New Event: The 2014 Center Black LGBT Writers’ Forum

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It’s with immense pleasure that I announce another great event in August – The 2014 Center Black LGBT Writers’ Forum. This event will be part of The DC Center’s 2014 OutWrite Book Fair, which runs August 1-3, 2014.

The Writers’ Forum will be moderated by Wyatt O’Brian Evans, and writers/authors Cheryl Head, Michelle Sewell, Rashid Darden, and BuddahDesmond will serve as panelists. Panelists will cover a variety of topics surrounding the writing life, such as the creative process, publishing, strategies for success, along with sharing passages from their newest works.

The Writers’ Forum takes place Saturday, August 2, 2014 | 1 PM | The DC Center (2000 14th St, NW, Washington, DC 20009) | Facebook Event Page

The event is free and open to the public. So if you’re in the area, stop by!

Until next time… Peace, love, and many blessings!

Next Event: The Ask Rayceen Show – August 6, 2014 in Washington, DC

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I’m excited to announce that I’ll be performing in the Listening Lounge at The Ask Rayceen Show. You’ll be able to catch me in my element – singing and reciting poetry. Hosted by the FABULOUS Rayceen Pendarvis, the event takes place Wednesday, August 6, 2014 | 7PM (Doors open at 6PM) | Liv Nightclub (2001 11th St NW, Washington, DC | Above Bohemian Caverns).

Esteemed authors LaToya Hankins, R. L. Norman, and Wyatt O’Brian Evans will be featured in the Authors’ Corner. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of our books, you’ll be able to do so at the event. Poets, spoken word artists, and poetry lovers are also in for another treat as there will be a Poetry Slam. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize.

Best of all, the event is FREE and open to the public!

Check out the calendar for The Ask Rayceen Show for next few months.

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So if you’re in the area on any of these dates, please check out The Ask Rayceen Show!

Until next time… Peace, love, and many blessings!

The Blogger Week Unconference 2014: An Engaging, Informative, Highly Valuable Event

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I had the pleasure of attending the Blogger Week Unconference in May, and I must say that it was one of the best professional events I’ve attended in some time. Hosted by Black Bloggers Connect, the Unconference was part of Blogger Week 2014, a multicultural festival of bloggers, journalists, and social media mavens. Blogger Week 2014 featured both digital and in-person events such as Google Hangouts, Twitter parties, panels, workshops, and networking events.

The Unconference featured 13 engaging discussion panels and breakout sessions led by industry notables. Topics included: digital monetizing, social media strategies, the business of beauty blogging, personal and executive branding, PR, blogging in the Pan African world, using your blog to affect politics and cause change, and the power of blogger collaboration (to name a few). There truly was something of great value for bloggers, journalists, and social media mavens at all levels at the Unconference.

After blogging for 9 years and being on social media for at least 5 years, I’m far from an expert. I’m always looking for ways to learn more, improve, streamline, and enhance. So I welcome and am grateful for events like these. I honestly believe I got more value out of this one-day, $25 (early bird) event than I would have if I’d gone to one of the high-priced multi-day events.

One of the other elements that made this event so commendable were the people. There was a warm, inclusive, welcoming community vibe at the Unconference. Almost immediately, I felt comfortable and at home. It was like I was with my best friends and family. I connected with some really cool, intelligent, and talented people doing wonderful things. I would be remiss if I didn’t give some shout outs: Taiye Oladipo,MPH, Marc Polite, L. Laura Burge, Marquita Goodluck, Ananda Leeke, Caribbean Soultrekkers, Ni’cola Mitchell, and Vino Noire.

The Blogger Week Unconference is highly recommended! Thank you Jessica Ann Mitchell and Black Bloggers Connect for organizing such a FAB event. I look forward to attending many other Black Bloggers Connect events in the future.

Blogger Week Unconference Takeaways:

  1. Quantity is not important. It’s about the connection or relationship you have with your followers.
  2. Be authentic. Use your personality. Your voice is key. If you have passion, brands will come to you.
  3. Don’t lose sight of why you’re doing this, as it will keep you focused, motivated, and moving forward.
  4. Make yourself your brand. Know your key differentiators (what makes your brand unique) and use them to your advantage.
  5. Try to keep your brand consistent across platforms. Make contact information present. Be accessible. Responsive.
  6. Honor your word/commitments. If you can’t do it, be honest about it.
  7. Don’t be afraid of your potential. Own it. It’s going to take work.
  8. Be your own hustleman. Create a social calendar for yourself and get yourself out there.
  9. Make sure your message is simple but encompasses all aspects of yourself/your brand.
  10. Give the people what they want.
  11. Partnerships (meaningful, long-lasting, mutually beneficial) can help you solidify your brand. But be sure you’re partnering with organizations that represent your brand.
  12. Don’t pitch people your problems, pitch them your solutions.

Buddah’s Upcoming Projects and Events

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Hello All! I know it’s been a few weeks since my last post. Outside of my crazy work schedule, I’ve been revising, editing, and selecting poems for my next two projects. The first project is a chapbook which I’m pushing to release later this year.  The second project is my next full length volume of poetry which I’m hoping to release in late 2015/early 2016. Titles for each project will be forthcoming. I look forward to sharing more details as the process moves along.

I also have a few events coming up this month. I’ll be doing a reading at Open Mic at Busboys & Poets (Shirlington) in Arlington, VA | 5/12/2014 | 8PM-10PM. The open mic will be hosted by Joseph LMS Green and the featured poet is Dasha Kelly. I’ll be the spotlight poet for the evening. Tickets for the event are $5 and can be purchased the day of the event (beginning at midnight) via Busboys & Poets/Eventbrite. I’ll also be doing a reading as part of the 2014 DC Black Pride Writer’s Forum in Washington, DC | Grand Hyatt Washington (Lafayette Park Room – Independence Level) | 5/24/2014 | 12:30PM-1:45PM. If you’re in the area, please come out and support!

Until next time… Peace, Love, and Many Blessings!

~ BuddahDesmond

I’ll Be Reading at Warsan and Xperience J’s Book Signing in Camp Springs, MD on 3/29/2014

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I’m happy to announce my next poetry reading will take place at Warsan and Xperience J’s Tomorrow’s Seduction: Kiss of Death Book Signing event.  The event will be held: March 29, 2014 | 1PM-3PM | Annie’s Art Gallery | 5814 Allentown Way Camp Springs, Maryland 20748.

Fans can bring a copy of their recently published book Tomorrow’s Seduction: Kiss Of Death or purchase a copy at the event for $15. There will be music and poetry/entertainment.  Light refreshments and mimosas will also be served.

I agree with the authors that this will be a great opportunity to meet and connect with others in the community.

So if you’re in the area on March 29, 2014, please come through!

To RSVP for the event, please go to the Event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/255511394623816/.

To view the trailer for Tomorrow’s Seduction: Kiss of Death on YouTube, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvITqnJL2TU.

To purchase a copy of the book in advance of the book signing on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrows-Seduction-Crystal-B-Judkins/dp/0615922880.

Like Tomorrow’s Seduction: Kiss of Death on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TomorrowsSeductionKissofDeath.

Janet Mock and The Power of Defining Ourselves For Ourselves

janet-mock-amos-mac-opmagImage courtesy of Amos Mac of OP Magazine and janetmock.com.

If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. ~ Audre Lorde

There is freedom in knowing ourselves and defining ourselves for ourselves. There is freedom in living in our light and telling our stories–oft stories that need to be told. When we allow ourselves to be defined by others, our lives are muted, shortchanged, and disregarded. There is no power like that of naming yourself and claiming your truth. This is what Janet Mock has done and continues to do as a fierce writer, advocate, and creator of #GirlsLikeUs, a movement which encourages trans women to live their lives openly and visibly.

In late February, I had the opportunity to attend an intimate talk by Janet Mock at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. This event was part of a book tour in support of Mock’s New York Times bestselling book Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, and So Much More. The ever-engaging Helena Andrews, journalist, pop culture critic, and author of Bitch Is The New Black, facilitated the talk.

In 2011, Mock came out as a trans woman in the misgendered Marie Claire article, “I Was Born A Boy.” At a very early age, Mock knew what her identity was and that it did not match the sex she was assigned at birth. She always knew she was a girl, even though the world tried to refute, devalue, and silence her true identity through gender policing, heteronormativity, and transphobia. It was a struggle, but Mock was adamant about who she was and was determined to live her life authentically. In no truer words, Michaela Angela Davis told Mock, “You got your girl. You saw who you were and you got her.” And that she did!

Aside from an affirming family, Mock credits community as being pivotal in her path to womanhood. In seventh grade she met her best friend, Wendy, who was also a young trans woman. Mock says Wendy connected her with a community of older trans women who she bonded with. Through them she had examples of what trans womanhood was, which further shaped her identity and what she wanted her womanhood to be.

It was in this community that Mock says other trans women began calling her “Baby Janet” because of an uncanny resemblance to Janet Jackson. During this time, Mock admits being completely enamored with Jackson’s critically acclaimed album The Velvet Rope. The Velvet Rope is a collection of deeply introspective songs, many of which unveiling pain that Jackson held inside for many years. The album touched on depression, self-love, self-worth, sexuality and social issues like homophobia and domestic violence. Mock saw many parallels between Janet’s heartfelt music and her own life. So how fitting is it that she, too, would ultimately name herself Janet.

During the talk, Mock also discussed the notion of privilege and “passing.” In this society, we often place too much emphasis on beauty and attractiveness. Often times, beauty can overshadow a person’s skills, gifts, talents, and experiences. Mock acknowledges privilege in being attractive, but she does not let that define who she is. She says, “I do the work. I will not let people reduce me to a pretty face.” Mock also scoffs at the notion of passing, for she is a woman who is simply being herself.

When it comes to telling your story, Mock says you have to do it first and foremost for yourself. Tell yourself the truth about your experiences. She recommends finding someone you trust to share your story with. When you feel ready, share the story publicly. For young trans women, she says “Shut out all the noise. Tap into your own truth. Find your advocates.” For many of us, it’s crucial that we find our families in the spaces we’re in.

As her journey continues, Mock hopes that her work speaks for itself and that her story is one that opens minds, shifts language, and inspires others to be their authentic selves. When asked by Marc Lamont Hill on HuffPost Live about the message she hopes people take away from Redefining Realness, Mock said, “I think my biggest thing would be to empower girls who grew up like I did. To give them language and access to explain and understand their experiences. For so long, I…blamed myself for a lot of the hardships that I went through and I would like to free them from that. And I hope that the book frees a lot of people to understand these issues more.”

And what can we expect from Mock in the future? More writing, of course. She’s planning to write a book which addresses the beauty myth from the perspective of a black trans woman. She’s also looking into TV as another platform for storytelling.

Janet Mock, thank you for doing the work. Thank you for being the beautiful spirit that you are and for sharing your powerful story with us. Trailblazer, keeping shining!

I believe that telling our stories, first to ourselves and then to one another and the world, is a revolutionary act. It is an act that can be met with hostility, exclusion, and violence. It can also lead to love, understanding, transcendence, and community. I hope that my being real with you will help empower you to step into who you are and encourage you to share yourself with those around you. ~ Janet Mock

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I’ll Be Reading at the DC Metro Scholastic Writing Awards – 3/11/2014

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It’s with great happiness that I announce I’ve been selected to read a few works by this year’s American Voice Nominees at the 2014 DC Metro Scholastic Writing Awards!  Performing, giving back, and highlighting some of the Greater Washington Area’s up-and-coming writers—does it get any better than that?

Each year, students in grades 7-12 are encouraged to participate in the The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.  Almost 200,000 students enter their art and writing “for review by panels of art and writing professionals, and compete for recognition, scholarships, and publication opportunities” (Writopia Lab | Scholastic Writing Awards).  2.5 million students have been awarded over $25 million in cash awards and scholarships since 1923.  Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards Alumni include Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, and Zac Posen.

Writopia Lab was selected by the Alliance of Young Artists and Writers to serve as the Scholastic Writing Awards Regional Affiliate in the Greater Washington Area.  The Scholastic Writing Awards serve as not only a celebration, but also a platform for students to creatively express themselves with their budding talents.

The Scholastic Writing Awards will be held: March 11, 2014 | 6:30PM to 8:30PM | Artisphere’s Spectrum Theater | 1611 N. Kent Street Arlington, VA 22209.  The event is open to the public.  If you’re in the area, please come celebrate the brilliant talents of some of the DC-Area’s most promising teen writers.

Congrats to all of the nominees and winners!

Until next time… Peace, Love, and Many Blessings, BuddahDesmond

An Evening To Prevail Book Signing in Alexandria, VA 10/05/12

BuddahDesmond will be doing a book signing for Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics at Another Level Hair Studio & Barbershop in Alexandria, VA this Friday, 10/05/12 from 5pm-7pm.  Light refreshments will be served.  Books will be available for purchase at the event.  $10 for paperbacks and $20 for hardcovers.  If you’re in the area, stop on by!

Day 79: OutWrite 2012 Was a Success

BuddahDesmond performing during the head / heart / soul Black LGBT poetry reading, as part of OutWrite 2012.
I had the pleasure of participating in The DC Center’s 2nd annual OutWrite 2012 Book Festival this past weekend.  I’m actually still on cloud nine from the experience.  This was the first public event to promote my book Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics.  I consider this festival a true blessing (considering when I found out about it and how quickly I had to move to get involved).  I had the opportunity to network with other authors and businesses and gain some new fans.  

I was also honored to be featured with Rashid Darden, Monica A. Hand, and Red Summer the Black LGBT head / heart / love poetry reading (I’ll post video of my reading soon).  It was a phenomenal experience.  The energy from the audience was great.  They were really feeling our poetry (which is always a plus).  And the turnout was excellent.  After the show I received lots of kudos from members of the audience and my fellow poets from the reading.  It was also touching to have some of my family and friends present at the event.  If it wasn’t for a solid support system, I wouldn’t have made it this far.  My support system has definitely helped me prevail.

I look forward to participating in OutWrite 2013.  And if you’re in the DC Metro Area next year in early August, you should come check it out.
If you haven’t had the chance to check out my book Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics, please do!  It’s available from iUniverse, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other retailers.  Also, check out and ‘like’ the fan page on Facebook.   

~ BuddahDesmond

I’ll Be Appearing at OutWrite 2012 in DC 8/3/12 & 8/4/12

 Logo courtesy of the OutWrite LGBT Book Festival site.
It’s with great pleasure to announce my participation in the OutWrite 2012 LGBT Book Festival.  OutWrite is a two-day book fair which will feature book readings and discussions, poetry readings, book vendors, and lots more.  Throughout the fair, LGBT-themed books and magazines will be for sale, both old and new.  OutWrite will take place August 3rd and 4th in Washington, DC at The DC Center.  Check out the piece Lambda Literary recently posted on OutWrite.

As part of OutWrite, I’ll also be featured along with Rashid Darden, Monica A. Hand, and Red Summer in head / heart / soul, which will celebrate the works of Black LGBT poets.  head / heart / soul will take place August 4th at 6:30pm.  RSVP for the poetry reading by visiting the event’s Facebook page.  I can’t wait!

Aside from the poetry reading, I’ll have a table set up in the exhibition area on both days.  So stop on by! 

If you live in or will be visiting the DC Metro Area in early August, please come out and support OutWrite.  It’s gearing up to be an unforgettable event!

~ BuddahDesmond