Day 6 of Kwanzaa: Kuumba

"To do always as much as we can in the way that we can in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than when we inherited it."
In my own work this has meant building on the work of elders/ancestors such as Derek Walcott, Kamau Brathwaite, Dennis Scott, Bob Marley, Mervyn Morris,Tony McNeill, Toni Morrison, George Lamming, Michael Anthony, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Rita Dove, James Baldwin, Lorna Goodison, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Orlando Patterson, and Marcus Mosiah Garvey.
In  a sense, my latest collection of poems, Dub Wise, is an homage to many of these writers. This blog is also a testament to my love and respect for their work. I hope that their work, especially the poets/writers who are not well known in North America, will live on through my poems and this blog.
One Love


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The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Kwanzaa: Nia

You take a chance on Facebook. You reach out to someone you don't know--except that she is a friend of a friend--and she accepts your request. And then, one day you realize one of the reasons why she is a friend. You share a lot more than friendship through others.
Today, Vanessa Byers (Blogging Black Miami) posed an interesting question which went beyond a status update:
Good morning, family! This is the last Sunday in 2012. It is also the fifth day of Kwanzaa. The principle on which we focus is purpose. Each of us has something to contribute toward effecting positive change and uplift in our homes and the community at large. What is your purpose? Are you using it to help others?

Dear Vanessa, 
I am a storyteller. Many of my stories are about the trials of fatherless boys trying to become men and the crises within the Jamaican/Caribbean/ Black community. 
I believe in the power of stories. The more we are able to see ourselves in stories--which is why I write children's books and adult fiction--the better we will be equipped to think through some of the vexing problems we face and perhaps see the beauty in our lives. 
The work of elders/ancestors such as Derek Walcott, Kamau Brathwaite, Dennis Scott, Bob Marley, Tony McNeill, George Lamming, Michael Anthony, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Rita Dove, James Baldwin, Lorna Goodison, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, and Orlando Patterson (and that's only the top shelf of my bookcase) showed me how complex questions of identity could be framed in a way was both intellectually challenging and aesthetically pleasing.
The stories pose the problems and some of the solutions, I believe, are in the teachings of Marcus Mosiah Garvey whose Philosophy and Opinions encompass Kwanzaa and provide a useful framework for the upliftment of Africans at home and abroad . This is why I am working for his exoneration as the first step in our eventual redemption. But we will have to do it for ourselves.
Thank you, Vanessa, for this opportunity. The purpose is unfolding.
One Love, Geoffrey






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The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Last Day for FREE Download: The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby

Today is the last day for the FREE download my new children’s E-book, The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby, on the Amazon Kindle: http://goo.gl/Gusje

I love working with Christina. From the time she was in kindergarten, Christina and I have been creating Christmas cards, and The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby is the third book that we've worked on together. She's a gifted artist and I am lucky that she has collaborated with me on so many projects.

Set in the island of Jamaica, The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby is the story about Joe and Myriam Lumley, who find a baby in a Dutch pot on their doorstep. Without hesitating, the Lumleys take the child, whom they name Eleanor, into their home. But little do they know, Attaberra, Queen of the Zemis, who has watched over the island since it rose out of the sea, has been watching their every move. The Queen has also made a prediction about the child. Will her prediction come true?

The themes of family, hope, and redemption run through the book. It's what the Christmas story is all about."

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Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Free for the Next 2 Days: The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby

My daughter and I have published a new children’s E-book, The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby, and for the next two days, our E-book may be downloaded for free on the Amazon Kindle: http://goo.gl/Gusje

I love working with Christina. From the time she was in kindergarten, Christina and I have been creating Christmas cards, and The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby is the third book that we've worked on together. She's a gifted artist and I am lucky that she has collaborated with me on so many projects.

Set in the island of Jamaica, The Christmas Dutch Pot Baby is the story about Joe and Myriam Lumley, who find a baby in a Dutch pot on their doorstep. Without hesitating, the Lumleys take the child, whom they name Eleanor, into their home. But little do they know, Attaberra, Queen of the Zemis, who has watched over the island since it rose out of the sea, has been watching their every move. The Queen has also made a prediction about the child. Will her prediction come true?

The themes of family, hope, and redemption run through the book. It's what the Christmas story is all about."

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Blog Disclosure Policy

Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


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Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Celebrate KWANZAA @ African American Research Library

KWANZAA Celebration

December 26, 2012

African American Research Library

2650 Sistrunk Boulevard,

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

12:30: Call to Order / Welcome: Mrs. Perl Woolridge,

12:35:  Drumming/musical selection (opening): Daniel #1 Band

12:40: Libation and reading from sacred literature/prayer: Sis. Chipo & Pro. Hannibal

12:45: AFRICAN PLEDGE and pledge to the national flag (UNIA): Pro. Raphael

12:50: Nguzo Saba (THE SEVEN  PRINCIPLES) and  KWANZAA  SYMBOLS (Dance Presentation): Children of Kumba

1:10 Reflection on the colors (the flag and candles):Prs. Dada

- Red - remember our struggles, our “MAAFA" (the African Holocaust).remember and revere our dead.
- Black - reflect on our unity, our beauty and strength in "unity", our African spirituality that binds us and defines our special contribution to the World.
- Green - reflect on our great victories of the past, and our anticipation of future great victories over Eurocentric oppression and anti-Africanism. Reflect on our great liberation struggle and the re-ascension of our African way for all of our people throughout the world.

1:15: Candle lighting ritual: Sis Chipo

1:30: Story-Telling / Face painting (African Ancestor recognition/acknowledgement and appreciation): Baba, the Lion, Professor Geoffrey Philp and Jah Linx

2:10: Art and Craft session / drumming lession: Jah Linx and drummer

3:00 Africa United Screening

4:45: Intermission

5:00: Drumming Session: TBD

5:10: Introduction Keynote Speaker: I. Jabulani Tafari

5:15 Keynote Address: Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson

6:1:5 Panel Discussion (Rededication/recommitment- group reflection on ways we (each member if possible) plan to contribute to making the principle viable for our people during the year.): Dr. Umar, Prs. Dougie, Sis Chipo, Prof. Geoffrey Philp

7:15 Drumming/ musical selection: Daniel #1 Band

Feast; (Community offering-large community fruit basket @ the main entrance to signify  KWANZAA ‘first fruits’) for flyer encourage people to bring fruits to add to harvest unity: Emp. June (concurrently)

7:30 African Pledge: Pro. Hannibal

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The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Poetry Friday: "Christmas Garden"

Christmas Garden

(For Randi Gray Christensen)

After months of guiding young brothers

abandoned to raw cries of the streets,

years of returning Garvey's name to the page,

a lifetime of worrying about my children,

I limp home to my neglected garden

in late December as the evening sun

settles on the forehead of broken

Madonnas nestled in red mulch.

Palm fronds break crisply between my fingers

smothering delicate orchids latched

on the side of the avocado that offered

shade in summer but not enough

for lavenders that withered in August heat.

Yet in a far corner, a poinsettia that I'd written

off in early March after caterpillars

had chewed green from the stems,

leaving stalks in the shadow of their wings

has bloomed near the dry fencepost:

the fire in its leaves as impossible

as the idea of our redemption.

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The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

Career Day @ Linda Lentin K-8

I had a wonderful time with the students and teachers at Linda Lentin K-8’s Career Day on December 19, 2012. It was heartwarming to see how the children responded to Marcus and the Amazons, and they wanted to know how Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ideas helped to shape the book. 

Of course, they also wanted to know how long it took to write the book, how many books I'd written, how did I find the time to write and teach, and if I wanted my stories to be made into movies.

I told them that I get up every morning at 5:00 and write for about an hour. I'm usually working on several projects at once, so once I finish one story, I move on to the next. And, yes, if one of my stories was made into a movie, I'd like that, but it wasn't the reason for writing.

I explained the deep pleasure I get from researching, writing, and the "aha" moment when the whole story comes together in my head. It's that pleasure that has sustained me for the twenty+ years that I've been writing and I ended with a paraphrase of Joseph Campbell's admonition: "Follow your bliss."

Following my presentation, I mingled with the other parents and guests from the community as we shared our knowledge and experiences with the children
.

Thank you Ms. Powell, Ms. Bowers, Ms. Ritchie, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Wright, Mr. Montalvo, and Mr. Schechuk for inviting me into your classrooms. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you and I hope we can do this again in the near future.

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Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


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The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.

My Top Ten Hits: 2012

1,560,896  page views and counting! From the United States of America to the Republic of Yemen, this blog has been viewed 1,560,896 times since I began tracking in 2007 with Google Analytics. As Mikey Smith would have said, “Mi cyaan believe it!”

From my very first post on December 13, 2005, that began so tentatively with “Why Do I Continue to Write?” my blog has continued to include not only my work, but also the work of important writers from the English-speaking Caribbean. 

And as more elder writers continue to join the ancestors, it is essential that we honor them while they are alive. Our literature, as Leonard “Tim” Hector reminded us, is different from every other region on the planet and we are the only ones who can tell it. But first, we must believe that it’s a story worth telling. This blog is a testament to that belief.

My blog has also expanded its scope with the petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey. I’ve lost a few readers, but I’m pressing ahead because Garvey represents one of the most important questions that we in the Americas should ask ourselves: “How will I negotiate the African presence in my life?”

How we answer this question will influence every aspect of our lives.

The guidelines that Garvey articulated provide a useful framework for the development of cultural models in the Caribbean. The seeds have been sown for many projects that—Jah willing—will come to fruition in 2013.

Give thanks to +Stephen Bess , +Rethabile Masilo , +Dave Lucas, +F.S.J. Ledgister +Nalo Hopkinson, +Pam Mordecai +Wayne Hicks , +Wayne Bennett my earliest readers, and all the readers from 190 countries who have bought my books, and continue to support my work by pinning, tweeting and sharing my posts:  +Headly Westerfield, +Natacha Ozbasar +Adam Lowe +Lynne Barrett +Jean Lowrie-Chin +Cameron Conaway, +Rustum Kozain, +Diane Browne  +Hazel Campbell--if I haven't mentioned you, is not bad mind.

Here, then, are the Top 10 Hits for 2012!

2012: Top Ten Posts

Entry	Page Views
The Meanings of Bob Marley's Songs	10,457
"Epitaph" by Dennis Scott: An Appreciation	5,860
"Little Boy Crying" by Mervyn Morris: An Appreciation	2,885
Usain Bolt aka Shango?	2,532
"Colonial Girls School" by Olive Senior: An Appreciation	2,453
Geoffrey Philp’s Blog: Finalist @ Jamaica Blog Awards	1,333
What Can Bob Marley Teach Bloggers	1,262
Marcus Garvey's Influence	1,203
A Fable of Freedom: "I Shot the Sheriff"	1,141
Happy Independence Day, Jamaica!	1,135

Top Ten Countries

Country / Territory	Visits
United States	27,330
Jamaica	5,201
United Kingdom	4,920
Canada	3,556
Trinidad and Tobago	2,237
India	1,151
France	997
Australia	855
Germany	794
Philippines	784

January 1, 2012 to December 17, 2012

All Time Top 10 Posts

 

Entry	Page Views
The Meaning(s) of Bob Marley's Songs	17451
"Epitaph" by Dennis Scott: An Appreciation	7702
"Colonial Girls School" by Olive Senior: An Apprec...	4150
Usain Bolt aka Shango?	3732
Happy Birthday, Marcus Garvey (2010)	2689
A Fable of Freedom: "I Shot the Sheriff"	2154
Annual Jamaica Independence Essay Competition 200...	1901
The Top Ten Things Every Writer Should Know	1836
Geoffrey Philp’s Blog: Finalist @ Jamaica Blog Awa...	1706
Have a Marcus Christmas & New Year	1503

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Geoffrey Philp’s Blog Spot receives a percentage of the purchase price on anything you buy through links to Amazon, Shambala Books, Hay House, or any of the Google ads or Google Custom Search.


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Disclaimer of Endorsement

The documents posted on this Web site may contain hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links and pointers are provided for visitors' convenience. I do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of any linked information. Further, the inclusion of links or pointers to other Web sites or agencies is not intended to assign importance to those sites and the information contained therein, nor is it intended to endorse, recommend, or favor any views expressed, or commercial products or services offered on these outside sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites, by trade name, trademark, manufacture, or otherwise.

Reference in this Web site to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the site's visitors, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by this blog.