UrbanKore Volume 1 Issue 2

URBANKORE BECAUSE BLACKER IS THE NEW BLACK

1.2 MAY 2015

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1. Natasha, what is the name of the book that is coming out?

Screaming Times: frustration, celebration, incantation and a touch of resolve 2. What has inspired you to produce this book at this time?

I was sought out by the founders of the POP poetry series (Spartan Press) to particularly publish my spoken word poems. There are 12 poets, one each month who will release a book. It is a diverse group of poets, many of them I have known for years, others I have only come to know through this project.

What I love about this project is that my supporters have been asking for a collection of my spoken word poems in print for a long time and I am so grateful that I was asked to do this.

3. What can we expect to read in the book?

Readers can expect to finally read the poems they have been hearing on stage for all of these years. Some were written as early as 2000 and others as currently as this year. The title really speaks to the poems. These are moments I would have or did scream in both pain and joy. There are uplifting poems, explanatory poems, enraged poems and even some horny poems. All the things that make use scream. Race, sex, gender, class, age, all the things we aren't supposed to be speaking about.

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4. If we want to hear you in person, where are some upcoming events where we can hear your work live?

I will actually be giving a talk on race and racism May 20 at the Center for Spiritual Living in KCMO. I will be a part of the opening act (20 minutes of poetry by yours truly) at the UMKC Women of Color Conference June 5th. There, I will be reading poems from the new book and will have a vendor table there to pre-sale my books and take away my CDs. I am also working on a DVD since people have expressed an interest in wanting to relive my live performances. September 26 at 8pm is the book signing and release party at Prospero's Bookstore on 39th. I am really trying to pack the house! If you prepay you are already free to enter and others will have to pay $10 at the door but it does get you the book and the entertainment for the evening. I am thinking fancy outfits and tennis shoes.

5. What are some of the future projects you have coming up?

I have just completed another manuscript entitled, "The Only Other". I am really excited about this project because it is definitely a literary work and moving away from performance pieces. I am also working on another long overdue manuscript entitled, "Steelife" which I am equally excited about as well. It has been more of a challenge to piece together but I am enjoying writing these poems. I am about 80 percent complete but that can always go up or down at a moments notice. I just decided this is my year to really get out there. I have about 10 blogs I need to complete and publish on my website. I would like to do more motivational speaking and more spiritual topics as well. I have a funny book about dating for men as well as a book I am working on about living a practical spiritual life, both of those are short books.

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