Three Events Worth Catching

From: Louisreyesrivera@aol.com 1. Celebrating Black Literature in Corona ========================== Langston Hughes Community Library and phat’tude, the literary magazine, are collaborating to present the 1st Annual African American Literary Festival in celebration of Black History Month. The all-day event takes place Saturday, February 26, from 10 a.m. To 4 p.m., at the library, located at 100-01 Northern Blvd., (# 7 train to 103 Street), Corona, Queens. The aim of the Festival is to promote literacy and to further expose African American literature to the general community via workshops, panel discussions, poetry readings, musical performances, and authors’ book signings. Among the highlights will be the premiere of poet Shane Book’s independent film, Dust. Among the literary works available for sale will be phati’tude’s 2011 Winter issue, Celebrating Black History Through Literature, featuring works by Amiri Baraka, Stephani Maari Booker, Shonda Buchanan, Yusef Komunyakaa, Haki Madhubiti, devorah major, Tony Medina, Ishmael Reed, Sonia Sanchez, Askia Toure, Quincy Troupe, et al. Workshops festival include Community Publishing with Ron Kavanaugh; The Key to Good Writing with Louis Reyes Rivera;  and, African American Children’s Literature with Sharon Dennis Wyeth, and performances and presentations by Tara Betts, Loretta Campbell, Gabrielle David, Reginald Harris, and Yusef Salaam. This event is made possible with support from the National Writers Union, HarperCollins, Rutgers University Press, Scholastic, Inc., Beacon Press, Duke University Press, Pepsi-Cola, Frito-Lay, Queens Council on the Arts with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. All workshops,etc., are free and open to the public. For more information, contact www.phatitude.org or call the Langston Hughes Library (1.718.651.1100).   =================== 2. Poets Romance their Muse =================== On Sunday, February 27, 2011, from 2 to 5 p.m., Blind Beggar Press and African Voices magazine are celebrating Valentine's Month with Romancing the Muse II: A Love Fest of Poetry and Music with featured poets Tanya Tyler, Nikki Williams, Cyprus Preston, Louis Reyes Rivera, Ted Wilson, and host Layding Kaliba. It all takes place at Kaliba's Brownstone, 316 West 137 Street (C, B trains to 135 Street station), in Harlem. Suggested donation is $10.00 (includes raffle & light refreshments). Seating is limited. For reservations call 212.234.5583 or email blindbeggar1@juno.com.   ============================  3. Call for Submissions: Uncrowned Queens ============================ Two years ago, The Uncrowned Queens Institute of Buffalo, New York published the anthology, Go Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the First Lady (2009). The group is now preparing the sequel volume, African American Women's Response to the 2010 Midterm Elections.  This call is for submissions by women of African descent only, I.e., of the African Diaspora. If you are a man, please share this invitation with interested parties. All authors submitting materials should:  1.      Go to the website [www.wings.buffalo.edu/uncrownedqueens] and Please do the survey even if you decide not to write a letter. 2. Search the entire website to familiarize yourself with the work of the Uncrowned Queens Institute. 3. If you have not done so, read Go Tell Michelle…  4. Consider submitting your letter or poem by Tuesday, March 1, 2011 (the initial deadline has been extended until then).             5. Spread the word to other Queens. ========================== __._,_.___

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