Writing in the South

My Interview with Doug Crandell-June Issue of the Writer Magazine

2011-06-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

My article, "How I Write:Doug Crandell" is available in the June 2011 issue of The Writer Magazine.

"Brilliant Expressions"

2009-06-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

My article on the Southeastern Piano Festival is available for viewing.

Article "Cabaret Unbound at CMFA Art Space" Online

2009-05-21T10:06:00.000-07:00

My article, "Cabaret Unbound at CMFA Art Space" is available for viewing.

In other news, the Spoleto festival starts today in Charleston, SC. It's a wonderful event and worth checking out.

May 17th Working Poems and Stories Series: An Afternoon Reading with Michael Chitwood

2009-05-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Poet Michael Chitwood give a reading at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art at 2pm on May 17th. Chitwood, a co-founder of the "Linthead School of Poetry", work includes The Weave Room, an account of the life of textile mill workers in their own voices. Be sure to take a minute to stop by the gallery which hosts Anne Boudrea: a delicate balance until June 7th.

The Chitwood event is $5.

Southeast Book Arts Festival

2009-05-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

The Southeast Book Arts Association 2009 conference will take place on the University of South Carolina (Columbia) campus May 11-14. The lectures are free to the public but entry into the workshops cost $500 per person. Workshops include printmaking, Ethiopian style binding and construction (with wood and mica), constructing Victorian tunnel books. Kathy Strother will teach a two day workshop on basic bookmaking skills. The conference also includes the exhibit "Curious Intimacies" at McMaster Gallery.

Articles "Kitchen Gardens, Farmers Markets, CSAs Oh My!" and "Build Your Own Garden" Available for Viewing

2009-05-04T12:09:00.000-07:00

My articles "Build Your Own Garden" and "Kitchen Gardens, Farmers Markets, CSAs, Oh My" are available for viewing.

Simplifying language

2009-05-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

I just read this article on the New York Times website, which details the Communist Party's attempts to simplify a language that consist of over 50,000 different characters. In the age of Twitter and text messaging, are we simplifying language, or diluting it?

April 30th Jessica Handler at Opal Gallery in Atlanta, Ga.

2009-04-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Author Jennifer Handler will be reading and signing her memoir "Invisible Sisters" at Opal Gallery in Atlanta, Ga. April 30th at 7pm. The book, based on her Pushcart Prize-nominated essay, focuses on her sisters, both dead (blood disease/leukemia) and growing up Jewish in the South.

Opal is next to Acapella Books a wonderful independent bookstore in Little Five Points that makes a habit of frequently hosting authors (Irving Welsh, author of Trainspotting, visited last year).

While you're in L5P be sure to check out Charis Books, one of the oldest independent bookstores in the South. Charis also holds several readings and writers' groups per month.

Rita Dove and Sonata Mullatica

2009-04-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

April, being National Poetry month, is really the best time to release a book of poetry isn't it? One collection that I definitely recommend is Sonata Mullatica: A Life in Five Movements and a Short Play by Rita Dove. The poetry reads as an lyrical autobiography, weaving through George Polgreen Bridgetower's rise as a violin prodigy to his death, forgotten and in poverty. Sonata also serves as a glimpse into class and racial politics in the late 18th century; through Bridgetower, born to a black Caribbean father and a Polish mother, colonialism and privilege race through each other, hinder each other and fleetingly intersect.

An excerpt from "Haydn Serenades the Napoleonic Honour Guard"

I have starved in these streets with nothing/but a splintered voice/and the angels inside my head/found Paradise while dozing before sparse embers/in an only friends grate/the warm milk on my tongue/even now it is the grandest taste I have known.

I found a single copy at Barnes and Noble when I went to check this out, I came back a day later and it was gone. If you find yourself in similar straits and can't wait to get your eager little hands on some of the poetry found therein, the latest issue of The Oxford American and Callaloo have a few poems each.

"Diabetes Isn't the End of the World" Uploaded

2009-04-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

My article "Diabetes Isn't the End of the World" is available for viewing.

A Word to the Wise About Writing for Pay Sites

2009-04-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

I've run into several people who are interested in writing for online pay sites , such as suite101.com (where I write). As a freelance writer, launching new projects to generate more income is a given, but I must give a word of hesitation first. This is not a get rich quick type of operation folks. The sites pay you per preview (suite101/$10 per 1,000 views of your articles). For example, as part of their contract, suite 101 ask you to write 10 articles of at least 400 words every three months. The more you write, the more you make. Think of it as a down payment on a writing conference for next year.

Employment Opportunities for Veterans Article Available on Suite 101.com

2009-03-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

My article "Employment Opportunities for Veterans" is now available on Suite101.com.

Celtic Celebration Article Uploaded at The Free Times, Others at Suite 101

2009-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

"A Celtic Celebration Comes to USC", "Substitutes for Refined Sugar", "Diabetic Cookbooks, Magazines, Websites" and "Atlanta in Bloom" are available for viewing on their respective sites.

Diabetes and Health Insurance Article

2009-02-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

My article "Diabetic? Need Health Insurance?" is available for viewing.

The Big Music Machine and Haydn

2009-02-11T13:25:00.001-08:00

USC Symphony Celebrates Haydn
By Tiffany Brand
On Tuesday at the Koger Center, the USC Symphony Orchestra kicks off its celebration of “the Father of the Symphony,” Joseph Haydn.The event, titled A Tribute to Haydn, begins with a pre-concert lecture led by associate professor of music history Peter Hoyt at 6:45 p.m. The 7:30 p.m. concert will open with Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante, a piece that expertly melds the timbres of the oboe, bassoon, violin and cello. The highlight of the evening, the Trumpet Concerto, was written in 1796 for Haydn’s longtime friend Anton Weidinger. Weidinger developed a keyed trumpet that could surpass the range of its predecessors, taking the instrument from a limited range of notes into new possibilities in several registers. Indeed, the concerto revels in the instrument’s new freedom, with Haydn incorporating lower ranges that were not possible on earlier trumpets. James Ackley, principal trumpet of the Augusta Symphony and associate professor of trumpet at USC, will be the soloist.

To conclude the evening’s performance, the orchestra will present Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. The five-movement whirlwind chronicles the triumphs and tragedies of a young artist — his obsession with his work manifesting itself in the haunting image of a woman. The music weaves through a raucous party, adds soothing melodies during a walk in the countryside and crescendos during betrayal and the nadir of opium use. The symphony culminates with the Rondo Sabbat, a movement written with no less than four timpani in mind, a thundering end to the concert.Back to the Haydn trumpet concerto, USC’s Ackley — who has toured the United States, South America, Asia and Europe — is glad to be performing it and always finds new depth to the work.“Trumpet literature is not as abundant as many other instruments, but we do have several pieces that are staples,” Ackley says. “I enjoy performing every one of them.“I approach the concerto in a different way each time I get the opportunity to perform it,” he continues. “It seems that the composition tends to grow and take on a different persona as I continue to grow as a musician.”Ackley is a seasoned musician who has performed with Placido Domingo, James Levine, Zubin Mehta and Leonard Bernstein, among others, as well as worked with several modern composers. With extensive experience as a soloist as well as in chamber groups and orchestras, he is a welcome addition to USC, where he has held the associate professor of trumpet position since 2007. A large part of his career focuses on fostering the growth of other musicians, creating opportunities for them to hone their craft. During his time as a performer, he helped form the National Trumpet Conference in Bogota, Colombia, now an annual event consisting of over 300 members. Ackley also works with the USC Trumpet Studio and recently conducted master classes with his group, Tromba Mundi, at the Trumpet Festival at the University of West Chester in Pennsylvania. The group released a CD, Tromba Mundi: Music for Trumpet Ensemble, a few months ago. Another release featuring Tromba Mundi member Jean-Christophe Dobzrelewski will be released in the coming months. Ackley is also planning a trip for the Trumpet Studio to a chamber ensemble event in Orvieto, Italy, this June.“USC has a wonderful history of excellence,” Ackley says. “The School of Music has some of the most talented people I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The university is applauded throughout the state and there’s a sense of [both] tradition and forward thinking on campus.” The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at the Carolina Coliseum box office, by phone at 251-2222, or online at capitoltickets.com. Tickets will also be available in the Koger Center lobby starting at 6:30 p.m.

Article can also be found here:

SisterLove Women's Health Education Collective Article Up

2009-02-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

My profile of Dazon Dixon Diallo is available in the Winter 2009 issue of BITCH Magazine: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture. Ms. Diallo works in the Atlanta area doing city and college outreach on HIV and reproductive health issues.

Buy the issue here

Atlanta Writers Club Meeting November 15th / Q-Notes Election Guide Up

2008-10-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Writers Club is having their November meeting on the 15th. Meetings include guest lecturers and workshops. Dr. David Bottoms, Poet Laureate of Georgia and mystery writer Dr. William Rawlings attended the October 18th meeting.

The AWC also holds critique groups in Decatur/Atlanta and surrounding areas.

General membership and critique group info: http://www.atlantawritersclub.org/
More about AWC events: http://www.atlantawritersclub.org/meetings.html

Q-Note Election Guide here

Poet Joy Harjo/Master Catawba Potter Monty Branham Workshop and Reading in Columbia

2008-10-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

Poet Joy Harjo and potter Monty Branham will head Buried Within the Mound on October 24th. The interdisciplinary event includes a reading by Harjo and a presentation by Branham.

Workshop: 2pm USC Sumwalt Building (room 231)
Presentation: Columbia Museum of Art, corner of Hampton and Main
http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/poetry/events.htm

Cellist Andrés Díaz Interview Below

2008-10-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

By Tiffany Brand

The USC Symphony Orchestra will launch its second performance of the season on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Kroger Center. The concert will feature Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz Overture, Felix Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony No. 3 in A Minor and Franz Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major, a brilliant piece that allows cellists to show their acumen in a dazzling solo passage defined by high octaves.Cellist Andrés Díaz will accompany the orchestra. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, he launched his career by winning the Naumburg International Cello Competition in 1986. His talent has taken him throughout the world, and he has performed with such renowned orchestras as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops and Russia’s Saratov Symphony.

Díaz has made several recordings with the Díaz Trio as well several solo recordings. His 2004 recording Music of Martinu, Lutoslawski and Rachmaninoff won the Classical Recording Foundation Award in 2003, and was a tribute to pianist Samuel Sanders, with whom he collaborated for many years. Free Times caught up with Díaz via phone on Oct. 13 after a rehearsal at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

FT: What is your favorite city to perform in?

Andrés Díaz: My favorite city so far is Moscow. I like that classical music in Europe is like pop music here — it’s popular. You can’t find a place to stand at a classical concert in Russia. If there’s seating for 3,000, there are 5,000 people stuffed into the hall. People are practically hanging off chandeliers; it’s pretty exciting.

FT: What do you most like about playing Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D major?

AD: It’s a spectacular work. Haydn had a great sense of humor, but he could be very serious as well. [I like] the long lines and the interplay between the cello and the orchestra is absolutely amazing.

FT: I see that you often performed with pianist Samuel Sanders as well as [with other pianists]. What draws you to work that feature cello/piano accompaniments?

AD: The piano and cello are very different instruments. As much as pianists hate me to say it, it’s a percussion instrument, a hammer hits the string. Then there’s the lyricism of sustained sound that the cello has, it’s an incredible blend of sounds. I love playing with the piano. Sam Sanders [who died in 1998] was a close friend of mine, we played 15 years together and had a great working relationship, did a lot of recordings.

FT: You play a great variety of works, from both classical and modern composers. Who is your favorite composer?

AD: Beethoven. I know I’m supposed to say Bach, but, if I was on an island and had to pick music to listen to for the rest of time, it would be Beethoven. He has a style that is like no one else, his mastery of instruments he wrote for and the rhythms he used. Beethoven used small amounts of information to create larger works: there are five Beethoven sonatas with three written variations to them. He could be strict, yet at times there is an incredible beauty and deepness [to his work].

FT: You were recently appointed head of the strings department at Southern Methodist University. What do you believe is the most important lesson that you can instill in your students about music, performance and art?

AD: To find a deep meaning and understanding of what music is, to interpret music, a language without words. At any point you can start a career and continue in it without getting any better. I want to instill in them the desire to work hard.

The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are available at the Carolina Coliseum box office, by phone at 251-2222 or online at capitoltickets.com. There will be a free pre-concert lecture at 6:45 pm with Maestro Neil Casey, assistant conductor for the symphony. Tickets will also be available in the Koger Center lobby starting at 6:30 p.m.

The article can also be found here

More about Díaz : http://www.andresdiaz.com/

Also: I'm in the process of turning 2006-7 and early 2008 articles into files that I can upload. Bear with me :)

Fire and Transformation Article Uploaded

2008-09-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

Katsumi, Natalie Askew and Dawn Hunter

My article on the Fire and Transformation exibit and writing workshops is posted below. It is also up on the Free Times website and can be found in the 9/24/08 -9/30/08 edition of the print version of the Free Times (Issue 21.39).

Arts Institute Looks East

Exhibit Draws on Japanese Mythology
by : Tiffany Brand

According to Japanese mythology, 8 million deities reside in heaven and earth. Capricious, helpful, demonic or kind, they are often used as symbolic agents of transformation and change in Japanese lore. Fire and Transformation, an event sponsored by USC’s Arts Institute, draws from Japanese literature and art, creating a multifaceted event that explores symbolism and the creation of “personal mythologies” in art.

“It’s a convergence of themes, using two different art forms to create one,” says Charlene Spearen, program coordinator for the Arts Institute, in a news release.

Both USC and the Arts Institute are recurring partners with the Columbia Museum of Art, and the three-part event — an arts exhibit and workshops on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4 — will be hosted there.

The unveiling of the exhibit is on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and includes a poetry reading, roundtable discussion and tours of both the **Dale Chihuly: Seaforms** and **Fire and Transformation** exhibits. Kimi Maeda, a visual design graduate from USC and puppeteer for the Columbia Marionette theatre, will lead the discussion.

Spearen, who is also poet-in-residence at the museum, says the Chihuly glassworks exhibit and **Transformation** complement each other. She says several of the artists included in **Transformation** are interested in symbolic representations of the female form.

“Chihuly works with concave, convex spaces, much like a female body,” said Dawn Hunter, professor of art at USC. “The artists felt like his work was a natural point of departure.”

The works are tied together by their use of symbolism and the influence of Japanese myth. For Friday’s event, studio art major Natalie Askew and Hunter collaborated on three drawings with poets Spearen and Julia Kotes. A chapbook consisting of 10 collaborative pieces and 16 individual poems incorporating several Japanese and Western styles of poetry will be available for purchase and signing after the final reading.

“The interconnectedness of form, metaphor and symbolism drives the work,” says Hunter, co-coordinator of the event. “Instead of just an art exhibit, we’re celebrating all [the] work and inspiration that led to the creation of the exhibit.” In keeping with this theme, sketches of each drawing in the exhibit, from creation to completion, are incorporated into the chapbook as well.

“I’ve been interested in Japan since I can remember,” says Askew, whose idea led to the creation of **Fire and Transformation**. “As I got older, my interest in Japan grew. The symbolism, color and style influenced my own work.”

Hunter became involved in the project after Askew approached her about pursuing an independent project. In order to better understand the influences behind Askew’s work, Hunter started researching Japanese mythology. One work that stood out to her, **Japanese Ghosts and Demons: Art of the Supernatural** by Stephen Addiss, wove text and illustration together to illuminate the various tales.

Hunter felt it was an ideal project to present to the public and sent Askew’s work to Spearen.

“We definitely look for projects that can serve as outreach projects for the community,” Spearen says. “Young students need spaces for dialogue.”

In addition to the Sept. 26 event, there will be a workshop for teens focusing on creative writing, watercolor and collage on Sept. 27 and a two-part poetry and collage workshop for adults begining the afternoon of the Sept. 27 and ending Oct. 4. Hunter and Spearen, who is also the assistant director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative, will lead the workshops.

Fri, Sept. 26
**Fire and Transformation: Two Artists, Two Poets**
Exhibit unveiling, guided tour, roundtable discussion. Columbia Museum of Art, corner of Hampton and Main. 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Sat, Sept. 27
Youth Workshop
Creative writing, watercolor, collage. Columbia Museum of Art, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Adult Collage and Poetry Workshop
Part I: Emerging Symbols. Columbia Museum of Art, 1:30-3 p.m.

Sat, Oct. 4
Part Adult Collage and Poetry Workshop
Part II: Stepping Out, Columbia Museum of Art, 10:30 a.m. to noon.

**Workshops are free but require advance registration. Visit artsinstitute.sc.edu for more information.**

Online article:http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=11001804073474158&ShowArticle_ID=11012409083989352

2008 Poets Summit - South Carolina Poetry Initiative

2008-09-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

The South Carolina Poetry Initiative is hosting its 2008 PoetsSummit at the Columbia Museum of Art (details below). The organization, based at the University of South Carolina, works with artists across the state. The event includes a workshop with Naomi Shihab Nye, open mic and tour of the Dale Chihuly "Sea Forms" exhibit.

2008 Poets Summit: Servicing South Carolina Poets
Saturday, September 20th, 2008
9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Columbia Museum of Art
Corner of Hampton & Main

More about the Summit:
http://www.cas.sc.edu/engl/poetry/events.htm

More about Naomi Shihab Nye:

http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/174

Hello There

2008-08-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Test blog