Saturday, May 11, 2013

The Gift My Mother Gave Me [Maria & Eunice Kennedy Shriver]


There are all kinds of mothers who all mother in different ways. In this short film, Maria Shriver talks about her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics. 

Through her example, Eunice Shriver gives her daughter the gift of possibility - "you can, you must, you will" - and changes the world for millions of people with intellectual disabilities.







 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Radio with Ruthann Amarteifio : A week in Palestine and Poetry


 




Ruthann Amarteifo conducts an evening of a week in Palestine ending with spoken word and poetry.

The first half of the show features violations reported by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights relayed via Raymond Blaine. A solitary altercation between an Israeli and a Palestinian resulted in the destruction of cultivated crops and almond trees by fires, school buses attacked, more than 90 Israeli military incursions, the wrongful abduction of people, children and elderly wounded, the destruction of mosques and further demolitions of private property.

The initial cause of the week Raymond reports on is a direct result over a peaceful protest against the confiscation of land in Palestine by Israel.

Later in the show, Ruthann brings three poets together for a round table discussion on poetry, writing and life, including live readings of their work.

Derek Ubuntu Dunham and Quin Overman discuss essential aspects of writing such as inspiration, creative writing classes, copyright issues, and styles of poetry. Both writers focus on areas of inspiration like social awareness, writing groups and their experience reading the written word.

Crossover art is touched upon [one artist that embodies several genres of art such as painting, music, writing, sketch] and that talking about issues through writing and poetry ignites people to think more deeply about social issues.

Native American and African philosophy are brought to the surface through Derek and Quin and Susan Marie joins them towards the end of the show reading her piece, "This is my America" adding her inspirations, favorite writers and general reflections on the written and spoken word.

All three poets, along with Ruthann, discuss various aspects of nations in distress, specifically Palestine and Pakistan, as well as the muse and where each poet delves to reach that in depth place inside the soul that is responsible for automatic writing and stream of consciousness.
 


To listen to the show, please link :  Gather Round with Ruthann Amarteifio


[To contact guests on the show and Ruthann, link directly to their websites by clicking their names above.] 






Monday, April 29, 2013

Poetry Metagenics at the Pulitzer Center






Original article here --> Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting 


Inspired by the serendipitous algorithm-generated poetry of the New York Times Haiku, we're hoping to feed our own award-winning writing through a concept of similar but more human design: the staff and readers of the Pulitzer Center website.  

Our resident poet, Jennifer Nguyen, got the ball rolling: 

@jen_vnguyen



A dividing line
of walls, mines, wire, land and men,
unites Korea.

We write on behalf
those who may risk death for words
this Poetry Month.

When given the "choice"
sick, ailing Cambodians
prefer HIV.



What is a haiku?

Haiku is poetry in three short lines using a 5-7-5 syllable structure. Typically haikus contain strong sensory or synesthetic words and images. 



Poetry Month: Telling Untold Stories:

Haikus about international untold stories help interpret global issues for a wider audience. 



in and of shadows 
the stateless stumble, ever 
the nowhere people.




Bones emitting truth 
stack, one atop another 
collocating flies.


Poetry can help us reflect and see things we might have missed in everyday life. 

Poetry can be a call to action or, as Pulitzer Center grantees Eliza Griswold and Seamus Murphy found in Afghanistan, a way to express dissent when self-expression is dangerous. 







© Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting