Category Archives: OutWrite

New Event: The 2014 Center Black LGBT Writers’ Forum

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blacklgbtwriters

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!

Baltimore Urban Book Festival, New Website, and OutWrite 2013

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Spoken Word Hour at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival 7/14/2013. From L to R: Monda Raquel Webb, BuddahDesmond, Anthony T. Pressley, Caroline Jhingory, and Michelle Lynn Stephens.
 
Hello everyone!  Hope the summer is treating you well.  My apologies for pulling a disappearing act these last few weeks.  Between work and my personal life, I’ve been ripping and running like crazy.  Moments to breathe have been fleeting as of late.  But one thing’s for sure, I have no intentions of being burn out’s BFF again.  So time to relax, relate, release, and regroup is a must!  In the meantime, let me give a few updates.

Baltimore Urban Book Festival


I had a wonderful time at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival (BUBF) a few weeks ago.  Truly was a great way to meet other authors, prospective readers, and network.  I also had the pleasure of reading with some dynamic poets during the Spoken Word Hour.  Some of the poets on the bill included Monda Raquel Webb (Life is like a Soul Train Line), Caroline Jhingory (Half My Size How I Ate To Lose 150lbs), Michelle Lynn Stephens (The Divorcée Chronicles: Diary of a Divorcée Diva), and the head of the Baltimore Poets Society, Anthony T. Pressley (Chronicles of a Momma’s Boy: A Collection of Poetry and Short Stories), who served as the host of the event.  Hopefully we’ll be able to connect again some time in the future.  I’ll be posting a video of my reading of “The Ironic State of Black Men in Society“ very soon.  Major shout out to author, songwriter, and poet, Tyeisha Downer (Diamondz in a Rough: The Transition).  I couldn’t have asked for a better author to be my neighbor at the BUBF!

Status of BuddahDesmond’s Website

My current website has moved to a new a domain while my new website is being developed.  Please go to www.buddahdesmond.net instead of www.buddahdesmond.com.  Once deployed, my new website will be accessible on the old domain (buddahdesmond.com).  

OutWrite 2013

 

Also, if you’re in the DC Metro Area the first weekend of August, please check out the OutWrite 2013 LGBT Book Festival.  There will be a plethora of book readings, book vendors, book discussions, poetry readings and more (see the Event Schedule).  I’ll be an exhibitor selling copies of Prevail on August 3, 2013 from 10AM-6:30PM in the Exhibitor Hall of the Reeves Center, located at 2000 14th NW, Washington, DC 20009.  Hope to see you there! 
Until next time… Peace, Love, and Many Blessings!
~ BuddahDesmond

BuddahDesmond Full Poetry Reading from OutWrite 2012 [VIDEO]

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Finally, the full video of my reading as part of the head/heart/soul poetry event from OutWrite 2012.  The following poems were recited: “Prevail,” “Gone Too Soon,” “Tonight,” “Power of Love: A Contemporary Aside,” “Luther Is Love,” “Past, Present, Future,” “Everyday Drugs,” and “Politicking.”  These poems are featured in Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics.

Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics is available at iUniverse, Amazon (Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million (Paperback | Hardcover), and other retailers.    

Related Posts:
101 Days Project: Prevail
BuddahDesmond Reading Poetry at OutWrite 2012 [VIDEO] 
OutWrite 2012 Was a Success
I’ll Be Appearing at OutWrite 2012 in DC 8/3/12 & 8/4/12  

BuddahDesmond Reading Poetry at OutWrite 2012 [VIDEO]

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There’s something about performing that makes it unlike anything else on this planet.  The energy you get from the audience is intoxicating.  Performing gives you a natural high that can take hours, even days, to come down from.  I’ve said it before but performing takes me to a higher, deeper, spiritual place.

It’s been a few months but I’m happy to share excerpts of my poetry reading from the head / heart / soul event as part of OutWrite 2012.  This fabulous event took place at the The DC Center on August 4, 2012.  I will always look back on the event with much joy, as it was an honor to read alongside talented poets/writers such as Rashid Darden, Monica A. Hand, and Red Summer. 

BuddahDesmond reading “Power of Love: A Contemporary Aside” from the “Love” section of Prevail

BuddahDesmond reading “Tonight” from the “Life” section of Prevail

 

Video of my entire reading will be forthcoming.  Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics is available at iUniverse, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other retailers.  If you like it/love it, please spread the word.  

Related Posts:

  1. OutWrite 2012 Was a Success
  2. 101 Days Project: Prevail
  3. Day 72: Prevail (Title Poem)

Day 79: OutWrite 2012 Was a Success

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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

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 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