Artists that I admire and love...Azariah Gunn

Hey Beautiful People so it has been awhile but I am back to blog about an amazing and dynamic woman Azariah Gunn.  A few years ago I brought a group of my students to see a play written by talented writer Craig SirmuMsila Grant focusing on the life of a teenager living in the inner city, when a young lady walked on stage and blew me and my students away with her performance and beauty. From that moment on I became a fan and I am also honored to call her my friend.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=743418668

www.SuzetteGunn.com

Suzette "Azariah" Gunn is not only a talented actress she is also a writer and director from New York. She is a young woman who not only chose to study all sides of acting but keeps herself actively involved with each entity. She has a degree in Acting from Howard University, DC and Oxford University, England. This multicultural actress known as the chameleon has starred and guest starred on TV, film and in theater, having played a variety of nationalities and characters in a range of genres. She has received glowing reviews in the NY Times, Variety, NY Post and NY Sun. Azariah seeks to break barriers in this field looking for challenging unconventional roles that speak to the human condition. She was recently seen as supporting lead, Lisette Santiago in “Roadie” by Michael Cuesta (director of Showtime’s “Dexter”) and next working alongside Oscar winner Tilda Swinton in “We Should Talk About Kevin”

Azariah is also a developing partner in the workshop “The Art of the Craft” (www.artofthecraft.com)This workshop focuses on building artistic, personal and scholastic development in young people. Her directorial debut film “Spare Change” had its red carpet premiere at the HBO International Latino Film Festival in the summer of 2010.

Yesterday, Azariah was the guest speaker at one my schools. She read an excerpt from her new book A-Z Diaries that is launching today. Needless to say she made quite an impression and gained at least 200 new fans in the 12-14 age range ; ). A-Z Diaries is a riveting and raw account of a woman's secret thoughts about life. This hybrid of non-fiction and fiction is told boldly with unapologetic vulnerability and sexuality. Filled with candid honesty and passions that would make a grown man blush, juxtaposed thought provoking pieces about humanity, love and acceptance. This collection of poetry and short stories will captivate. The secret caverns of a woman's mind can be absolutely fascinating. Amen to that!

THE BOOK WILL BE ON SALE MAY 31st AT AMAZON.COM and other Online Sites. Sites will be released today so stay tuned!

So you see I wasn't lying when I said this woman is dynamic and also quite inspiring. She will mesmerize u on stage, film and now with her written word. Azariah you are quite lucky I am only into boys ; )

jesus loves u and so do I...

so I am walking thru times square on my way home and a young woman looking like she just stepped off the farm in Wisconsin, walks up to me and hands me a flyer

girl: Jesus loves u and so do I...do u love Jesus?
me: why yes...yes I do
girl: u can be saved...no matter who u are
me: really...what leads u to believe that
girl: well u look...look like a lesbian
me: well u look like a stepford wife in training...
girl: what's that?
me: exactly

so after crumpling up the flyer in her face and telling her I felt very sorry for her and trying really hard not to punch her. I walked away feeling even more angry than I have been since north carolina made their wonderful decision and became the 29th state of stupidity... and I thought...WTF???

yes no eloquence needed here...no big vocabulary words came to mind. Is it me or is good old America the land of the free, the pillar of democracy heading in an alarming rate into the dark ages. It seems to be the norm now to judge others in the name of God on one's sexual preference. So if it was possible that I am lesbian, even though I am a good person pay my taxes and love mankind...I am ultimately going to burn in hell. Little girl u can kiss my ass. Even more appalling is what psycho brainwashed this poor child into believing this? Not to mention she was wearing a purity ring. According to my good old friend Wikipedia

Purity rings (also known as chastity rings or abstinence rings) are worn as a sign of chastity. The practice originated in the United States in the 1990s among Christian-affiliated sexual abstinence groups.^[1] Wearing a purity ring is typically accompanied by a religious vow to practice abstinence until marriage.^[2]

David Bario of the Columbia News Service wrote:^[3]

Under the Bush administration, organizations that promote abstinence and encourage teens to sign virginity pledges or wear purity rings have received federal grants.The Silver Ring Thing, a subsidiary of a Pennsylvania evangelical church, has received more than $1 million from the government to promote abstinence and to sell its rings in the United States and abroad.

really...funding was given to this but schools are being shut down go figure.

Seems like this special group of chastity chasing teenagers decided to make a trip to NYC to promote their beliefs after North Carolina's "assbackwardness" (remember when Sarah Palin used that word in her interview with Barbara Walters...yeah she's good for something) yesterday.To put in bluntly I am terrified and I don't scare easy. What's next witch hunts? To use the word of God, Allah, Buddah whomever u follow or believe in to promote hatred is sickening. Do these people truly read the bible or is it left open to interpretation to fit their needs. I think I will go with the latter.  The president gave his view on the matter of NC's decision...view below if u haven't already and this is one of the many reasons why he will get my vote.

How would the breadbasket react to a busload of LGBT individuals making a trip to a few states to share their beliefs...don't think it would go over too well. But a girl can dream.

the pick up line...where art thou

so i venture out into the new neighborhood for some grub and as luck would have it I get hit on by another winner

dude: (standing behind me in line) cheep, cheep, cheep
me: (of course I turn around..it wasn't a bad bird call)
dude: so u like that huh
me: crickets
dude: i figured cat calling u would have been rude
me: u figured huh...
dude: yeah so i did the bird call and I am also broke so i figured I would kill two birds with one stone...what do u think
me: I think u are brain dead

really?

Now I have had some really good pick up lines used on me in my time and always by older gents. They seem to have mastered the craft quite well. I think my favorite line  ever was when a cat told me I was "walking dynamite" how can u not blush at that! Yes I am independent, can take care of myself blah blah blah...but i enjoy a gentleman with wit and yes every once in a while  a bit of poetry. I remember once as a little girl reading an article on a famous silent film actress...her name escapes me now she told a story however of how she met her husband. She was at a party and he grabbed a handful of peanuts turned to her and said..."I'm only sorry they are not emeralds." What???? Game !

 I wonder why cant the young bucks get it. If they are not trying to whip out their parent's credit card, they are giving u a job description, or they are just plain corny, So gentleman tell me is the art of the pick up line lost? According to an article in Men's Health ..."Women gave higher ratings to humorous approaches ("Excuse me, I just noticed you noticing me and I just wanted to give you notice that I noticed you too. . . ") than men thought they would." Hmmm ..yeah i can agree with that...a dude who can make me laugh definitely ups his chances. Sexual innuendo however does not...duh. Pretty intuitive Men's Health. Read more at Men's Health:

http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/dating-tips-art-pickup-line#ixzz1u9VjDyY9


I also asked a few gents that shall remain nameless...their thoughts on the pick up line most of them said no. Right....guess they are keeping their secrets to themselves. SO what is a girl to do when she is in the mood to be charmed. Of course some dudes are scratching their heads right now...I guess that is the beauty of it right...lol

Artists that I admire and love...Weekend Money

So the past week has been filled with an abundance of talented artists and original music. Tonight is no exception.  Weekend Money comprises of producer and (Hot Sugar protége) Baghdaddy and rapper Ness (of A-Alikes/Eye2025 fame) the gents are currently in the studio working on their EP which will drop June 5th 2012. I had the pleasure of sitting in with the boys for a quick minute at the studio and June 5th can't come fast enough...promo please...hint...hint ;) In the interim u can catch them at some live shows in and around NYC as well as their latest video Insomniac which is dope and getting a lot of buzz...this black and white goodie gets deep in your head with visuals and vocals that are just damn dirty.

  www.facebook.com/weekendmoney

www.twitter.com/weekend_money 

www.weekendmoney.tumblr.com 

Press release states:

 "For the Brooklyn, New York-based act, its at once serious, but trippy; ‘hood, but decadent. A straight-no-chaser smiley face in a haze of smoke amid artists, thugs, model chicks, around-the-way-girls, and rebels. 

“We live in the proverbial city that never sleeps, right?” says Ness of the thought-process that went into writing the treatment for the ‘Insomniac’ video. “That’s what it’s all about. There are a lot of things that go on in New York from the wild party scenes to grinding for that bread. We wanted to film it in black and white to stay away from that polished tone because life is not polished. This shit ain’t Hollywood.”

For Baghdaddy, the “Insomniac” clip symbolizes the culmination of a project that was first sparked a little over a year ago when the Philadelphia born Ness—a member of the dead prez affiliated group A-Alikes—first hooked up with the Hot Sugar protégé. “People can now visually see the dynamic of Weekend Money,” he excitedly says. “Ness and I put so much time and aggression into this project. We’ve done so much in such a short time…things that make us excited as music fans. This is the kind of music we want to hear on the radio and on the streets.”

If u want to spend only $5.00 and hear some rockin music...head to recoup lounge tonight at 210 rivington street to see them. Doors open at 7pm.

Take a gander at the video...

 Its nice to feel that old energy of NYC...guess all the hipsters must be on vacation or something ; )

Artists that I admire and love...Eric J. Henderson

So a little over a year ago I am at a book signing for a dear friend of mine Mike Schreiber who I will be spotlighting soon and in walks a very tall handsome gentleman with a strange little camera in his hand. Now I know nothing about photography I just know what I like but I was completely intrigued by both the mechanism and the man.

Move to present day and I can now call this gentleman, Eric J. Henderson a friend, a talented photographer who has created many dynamic images of NYC and the world with this little contraption known as the brownie. This little 1950's treasure was purchased for $5.00 back in 2003 from a homeless gentleman at the corner of 125th and Park avenue. Since then, Eric taught himself to shoot and landed a global campaign for Bombay Gin, served as an art photographer for the BMW Guggenheim Lab and has had his work featured at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He has also had commissions in Morocco, France, Brazil and Africa.

If staring at him or his work isn't enough he is also an inclusive writer with a regular Huffington Post column on "Art, the Arts & Policy"  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ericjhenderson


Recently I just spoke to Eric via phone as he was smoking his cigar in Miami on layover to Cuba...what a life huh. He will be shooting down there for the next week and I can only imagine the beautiful pictures he will return with. So while I simmered with jealousy I wished my friend safe travels and also reminded him he better bring back some good music as well and yes Eric I am reminding u here yet again...bring back musica ; )

http://www.ericjhenderson.com/

https://www.facebook.com/eric.is

see some shots below but please visit his website for more info...