Thank you new readers in Ireland, the Philippines, and Pakistan.
Here's a Black History month blast from the past photo. It doesn't seem like two years ago when I featured as guest poet at a local San Diego coffee house. This photo brought back memories. Quite a few poets were in the audience. Activist and writer Gloria Verdieu was in the audience. I hadn't seen her in several weeks although I was aware of some of her community work during 2019.
Gloria Verdieu, Reg E. Gaines, and me Delores Fisher
Since I was recovering from a serious viral illness, that lasted several weeks, Megan Webster and Olga Gutierrez Garcia graciously consented to co-feature with me. It was a uniting of 3 of our 4nth poetry group from the early 2000s. Rev. Kelli Parish Lucas was not there due to a miscommunication on my part. We missed Kelli's presence very much.
Rev. Kelli Parish-Lucas, Delores Fisher, Olga Gutierrez-Garcia, Megan Webster
As the group 4nth, we played street fairs, bars, awards ceremonies, Mexican/American border poet events, gave radio interviews, and featured at several coffee houses in Tijuana Mexico and the San Diego California area. From time to time we presented innovative women poets and women's poetry groups from Mexico as well as the U.S. at our feature events.
Olga Gutierrez Garcia, Megan Webster, Delores Fisher
Sadly, within two years, international poet Megan Webster died, leaving a legacy of poetry, prose, reflection, and a celebration of life. https://tinywords.com/author/31marged/https://tinywords.com/author/31marged/
And of course the biggest surprise was audience member and friend, Tony award winning playwright, spoken word artist, frequent Broadway contributor Reg E. Gaines. Many know him for his recent Broadway hit show as well as for lyrical contributions to "Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk."
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1968880/ Reg E. Gaines dropped by to say hello and give words of encouragement.
The year's end was filled with appearances and performances for me and after Arjay's inspirational performance, I was smiling for weeks.
A few highlights.
Pianist Delores Fisher
November ended with a performance with several other poets at The Queen Bee in San Diego California. Award winning activist/poet Jim Moreno is such a gracious host. He continues to inspire poets, performance artists, artivists (artist activists), and musicians.
Dr. Sharon Elise, Brother Malcolme, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, Jim Moreno, Delores Fisher
When Jim Moreno invited me to participate in the event, I immediately said yes. Community activist and motivational speaker Essie Mae Horne shared her poignant story about her and her family's dark struggle to emerge into spiritual light after surviving urban violence. She now encourages youth to find a different more positive way to interact in communities that need their intelligence, strength, and nurturing participation to heal mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, children and elders. It does take a healthy village to raise healthy children She believes in the potential of inner city youth to change neighborhoods into positive, creative, economic, and spiritual providers of personal as well as community growth.
Motivational Speaker Essie Mae Horne
I've known the owner Alma the owner of the Queen Bee in San Diego CA. for almost twenty years. Over the past decade, she has been a community force in support of artists and the arts in general. minded. https://www.kpbs.org/places/queen-bees-art-cultural-center/
The poetry event supported efforts of the San Diego/Tijuana Revolutionary Poet's Brigade's to encourage people to not only be aware of complex issues that need dialogue and solution but to also vote in upcoming local and national elections in 2020. https://www.meetup.com/BrokenAnchorPoetry/events/266022975/
Shadab Zeest Hashmi, Delores Fisher and award winning poet/activist Jim Moreno
November's poetry event was a celebration of possibility for positive change.
Delores Fisher, reflecting
It's been really inspiring to work for the World Center for Music https://centerforworldmusic.org/
first as an artist in residence with the schools program, a member of the Artistic Advisory Board, and as an occasional blog contributor: https://centerforworldmusic.org/2017/09/african-american-music/ with an emphasis in Black American folk songs, spirituals, and Afro-classical music. I now perform as a solo pianist all around San Diego for the Center for World Music's senior outreach program. I also serve as cultural discussant from time to time. Here is an excerpt from the "Voices of Hope From Africa Concert" at San Diego's Central Library auditorium. the features were: Matrida Boazi, the Revelation Gospel Band, and Emmanuel Adamson.
The end of December was full of celebration and re-connecting with old friends in conversation about life, and the arts. Rabindra Sarker, also known as Ravi "the rock whisperer" talked of life, and the importance of centering one's self.
Rabindra Sarkar
Another of those conversations was with international poet Olga Gutierrez Garcia. We talked artistic experiences from 2019, creative insights, strolled through San Diego's beautiful Balboa Park, for a quiet afternoon of sharing life in the poetry world. During and after dinner we discussed future projects and goals. Olga Gutierrez Garcia is a much sought after speaker, prose author, and poet on the international scene. Our annual end of the year strolls are a time of relaxation and reflection for us both. And, of course, we took photos!
Olga Gutierrez Garcia poet
Delores Fisher thinking about future guest lectures on Afrofuturism for 2020.
Olga Gutierrez Garcia, Delores Fisher Poet's relaxing
Olga Gutierrez Garcia, Delores Fisher, Poet's talking new books, projects, performances.
Winter Break? Preparation for spoken word and musical performances in 2020. More about all that next post.
A winter in the arts,
Delores Fisher
Here's a Black History month blast from the past photo. It doesn't seem like two years ago when I featured as guest poet at a local San Diego coffee house. This photo brought back memories. Quite a few poets were in the audience. Activist and writer Gloria Verdieu was in the audience. I hadn't seen her in several weeks although I was aware of some of her community work during 2019.
Since I was recovering from a serious viral illness, that lasted several weeks, Megan Webster and Olga Gutierrez Garcia graciously consented to co-feature with me. It was a uniting of 3 of our 4nth poetry group from the early 2000s. Rev. Kelli Parish Lucas was not there due to a miscommunication on my part. We missed Kelli's presence very much.
As the group 4nth, we played street fairs, bars, awards ceremonies, Mexican/American border poet events, gave radio interviews, and featured at several coffee houses in Tijuana Mexico and the San Diego California area. From time to time we presented innovative women poets and women's poetry groups from Mexico as well as the U.S. at our feature events.
Sadly, within two years, international poet Megan Webster died, leaving a legacy of poetry, prose, reflection, and a celebration of life. https://tinywords.com/author/31marged/https://tinywords.com/author/31marged/
And of course the biggest surprise was audience member and friend, Tony award winning playwright, spoken word artist, frequent Broadway contributor Reg E. Gaines. Many know him for his recent Broadway hit show as well as for lyrical contributions to "Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk."
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1968880/ Reg E. Gaines dropped by to say hello and give words of encouragement.
And now, an end of 2019 November through December brief update.
While strolling across San Diego State University's campus near the Adams Humanities building, I heard what I thought was a theremin. I looked up into warm smiling eyes and a very whimsical smile. It was pianist Arjay Adamos playing a portable otamatone. Arjay invited me to his graduate concert for the SDSU School of Music and Dance. I arrived in time for the second half of the concert. It was phenomenal.
Enjoy part 2 Arjay Adamos in performance for his Graduate Recital at San Diego State University.
A few highlights.
Pianist Delores Fisher
November ended with a performance with several other poets at The Queen Bee in San Diego California. Award winning activist/poet Jim Moreno is such a gracious host. He continues to inspire poets, performance artists, artivists (artist activists), and musicians.
Dr. Sharon Elise, Brother Malcolme, Shadab Zeest Hashmi, Jim Moreno, Delores Fisher
When Jim Moreno invited me to participate in the event, I immediately said yes. Community activist and motivational speaker Essie Mae Horne shared her poignant story about her and her family's dark struggle to emerge into spiritual light after surviving urban violence. She now encourages youth to find a different more positive way to interact in communities that need their intelligence, strength, and nurturing participation to heal mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts, children and elders. It does take a healthy village to raise healthy children She believes in the potential of inner city youth to change neighborhoods into positive, creative, economic, and spiritual providers of personal as well as community growth.
I've known the owner Alma the owner of the Queen Bee in San Diego CA. for almost twenty years. Over the past decade, she has been a community force in support of artists and the arts in general. minded. https://www.kpbs.org/places/queen-bees-art-cultural-center/
The poetry event supported efforts of the San Diego/Tijuana Revolutionary Poet's Brigade's to encourage people to not only be aware of complex issues that need dialogue and solution but to also vote in upcoming local and national elections in 2020. https://www.meetup.com/BrokenAnchorPoetry/events/266022975/
Shadab Zeest Hashmi, Delores Fisher and award winning poet/activist Jim Moreno
November's poetry event was a celebration of possibility for positive change.
It's been really inspiring to work for the World Center for Music https://centerforworldmusic.org/
first as an artist in residence with the schools program, a member of the Artistic Advisory Board, and as an occasional blog contributor: https://centerforworldmusic.org/2017/09/african-american-music/ with an emphasis in Black American folk songs, spirituals, and Afro-classical music. I now perform as a solo pianist all around San Diego for the Center for World Music's senior outreach program. I also serve as cultural discussant from time to time. Here is an excerpt from the "Voices of Hope From Africa Concert" at San Diego's Central Library auditorium. the features were: Matrida Boazi, the Revelation Gospel Band, and Emmanuel Adamson.
The end of December was full of celebration and re-connecting with old friends in conversation about life, and the arts. Rabindra Sarker, also known as Ravi "the rock whisperer" talked of life, and the importance of centering one's self.
Rabindra Sarkar
Another of those conversations was with international poet Olga Gutierrez Garcia. We talked artistic experiences from 2019, creative insights, strolled through San Diego's beautiful Balboa Park, for a quiet afternoon of sharing life in the poetry world. During and after dinner we discussed future projects and goals. Olga Gutierrez Garcia is a much sought after speaker, prose author, and poet on the international scene. Our annual end of the year strolls are a time of relaxation and reflection for us both. And, of course, we took photos!
Olga Gutierrez Garcia poet
Winter Break? Preparation for spoken word and musical performances in 2020. More about all that next post.
A winter in the arts,
Delores Fisher
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