oct.28th, 2013at the Baker Center -Thompson Reading Room4 to 6 pm(located between Quincy and Prescott Streets)Canada Harvard SeminarWeatherhead Center for International Affairsand the Dept. of English and American Literature and Language

Harvard is in for a treat when Lillian Allen speaks there on Monday, October 28th, 2013. Leading Canadian poet Lillian Allen, born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, left in 1969, first moving to New York City, where she studied English at the City University of New York. She lived for a time in Kitchener, Ontario, before settling in Toronto, where she continued her education at York University, gaining a B.A. After meeting Oku Onuora in Cuba in 1978, she began working in dub poetry. She released her first recording, Dub Poet: The Poetry of Lillian Allen, in 1983.

Allen won the Juno Award for Best Reggae/Calypso Album for Revolutionary Tea Party in 1986 and Conditions Critical in 1988. Both albums were produced by Billy Bryans, the percussionist for Canadian dance-pop band Parachute Club.

In 2006 Allen and her work were the subject of an episode of the television series Heart of a Poet produced by Canadian filmmaker Maureen Judge.

She is a Faculty of Liberal Studies Professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University, where she teaches creative writing.

She recently held the distinction of being the first Canada Council Writer-in-Residence for Queen's University's Department of English.

Allen also co-produced and co-directed Blak Wi Blakk, a documentary about the Jamaican dub poet Mutabaruka. For more about Lillian Allen and links to her videos and audio recordings, visit http://www.lillianallen.ca.

[griotsarts]

Eventbrite

I wasn't going to do any work today. But I did update my Eventbrite pages.

I've tried different types of ticketing services. So far I like Eventbrite and Brownpaper Tickets the best.

I really like that you can set up a mixture of free, pay what you can, and regular paid ticketed events with Eventbrite and Brownpaper Tickets.

Here's the link to all of Griots Arts upcoming Black History Month Wales events on Eventbrite, http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/org/4369573393

Below is a picture of sloe berries from the garden. A friend has told me that there's a sloe gin contest being run in a local pub. I've never made sloe gin. But I think I'll try (although I won't be drinking any). I'm also going to make some sloe-apple jam, very nice with savoury dishes.

[griotsarts]

Introducing Robert Priest's Previously Feared Darkness Tour

This witty and astute British born Canadian poet is also a singer/songwriter. Known affectionately as Dr. Poetry, Robert Priest is acclaimed as a wordsmith adept at writing for and inspiring audiences of all ages.

UK/EU Tour Dates:

Nov 18, 2013 - Paris,  () @ Au Chat Noir - Robert Priest at SpokenWord Paris

Nov 21, 2013 - Hay-on-Wye, WA () @ the globe - The Previously Feared Darkness Tour w/ Writer Simon Pettifar & Musician Anna Fry

Nov 23, 2013 - Bristol,  () @ The Imp - Mark Venus presents Robert Priest

Nov 24, 2013 - Cinderford,  () @ The White Hart Inn - Mark Venus presents Robert Priest

Nov 25, 2013 - Cork, COR () @ The Long Valley - Robert Priest at Ó Bhéal

Nov 28, 2013 - London,  () @ Wild Culture - Robert Priest's Previously Feared Darkness Tour in London

To invite Robert Priest to your venue, email me at marva at griotsarts dot com.

[griotsarts]

G-riots Arts is proud to be part of Black History Month Wales 2013. Visit my site for ticketing details and booking links, http://www.griotsarts.com/#!events/crhm.

Everything is free or by donation except for the music event at Baskerville Hall Hotel, but there is currently an earlybird discount so check out http://www.griotsarts.com/#!events/crhm for the code. Community price applies to all who live in Clyro, Hay-on-Wye, Talgarth, Glasbury, Boughrood, Llanigon, and any community in between.

[griotsarts]

An Audience with Carl Bradshaw

An Audience with Carl Bradshaw is now available watch on ViewNowTv at http://youtu.be/QG9bESsWHAY

It contains short clips of various films which feature Carl Bradshaw (all included clips are available on Youtube), and excerpts from an extensive interview with the celebrated film icon conducted by Neil Sinclair during the International Black Film Festival in 2005. The end of the video includes a promo clip of HAMA Films acclaimed Caribbean thriller The Skin in which Carl Bradshaw plays a key role as part of an excellent cast. Thank you to Michael Garrison for the many hours editing the original footage so that we can share this rare archival footage. An Audience with Carl Bradshaw is a co-production of G-riots Arts, Monkeybiz Management and ViewNowTv.

[griotsarts]

Black History Month Wales

October is Black History Month in the UK. G-riots Arts is proud to be part of a series of events which are taking place all over Wales celebrating the contributions, history and significance of Black culture here and around the globe. You can check out the calendar here, http://www.bhmwales.org.uk/

[griotsarts]

G-riots Arts presents Festus Coxsone t-shirt design. This was designed by Lar of id2design, who very generously designed the poster for our event. Thank you Lar for a great design. And thanks Rob Parfitt for your help with the sound and introducing me to Lar and your network. Photo used with permission of Festus Coxsone.

[griotsarts]

I've started using Mailchimp for creating and emailing my newsletter. After trying a few other services, I think Mailchimp is the best one so far for my needs. Here is a list of upcoming events featuring artists I'm working with.

[griotsarts]

Public Secret by Yasus Afari

Yasus Afari aims to touch people's souls with his eighth album.

Listening to samples from Yasus Afari's latest album, Public Secret. It's a great album, nice combination of music and inspiring, empowering lyric. Check it!

[griotsarts]

Writing, blogging, and self-publishing

These have become buzzwords in today's media savvy world.

Ali Luke is one of my favourite bloggers. She writes about writing, among other things, and leads a great private internet community for fellow wordsmiths.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ali online, when searching for a tutor to help manoeuvre me through the dreaded 'writer's block'.

Ali is a joy to work with, very empowering, generous with a creative spirit yet grounded in the realism about how to grow as a writer, and posesses a fabulous clarity of mind which brings much needed perspective.

Her website is definitely a worthwhile inspirational resource.

[griotsarts]

Emerging British Canadian writer Kay Walker's new blog. <--- my daughter