Vocal Expressions

There is something to be said when one of my favorite authors steps outside of his detective series (Easy Rawlins and Leonid McGill) to present a thought-provoking novel that stirs one’s intellectual and moral code. John Woman is such a novel. I was intrigued by the title and couldn’t wait to follow the transformation of the main character Cornelius Jones (aka CC), the teenage son of an Italian-American woman and a self-educated older black man from Mississippi.   Up until his father’s death, CC took over his father’s job as a projectionist at the Arbuckle theater, a New York City landmark, to pay the bills and keep food on the table. But one night when he was confronted by Chapman Lorraine, the theatre owner, he lost it and committed the heinous act of murder. Fast forward many years later and CC has become John Woman, a history professor pushing the boundaries of his students and pulling from his father’s philosophical teachings in his class: INTRODUCTION TO DECONSTRUCTION...

Author’s Bio: To Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, every conversation with a child is an opportunity to teach. Whether basic life skills, kindness or career aspirations, she encourages her grandbabies and other children to be the best they can be. ThingsICanBe.com As a best-selling author and award-winning publisher, Valerie serves professional speakers and experts to magnify and monetize their message by publishing quality books. With over fifteen years of experience in the book business, she has published more than 130 authors and helped thousands of writers navigate the challenges of self-publishing. This expert divulges industry secrets on avoiding the top five mistakes made by 95% of new authors, pricing your book to sell and identifying shady publishers. Her dynamic presentation and knowledge of the business takes writers from pen to paper to published as they master self-publishing to make money! PenOfTheWriter.com DL: What inspired you to write your book? VJLC: My granddaug...

Two years ago, I virtually met the author Koos Verkaik when he had read my blog in the Netherlands and reached out to me to interview him for his book The Dance of the Jester. And most recently he reached out again for me to review his book HIM: After the UFO Crash which has been contracted by Three Corners Entertainment for film. So, I feel honored to be selected as a reader of this multi-layered, highly detailed and complex sci-fi novel with various twists and turns. My interest was piqued because I’m a big X-Files fan---love Mulder and Scully and yes, I do believe the “truth is out there.” Anyway, the big question this novel poses is “What does a thief, a transient, a handyman/builder, a psychiatrist, and a rocket scientist have in common?”   And the response after reading and putting together the various storylines is one word…synchronicity.  The novel takes place in the 1960s and opens with two strangers meeting in Paris at a bistro called La Gargouille tha...

I recently saw Thoughts of a Colored Man , the second play of the 2019/2020 season at Baltimore Center Stage. This play is written by Keenan Scott III and directed by Steve H. Broadnax III with co-production with Syracuse Stage. Per Keenan Scott II, “I’ve lived in New York and in Maryland. I’ve lived in the inner city, a suburb and a rural area. This play is influenced by my upbringing and the things I have experienced in and out of my community in these locations.” In this play, there were seven facets of the Black man (wisdom, passion, depression, lust, happiness, love, and anger) that were explored over one day in a gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood in New York City. Although I had the program which indicated which actor played which part, I wanted to watch the play and guess which facet they each represented. I was right most of the time, but there were moments when an actor exhibited more than one facet (e.g. wisdom and love and happiness; happiness and depression; depression ...

Author’s Bio: Gaváta Smith is an author, mime, motivational speaker, and Christian educator who is an active member of Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, in Washington, DC, under the leadership of Archbishop Alfred A. Owens Jr. There she serves on the Intercessory Prayer Ministry, “The Greater” Magazine, and as the Vice President of the Silent Witnesses Mime Ministry. She holds a Leadership in Ministry Degree with Teaching Credentials from Evangelical Training Association. Currently, she’s studying at Calvary Bible Institute to advance her academic and ministerial gifts while seeking her Degree in Ministry under the Greater Mount Calvary umbrella. Gaváta ministers in Mime at various Christian Faith-Based Organizations under her individual ministry entitled “Mym4Christ”.  Aside from her church activities, she is an Executive Administrator and Human Resource Specialist, who also volunteers with Catholic Charities in her spare time by mentoring women reentering society from inca...

A month ago, I attended renowned artist from Baltimore, Derrick Adams’ opening reception of his art show – Where I’m From at The Gallery in Baltimore City Hall. This was his first solo show in Baltimore, a place where it all started. In Where I’m From , Adams showcased ten (10) new large scale paintings depicting his family and his childhood in Baltimore. These pieces pulled you right in with its vibrant colors…each of which told a different story…each of which told a story of love. It was a joy to see a few familiar faces like his sister, Victoria Adams-Kennedy and other family members. I really enjoyed the show, meeting new creatives and seeing the love of all his supporters! Per Adams, “These paintings are expressionistic scenes taken directly from my family’s photo albums, archiving our history and functioning more broadly as reflections on representations of kinship and close-knit relationships.” (Press Release from Baltimore City Hall). Adams’ family portrait series wi...