Found a beautiful piece on my former classmate Annelyse Gelman's blog, thought I'd link it here

Claudia Rankine // excerpt from Citizen & interview on NPR 

originally posted by 08kjl on tumblr: "Note: As a child, I never EVER got past day one of a new diary. So I’m pleased to have completed two illustrations in my women of poetry fan art series. My goal is to get at least 4, which will clearly legitimize my use of the word “series.”

Missing Austin HARD right now

Hey there Internet,
I thought I'd give it a go and link to Tribeza, a fairly new Austin magazine. I've been pretty into what they've been publishing, they give a little bit of attention to Austin's awesome POC in arts and music, which is pretty unprecedented. Seeing as SXSW is coming up and I'm stuck in the PNW, I thought I could play pretend and post a bit about the shows and workshops I wish I could attend. Thank goodness its a well documented event and I can oogle from afar.

The Girls of Hip Hop - TRIBEZA

Qi Rada of Riders Against the Storm

Megz Kelli of Magna Carda

and Anya


Laura

all photos are from Tribeza's article " The Girls of Hip Hop"

Workshop recap!

          Last week, I hosted my first workshop at the U. There was a lot going on within the school and the multicultural center where we were hosted, so the attendance wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. All together, we had about half a dozen students attend, and each of them walked away with a short story which they wrote. We had a really fun and satisfying talk about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 2009 TedTalk on the danger of a single story and having that story dictated by someone other that ourselves. I'm super excited about our next meeting and the prospect of teaching more workshops in this new year. If you are interested in seeing what some of my students wrote, please keep an eye out for www.centerthemargins.com

I also wrote a little something and though it pains me to share it, I've got to suck it up
So here it goes...
        " I walk. I walk a lot. I walk to get to know my neighborhood. I walk to clear my head and loosen my joints. I walk to get to work. I walk home. When I walk I see the sky, grey and bright, the rhodies, azaleas, and maples budding and taking color.
          When I walked in my old neighborhood in North Portland, I loved seeing my neighbors who look like me, heads covered by scarves or the hoods of their jackets. I haven't felt this since I was home surrounded by my family. I haven't seen my cheekbones, my profile in other people's faces in so long. I also see neighbors who look like my love; fair and sandy haired. Sometimes, I even think, "Damn, this gentrification thing isn't all right but its alright."
          When I walk, people try to talk to me. Boys slow their cars and are all, "Hey Ms Lauryn Hiiiill" Bitterly, I think about how I wish I was Lauryn, so I could cut them to pieces with my words. I am not Lauryn. Men who look like my father, uncles, and grandfathers ask me, "Where you from, honey?" When I walk with my love, these same boys and men give him the side eye, look at him like he's taken something, they try to start something.
          I cannot give them the stink eye strong enough
but I can't speak, or else I'll spit. Spit hate that I only partially feel. What I want to do is have a conversation about their wives, sisters, and daughters.
Sometimes, I just prefer the doe-eyed looks we get from old white couples and yuppies. I can't stand it, but its the less painful of these evils."


Yours truly,
Laura

ps. Please let me know before you reproduce this piece in any way

Dominique Christina threw her daughter a period party

          Just thought I'd share the wonderful, powerful Dominique Christina's spoken word piece on the monthly visitor.

Please watch and enjoy! Dominique Christina and her partner in Sister Outsider, Denice Frohman, are an amazing spoken word duo. Check them out!

May your day be filled with pleasant thoughts and good health
Laura

Giving this blog-thing an earnest shot!

Hello, Hi, How are you?

          As the title of this post states, I'm going to give this blogging thing another shot in earnest. I've been reading some wonderful articles written by social activists, women, and people of color ...and what can I say? I feel inspired. Inspired to turn writing from something I do in private to something I can share with the world. It may not be very organized right now, but I am excited to share what is moving me and developing this blog into a platform for my professional, artistic and personal story.

          So one bit of good news to announce; at the end of this week I am teaching the first *official* installment of my writing workshop at the U. From day one of putting this together, I have been passionate about making our writing practice together into something that is truly collaborative. Over the past few weeks as I have been introduced to some of my future students, I can't help but be in awe at their motivation, confidence, commitment to social justice, and, of course, the fieeerce and bold style they put into their work and studies. I am so excited to work with them and read what they create. One of the goals of this workshop is to give the students a chance to create written and video content for their shared blog, www.centerthemargins.com.

          While I'm working on content with the students, I hope to hold myself to a higher standard on this blog and post more regularly. I have waaay too many unfinished posts so I am just going to start again and try to develop some regular features about music, storytelling, films, beautiful photography, and uplifting articles I find in the news or on other blogs.

Story Tellers
Anyone close to me knows how much I love listening to podcasts like the Moth, The New Yorker's Fiction podcast, Selected Shorts, This American Life and all its spinoffs. Listening to people's stories, whether creative or biographical, I can really related to their struggles, foibles, and fears...it makes me confident that there is some shared human experience that bind us. This week, I really enjoyed listening to cartoonist Matt Diffee's telling of his first submission to the New Yorker's cartoon contest and the struggles of young adulthood

What Am I Listening to?

Well, it would be an understatement to say that I am "into" the great tunes of the 90's and early 2000's. Currently, I've been really into Tamia, especially her song "So Into You"

          Finally, I am linking up with my old classmate's blog, Renaissante. In the brief period of time Olivia and I were in school together, it was clear that she was a beautiful, confident woman and I am so pleased to see what she has been working on. She and her blogging partner, Jenn, have put together what they are calling the "28 Day Self Love Challenge." Though I am a bit late in the game, I am going to blogalong with their prompts and topics and describe how they resonate with me... starting tomorrow morning!

Until then, 

Good night and take care of yourself

Laura

It's alive!

So much has happened since my last post, I have no idea where to begin!

          Last month we moved from Portland down to Eugene, Oregon. I was a little apprehensive about the move, but I am so glad we did it. We have been in our new place for about 3 weeks, and it has been wonderful. We have unpacked almost everything and even put our plants in out back in our tiny yard. Before we left Portland, Ted and I started getting really into bonsai and yamadori, so we've started practicing on a few azalea's, pine, and spruce varieties that we found.

          We took a trip to visit my mom, sister, and family friends in Austin. It was AMAZING and recuperative. Seven days in heaven. We went swimming every day, except the days we were traveling. We went to Barton Springs and tried out the new food carts close-by, went to Jacob's Well with Joelene and her boo, and kayaked for hours in the Colorado River in South Austin with our little cousins. While T and I were in Austin, we also took my sweet mother on an afternoon of wine tasting and picnicking through the Hill Country. We went to Duchman Family Vineyards and Bell Springs Winery. I would highly recommend Duchman; the service was great and the setting was absolutely stunning. Usually am not into the pseudo-Tuscan style but it was a very comfortable, beautiful place. We may just have to make visiting the Dripping Springs/ Driftwood area a tradition...

http://www.duchmanwinery.com/winery-gallery/

          As usual, we ate tons of wonderful Burundian food at home and even found a new barbecue place that I can highly recommend. Even on one of the hottest summer days, their courtyard seemed to have a cross breeze.

FREEDMEN'S BAR

http://www.austinchronicle.com/imager/b/filmreview/1455919/d50f/tvw_freedmensbar_7150.jpg

http://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/f19f/food_mini1-2.jpg

          We went there our last night in town and after a while searching for a place where we could get the trifecta: bbq, music, and good drinks, we settled on Freedmen's out of curiousity even though they didn't have any music that night. Lo and behold, there happened to be a concert going on. (oh Austin, how you thrill me...) We gorged on great, tender barbecue and listen to While we were there, we got a neat history lesson on the building. It was built in 1869 by freedman George Franklin In 1876, Jacob Fontaine started one of the first black newspapers in Texas, the Gold Dollar, in that very building. Fontaine became a reverend, politician, and advocate for freedmen in Austin and the building became a church, a store, a printing press, and a community center for the people of Wheatville, Austin's freedmen settlement. We had a truly beautiful night there and it was really made richer by the bluesy, dark music and history of the place

          We also got a sweet deal and were able to go to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico. It was my first time in Mexico and I had such an amazing time. We were really lucky and got to stay in a private house in Barra de Potosi, far away from touristy stuff. We spent the week sipping on mescal, swimming, strolling on the beach to local enramadas (and generally gorging on fresh, delicious food), and checking out Playa La Ropa, a great weaver's store front studio in the commercial district of Zihua, and even a great archeological museum and ruins called La Chole. We were so lucky that day because while getting lost on the way there, we ran into the guy whose family discovered most of the artifacts in the museum. I'll do a separate post in a while about that day, it was so amazing to be surrounded by such an ancient and advanced civilization.

I've got a few new posts that I'm drafting, so I'll post again soon. Until then,
Laura

There's a DOPE new project here at CIO

           The Center for Intercultural Organizing recently hired Oscar Guerra-Vera as Equity and Inclusion Program Coordinator. Even from my lowly position as an intern, it is obvious that Oscar brings a lot to the programs at CIO.


           When Oscar speaks about his goals for his position at CIO, he underlines that  LGBTQ folks have throughout the history of community activism always been a part of social movements for many groups and causes. CIO is taking a bold step by bringing in Oscar; solidifying their commitment to engaging with and learning more about the LGBTQ immigrant and refugee community in our city.

          One of Oscar's first projects in this position has been creating a space where queer immigrants can get together and discuss their lives. This project is called...

RESILIENT CONNECTIONS 

          

           Resilient Connections aspires to discuss discriminatory policy practices, access to health care, harmful urban land-use policies, gentrification and development as they effect their minoritized communities. The seek to expand individual liberties and social tolerance on matters of gender, race, preferences, etc.

          Oscar reports that over the first few meetings, the conversations have been really engaging and more and more people seem to be trickling in. They talked about how they bear some unsettling and largely unanticipated consequences of the US's foreign wars, practices, and policies during their immigration; about how their identity and status have been interpreted in unexpected ways.

          I am really looking forward to collaborating with Oscar and Resilient Connections to incorporate the perspectives of queer immigrants of color in to the Urban League's State of Black Oregon report.
I also can't wait to see how this group expands in attendance and influence.
Good luck on your new position, Oscar!

Promise to post more often!
Laura