Met with Quraysh Ali Lansana, the Director of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center for Black Literature and Creative Writing on Thursday. He is an amazing poet and he was in town with Georgia Popoff - one of Syracuse's premier poets. Together they are promoting their book "Our Difficult Sunlight" which is a guide for teachers and administrators about the power of poetry and the need for it's inclusion in school curriculum's throughout a students life. In the book are examples of some of the projects that, they as teaching artists, have done in various school systems throughout the country. Worth reading!
I met with Mr. Lansana to present an idea that would use poems from his book They Shall Run - a collection of poems about Harriett Tubman. It is a haunting and humanistic portrayal of Harriett Tubman, not just as this legendary hero, but as a woman. He addresses, through his extensive research, the relationship between Harriett Tubman and her husband John Tubman. His poems also give live to the revolver that she carried, the dogs used to chase the freedom takers, the mountain they have to climb over - he personifies them all.
Mr. Lansana's poems have played in my mind every since the day I had to read the book in 2006. Bernie Williford, from my literary band Matie Masie had written music to lyrics that I had created from Lansana's poems. This wonderful poet gave us an audience for 1/2 hour to pitch these songs to him. Bernie brought his keyboard to the Delevan Center just before Lansana and Popoff's book tour reception on Thursday night.
He liked our presentation! He has agreed to let us use his beautiful words from They Shall Run and create an opera we will call - "One Soul At A Time! I am so excited. Words and Music are just dancing in my mind and in my soul! O.K. lots of writing to do, and music to make and financing to find........
