 |
+intro
|
|
|
For a picturesque moment, Kenyan
president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga stood
inches away from one another with hands clasped. Directly behind
the two men stood former United Nations Secretary General, and
current Chair of Eminent Persons, Kofi Annan, beaming with appreciation.
For that picturesque moment it seemed as if Kenya could be made
whole again after nearly a month of being torn apart. For a picturesque
moment, everything seemed well. Since that picturesque moment
(and two handshakes later), Kenyans have been killed, Kenyans
have been displaced and Kenyans have had their lives indelibly
altered.
It wasn't supposed to happen here. The machete welding…
the raping of women…the burning of homes…the brutal
and inhuman taking of life… the suppression of human rights,
it wasn't supposed to happen here. Not in Kenya. Kenya had stood
as one of the most stable of the African nations since differing
forms of sovereignty swept the continent in the middle of the
20 th century. From an outside perspective, Kenya appeared to
be one of the more tolerant of the nations that have to deal with
deep and entrenched divides in its republic. Its sizable middle
class was thought to be a bulwark against the viscidities and
extreme shifts of fortune that make many republics so susceptible
to violent instability. But the fact is that 800 Kenyans have
been killed and 600,000 Kenyans have now been displaced and the
illusion of stability has been blown into tiny little shreds of
national identity. continue |
 |
| nat creole
introduces |
| welcome
to nat creole. you're
right on time. |
|
| 
+ profile. jo burg art fair
johanesburg, south africa
|
+ profile. cat
on a hot tin roof on broadway
phillip harvey
|
| The
first-ever art fair devoted exclusively to art from Africa will
be held in the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. On sale
will be the largest collection of African and South African contemporary
art ever, covering 5000 square metres of space. Twenty-three galleries
from the United States, Europe and Africa will showcase works.
more
|
It is press day for the ground
breaking production of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a
Hot Tin Roof and there is a more than a modicum of anticipation
in the air. After all it is the first time that Williams’
take on the ambivalent, at best, and combustible, at worst, nature
of family, class and sexual relations is being staged on the Great
White Way with an all black cast. more
|
+ essay. barack obama for president
phillip harvey
|
+ questions. answers. above ground
study of aging artists. joan jeffri
research center of arts & culture |
Obama
nails it perfectly when he argues that it is not only important
to end the Iraq war but make certain that the mindset that allowed
the war to happen in the first place ends as well. That is the kind
of sentiment that the United States desperately needs to have in
the White House if it is to repair its tattered image. It is about
judgment. more
|
The
positioning of artists as models for society—tenacious in
their work, with a strong lifelong engagement (which gerontologists
cite frequently as having health benefits), most of whom never retire
from their art—is something the baby boomers, now
of retirement age, can learn from. more
|
+ profile. recognize:
hip hop and contemporary portraiture
national portrait gallery
|
+ in memoriam. oscar peterson
musician. statesman
|
Every major musical
movement has been driven by the magic of its iconography. From stylized
album covers to re-imagined artistic interpretations to editorial
photographs, every powerful musical movement has been buoyed by
the mythos that surrounds the images of its greatest practitioners.
more
|
Oscar Peterson
was a large man. His broad shoulders seemed big enough to carry
the aspirations of the entirety of Canada, his home nation, balanced
securely from blade to blade. And often times they did. Peterson
traveled the world carrying the Canadian flag full mast without
ever letting a thread touch the ground. more |
+ excerpt. shes gone: a novel
kwame dawes
|
+ respect. james earl jones
actor |
| They
came across the border like a band of bearded outlaws, eight reggae
rockers in a black tour bus that smelled of chewstick, garlic, and
marijuana, three months after starting a U.S. tour, three weeks
away from going home to Kingston. more
|
“When
I first came to the theater, I followed Sidney Poitier's generation,
which is not far ahead of mine, a couple of years. He had established
the height of what young black actors could do, the rest of us were
there to establish the breadth."
more |
+ editor's note. kenya
phillip harvey |
+ profile. women writers of color
brook stephenson |
| It wasn't until the actual vote
count began that it became obvious that the fix was in. Mysteriously,
Kibaki's vote count began increasing after polling closed and what
was a sizable Odinga lead was transmogrifying into a slim Kibaki
win. On the third day of tallying votes paramilitary police stormed
the Kenyatta International Conference Center where the count was
taking place. Minutes later Kibaki was declared the winner and was
sworn in the same day. Kenya exploded. more |
The challenge for this
installment of the Short List is to make a list of noteworthy women
writers of color based on style, storytelling, and social political
commentary. When it came time to write about these authors, well,
it was just like everything else worth doing, difficult to pin down
to a short list of a few authors in a few words and a few works.
more
|
|
click
here to visit the nat
creole. archive
|
|
|
.::
profile |
|
cat
on a hot tin roof
phillip harvey
|
|
The large multi-purpose
room is a buzz with a muted excitement. Journalists, camera
technicians, theatre professionals and a cross-generational
collection of esteemed actors mill about the room exchanging
greetings and other random niceties. It is press day for
the ground breaking production of Tennessee Williams’
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and there is more than a
modicum of anticipation in the air. After all it is the
first time that Williams’ take on the ambivalent,
at best, and combustible, at worst, nature of family, class
and sexual relations is being staged on the Great White
Way with an all black cast.
And what a cast it is. Counted among the actors in the room
are the legendary James Earl Jones, the criminally under
appreciated Giancarlo Esposito, the grand Phylicia Rashad,
the Tony Award winning Anika Noni Rose, the incandescent
Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard and, last but not
least, the ubiquitous Debbie Allen (more on her later).It
is arguably the most impressive cast assembled for a dramatic
Broadway play in this nascent century. But as innovative
and fresh as all of this appears, the roots of this gathering
reach back well over a decade.
continue
|
| Phillip
Harvey is the publisher and editor of Nat Creole. He likes
theater, basketball and Nag Champa. |
|
|
|
.::
respect |
 |
james
earl jones
actor
|
When
people speak of James Earl Jones they usually begin with
the voice. They try to find words that effectively describe
this beautiful yet bottomless vocal quality that seems
to come simultaneously from some place both low and guttural
and high and transcendent. After throwing around words
like deep and low (and sometimes simply "Black") they
usually settle for a reference to Darth Vader, the Universe's
most popular Sith. And then everyone goes Oh yeahhh.
But that is not James
Earl Jones. When you speak of James Earl Jones speak of
the man who has been making significant contributions
to the arts practically non-stop for the last five decades.
When you speak of James Earl Jones speak of the presence
and dignity he has brought to every project he has ever
been in. To every appearance you have ever seen him make.
Speak of how he has provided the template for the way
in which a rooted man is supposed to comport himself,
express himself and assert himself. continue
|
James
Earl Jones is currently starring as Big Daddy in Tennesee
Williams' Cat on the Hot Tin Roof on Broadway.
It is so fortunate and beautiful to see a legend still
at work. For ticket information visit http://www.cat2008onbroadway.com/.
|
|
|
|
.::
editorial |
|
barack
obama for president
phillip harvey |
| On
many domestic fronts Hilary Clinton is an excellent candidate
for President of the United States. Her mastery of policy
and apparent ability to run a large scale operation efficiently
are impressive. It is also reasonable to believe that she
has an intellectual marriage to her ideas and will fight to
see them carried out. Overall, the domestic agendas of both
Clinton and Obama are largely similar. There is reason to
believe that both will make responsible jury selections, stand
up for civil rights in a broad sense and work toward improving
the horrendous Education system. There is also reason to believe
that the difference between "Universal Coverage"
and "Universal Access" will prove to be a wash on
the Health Care issue. But there are large differences between
the two Democratic candidates and it is because of these differences
that Nat Creole is endorsing Barack Obama for president. continue
|
| Phillip
Harvey is the publisher and editor of Nat Creole and an unrepetent
political junkie. If, by chance, you would like to hear more
hot air and ruminations, email him at ph@natcreole.com. Let
the warm winds blow. |
|
|
|
| .::editors
note |
|
kenya
phillip harvey |
For a picturesque
moment, Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader
Raila Odinga stood inches away from one another with hands
clasped. Directly behind the two men stood former United
Nations Secretary General, and current Chair of Eminent
Persons, Kofi Annan, beaming with appreciation. For that
picturesque moment it seemed as if Kenya could be made whole
again after nearly a month of being torn apart. For a picturesque
moment, everything seemed well. Since that picturesque moment
(and two handshakes later), Kenyans have been killed, Kenyans
have been displaced and Kenyans have had their lives indelibly
altered.
It wasn't supposed to happen here. The machete welding…
the raping of women…the burning of homes…the
brutal and inhuman taking of life… the suppression
of human rights, it wasn’t supposed to happen here.
Not in Kenya. Kenya had stood as one of the most stable
of the African nations since differing forms of sovereignty
swept the continent in the middle of the 20th century. From
an outside perspective, Kenya appeared to be one of the
more tolerant of the nations that have to deal with deep
and entrenched divides in its republic. Its sizable middle
class was thought to be a bulwark against the viscidities
and extreme shifts of fortune that make many republics so
susceptible to violent instability. But the fact is that
800 Kenyans have been killed and 600,000 Kenyans have now
been displaced and the illusion of stability has been blown
into tiny little shreds of national identity. continue
|
Phillip Harvey is the publisher and editor
of Nat Creole. He deeply appreciates the efforts of
Kofi Annan and John Kufuor. Peace and prosperity in
Kenya is direly important.
|
|
|
|
|
.:: art |
rings.
Dale Yudelman
Chromogenic print | 36 x 55 cm
Erdmann Contemporary. Jo
Burg Art Fair
|
|
| .::profile.
|
 |
joburg
art fair
johannesburg,
south africa |
The
first-ever art fair devoted exclusively to art from Africa
will be held March 13-16, 2008, in the Sandton Convention
Centre in Johannesburg. On sale will be the largest collection
of African and South African contemporary art ever, covering
5000 square metres of space. Twenty-three galleries from
the United States, Europe and Africa will showcase works.
continue
The following images are samples of what will
be on view: |
|
|
Dale Yudelman
Rings
2005
Chromogenic print
Edition /15
36 x 55 cm (Erdmann Contemporary) |
Dale Yudelman
Action Boy
2006
Chromogenic print
Edition /15
36 x 55 cm (Erdmann Contemporary) |
|
 |
Hank Willis Thomas
Basketball and Chain
2003
Lambda photograph
76.2 x 50.8 cm
Image courtesy of Jack Shainman
Gallery . |
Lawrence Lemaoana
The One
2006
Digital print on 100% cotton rag paper
59,5 x 42 cm (Art Extra)
Edition of 10 |
 |
|
Georgina Gratrix
Dog Boy
2006
Oil on canvas
180 x 120 cm (Whatiftheworld) |
Kay Hassan
Fixing time
2007
Watercolour
11.76 x 56cm (SMAC Gallery)
Installation detail |
| |
|
 |
Nontsikelelo Veleko
Lady Futures Bright
2007
Pigment print on cotton rag paper
Edition of 10 (Goodman Gallery) |
Lawrence Lemaoana
Hierachy of Colour (100% Zulu Boy)
2007
Digital print on 100% cotton rag paper
42 x 59,5 cm (Art Extra)
Edition of 10 |
|
|
Roger
Ballen
Room of the Ninja Turtles
2003
Silver gelatin hand-print
Edition /20
40 x 40 cm (Erdmann Contemporary) |
Zwelethu
Mthethwa
A 6 Year Old X and her 4 Year Old Sister
Pastel on Cotton paper
159 x 97cm (Everard Read Gallery) |
| For
more info on the Jo Burg Art Fair, the first art fair devoted
exclusively to art from Africa, visit http://www.joburgartfair.co.za/. |
|
|
|
|
.::
questions. answers |
|
above
ground: information on artists III
special
focus new york city aging artists
joan jeffri. research center for arts and culture
|
Joan
Jeffri: This study is the culmination of
20+ years of work by the RCAC. This includes studies of
jazz musicians for the NEA, dancers in career transition,
training and career development of actors, painters and
craftspeople, and ongoing studies called Information on
Artists in different US cities about benchmark information
including health insurance, pensions, income from art, education,
etc. For these studies, and almost all others conducted
on artists, the median age is between 35 and 40. The median
age in our study is 73 and the age range between 62 and
97.
No one has tackled the unique and urgent needs of artists
as they grow old. While foundations and other funders have
long directed their largesse to emerging and even mid-career
artists, notably few have concerned themselves with the
artist as s/he matures into old age—artistically,
emotionally, financially and chronologically. Special attention
to aging artists is important for material support and policy-making
and is made more urgent in a time of scarce resources when
the baby boomer generation is about to enter the ranks of
the retired.
continue
|
|
| Joan
Jeffri is a life long advocate for the arts as well as the
director of the Research Center for Arts and Culture AND
the Program of Arts Administration at Columbia University's
Teachers College. For more information on the instituitons
Joan has built, visit RCAC at http://www.tc.edu/centers/rcac/
and the Program of Arts Administration at http://www.tc.columbia.edu/academic/arad/.
|
|
|
|
.:: music
| dance |
Erykah Badu, Sunshine Theater,
Albuquerque, NM. David Scheinbaum
Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum |
|
|
|
|
|
Dilated
Peoples, DJ Babu, Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, NM. David
Scheinbaum
Gelatin silver print, 2002. David Scheinbaum; © David
Scheinbaum |
Recognize!
Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture
national portrait gallery |
Every
major musical movement has been driven by the magic of its
iconography. From stylized album covers to re-imagined artistic
interpretations to editorial photographs, every powerful
musical movement has been buoyed by the mythos that surrounds
the images of its greatest practitioners. The thought of
musical iconography immediately brings time honored visuals
to mind. The iconic images of stoic Jazz artists set in
moody scenes replete with billowing smoke and Rock musicians
alternating between hipster poses and performance induced
mania are examples to name a few. But what are the prevailing
visuals that will come to define the artists of the 20th
century’s clean-up musical revolution? What will define
Hip Hop for the eye? Perhaps no musical form has had such
a powerfully propulsive visual component as Hip Hop. From
Graffiti, Hip Hop’s own in-bred contribution to the
world of Visual Art, to the genre-bending use of editing
applied to its music videos, Hip Hop has always been a medium
where the image has been as significant as the rhythm. But
though artistic interpretations of Hip Hop iconography abound,
the question still the remains, centuries from now what
will be the visual remains of the Hip Hop star? continued |
|
|
Grandmaster
Flash and the Furious Five
By Kehinde Wiley
Oil on canvas, 2005
Collection Glenn Fuhrman, New York; © Kehinde Wiley
|
Mule
By Jefferson Pinder
8 mm film transferred to digital video, 2006
Jefferson Pinder, courtesy of G Fine Art; © Jefferson
Pinder |
|
|
The Pharcyde, Sunshine
Theater, Albuquerque, NM
By David Scheinbaum
Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum |
KRS One,
Paramount, Santa Fe, NM
By David Scheinbaum
Gelatin silver print, 2002
David Scheinbaum; © David Scheinbaum |
|
|
LL Cool J
By Kehinde Wiley
Oil on canvas, 2005
LL Cool J; © Kehinde Wiley |
Ice T
By Kehinde Wiley
Oil on canvas, 2005
Private Collection, courtesy Rhona Hoffman Gallery; ©
Kehinde Wiley |
| For more information
on Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture, visit
the National
Portraiture Gallery. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
oscar
peterson
pianist. statesman |
Oscar
Peterson was a large and graceful man. Even hunched over
a piano, Peterson exuded a level of refinement that would
define both his approach to music and his approach to life.
His personal philosophy, like his music, sprung from a profound
understanding of the importance of preparation and dedication.
In addition to his place as a musical national treasure,
Peterson was called upon to weigh in on issues far beyond
the call of music, his influence extending to matters such
as education and national policy. And with nearly every
honor and hosanna imaginable placed neatly at his feet,
Peterson still emanated an accessibility and openness that
belied his exalted status. Oscar Peterson was a graceful
man. continue
|
| Like what you see?
Well BRUNI Sablan has a host of work dedicated to the legends
of jazz. For a closer look visit www.brunijazzart.com. |
|
|
|
|
.::literature | travel |
A
6 Year Old X and her 4 Year Old Sister. Zwelethu Mthethwa
Pastel on Cotton paper | 159 x 97cm (Everard Read Gallery)
Jo Burg Art
Fair
|
|
| .::booklist |
 |
If rigorous academic
readings bear fruit in knowledge,
then reading for interest or pleasure must bear similar
fruit in imagination |
Black Gold of the Sun
Ekow Eshun
Vintage Books
ISBN: 0-375-42418-0
 |
Brother, I'm Dying
Edwidge Danticat
Vintage books
ISBN: 1-933354-26-7
|
Wounded
Percival Everett
Greywolf Press
ISBN: 978-1555974862
|
In his book Black Gold of the
Sun: Searching for Home in Africa and Beyond, Ekow
Eshun's personal journey involves his search for a place
for himself or the attainment of a clear self-definition.
England, Eshun's native land, has failed to provide the
writer with this sense of self so he went to Accra, Ghana,
the home of his parents, to find what he was missing amongst
his extended family of cousins, aunts and uncles. Did
he find what he was looking for? Is what he was looking
for what he thought it was going to be? Well, you have
to read the book. He found many things in this journey.
A former editor of Arena a British men’s
magazine, Eshun definitely knows how to tell a story.
|
Critically acclaimed National Book
Award Finalist and Haitian born author Edwidge Danticat
tackles one of the touchiest subjects in America, nay
the world, in this memoir: death. Not just death but the
preventable circumstances surrounding the passing of her
uncle who was detained when entering the United States
from Haiti. The detainment included withheld medical assistance.
How Danticat was affected, what her uncle meant to her
while raising her as a child in Haiti after her parents
departed for America, what this peculiar circumstance
means to Americans and Haitians-all of that-is
in this introspective work.
|
A deliciously unassuming, quietly-paced
novel set in present day Wyoming that centers on a small
town, cowboys, Native Americans, Blacks, Whites, racism,
homophobia, murder and redemption. I love the characters
with their honest yet confused social interactions and
the languid pace of the work itself. Relish this book
and be as absorbed as I was. When you get to the end,
tell me what you think. One last thing, we need more uncles
like the main characters.
|
Ralph Ellison: A Biography
Arnold Rampersad
Vintage Books
ISBN: 978-0-375-70798-8
|
|
The Message: 100 Life Lessons From Hip Hop's Greatest
Songs
Felicia Pride
Thunder's Mouth/ Running Press
ISBN: 978-1-56858-335-8
|
"To know a man is to walk
a mile in his shoes" is the quote. Not that Rampersad
has walked a mile in Ellison’s shoes but the extent
of his research, and masterful use of quotes and settings,
will make you, the reader, feel as though you have. Ellison
was as tortured as any African-American Negro growing
up in a country where you were delineated to second or
third class citizenship despite the magnitude of your
talent. Take the journey through this amazing biography
and you will see the life behind the limelight of the
human being who brought us the phenomenal work The
Invisible Man.
|
|
The Message: 100 life lessons
from hip-hops greatest songs speaks to that part
of us that is always unsure of who we are or what
we believe. It is not the voice of your parents. It is
more like the musings of your older sister who is cool
and listens to hip-hop. This older sister (see Felicia
Pride) listened to hip-hop ever since she was young and,
in that, realized that some of these hip-hop cats knew
what they were talking about, whether it was way back
when or just last year. From “Express yourself”
by NWA to “Spaceship” by Kanye West, Felicia
Pride details her lessons learned from the lyrics of hip
hop wordsmiths in six main sections. Do not be surprised
if you find yourself somewhere in there agreeing with
her. You probably thought the same thing when you heard
these songs too. |
| To contact the
chef, Brook Stephenson, our literary editor, send an email
to bs@natcreole.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
She's
Gone: a novel
kwame dawes
|
|
She's
Gone
Kwame Dawes
Publisher: Akashic
Books 2007
Language: English
ISBN: 1-933354-18-6
|
| Excerpted
from Chapter 1 | She's Gone |
They
came across the border like a band of bearded outlaws,
eight reggae rockers in a black tour bus that smelled
of chewstick, garlic, and marijuana, three months after
starting a U.S. tour, three weeks away from going home
to Kingston.
A trooper had escorted them from Georgia. Pedro, the lanky
bassman, had counted his change inside a convenience store
and thought he had been shorted; after that the clerk
fell into character and a tragedy was averted by Kofi,
the shorthaired lead singer, who strode across the parking
lot in tie-dyed jeans to interrupt his bredren's exposition
on civil rights and slavery with a simple observation:
"If they call the cops they'll search the bus. If
they search the bus they'll find the weed. If they find
the weed we going to jail. If we go to jail we'll miss
the gig. If we miss the gig we miss the chance to spread
the word. This country needs salvation."
They spent the next half hour concealing guns and ganja
and shouting at each other, Kofi and Pedro almost coming
to blows. But nothing happened. The flashing lights did
not appear. Then just outside of Columbia, the trooper
showed up. No siren. No lights. And they held their breath
until I-20 delivered them to South Carolina. continue |
| For more
information regarding She's Gone and its author
Kwame Dawes, please visit Akashic Books at http://www.akashicbooks.com
. And while you are there check out some of the other titles
Akashic has to offer. They are providing platforms for a
new generation of important voices. |
|
|
|
|
|
women
writers of color
brook stephenson |
The
challenge for this installment of the Short List is to make
a list of noteworthy women writers of color based on style,
storytelling, and social political commentary. When it came
time to write about these authors, well, it was just like
everything else worth doing, difficult to pin down to a
short list of a few authors, in a few words and a few works.
Kara Walker, Zora Neal Hurston, Stacey Patton, Edwidge Danticat,
Arundhati Roy, Zadie Smith, and Jhumpa Lahiri are a few
names you should know when considering works that illustrate
the diversity of our experiences in relation to each other
on this planet. continue
|
|
|
|
|
| nat
creole. |
Founder/ Editor:
Phillip Harvey
Managing Editor:
Kathi
Davis
Literary Editor:
Brook
Stephenson
Business Development:
Alia Jones
Creative Counsel:
Alain Mabanckou
Al Burton
Alexis Peskine
Akintola
Hanif
Angelica Le Minh
Annika Connor
Arthur Alleyne
A. Van Jordan
Benjamin Austen
CD
Daniel Garrett
Delphine Diallo
Delphine Fawandu-Buford
DJ Center
DJ Silverboombox
Douglass Singleton
Dr William Oliver
Ed Myers
Ellia
Bisker
Ethan Pines
Farid Abdi
Gordon
Manning
Howard
Martin
James Adolphus
Janee' Bolden
Jerry A. Rodriguez
Jimmy Black
Joan Jeffri
John Ballon
Jon Lowenstein
Julian Conway Wilson Jr
Kenji Jasper
Kijua Sanders-Mcmurtry
Kirsten
Telfer Beith
Kouassi
Kra Magali
Kurokobushi
Larry Scott
Latasha N. Nevada Diggs
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn
Malaika Adero
Marcia Jones
María Carolina Baulo
Michael Eric Dyson
Michael
Romanos
Mike Quain
Miles Marshall Lewis
Milton Allimadi
Mwalim
N. Corren Conway
Nia Woods Haydel
Nicole Thompson
Nyala Wright
Nelson Abdi
One9
Ocean Morisset
Ratha Nou
Ray Llanos
Reedfa
Regine Zamor
Renaldo Davidson
Robert Nolan
Ron Smith
Ross Ford
Sekou Aka Ducarmel
Shannon Cook
Sean Bidder
Steve Lodder
Sunni Knight
Sydney James
Theodore A. Harris
Tiago Molinos
Wang Shanshan
Yang Yingshi
Yazmine Parrish
|
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| |
|
 |
