Thursday, February 02, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, December 06, 2010
Sisters (for Gwendolyn Brooks & Ntozake Shange)
by MAHOGANY L. BROWNE
Me and you be sisters
We be the same
Me and you both leaned
Against Bay Area skylines
Flirted our children's smiles
Like tremors across our hips
Danced like everyone was watching
Cuz they was and still are
Look at them, all nosey
Like they aint never seen
a world spin b4
Me and you be sisters
We be the same
Kinky hair mud child
Same jazz and funk fall from our lips
Same want for slick talking man
He fall smooth up under this jazz
Our black find a hum in every girl throat
Same black girl's kink up clean
Same colored girls
All different colors of girl
Me and you be sisters
We be Bklyn, We be the same
Colored girl
Black girl, color
We be swirling our fingers
Twisting our ideas into shiny and new
We know of the wreckage
Of the women that quake into breaks
We be loving that break
We be loving that break & tide
We love a man unafraid of all this wet,
look how he stroll
A messiah
Look at him
A metaphor for stay
And protect
And sex
And we love him so loud
He laugh and crack thunder
We be the same
Daughters heart still heavy on our hips
Her legs butter smooth & strong,
like we built her into marble and stone
She walk tenement troubles across our minds
She keep our skyline in flames,
We check in
We break
We check in
We bend for this color
And this color don't give to the bend
So our mind bend into lizards
Into 8000 different centipedes
Into coasts of wine and wind
We be Paris and Brooklyn
We be josephine liliane gwendolyn shange girl
We be enough
We be enough
We been enough
We be Momma's
mothering a world
Holding sandstorms
between our teeth
(Mshogany L. Browne © 2010)
Me and you be sisters
We be the same
Me and you both leaned
Against Bay Area skylines
Flirted our children's smiles
Like tremors across our hips
Danced like everyone was watching
Cuz they was and still are
Look at them, all nosey
Like they aint never seen
a world spin b4
Me and you be sisters
We be the same
Kinky hair mud child
Same jazz and funk fall from our lips
Same want for slick talking man
He fall smooth up under this jazz
Our black find a hum in every girl throat
Same black girl's kink up clean
Same colored girls
All different colors of girl
Me and you be sisters
We be Bklyn, We be the same
Colored girl
Black girl, color
We be swirling our fingers
Twisting our ideas into shiny and new
We know of the wreckage
Of the women that quake into breaks
We be loving that break
We be loving that break & tide
We love a man unafraid of all this wet,
look how he stroll
A messiah
Look at him
A metaphor for stay
And protect
And sex
And we love him so loud
He laugh and crack thunder
We be the same
Daughters heart still heavy on our hips
Her legs butter smooth & strong,
like we built her into marble and stone
She walk tenement troubles across our minds
She keep our skyline in flames,
We check in
We break
We check in
We bend for this color
And this color don't give to the bend
So our mind bend into lizards
Into 8000 different centipedes
Into coasts of wine and wind
We be Paris and Brooklyn
We be josephine liliane gwendolyn shange girl
We be enough
We be enough
We been enough
We be Momma's
mothering a world
Holding sandstorms
between our teeth
(Mshogany L. Browne © 2010)
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Upcoming Poetry Gigs - Get yo Swag in Person!!
Thursday May 13, 2010
Still Waters Open Mic
8-10:15 pm
Taste of Art Café, 4701 W. Lisbon Ave.
20-minute feature with one encore piece to close the night
Friday May 14, 2010
Voltage! Teen Spoken Word Series
6 – 8:30
Centennial Hall of Milwaukee Public Library, 733 N. Eighth St.
20-minute feature
Saturday May 15, 2010
Urban Spoken Word
7-9pm
Genna’s, 101 Main St. / Madison, WI
Saturday May 22, 2010
Kitchen Series
830pm
Mike McGee's House, Mass
Sunday May 23, 2010
Lizard Lounge
9pm
Boston, Mass
Thursday May 27, 2010
Stamford High School
6pm
Stamford, CT
Saturday, May 30, 2010
Art Sanctuary: Tribute to Nikki Giovanni
11am Panel
2pm Workshop
Performance
Temple U
Philadelphia, PA
Still Waters Open Mic
8-10:15 pm
Taste of Art Café, 4701 W. Lisbon Ave.
20-minute feature with one encore piece to close the night
Friday May 14, 2010
Voltage! Teen Spoken Word Series
6 – 8:30
Centennial Hall of Milwaukee Public Library, 733 N. Eighth St.
20-minute feature
Saturday May 15, 2010
Urban Spoken Word
7-9pm
Genna’s, 101 Main St. / Madison, WI
Saturday May 22, 2010
Kitchen Series
830pm
Mike McGee's House, Mass
Sunday May 23, 2010
Lizard Lounge
9pm
Boston, Mass
Thursday May 27, 2010
Stamford High School
6pm
Stamford, CT
Saturday, May 30, 2010
Art Sanctuary: Tribute to Nikki Giovanni
11am Panel
2pm Workshop
Performance
Temple U
Philadelphia, PA
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
FormSpring Question: My First.
As of late it has doubled. So 20 inquiries. And half of that with full submissions. The best way to understand what Penmanship publishes, is to look at the catalog. Alot of people just send in their manuscript and are surprised when there is no response. Email inquiries are the best way to begin a conversation.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Sunday, March 07, 2010
15 Books to Read
15 books...Share
"Don't take too long. Select fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. Copy the instructions into your own note & tag fifteen friends, including me please, as I'm interested in seeing what books my friends who like books choose. to copy maryann, i'm a nerd. and nerds need to know..."
I rarely (if ever) do these Facebook meme things, but I can knock this one out without thinking, so...
In no particular order:
1. Push - Sapphire
2. Drown - Junot Diaz
3. Deals w/The Devil & Other Reasons to Riot -- Pearl Cleage
4. Towelhead - Alicia Erian
5. Going Down - Jennifer Belle
6. Fledling - Octavia Butler
7. Prisoner's Daughter - Asha Bandele
8. Baby Love - Rebecca Walker
9. Miles (Autobiography) - Quincy Troupe
10. House on Mango Street - Sandra Ciscernos
11. Autobiography of Maclom X - Malcom X
12. Black Girl in Paris - Shay Youngblood
13. Lucky - Alice Sebold
14. Dark - Kenji Jasper
15. Good Bones & Other Simple Murders - Margaret Atwood
Bonus
16. Lilith's Brood - Triology - Octavia Butler
17. Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
18. The Way Forward is w/a Broken Heart - Alice Walker
19. 3 - Julie Hilden
20. Doom Fox - Iceberg Slim
"Don't take too long. Select fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. Copy the instructions into your own note & tag fifteen friends, including me please, as I'm interested in seeing what books my friends who like books choose. to copy maryann, i'm a nerd. and nerds need to know..."
I rarely (if ever) do these Facebook meme things, but I can knock this one out without thinking, so...
In no particular order:
1. Push - Sapphire
2. Drown - Junot Diaz
3. Deals w/The Devil & Other Reasons to Riot -- Pearl Cleage
4. Towelhead - Alicia Erian
5. Going Down - Jennifer Belle
6. Fledling - Octavia Butler
7. Prisoner's Daughter - Asha Bandele
8. Baby Love - Rebecca Walker
9. Miles (Autobiography) - Quincy Troupe
10. House on Mango Street - Sandra Ciscernos
11. Autobiography of Maclom X - Malcom X
12. Black Girl in Paris - Shay Youngblood
13. Lucky - Alice Sebold
14. Dark - Kenji Jasper
15. Good Bones & Other Simple Murders - Margaret Atwood
Bonus
16. Lilith's Brood - Triology - Octavia Butler
17. Coldest Winter Ever - Sister Souljah
18. The Way Forward is w/a Broken Heart - Alice Walker
19. 3 - Julie Hilden
20. Doom Fox - Iceberg Slim
Monday, February 22, 2010
Swag. Released April 1, 2010
SWAG
New Book of Poems by Mahogany L. Browne
Artwork by Amanda Mathews
Released April 1, 2010
Penmanship Books
If you like me.
You will like this.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Monday, December 07, 2009
Gigs in the New Year 2011
SAT - Dec 12 – Outside the Box @ Humphreys
New Haven CT 8PM
Thurs, Dec 17 - SWAP '09 @ West 78th Street Theatre
NYC, NY 7pm
THURS - Jan 7 – Bluestockings Bookstore
NYC, NY 7pm
Sat – Jan 23 – Girls Aloud,
Detroit, MI
Fri – Jan 29 – Poetraits @ Nuyorican Poets Cafe
NYC, NY 7pm
Wed – Feb 24 – Evergreen Community College
San Jose, CA 11am
Wed – Feb 24 – Bezerkeley Slam
Berkeley, CA 8pm
Thurs – Feb 25 - LACC
LA, CA 11am
Fri – Feb 26 - LACC – Regional Showcase
LA, CA 11am
Sun – Feb 28 – March 1 – Mentoring Literacy Seminar
Nashville, TN
New Haven CT 8PM
Thurs, Dec 17 - SWAP '09 @ West 78th Street Theatre
NYC, NY 7pm
THURS - Jan 7 – Bluestockings Bookstore
NYC, NY 7pm
Sat – Jan 23 – Girls Aloud,
Detroit, MI
Fri – Jan 29 – Poetraits @ Nuyorican Poets Cafe
NYC, NY 7pm
Wed – Feb 24 – Evergreen Community College
San Jose, CA 11am
Wed – Feb 24 – Bezerkeley Slam
Berkeley, CA 8pm
Thurs – Feb 25 - LACC
LA, CA 11am
Fri – Feb 26 - LACC – Regional Showcase
LA, CA 11am
Sun – Feb 28 – March 1 – Mentoring Literacy Seminar
Nashville, TN
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Penmanship Books: Bklyn Bookstore Reading, TONITE! 8pm
Penmanship Books:
Brooklyn Bookstore Reading Series
w/open mic
Featuring Pemanship Authors:
Adam Falkner (Barbershop Chronicles)
Falu (His Rib & 10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Man)
Eden Connelly (Static & Other Lungless Things)
Thurs, November 19, 2009
8pm
@
Unnameable Bookstore
600 Vanderbilt Ave., bet. Prospect Pl./. St. Marks Ave
(2,3 Train to Grand Army Plaza or D/Q Train to 7th Ave)
FREE
hosted by Mahogany L. Browne
Come witness the literary movement where the artist convinces the page to swag on stage.
Limited seating!
RSVP suggested...
Brooklyn Bookstore Reading Series
w/open mic
Featuring Pemanship Authors:
Adam Falkner (Barbershop Chronicles)
Falu (His Rib & 10 Things I Want To Say To A Black Man)
Eden Connelly (Static & Other Lungless Things)
Thurs, November 19, 2009
8pm
@
Unnameable Bookstore
600 Vanderbilt Ave., bet. Prospect Pl./. St. Marks Ave
(2,3 Train to Grand Army Plaza or D/Q Train to 7th Ave)
FREE
hosted by Mahogany L. Browne
Come witness the literary movement where the artist convinces the page to swag on stage.
Limited seating!
RSVP suggested...
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