PUB: Submissions « Augury Books

At this time Augury Books is not accepting unsolicited material for the website or for general publication.

However, we are pleased to announce that we are accepting manuscripts for our inaugural Editors’ Prize in Poetry. Our reading period will be from March 15-May 15, 2011.

-The winner will receive a $1,000 honorarium and publication with Augury Books as well as 10 complimentary copies of the book. Additional copies can be purchased at a discounted price.

-This contest is open to anyone, except personal friends, colleagues or former students of the editors.

-Multiple submissions are accepted as long as each manuscript is submitted individually with separate reading fees.

-All entries will be considered for publication.

-Submit up 40-75 pages of poetry and an acknowledgments page. Please do not include a bio.

-Entry Fee: $20

-Deadline: May 15, 2011

We are accepting submissions online through Submishmash at http://augurybooks.submishmash.com/Submit.

All money received will go directly towards the title and the maintenance of our catalog.

Unfortunately we will not be able to provide royalties to the winner beyond the honorarium.

We are unable to accept manuscripts from international authors at this time. Open to U.S. residents only.

 

PUB: Zone 3

Contests

Creative Nonfiction Book Award
First Book Award for Poetry
Zone 3 Literary Awards 


Zone 3 Press
Creative Nonfiction Book Award
Prize: $1,000 and Publication

Guidelines:
• One copy of your manuscript of 150-300 pages.
• Two title pages: one with name, address, e-mail address, and phone number and one with title only.
• An acknowledgments page may be included.
• $25.00 reading fee made payable to Zone 3 Press. Reading fee includes a one-year subscription to ZONE 3 Journal.
Postmark Deadline: May 2, 2011.

Eligibility and Additional Considerations:
•The competition is open to all authors writing original works in English. Manuscripts that embrace creative nonfiction’s potential by combining lyric exposition, researched reflection, travel dialogues, or creative criticism are encouraged. Memoir, personal narrative, essay collections, and literary nonfiction are also invited.
• The final judge is Lia Purpura.
• In order to ensure the integrity of this award, current and former students and faculty of APSU are not eligible to enter. In addition, Zone 3 Press will not accept manuscripts from contestants who have previously studied with, or have a personal relationship with the announced judge. Zone 3 Press is committed to providing an ethically responsible competition; as such, the editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that display any form of ethical impropriety.
The winner will be notified by e-mail or telephone.
• Please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for confirmation of manuscript receipt.
• For contest results, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Manuscripts will not be returned.
• The judge may choose no winner if she finds no manuscript that, in her estimation, merits publication and the award.
• Questions should be addressed to Amy Wright at wrighta@apsu.edu  or Susan Wallace at wallacess@apsu.edu.

Send entries to:
Amy Wright, Acquisitions Editor
Zone 3 Press
Creative Nonfiction Book Award
Austin Peay State University
P.O. Box 4565
Clarksville, Tennessee 37044 


Zone 3 Press
First Book Award for Poetry
Prize: $1,000 and Publication

Guidelines:
One copy of your manuscript of 48-80 pages.
• Two title pages: one with name, address, e-mail address, and phone number and one with title only.
• An acknowledgments page may be included.$20.00 reading fee made payable to Zone 3 Press. Reading fee includes a one-year subscription to Zone 3.
Deadline: May 1, 2012.

Eligibility and Additional Considerations:
Anyone who has not published a full-length collection of poems (48 pages or more) is eligible; those with chapbooks may participate.
•The final judge will be announced.
•In order to ensure the integrity of this award, current and former students and faculty of APSU are not eligible to enter. In addition, Zone 3 Press will not accept manuscripts from contestants who have previously studied with, or have a personal relationship with the announced judge. Zone 3 Press is committed to providing an ethically responsible competition; as such, the editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that display any form of ethical impropriety.
•Winner will be notified by e-mail or telephone.
• Please include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for confirmation of manuscript receipt.
• For contest results, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Manuscripts will not be returned.

•Questions should be addressed to Blas Falconer at falconerb@apsu.edu"> falconerb@apsu.edu or Susan Wallace at wallacess@apsu.

Send entries to:
Blas Falconer, Acquisitions Editor
Zone 3 Press
First Book Award for Poetry
Austin Peay State University
P.O. Box 4565
Clarksville, Tennessee 37044 


Zone 3 Nonfiction Award

Zone 3 is accepting submissions for its new nonfiction contest. Prize: $250.  Submit one essay with SASE and $10 entry fee to: Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline.  All entrants will receive a one-year subscription.  The winner will be announced in the Fall 2011 issue of Zone 3.


Zone 3 Fiction Award

Zone 3 is now accepting submissions for its annual fiction award. Entry should include a cover page with your name, address, and the title of your story. The entry fee is $10 and includes a one-year subscription to Zone 3. No deadline. Please send to Zone 3, APSU, P.O. Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. The winner will be announced in the Fall 2010 issue of Zone 3. Prize: $250 and publication.

Zone 3 is pleased to announce Valerie Vogrin as the winner of our tenth annual Zone 3 Fiction Award for her story “Expedient,” which was published in our Spring 2010 issue.  


Zone 3 Poetry Award

ZONE 3 is pleased to announce Gabriel Spera as winner of the Evelyn Scott Poetry Prize for his poem “Opossum."

ZONE 3 is now accepting submissions for its annual poetry prize. Your entry should include a cover page with your name, address, and the title(s) of your poem(s). Entry fee is $10 and includes a one-year subscription to Zone 3. You may submit up to three poems (with SASE) to Zone 3, APSU, Box 4565, Clarksville, TN 37044. No deadline.  The winner will be announced in the Spring 2012 issue of Zone 3.  Prize: $500 and publication.

 

 

 

PUB: Anhinga Press: The Robert Dana Anhinga Prize for Poetry

The Robert Dana Prize for Poetry

2010 Contest Winner Announced

The Robert Dana Prize for Poetry has been offered annually since 1983 for a manuscript of original poetry in English. The competition is open to writers from all regions. The winner will receive $2000, the winning manuscript will be published by Anhinga Press, and the winner will be offered a reading tour of Florida after the book comes out.

Contest manuscripts are screened by qualified readers appointed by the Press. Past judges include Donald Hall, Marvin Bell, Joy Harjo, Robert Dana, Diane Wakoski, Naomi Shihab Nye, Mark Jarman., Sheryl St. Germain, and Tony Hoagland. Past winners of the Prize include Judith Kitchen, Janet Holmes, Frank X. Gaspar, Julia Levine, Keith Ratzlaff, Ruth L. Schwartz, Deborah Landau and Rhett Iseman Trull.

Contest results are announced in November and published in Poets & Writers, The Writers' Chronicle, here at our Web site, and in other writer's magazines. The winning book is usually published within one year of its selection. It is our policy not to reveal our judge's name during the submission process. You may inquire after May 1st to satisfy your curiosity.

Anhinga Press subscribes to the principles laid out in the Contest Code of Ethics adopted by the Council of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP):

CLMP's community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree:

  1. to conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors;
  2. to provide clear and specific contest guidelines -- defining conflict of interest for all parties involved; and
  3. to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public.

This Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.

To see a list of past winners of the Robert Dana Prize, including links to more detailed information about each, see our Series page.


Please read the following instructions carefully, especially those displayed in boldface. Every year many entries are disqualified for reasons that have little or nothing to do with the quality of the poetry -- simply because they have not followed the contest guidelines. If you've never submitted your writing for publication anywhere, understand that the term "guidelines" in this context means the same thing as "requirements"!

Contest Rules

(To be certain you have followed all guidelines, we suggest that you use this convenient checklist.)

The award is open to poets trying to publish a first or second book of poetry. Previous publication of self-published books, chapbooks, and individual poems do not make a poet ineligible. Entries must be original poetry in English; however, a few translations in a manuscript are acceptable. Poems previously published in journals and anthologies should be accompanied by an acknowledgments page. Authors may submit multiple manuscripts if each one is accompanied by the reading fee. Previously submitted manuscripts and manuscripts under consideration by other publishers are also eligible. Should your manuscript be accepted by another press, please notify us as soon as possible.

  • Each submission must be accompanied by a $25 reading fee. Make checks payable to Anhinga Press.
  • Do not put your name on your manuscript. Instead, make two title pages--one with the manuscript title, your name, address and phone number, and a second title page with only the manuscript's title.
  • Manuscripts must be 48-80 pages, excluding front matter. They may be single- or double-spaced, and all pages must be numbered. Please do not staple or bind your manuscript.
  • For notification of contest results, please stop back here at our Web site after November 1.
  • Submissions will be accepted from February 15 until May 1 of each year . Manuscripts received prior to February 15 or postmarked after May 1 will be recycled and the entry fee returned.
  • Manuscripts will not be returned. Please keep copies of your work. Please do not use a form of mail delivery which requires a signature by the addressee.
  • Please send manuscripts to:

Robert Dana Prize for Poetry
P.O. Box 3665
Tallahassee, FL 32315

Entrants may purchase the winning book or any Anhinga Press title at a 40% discount from the retail price. With your order, please mention that you were a contest entrant. For information on purchasing books, for queries and submissions, please contact us via e-mail or by mail at the above address. Here at our Web site you can see samples of poems by Anhinga authors, contest guidelines (this page!), our catalog and other items.

Anhinga Press books are distributed by SPD and are available on our website, at most good independent bookstores, and on line from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Anhinga Press activities are sponsored in part by the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council.


Anhinga Press
P. O. Box 3665, Tallahassee, FL 32315
Phone: (850) 442-1408
Fax: (850) 442-6323

Inquiries? E-mail us.

 

EVENT: St.Paul, Minnesota—25 Important African American Books

25 IMPORTANT

AFRICAN AMERICAN BOOKS:
 

AN OPEN DISCUSSION AND PANEL

HOSTED BY

AWARD WINNING AUTHOR ALEXS PATE

 

 

EVENT DETAILS
Thursday, May 19, 2011                             REGISTER NOW
7:30-9:00 p.m.
987 Ivy Ave East, St. Paul, MN
Intended Audience: Everyone is welcome!
Cost: $5; registration is required.

The Minnesota Humanities Center is pleased to invite you to 25 Important African American Books: An Open Discussion and Panel Hosted by Award Winning Author Alexs Pate.

 

Please join Alexs Pate as he leads a panel and open discussion about African American literature with authors John Wright, Pamela Fletcher, J. Otis Powell, and Arleta Little.  Each author will discuss five of their must reads with panel members and the audience.  Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity – this will be the first time these authors have shared a stage – or your chance to ask anything you’ve ever wanted to know about African American literature.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexs Pate is a Visiting Assistant Professor of African American Literature at the University of Minnesota.  Best known for writing the novel Amistad and the the screenplay for Steven Spielberg, Mr. Pate is an accomplished artist, author, and scholar.  Other published writings include: Finding Makeba; The Multicultiboho Sideshow; West of Rehoboth; Contemporary African American Literature; Anywhere the Wind Blows; and Innocent.  His awards include: Honor Fiction Book, Black Caucus of the American Library Association for West of Rehoboth, 2002; "Achiever Who Will Lead the Next Generation" in the area of literature, USA Today/Weekend, 2002; Minnesota Book Award for Losing Absalom, 1995; Best First Novel, Black Caucus of the American Library Association for Losing Absalom, 1995; Minnesota Book Award for Multicultiboho Sideshow, 2000.  His newest book In the Heart of the Beat: The Poetry of Rap was released in January of 2010 and received critical praise.

 

 

 

QUESTIONS?
James Zacchini, Project Coordinator, at 651-772-4249 or james@mnhum.org

 

For questions regarding registration, contact Thien Nguyen August at 651-772- 4254 or thien@mnhum.org.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO ESSAY: Portraits: Kalakuta Queens, Circa 2011

Portraits: Kalakuta Queens, Circa 2011

Photographer James Petrozzello‘s gorgeous portraits capture the strong beauty of the FELA! dancers paying tribute to the original Fela Queens. “I have long been a fan of Fela Kuti – the musician, the political figure, the icon,” James told Okayafrica. “The first time I saw his ‘queens’ I was struck by their radical style. I wanted to make these photos to pay homage to their beauty and to bring attention to the women who contributed so much to Fela’s life.” (Portraits of the original queens can be found here.)

FELA! has just returned from a triumphant “homecoming” in Lagos, and has upcoming dates in Amsterdam, England and in select US cities including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

To see the entire series, click any image below.

Models: Rujeko Dumbutshena, Catherine Foster, Abena Koomson, Jill Vallery, Shaneeka Harrell, Shakira Marshall, Lauren De Veaux, Oneika Phillips, Hettie Barnhill, Iris Wilson, Aimee Graham Wodobode.

 

CULTURE: TORE Magazine, Southern Sudan (Free PDF Download) > Wapi Ndizi yangu!

TORE Magazine,

Southern Sudan

 A few years ago I worked with some friends and put together a poetry/prose magazine for Southern Sudan.  This was one of the most interesting projects I have done in a long time primarily because I had complete artistic control.  There were plans for a second edition but due to a variety of constraints it hasn’t happened yet.

The magazine was called “TORE”. I believe it is pronounced as “tor – ray”.  The meaning of TORE has something to do with a trumpet, trumpeting or making lots of noise.  It originates from one of the equatorian languages in Southern Sudan.  If I could remember which one I would mention it here but my memory is faulty at the time of this writing.

There are some great stories & poems in here as well as a few opinion peices on Sudan.  There is also some excellent layout and design if I don’t say so myself.

Hope you enjoy.

 

 

VIDEO: "The Anderson Monarchs" Documentary Feature Trailer on Vimeo

THE ANDERSON MONARCHS
"The Anderson Monarchs"

Documentary Feature Film
2010 Sundance Documentary Film Grant Winner
Expected Release 2012

Produced by Daniel M. Kalai. Kalai is currently the managing member and principal creative at Personify Productions, LLC.

© 2009-2011 Philly Soccer Doc, LLC. Documentary trailer used with permission under license for promotional purposes only.
__________________________

About the film

“Kiarah Cannady, 16, describes her team’s soccer field as a patch of dirt with drug dealers nearby and litter-strewn streets. It’s a far cry from the grassy fields most organized soccer teams play on, but it’s home field for the Anderson Monarchs Girls Soccer Club.”—DentonRC.com

The Anderson Monarchs is a documentary about an all-girls soccer team competing, living, and thriving in an at-risk urban neighborhood in Philadelphia. Named after the team highlighted in the documentary, the Anderson Monarchs are underdogs fighting a battle to change their lives, the ultimate David against Goliath story. Along the way we will share with you stories about our progress atwww.theandersonmonarchs.com.

About the Story:

Named after Marian Anderson and Jackie Robinson’s Negro League baseball team, they are the only all girls, nationally competitive African-American soccer club in the US. Their recent accomplishments include nomination as the 2008 Sports Team of the Year by Sports Illustrated and the placement of five team members in the Olympic Development Program for US Women’s national soccer. In 2010, the girls under-twelve team placed 9th in the world at the Kick It 3v3 team World Championship Tournament at Disney World. The girls don’t just play power soccer under very harsh conditions in inner city Philadelphia; they are setting standards in academics, leadership, and community. The girls range in age from 6 to 16. Their stories and the story of their Coach, Walt Stewart, are inspirational. The Anderson Monarchs are underdogs fighting a battle to change the trajectory of their lives.

Facebook Page for the film

 

PALESTINE: They can never shut me up

They can never shut me up

by Nai Barghouti on May 2, 2011

Nai Barghouti - vocals
from the album: A Time To Cry - A Lament Over Jerusalem

“Shut your mouth up,” barked a huge, scary Israeli soldier at me, like a rabid bulldog, whenever I challenged his orders. This is not even a fair comparison; a bulldog, despite his intimidating appearance, can be quite sweet and loving on the inside. Well, this soldier was anything but! So maybe criminal describes him better. He and a dozen other soldiers smashed through my aunt’s apartment window in the middle of the night last Thursday and took hostage my aunt, Suha, my 22-year old cousin, Hanin, my 69-year old grandmother, and me.

That night of terror -- and defiance -- is unforgettable. It brought back memories of an earlier invasion, when Israeli soldiers came to occupy our apartment and tried to expel us. I was five then. I felt powerless, terrified and sick, and my knee kept shaking. I asked my mother what to do to make it stop, while my father was busy confronting the soldiers: “You will not take our home while we’re alive,” he said. “We are unarmed except with our rights and our dignity.” He kept repeating this, over and over, so it stuck in my mind. I was so worried that they might hurt him, and my knee kept dancing. Mama suggested that I walk up to one of the soldiers and look him in the eyes. I hesitated at first, thinking she must have gone crazy; that guy’s gun was literally bigger than me. But I finally did. To my surprise, he immediately took his eyes down, avoiding any eye contact. I triumphantly said, “Yes!” and my knee stopped shaking. I learned the true meaning of the word defiance - tahaddi, in Arabic.

I was sleeping over at Suha’s last Wednesday night. I woke up a little after 1:00 am to Hanin's voice calling me at the top of her lungs from the corridor. She meant to alert me before the soldiers could enter her room, where I was sleeping. She didn’t want me to see a soldier's face behind a large rifle when I opened my eyes. She later told me how a similar experience had deeply traumatized her when they arrested her father the first time, in 1992, when she was still three. With time, she forgot everything about that horrible night except the haunting details of that Israeli soldier's face.

They kept all four of us in the living room, with several soldiers watching us. They were looking for Hanin's father, Ahmad Qatamesh, who is a political scientist, an author of many books and such a kind and giving person. He wrote about his almost six-year experience in prison under “administrative detention” (with no charges or trial), about what he thought of war, of the Palestinian Authority, of Arab revolutions, of socialism, and many other things, as Hanin told me. You can't arrest someone for telling the truth, or for writing what he/she thinks. An opinion is never wrong when you don't force it on others. In my view, everyone should be free to think, to write, and to oppose injustice.

I asked the soldier to close the door, as it was terribly noisy upstairs. The soldiers were breaking down the neighbors’ door, although Suha told them they are away in the U.S. “You go close it yourself,” he said. I was too nervous to get up, to be honest. I dug in the yellowish couch I was sitting on, trying to hide that I was literally shaking. I felt my skin was turning into the couch’s color. “You're the ones illegally breaking into people’s homes!” I shot back. “Shut the f*** up,” he yelled, again, in a thundering tone. I did, but I felt really bad, afterwards, that he succeeded to shut me up. I started finding excuses for my behavior—they are big and armed, and we are all alone. They could hurt us if we challenged them. I couldn't speak. My mouth was beat-boxing, as my trembling lips could not produce proper sounds. Then finally, I learned how to overcome my fear.

My old memory of my encounter with the soldiers in our apartment flashed back, and I felt empowered. I decided not to shut up, no matter what. Our obedience has never made Israeli soldiers any less ruthless, I thought to myself.

We were kept hostage until they find Ahmad, we found out. Hanin used the excuse of going to the bathroom to alert her father who was staying at his brother’s that night. When she returned to our “prison,” the living room, the home phone rang. The Israeli commander jumped and answered it. It was Ahmad! Hanin was angry that he called, as she was hoping he would somehow avoid arrest. The thought of losing him again horrified her. But Ahmad’s calculations were different, Suha later explained to us. The Israeli commander threatened him saying: “If you don't turn yourself in, we will mess the house up and destroy the furniture.” Ahmad, who was enraged, shouted back loudly enough so even we could faintly hear some of his sentences: “You are an occupation force that is illegally in our house ... You cowards, leave my family alone. If you want me, come and arrest me at my brother’s house. I am not going anywhere.” Ahmad wanted to protect us all, clearly, and felt no need to escape as he had nothing to hide.

Throughout, the commander and some of the soldiers treated us as if we were animals in their farm—their farm! With every arrogant order, with every dirty look, with every aggressive move, their racism and hateful soul completely swallowed up any sense of humanity they may have once had.

The four of us decided not to show them our fear. Don’t get me wrong, we were scared to death, all of us, but we hid it. After a while we noticed how a lot more scared and nervous they were. When I got up to fix my pants, for example, two of them quickly pointed their guns at me. I said, “Cowards!” That did not go well with them. We decided to start up a conversation with each other, ignoring the soldiers’ very presence. We talked, laughed, and talked again in loud voices. They must have thought that because we are women, Palestinian women (well, I am technically still a child), we would cry, scream, and beg for mercy. Boy, they had us all wrong! We developed a new form of peaceful resistance: TLI—Talk, Laugh and Ignore!

I thought some music would help us relax. They had confiscated all our mobile phones, but I carefully hid mine for the right moment. I put “Li Beirut,” a song by the Lebanese diva Fairouz. The lyrics, set a romantic Spanish tune, talk about Beirut, its beauty and resistance in the face of destruction by the Israeli army. They hate our humanity and cannot stand anything beautiful about us, so they try to destroy it. Many innocent women and children were murdered by them, in Beirut, as in Gaza. They violently confiscated my phone and turned the music off.

We started asking them questions, non-stop. “We hope you won’t steal our valuables from the rooms?” “We never take anything that is not ours,” one shouted indignantly. Hanin replied, “Other than stealing our land every day, you have stolen precious items from Palestinian homes during previous invasions!” Their commander appeared again, giving them new orders. I could not resist saying, “You so remind me of sheep. He’s your shepherd, and all of you are just mindless followers.” One of them pointed his M16 at me, and said: “Shut the f*** up!” So I said: “If you hate the truth so much why don’t you refuse to follow his orders? Why do you insist on terrorizing us?” He repeated his favorite insult and moved closer, with his rifle pointed at my face. Suha jumped and shouted at him, “She is only 14, do you have anything human left in you?”

I was boiling with anger, but I refused to give them the pleasure of watching me cry. They were not only humiliating me, they were also trying to make me a silent victim. I didn’t want to shut up. And I didn’t want to be submissive in anyway. I have had enough already. I wanted them out, now. I was very tired and sleepy. But I still wanted to show them what a Palestinian teenager is made of! Images from Tunisia and Egypt filled my head, and I felt proud.

What bothered me the most was that they used my mobile phone to call Ahmad while they were trying to find his brother’s house to arrest him. I wish I didn't have my mobile with me. I am exhausted. I wish I could disappear and only return after they had left. They split up; some of them remained in the house holding us hostage, while the rest went to arrest Ahmad. We were terribly worried about him. Only when their mission was accomplished did they let go of us. Before leaving, the last one looked at Hanin, who was about to collapse, and teased her: “We took your father. I will take care of him!” So she screamed: “Criminals! He will take care of himself.” We were anxiously waiting for them to leave, to be free, but also to finally express our emotions freely. Hanin and I cried our hearts out—a mix of fear, deep worry about Ahmad, and even deeper anger.

When they finally left we all just sat there trying to understand what had just happened. For a minute we thought we were in an endless nightmare. We couldn't remember every single detail that had happened until much later. It was as if we were there but at the same time we were not. Sleeplessness mixed with intense horror can do that to you, I guess.

After I calmed down, I felt guilty how at one point in the confrontation I hoped to disappear and only return when they had left. How could I just wish to escape like that? To go away without challenging their occupation and racism? To abandon my dream of a free Palestine? To run away as if I didn't care about others? What was I thinking? That can’t be me. I am a girl. I’m a musician. I am a student. I have a family that loves me. But I'm Palestinian, and at the moment that is a lot more important to me than all the rest. I am human, first, and Palestinian, second. Being Palestinian is in my roots. They can kill me; they can steal my land, as they’re already doing, continuously. They can cut our olive trees, as they often do! They can take away everything, but never our identity, our dignity, or our hope to be free.
They can never shut me up.

Nai Barghouti is a 14-year-old Palestinian ninth grade student, flutist and composer living in occupied Ramallah, Palestine. She is describing her experience of being taken hostage during an Israeli army raid recently.

 

VIDEO: MV BILL: Peace to the Favelas (Brazil) on Vimeo

MV Bill

MV BILL: PEACE TO THE FAVELAS (BRAZIL) 

Hip-hop artist MV Bill calls out Rio’s heavy-handed approach to policing the favelas while promoting a more human alternative: engaging youth in the arts.

The famous "City of God" slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a site of abandonment. Vital social services provided by the government to other parts of the city never reach the favelas, where the majority of the population is Afro-Brazilian. Hip-hop artist MV Bill says, “historically, the only arm of government that enters that community is the police.” MV Bill is one of many residents who are determined to change the community by both steering youth away from violence and altering public perceptions. As an MC, he uses his lyrics to voice his complaints against the state. As a social activist MV Bill is the co-founder of Central Única das Favelas (CUFA), a network of NGOs working in urban areas across Brazil to engage youth in music, sports, and the arts. His network has now spread to 11 countries, including offices in the Spain, Argentina, and the United States. MV Bill says of his work, “My biggest inspiration is waking up every day… seeing the transformation that has happened over the years, and realizing how much more we need to accomplish.” This short film profiles MV Bill and others who are working for a more just, peaceful community in the favelas.

 

VIDEO: The last angel of history - Introduction

John Akomfrah

 on Mar 18, 2010

A 1995 documentary directed by John Akomfrah discussing all things afrofuturistic. Features interviews with George Clinton, Derrick May, Kodwo Eshun, Stephen R. Delany, Nichelle Nichols, Juan Atkins, DJ Spooky, Goldie and many others. The film makes mention to Sun Ra, whose work centers around the return of blacks to outer space in his own Mothership. Produced in 1995.

This is just a brief section of the documentary. An introduction so to speak.