The Black (Female) Body in Hollywood

Last month I had the opportunity to attend a book release party for a new anthology, The Black Body, edited by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah. The collection of essays and poems explores the idea of what it means to have, or to love, a black body. Danquah assembled thirty black, white and biracial contributors to “take on the challenge of interpreting the black body’s dramatic role in American culture.” The book was robust and provocative and left me contemplating how the black body--specifically the black female body--takes up room in the entertainment machine we call Hollywood. Hollywood - the land of make-believe and glamour – is largely responsible for what we define as beautiful, desirable or sexy in this country.

Recently I was on Rodeo Drive and saw reality star Kim Kardashian (Keeping Up with the Kardashians) in the flesh. I’m aware that she is not black, but follow along anyway. She is the poster girl for “curvy” in these parts. What struck me first was how small she is. Small as in height; even with the six-inch heels it is clear she is barely 5’3”. But she is also small in frame; my guess is she is probably a size 4. Her infamous butt is, well, a butt. There is no denying she has junk in her trunk, but the trunk belongs to a Mini Cooper as opposed to a Ford Taurus. But she, along with a handful of other actresses, has become the anemic measuring stick that is a fraudulent example of “real” bodies in L.A.

Every month a new starlet is dubbed the “It Girl”; magazines run shiny pictorials to support the proclamation. On the rare occasions when a black actress is sprinkled with “It Girl” fairy dust (I think Halle Berry has been our token forever) there are a series of predictable adjectives that are trotted out to describe her. She is sassy, strong, serious, sexy, steely (yes, I am going for serial alliteration) and intense (that one is used for Angela Bassett). And when her body is described the word “curvy” is always on the top of the list. There is nothing wrong with being curvy, except it is the Hollywood euphemism of saying “bigger than a size 2.” In the world outside of L.A. Gabriel Union, Nia Long and Halle Berry would have ham sandwiches forced on them on a regular basis--but those actresses do not inhabit our world. For them to compete for time on the silver screen they must take on all the markers (long weaves, extreme diets, tiny bodies) of their white counterparts. They simply become tea-stained Barbie dolls.
The discussion of how women’s bodies are perceived in Hollywood is one that is age-old. But with the introduction of Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe in the starring role of Precious, I think there is an opportunity to have a more honest dialogue and to see if Hollywood is ready to embrace a real big girl.

In 2006, Jennifer Hudson was the sassy, big It Girl. She had an extraordinary award show run that ended with a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Every time she showed up on the red carpet, the words “curvy” and “voluptuous” weren’t too far behind. In reality the big girls in the rest of the country couldn’t help laughing. On her biggest day Jennifer Hudson was a size 16, but more likely usually a 14. What was the big deal? She didn’t look any different than the girl that lived next door.

Well, this award season is being dominated by one Gabourey Sidibe and there is no doubt, tipping the scale at 300 pounds, that she is an authentic big girl. But what is interesting is how the discussion about Gabby’s body has been framed in the context of her alter ego Precious. It’s as if they don’t share the same body. In the litany of reviews the word “obese” is flung around liberally as they describe her character, Clareece Precious Jones, but in interviews with Gabby the writers consistently remarks how “different” she is from the character she portrays in the blistering movie. The difference is her bubbly personality, her Valley Girl voice, the sense that she has somehow escaped the cruelty of adolescence. But most critics don’t take the honest next step and say what is the same: her weight. Interview after interview, she is filling out every square inch of her sized-for-her designer dress. She is taking up every square inch of the chair that is provided for her during the press junket. But no one dares speaks it. Is it because there is legitimate concern that Gabby truly is obese? That they see nothing attractive about her (which I think is absolutely not true)? Or that there is no language in the Hollywood lexicon to describe her? To say she is “curvy” or “voluptuous” (in Hollywood-speak) would be dishonest. So it is simply ignored.

And that is a shame. In many ways Gabby is breaking new ground for actresses larger than a size 22. She is the perfect example: American filmgoers are ready to pay their money to see a woman that has not been created by the Hollywood starlet machine and may not necessarily be relegated to the character parts reserved for the not-so-beautiful or skinny people. The blogosphere has been on fire regarding this very topic. Bloggers have not been shy about talking about Gabby’s weight, but the discussions have taken disturbing turns. What starts out as a critique of Precious quickly devolves into screeds on Gabby’s weight and how it somehow diminishes her credible performance. The argument is that because she started out “fat” she is not really acting. Really?

With that kind of illogical and unfair criticism I can’t help but wonder what is next for her. Will she go the way of Hattie McDaniel or will Hollywood loosen its belt and make room for a remarkable new talent that couldn’t find a size 24 dress on Rodeo Drive to save her life?

Kellie Griffin: A Week with TV Comedy Writers

Kellie Griffin has a great laugh and a thing for dog parks. Kellie is also a comedy writer. In the business for nine years, she has worked on The Parkers and recently as head writer on House of Payne - but don’t hold that against her.

Kellie’s newest project, a half hour, multi camera sitcom, based on a real life experience, is one that puts her in the “creator” seat. I can’t exactly tell you what the show is about because I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement and I am not in the mood to be sued. But after spending a week with Kellie and her team of writers, I can tell you the story is funny, clever, and takes a lot of smart folks to pull off.

Kellie was gracious enough to let me sit in on a few writing sessions as she raced toward a deadline to complete five new scripts for her executive producer.

Anatomy of a Writer's Room

First, let me say that comedy writing is an endurance sport. By the end of a long day you are wrung out and punch drunk. Kellie and her team of five writers spend a minimum of six hours hammering out storylines, punch lines, and logic issues. As head writer/creator, she is the captain of the ship and responsible for encouraging fresh ideas, positive energy, and producing a finished product.

Generally each writer is assigned a script after the team has decided on each story and beat out all the scenes that should appear in the outline. Once the assigned writer has written the script it is brought back into the writer’s room and the staff deconstructs each scene and assist in rewriting.

Kellie says that new writers who are exposed to this team approach can struggle during this rewrite free-for-all. But she encourages them to trust the process and know that the team is only trying to create the best possible story. Because it is a collaborative process involving writers, studio heads, network heads, and actors sometimes the script you submitted is not exactly the same one that is shot — so don’t be sensitive. Besides in the end only your name will appear on the final product.

When Kellie starts pulling together a stellar team, diversity is imperative. Of first order is bringing together folks who will gel. When you are spending that much time together it is best that the right personalities share the same space. It is also important to have writers from various walks of life: married, single, film school graduates, self taught, Black, Asian, men, women. Head writers are also striving for balance when it comes to funny and finesse. Pairing writers who can fire off a joke every thirty seconds with writers who can track down the right flow to the story makes for good television.

Once you get everyone into the writers room, there are do’s and don’ts. Pitching (suggesting an idea for the script) is encouraged while trying to dominate the entire process is not. Be on time and stay off your cell phone. Be respectful of other writers’ work and don’t take yourself too seriously. It is all about creating a fun and productive space.

Anatomy of a Comedy Script

The average comedy script is made up of two acts, 8 scenes, a teaser, a tag and approximately 38 pages. Each page equals about 30 seconds of screen time, which produces a show that runs a little under 20 minutes. Commercials make up the difference, although Kellie says air time for television shows is being shortened to make room for more commercials. The first 4-5 pages is the teaser, which sets up the A/B story that will run through the show for the remainder. The first act sets up all the characters and ends with a cliff hanger at the act break(approximately page 20). The second act is riddled with conflict until about page 37, where a happy ending magically appears, and the show is wrapped with a tag on page 38.

In designing these scripts, efficiency is the key. Once the writers get through a massive game of word association to flesh out backstories and depth for the characters, they are always mindful that there are no throwaway lines or fillers. Scenes are tightly packed, driving toward a solution, button, or joke. The primary rule seems to be "end on a joke." And just because the joke made you laugh doesn’t mean it will survive the rewrite. Funny can be trumped by hilarious in a flash.

The Finish Line

Once the scripts are written and rewritten the team takes one more pass before releasing them. It appears the objective is to cut any “fat” that might slow down the story or jokes.

The danger here is the writers might be tempted to go back into the story and try to “make it better.” The head writer usually steps in and makes sure only the housekeeping gets taken care of and then the team is on to the next script (and the process starts all over again).

And that is the life of a comedy writer working on weekly show.

Kellie's Tips for new writers trying to break in

1. Sit in a writer's room. There is no classroom or book education that can replace that experience.

2. Be a sponge — talk to other writers, take classes and seminars, read articles and books on writing and the business of writing.

3. Watch a lot of television. You will need to write a spec script to get on a show you will have to watch enough of that particular show to get a sense of the “voice” and character arcs.

4. Keep writing — writers write. If you are not writing, you are not a writer. (Or at the very least you are not adding to the portfolio which proves that you are serious about writing!)

Michelle

World AIDS Day

BET Multitude of Mercies Clip 2 from johnalynn holland on Vimeo.

Precious: Not a Ghetto Freak Show

The buzz is at a fever pitch for this movie and for good reason. At least a couple Oscar nominations are guaranteed for this amazingly painful and compelling tale of adversity and ultimately survival.

Based on the 1996 award-winning novel Push by Sapphire, the story, set in 1987 Harlem, follows the tortured and dark life of Clarisse Precious Jones. The obese, illiterate, and pregnant (for the second time by her AIDS infected father) 16-year-old somehow still gets up every morning and makes her way to school, even when her abusive and clearly mentally ill mother thinks she would be better served spending her time at the welfare office.

Director Lee Daniels takes on the challenge of bringing this blistering story, with the help of screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, to the screen. Author Sapphire reports that she initially turned him down when he approached her about making the book into a film, but changed her mind after she saw his 2005 directorial debut “Shadowboxer”

Daniels is no stranger to bringing less than attractive, and more often than not, challenging allegories to audience’s attention. Over the last ten years he has tackled issue of racism, pedophilia, and assassins engaged in pseudo incestuous relationships; so one could easily concede that Push was a natural fit in his portfolio.

An Official Selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and winner of three awards at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival including the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition, “Precious” stars Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz.



Newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, in the role of Precious, has everyone talking. Mostly about how different she is from the character that she so convincingly plays. Discovered during an open audition, Sidibe embodies every inch of Precious. Her face seems to easily transform into this blank, but painful mask that barely hides the despair that hangs over her on a daily basis. But it is her three hundred pound body that makes her a target of street hoods and her predatory father. Sexually abused since age three, and pregnant for the first time at 12, it seems the bigger she gets the more her humanity is disregarded. She copes the only way she knows how by constructing fantasy worlds where she is adored by “light-skinned boyfriends” and gets to walk red carpets in beautiful dresses, where she is the center of attention. Daniels uses these fantasy sequences liberally, and at times preemptively, as if trying to shield the audience from what must be experienced if they are to truly connect with the pain and degradation that Precious endures.



The primary architect of that pain is her mother Mary Jones. A shoe in for more than a few awards lists; comedian Mo’Nique is devastating as Mary. Her fans use to her big girl sass and playfulness will find none of it in this boa constrictor tight performance. Mary is cruel with a marksmen precision. Reminding Precious everyday that she is useless and will never be more than the “dumb, fat bitch” that lumbers around their dilapidated kitchen and waits on her mother hand and foot. Her performance also reminds the audience that everyone that has a uterus doesn’t necessarily make a good mother. Mary reeks of pain, which she desperately transfers on to Precious in every encounter. You want to look away, but Mo’nique presents this damaged woman in such a compelling manner that you can’t take your eyes off of her. When Precious brings her newborn son home from the hospital, the audience rightfully dreads what Mary will do once she gets her hands on the baby, because Mo’Nique has artfully convinced us she is capable of anything. For those cinephiles interested in seeing where Mo’Nique first showed potential for compelling characters, check her out in “Shadowboxer”, as the now ironically named Precious.

Of the three major actors, Paula Patton’s performance is the weakest. Her Blue Rain is lifeless, stilted, and unconvincing. Which is a shame since her role as a teacher (who happens to be a lesbian) who goes above and beyond to save this girl is not one we have seen on screen before. By the time Precious is dumping her every thought into her journal you can’t help but wonder how we are supposed to believe she learned anything, and ultimately transformed, as a result of her relationship with this anemic version of Ms. Rain?

Much has been made of Mariah Carey’s diva-free performance as Precious’s social worker Mrs. Weiss. For all those still holding a grudge because of Glitter, I think here is where she makes full restitution. Mariah is believable and accessible. In many ways she is the surrogate voice of the audience, expressing disbelief and outrage at the indignities that has been Precious’s life, and does of fine job of asking the hard questions.

Precious finally meets her light-skinned knight in the form of Nurse John, played by Lenny Kravitz, when she is rushed to the hospital to give birth (her first child was born on her mother’s dirty kitchen floor). Nurse John does the subtle work of convincing Precious, whose world is populated with mostly women, that you can have a grown man in your life that understands boundaries, doesn’t want anything from you and will treat you with respect.

Believe it or not, there are some light moments in this sea of darkness. Precious’s spirited and equally lost classmates, with standouts Xosha Roquemore as diva rapper Joan and Chyna Layne as the wise Jamaican dance hall queen Rhonda, provides the laughter and friendship, however tenuous, that Precious is in desperate need of.

Many cultural critics have come down hard on this little film, especially around the issue of whether putting these long held stereotypes on screen really helps educate mainstream audiences or just validates for them who they believe black people are. I think they are barking up the wrong tree on this one. The performances here are fine tuned and realistic. Daniels and his actors have done the work to make these characters compelling, if not sympathetic. Ask twenty social workers if they have at least one Mary Jones on their case load and 20 Preciouses and they will answer with a resounding, YES! Just because it is difficult to watch doesn’t make it not true. To reduce “Precious” to some ghetto freak show is to do it a disservice - because it has more gravitas than that.

Michelle

A Day at the Library

I know it's not like a celebrity sighting, but I was in the mood to get a library card and spend a couple hours roaming the stacks at the Glendale Central Library.

As a kid I loved the library and would walk over a mile to go hang out in the Little Falls Library. OMG! I sound like when your grandparents tell you they walked a mile in the snow, with no shoes, to school. Anyway. I've been trying to get back to the simple things in my life and I've always enjoyed a good book.

And just so you know - the Dewey decimal system is alive and well:) Check out my quick video below and go get yourself a library card if you don't have one.

Film as Reflection

Last month my friend Allie showed me an article about some adoption advocates that were considering calling a national boycott of the suspense movie Orphan. The movie centers on a husband and wife who recently lost their baby and as a result adopts a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she claims to be.

A boycott wasn’t wishful thinking for these advocates because they had already gotten Warner Brothers to delete what they considered offensive “anti adoption” language from a trailer. These protectors of children-looking-for-parents absolutely believe in the power of film and didn’t like that it was not shining a positive light in their direction.

As a side note: You do have to wonder about potential adoptive parents, who watch in horror as the celluloid orphaned bad seed goes about causing chaos and bashing in nuns' heads, and then change their minds about adoption. Do they deserve to adopt a child, bad or otherwise, if they consider the gruesome thriller appropriate research on the topic?

After much eye-rolling Allie declared, “It’s just a movie, people.”
But we can’t pretend that movies don’t have a profound place in our society. It might be through a movie that a kid in India sees a picture of the earth for the first time or girl discovers that she, too, can become a spy. Movies assist in closing gaps and creating common understandings. Movies made a big-eared, black boy from Philadelphia an international film star and maybe made the way for another big-eared, biracial boy from Hawaii to be accepted around the world.

What are movies after all but a filmmaker’s vision of what the world is or could be? For Steven Spielberg it is a world filled with aliens and mystery. For Kevin Smith life is filled with fart jokes and good friends. And every weekend we happily crowd into theaters and join them in their fantasy world.

So, that got me to thinking. The marketplace seems to bear all kinds of films. From the over-the-top gruesome to the delightfully frothy comedy, why wasn’t it seeing the potential in LGBTQ films? The celebrated Milk, starring Sean Penn, showed that a film prominently featuring LGBTQ characters not only makes money but garners awards. But for the most part LGBTQ films are relegated to the film festival circuit, then off to DVD. There are even fewer films that feature black, gay characters in the mainstream consciousness.

Patrik-Ian Polk’s feature film Noah’s Arc: Jumping the Broom did make it to movie theatres, in limited release, and primarily in indie and art house venues. The film, based on the LOGO hit comedy series Noah’s Arc, focuses on the life and loves of four black, gay friends in Los Angeles. Often compared to the HBO series Sex and the City, the movie was landmark in that no other feature film, with four openly gay, black characters, has ever received a theatrical release.

What was actually more surprising to me about this film was the number of straight black women who went to see it. My very straight family friend Brooke went to see it a grand total of four times, dragging friends to discover the quirky and fun world of Noah, Alex, Ricky and Chase. Of course, I had to ask her what about these gay, black men spoke to her - to the tune of $40.00 worth of movie tickets. Brooke disclosed that she never really knew gay people before (clearly I didn’t count) and certainly did not know they could be so “cool and interesting” (clearly I don’t count). I think what Brooke was really saying was that gay people that look like her had never been put in a “regular” context for her. I don’t mean three-piece suit or mowing their lawn in the suburbs regular, but struggling and loving and making mistakes like everyone else. That is what Polk’s film did for her.

Black LGBTQ filmmakers need to continue to add our stories to the film canon. Take the risk like Debra Wilson, Tina Mabry, and Cheryl Dunye of creating compelling, funny, outrageous narratives that allows us to see and celebrate ourselves, and ultimately for others to do the same. Don’t listen to the naysayers or negative nellies. Movies get made because someone believes the story must be told.

I, for one, recognize and embrace the power of film and its ability to shine light on unique stories or even promote tolerance. Look at how it has improved the PR for vampires.

Blog Talk Radio Interview!

Had the opportunity to be a guest on Sippin' On Ink and chatting with host extraordinaire Kat. We talked about GirlChild Press, the future of publishing girls and women, and following your dreams!
Check it out and leave some comments.

Daddyhood: The Movie

Tagline: Fatherhood is going to make a man out of Eric Matters whether he likes it or not.

No there is no bun in the oven! And if there was there would be a lot of explaining to do. The guy to the left is the extraordinarily talented Matthew Brown of Brown Medius. We became friends a couple years ago (he did the final edit on my first short film Spoiled) and now we are both living in L.A.

Last summer Matt got a hold of me and asked me to write him a feature length comedy script. He was interested in directing a mini budget feature that would display his eclectic and versatile skills. He wanted the story to happen in a day, feature a male protagonist, and be funny. This call came at midnight east coast time so I thought I was hearing things. By now Matt had seen my portfolio of work and nowhere in there was male, funny, or situational. But he seemed to think I was a good enough writer to pull it off. A week later we had a treatment we agreed on and I went about the business of constructing the world of "Eric Matters" and the cast of characters that inhabit the Cresten Pine Mall.

Daddyhood is a cross between Friday and Clerks. Our protagonist is a reluctant young father, who is faced with taking care of his infant daughter for the day when his frustrated ex-girlfriend unexpectedly drops her off at his job. During the course of the day Eric discovers what it takes to be be father and how far he will go to fulfill that responsibility. It is a PG-13 film and has a nice feel good ending (after all the madcap and unexpected adventures).

It was a fun story to write and I was surprised how easy. I am now working on a rewrite and Matt is in talks with a "name" actor to take on the lead role. We spent a few hours together yesterday mapping out how we would pull this production off and what it would take to get our quality story on the screen. MONEY!

But besides money we are putting together a package (name actor, budget, production time, audience, etc) that we think will attract investors. So if you have a million or so laying around - hit us up:)

Michelle

You Can't Cry While Hiking Uphill

My east coast friends are both amused and baffled by my new love affair with hiking. They swear that I have been sucked into the Southern California lifestyle vortex of bean sprouts and healthy living, overnight. The reality is that hiking has turned out to be a happy, soul saving accident.

About six weeks before I was scheduled to leave for California my five year relationship came to an abrupt and painful end. By the time I left DC I was a shell of myself and I was virtually unrecognizable. All the drama and upset had effectively sucked the confidence and joy out of me. Only the love, support, and insistence of family and friends got me across the country - with the hopes that I could pick up the pieces once I got to sunny Los Angeles. But what I discovered, once all the fanfare died down, was that my sadness made it impossible to perform the smallest task at hand. I fixated on the broken relationship and saw myself as a failure. This is not how I had envisioned the start of my L.A. adventure.

My new housemate, an avid hiker, tried to pull me out of my increasingly darkening mood by inviting me on her morning hikes. I had met Carolyn two years ago at a writing fellowship and we became fast friends. She had taken me hiking during a couple of my visits west and I absolutely hated the experience. Tipping the scale at 300 pounds it was like pushing a boulder up the mountain with a q-tip. Impossible.

Every morning we went up on the trail I tried to remember that living in California was to be about new starts and pushing myself beyond what I thought I was capable of. Lumbering my way up Verdugo Mountain those first couple weeks was painful. I felt inadequate and struggled with a great deal of shame that I had allowed myself to get so big that I could barely make it five feet without gasping for air and stopping. Carolyn was extremely supportive, but it was difficult to watch her seemingly effortlessly make her way up the winding ridge, all while controlling two large dogs that outweighed her by at least 20 pounds. It didn’t matter that she had been hiking for over ten years and took extremely good care of her body; it frustrated me that I couldn’t keep up. As far as I was concerned hiking was just another thing that I could fail at. Those first couple weeks I almost never finished the hike.

Then one morning, after another restless night, I decided I was going to go out hiking by myself. I chose Griffith Park which is purportedly an easier hike than Verdugo. The verdict is still out on that. As I pulled up to the virtually empty parking lot, I promised myself I would make it all the way to the top no matter how long it took. The Griffith hike is challenging to me because it immediately starts off with a steep incline. You are walking at least 15 minutes before you encounter a flat lay of land to rest your burning legs and lungs.

That first solo hike I felt every single step, every single curve and bend. I noticed how other hikers stared at me as they passed (running or briskly walking) and I knew they were judging me, doubting that this big, black woman, heaving and grunting her way up the dusty trail, would ever make it to the top. By the time I did I was drenched. I’m sure I looked like a shiny black piece of coal under the hot morning sun. But I had done it. I had made it to the top at my own pace and on my own terms.

By the time I made it back down to my car, and sucked down 16 ounces of water, I suddenly realized that for the entire hour I was up on that trail I couldn’t feel my heartache. My body had only one imperative – get air into my lungs - if I insisted on taking another step. Every other worry was pushed aside.

So, every morning, at least five times a week, I wake up just after sunrise and lace up my shoes. No matter what kind of day I had before or how the day is going to unfold later on, for that one hour I have peace. For that one hour I can’t cry. For that one hour I don’t feel like a failure.

And it’s also nice that I’ve lost 17 pounds.

But Tyler Perry Sucks!

On September 2, 2009, Lionsgate sent out a press release announcing the most heartbreaking news of the day: Tyler Perry (Madea Goes to Jail) finalized a deal to write/direct/produce a big screen adaptation of the 1975 classic and landmark For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange.

A moment of silence, please.

WTF! What about Perry’s body of work makes anyone believe he could handle this complex piece? Yes, his business acumen is to be applauded and replicated, but his filmmaking ability sucks!

For Colored Girls, a choreopoem, made up of 20 poems, performed by seven actresses, addressing the provocative issues of abandonment, rape, abortion, and love took New York by storm. Upon its release the play was heralded as revolutionary and progressive. Not the two words that would ever come to mind in describing Perry’s work.

Perry’s characters are one dimensional and ridiculous. His storytelling is preposterous and riddled with logic problems. But somehow he keeps packing the theatres. Is he really telling stories that black folks can relate to or is he the only game in town, so by default he gets all the attention?

Through his movies he claims to celebrate black women (probably the reason For Colored Girls seems like a good match), but his work is consistently tired and unpolished. He drags out the same old themes in every movie. A Black woman is downtrodden (most likely by a black man). She goes off the deep end. While out in the "wilderness" she finds a “good” black man, but can’t initially see his goodness because she is all bitter bitch. But eventually God will speak to her heart and she will get Prince Charming and the Technicolor life she deserves. The End.

As a black Lesbian, of the feminist persuasion, I know Perry’s cockeyed stories are not for me, but still. I can’t believe his “mentor” Oprah hasn’t pulled him to the side and clued him on the need to up his creative game. I know that money rules everything around us - his seven films have consistently opened at the top of the box office and Lionsgate can’t stop patting themselves on their richer backs – but there has to be a call for good storytelling and solid, believable characters.

And how could I have gotten this far in my rant without bringing up his wig wearing alter ego Madea. She was initially created in his stage play era and is no doubt his most popular character. Is it only me or isn’t it offensive and weird to have this mammy figure (played by Perry in drag) schooling black women how to be better - women?

I have not gotten a satisfactory answer from any of his fans why they accept this campy caricature as legitimate in the face of the homophobia that plagues our community. They mostly poopoo my concerns and write it off as good clean fun. Maybe I could accept that if there was something else in the marketplace challenging his noxious product. But with Hollywood’s continued practice of only allowing one Black, Latino, Asian film up to bat at a time, there is nothing to compete for those precious opening weekend eyeballs.

And there doesn’t appear to be any stopping Perry. In the last few years Perry has spread out to television with his two lame half hour comedies House of Payne and Meet the Browns, released a book featuring the wisdom of Madea, and recently opened his own movie studio in Atlanta, Georgia. It also doesn’t diminish his power that his stories focus on black women, so quite a few talented black actresses are lining up around the block to work with him.

In reality, I am not really hating on Tyler Perry. I am imploring him to go to his lab and stay there, coming out only when he has learned to tell a compelling, rich, and good story. But if a gun-totting Madea comes screaming out of the wings and shoots Lady in Red I won’t be surprised.

Open Letter to the UCLA Comedy Panelists: You Suck! Tina Mabry and Michael Hyatt: You Two - Rock!

When I walked out of the UCLA Writers' Fair last Sunday I was extremely agitated.

I had come to help a friend hand out business cards to promote her resource website for writers (very awesome- check it out) and hopefully do some networking of my own. The Writers' Fair was an attempt to attract writers - of all genres - to the fabled UCLA Extension program. More than a few success stories had come out of there, so I was geeked to have the opportunity to get some free advice from the various panels that were set up for the day.

My primary concentration is screenwriting, but I've committed myself to adding a couple television spec scripts to my portfolio - so I took my happy ass over to the Comedy Writing for Television panel. Comedy! What better way to spend 40 minutes? Almost immediately I had the sense that I should leave. The four panelists in attendance seemed knowledgeable enough, but the amount of grousing going on was absolutely off-putting. The first ten minutes was used to tell all the potentially most talented writers in the world sitting in that room (and the place was packed), that the business was hard and there was only a handful of opportunities for the most determined and young writers. WTF!

Why were these people representing the Writing Program? They had clearly been beaten up by the game and were clearly bitter! In fairness, the chairman of the panel, a gregarious guy who was born to be a comedy writer, tried to keep the proceedings a little more hopeful, but the other panelist (especially the husband and wife team) would have none of it. Finally, during the Q&A period, one of the attendees asked, what I'm sure we all had been wondering, "Do you like being a writer?" They all chimed in a mostly convincing "yes," but the damage had already been done, at least as far as I was concerned.

Now don't get me wrong. I am fully aware how tough this business can be and how much talent road kill litters the halls of studios and production offices, but you don't go out of your way to crush a dream before it has even gotten its sea legs.

As I drove home, still shaking my head at the ridiculousness of the most inappropriate people to populate a "come spend your money at our school" panel, I was grateful that I had had a more encouraging dinner with director Tina Mabry (Mississippi Damned, Brooklyn's Bridge to Jordan) and actor Michael Hyatt(Mississippi Damned, The Wire) a couple weeks before.



I'd met Michael in church of all places. I had just seen Mississippi Damned the night before and was blown away by her performance. And as the Universe would have it she sat right next to me in the packed room. She let me be a gushing fangirl for a moment (very gracious woman) then we chatted like normal people (me telling her I was a screenwriter and new to LA, and she congratulating me for following my destiny). At the end of the service she asked that we exchange info. I was floored. Actors are really regular people...lol

A couple weeks later I got a call from Michael inviting me to dinner with her and Tina. We ended up meeting at Morel's French Steakhouse and Bistro at the much talked about The Grove. Almost immediately I knew I was in for a hell of an evening. Tina and Michael were bawdy and funny and smart and way down to earth. Over escargot (yuck!) and wine, they shared stories of their time on the Mississippi Damned set (I wont repeat the more juicy details here) and how profoundly blessed they felt to have the opportunity to make this provocative and moving film (see review a couple entries down).


I was totally sucked into their banter so I was completely caught off guard when they both turned to me and asked why I had given up my life in DC and moved to the city of movie dreams. Now I barely can remember what I said. Maybe something about always loving movies? Understanding how film has been a huge cultural touchstone in our society. And who wouldn't want to live in sunny Los Angeles - even as a struggling writer. Something like that.

Suddenly Michael and Tina got all serious on me. They started doling out some "sister love and advice." Tina was adamant that I remember exactly who I was when opportunities came my way. She was clear that no amount of money was worth forgetting that. At the end of the day I needed to feel good about myself. She was currently getting a lot of praise and opportunities, as a result of her stellar work on Mississippi Damned, so she knew what she was talking about. Michael chimed in that as artists we should never sell our art short. What we do is not easy, even if some claim it is frivolous, and we shouldn't give it away - ultimately causing others to believe it not valuable.

Somewhere in there they both shared that the business was hard. That I always had to show up with my A game. That I shouldn't get caught up on the perceived "lost opportunities" because there were plenty more right around the corner. But what they really wanted me to remember? If I kept my integrity and maintained a solid support system, I would always be alright.

Sure these fabulous divas led me astray on the escargot (did I mention - yuck!), but on everything else, I know they were absolutely right. And they certainly had a better pitch than the bitter bitch panelists at UCLA.

Love, Michelle:)

My Day at the "Happiest Place on Earth"

We all knew this day would come. HOMESICKNESS! I have been moping around for the last few days wishing for all things east coast: friends, Busboys and Poets, my king sized bed, and familiarity. Nothing could seem to shake me from this foul mood until I got a call this weekend that resulted in an all-expense trip to DISNEYLAND. My friends Carmen and Jacqui are in town and they have the hook up in the form of Carmen's very pregnant sister Valentina. The most awesome Disney Cast Member (that is what everyone who works for Disney is called) treated us to a day at the park and we had a frickin' blast! If you are a Facebook friend you can check out the pics from the day or check out my video below of some of the things we got into while at the "Happiest Place on Earth." If Disneyland can't help you shake the blues, maybe you need meds...lol


Five Things I learned while at Disneyland

1. No need to go to the gym that day. You will walk your ass off!
2. The Screaming roller coaster is truth in advertising.
3. The Soarin' aviation ride proves how innovative the human mind really is.
4. It is best enjoyed with friends
5. The 8:45 fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom is AWESOME!

BONUS
According to Mary Poppins - we are practically perfect in every way.

New Writing Workshop (L.A. and DC)

I can't believe the summer is almost over, but I am looking forward to some amazing things for the fall. One of those things is the return of the Woman's Work Writing Workshop! I'm excited to announce that we will be hosting the workshop on both the west and east coast. See information below.



GirlChild Press
presents
Woman’s Work Writing Workshop

Los Angeles - Sunday, September 20, 2009 1:00pm-4:00pm
Facilitator: Michelle Sewell

D.C. - Sunday, October 4, 2009 – 12:00pm – 3:00pm
(scholarship available for DC class - see below)
Facilitators: Yael Flusberg and Michelle Sewell

This interactive 3-hour workshop is designed to strengthen your ability to access your original voice, take creative risks, and move your writing to a deeper level. Writing exercises and feedback from your instructors and fellow writers will allow you to expand your powers of observation, imagination, and language. The workshop is perfect for writers at all stages of development.

THE WORKSHOP WILL FOCUS ON
Writing Exercises to Produce Draft Work

Discussion on:
Writing Habits and Tools
Craft Elements
Revision Techniques

EACH WRITER WILL RECEIVE:
A Workbook
A copy of Just Like A Girl: A Manifesta!
After workshop opportunity to submit up to 2 excerpts/pieces to GirlChild Press for a written critique

The final hour of the workshop will allow for discussion and review of existing projects. Writing should take no more than 10 minutes to read aloud.
Class size is limited to allow for maximum feedback and review. Registration will close when the class is full. Register Now!


The $50.00 workshop fee is due no later than the day before the class. Early registration is encouraged due to limited class size. For more information: girlchildpress@aol.com
Read more!

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
If you or someone you know is interested in securing the scholarship for the DC Workshop all you have to do is complete a one page, double space essay on why you want to attend the workshop and what you would like to accomplish as a result of your attendance. All essays should be submitted by August 28, 2009 to girlchildpress@aol.com. We'll make a final determination by September 7, 2009.

If anyone else is interested in providing a scholarship for a woman writer please feel free to contact us at girlchildpress@aol.com

Writing Tip # 59 - Create A Word List

Okay, let me say up front that this tip came from a book that I am rereading. A Manual of Writer's Tricks: Essential Advice for Fiction and Nonfiction Writers by David L. Carroll is full of little tidbits that can get your through almost any writer's block or creative downturn.

I am currently digging on Chapter 1 - Finding the Right Word. Carroll is of the opinion that a thesaurus, or word finder, is more valuable to a writer than a dictionary. He cautions us to get away from the myth that great writers don't use any of these tools to produce their work. Sure Toni Morrison has a big vocabulary but I bet she also owns a thesaurus.

So before you start your next writing project consult your thesaurus to compile a list of words that you will expect to use during the writing. For example, if you are writing a piece on cars, you should be looking for synonyms for that word such as "sedan," "clunker," and "automobile." This trick will save you lots of time, maintain your flow of writing because the list is right there on hand, and bring a richness to your writing.

Let me know if this tip works for you.

Until Later
Michelle

Roberta Munroe: A Champion of Independent Filmmakers Everywhere!

I first became aware of Roberta Munroe in 2006. She was featured in a filmmaking magazine where she talked about her experience as a Sundance shorts programmer. What struck me first about this article was that she was a woman of color. I know we are supposed to be all Obama post-racial, but this was 2006. In my mind (and I suspect a lot of other folks) the Sundance Film Festival is synonymous with quality, prestige and primarily white content. So I was shocked to discover that one of the shorts programmers actually looked like me. Well not exactly like me, but still. Little did I know that three years later I would be sitting in her garden talking about film, Malcolm Gladwell, hiking, and the price of being a smart black girl.

In those three years, Roberta has released two short films: Dani and Alice and Happy Birthday, left her position at Sundance, and published a book, How Not to Make A Short Film. Nowadays she runs a film consulting firm Roberta Munroe, LLC and travels around the world hipping filmmakers to a better way of building the movie mouse trap.

Our chat started with me asking her what kinds of films make it into Sundance? She couldn’t help but laugh. She had heard that question at least a thousand times over the last five years and she says she gives the same answer all the time – good ones. According to Roberta, less than two percent of the all films submitted to Sundance get in. If she watched 100 shorts on a particular day, ten were good. Of the ten - six were flawed in some way that made them completely unprogrammable. Of the remaining four (which are really good) two hit the bulls eye and the other two will be eliminated for length. That is how slim the margins are.

Apparently there seems to be some myth about getting into the Sundance Film Festival and it involves a lot of cloak and dagger and knowing someone’s uncle. Roberta says none of that is true. “Sundance is in the business of finding new and amazing talent and none of the programmers are going to take the risk of not watching a submission and then find it playing at another top tier festival without an explanation why they missed it,” she explains. According to Roberta film festivals want to program excellent work so please let go of the conspiracy theory.

So if Sundance is so awesome why did she leave? Roberta still does work with Sundance on special projects, but at some point she wanted to branch out on her own and explore other opportunities. One of those opportunities was writing a book geared to filmmakers who produce short films. A handbook of sorts. By the time she left the festival they were receiving over 5,000 shorts a year so she had first hand knowledge of what works and what doesn’t work in the world of shorts. She wanted to help up-and-coming filmmakers to produce their best work by sharing the knowledge that came from watching over 15,000 hours of video and film.

How Not to Make A Short Film is a wonderful handbook for anyone interested in making an excellent short film. Roberta takes you from story concept, emergencies on the set (i.e. crack heads banging on the adjoining wall to your set) and the necessity of budgeting for a solid post production experience. The tone of the book is straightforward and honest. You won’t find elaborate formulas or long drawn out diatribes on film critique – just clear advice and examples of how to make the best film possible. For those who don't fancy yourselves readers, you can check out the series of videos that Roberta put together to illustrate her point - hilariously - regarding the mistakes that filmmakers make.

As a consultant Roberta is approached by clients for all kinds of reasons. Some need a simple script consult. Some want her advice on some elements of their projects before they head into production. Others want to strategize around promoting their film or securing a producer. But she says one of the more challenging situations is when a client has already completed their film and they are trying to figure out why they are being rejected by film festivals left and right. Roberta says, “The reality is they know why they are not getting into festivals. I think they ask other people hoping they will give them a different answer.” By the time a filmmaker with a completed project gets to her, they have told themselves a series of lies about why they are not seeing movement with their project and they are paying her to tell them the hard truth. Roberta believes filmmakers, all artists for the matter, need to really get real with themselves. “You know when you are compromising on your vision, or when you have bitten off more than you can chew on your project,” she counsels. Basically, you can’t cut together a 45 minute “short” that suffers from poor editing or a horrible actor and think that any festival is going to touch you with a ten foot programming pole – no matter how “genius” the story. Save yourself the time and aggravation and just go back to the drawing board.

The best advice she thinks she can offer filmmakers is to listen to feedback and understand that every experience is a necessary link in their film making career. She looks at her own career and knows that this is true. When she went into production on her first short film Dani and Alice she made sure she surrounded herself with really smart and capable people. She says there was so much she didn’t know about the process and in some ways it was trial by (blazing hot) fire. She praises her producer Effie Brown (Real Women Have Curves, Stranger Inside) who helped her to make hard decisions and not lose her mind. Dani and Alice premiered at the London LGBT Film Festival to rave reviews.

Roberta also encourages filmmakers not to look at someone else’s career and think they have been sprinkled with some magical fairy dust to get where they are. She recently read Malcolm Gladwell’s The Outliers: A Story of Success (I, too, love this book!) and she says it is an excellent read to fully understand how success comes. A series of, what appear to be, unrelated events link together in your life. You follow your passion. You do your homework. You work really hard. And when the opportunities arise you will be ready. She knows that is the formula that has helped her land some of the most plum assignments in her career.


What’s next for Roberta Marie Munroe? She has been tapped to sit on a special U.N. panel with an emphasis on programming shorts with HIV/AIDS content. Hopefully the initiative will lead to the production of socially conscious features. She is also preparing to write a YA novel with a gay theme and of course, making more films of her own.

If you live in the Los Angeles area you have the opportunity to access the genius of the shorts guru. Roberta will be holding her Best Short Film Workshop Ever on Saturday, August 22, 2009. The full day intensive workshop starts at 9:30a.m. and it will cover everything needed to pull together that killer short film that will get into every film festival known to mankind and launch your filmmaking career into the stratosphere – all for $59.00!

Five Tips for Filmmakers - According to Roberta Munroe

1. Don’t use all your own money to finance your film. Ask friends, family, or investors to get in on the act.
2. Create a budget that allows for a solid post production experience. You can skimp on a lot of things, but don’t skimp on post.
3. Don’t spend a lot of money that you don’t have. Shorts rarely make back the money that it took to produce them so be comfortable not seeing your investment back.
4. $5,000 -$20,000 is the maximum that should be spent on a short film. It is a short after all!
5. Read. Watch movies. Listen. Don’t think you know it all. Read some more.

California is for Donuts

As I adjust to my new life in Los Angeles, there is a lot to get use to. Traffic. Never ending sunshine. Celebrities roaming the streets like free-range chickens. More traffic. But the code I have not been able to crack over the last few weeks is L.A.’s obsession with donuts. In a three block radius of my new house there are a minimum of six donut establishments. One of them has the nerve to be 24 hours! Really! Back at home I can’t think of even one Dunkin Donut near my house, much less 6. In the land of size zero and 24 hour gyms how in the name of tarnation is this allowed to be?

Initially, I thought it was just a random store on the corner of Chevy Chase and Central, but as I made my way through my new neighborhood I started to notice these donut shops at a more frequent rate. I couldn’t help but wonder who is making a living, in this economy, selling just donuts? So one night, out of curiosity and a sweet tooth that wouldn’t quit, I stopped by the 24 hour shop. Inside there was a little dark-haired woman cleaning off tables and making fresh coffee. The space was sparse, with its weird green-colored walls, and except for a large refrigerator with coke products on sale the only thing on the menu were donuts! I ordered a cup of said coffee and two old fashion donuts with chocolate. I took my goodies to my car and decided to stake out the joint. There was no way she was seeing any donut business at 10:00pm.

Before I could pop the top on my coffee two guys jumped out of their silver Prius and headed inside. They seemed to be regulars. The little woman chatted them up as she loaded up a bag with their order. Within five minutes the laughing pair exited with a large bag of donuts. I immediately dismissed them as night watchmen who needed the sugar fix to stay awake and protect whatever they were supposed to be protecting. Then two skateboarder kids, both around sixteen, skated up to the shop. Doesn’t California have curfew laws? They headed inside, grabbed a couple cokes from the cooler, and ordered up donuts. A couple minutes later and they were off on their skateboards munching away.

By the time I pulled away from the donut shop, twenty minutes had past, and no fewer than ten people had made their way into this unassuming, little strip mall store. Of course, my spontaneous late night stake out created more questions than answers. So I Googled the history of donuts and California. Here is what I found.

First of all, donuts have existed since the beginning of time. Seriously. Archaeologists are still finding fossilized donut remnants in what is believed to be prehistoric Native American settlements. But donuts didn’t hit their stride until John Blondell was awarded the patent for the first “doughnut cutter” made out of wood in 1872. By 1920 a Russian refugee invented a donut machine which allowed for the automation of the making of donuts and causing the sugary, doughy confection to spread like wildfire.

So what’s the deal with California’s over-the-top love affair with donuts? There isn’t a clear story for their migration pattern here. The best I could fish out was the Portuguese immigrants who settled in Hawaii and brought their tradition of malasadas making (yeast dough deep fried in oil and rolled in granulated sugar) that they readily shared with other immigrants from other ethnic groups and they then migrated to California bringing a variation of that tasty treat with them. Somehow all that dough rolling and cutting and frying has made Southern California the region with the largest number of donut shops (franchises and mom and pop) in the country.

I don’t know if I solved any mysteries, but I do know where to get some kick-ass chocolate donuts at two in the morning. And by the way, I never saw a police officer pull up to the 24 hour shop that entire time I was there.

So You've Made a Short Film...Now What

(originally posted on Velvet Park)

At the 5th Annual Hollyshorts Film Festival last week I came across a great panel on short film distribution moderated by Roberta Marie Munroe (How Not to Make A Short Film: Secrets from a A Sundance Programmer) at the Sunset 5 in Los Angeles.

Munroe along with panelist Todd Luoto, Sundance Film Festival and Independent Filmmaker; Carson Mell, Independent Filmmaker; and Orly Ravid, New American Vision, took us down the long and windy path of film distribution as it relates to short films. Historically, short films have been seen and treated as the redheaded stepchild of the film world. What exactly are you supposed to do with a 7 to 10 minute film where features are king? Well it seems that you need to answer that question long before you turn on your camera.

According to Munroe and the panel one of the biggest mistakes filmmakers make, and there seems to be plenty, is not figuring out who they are making this film for. If you only plan to show your comedy gem on Youtube then you don’t have to worry about any of this, but if you are interested in a film career and your short seeing the light of day then you might want to heed their advice.

It all starts with the story. If you have a crappy script, you will end up with a crappy film. No amount of editing, music, or over-the-top post special effects will be able to cover the crappiness. Really put the effort into coming up with the best script that you can. Have other people read it (not just your girlfriend who thinks everything you do is brilliant) who can give you sound feedback.

When you cast your film make sure you understand the SAG talent agreement if you choose to work with union actors. According to Luoto you have a lot of work ahead of you once you sign on for that relationship. So if your best friend is Will Smith and he loves your sci-fi-comedy-adventure film enough to star in it for you; remember — he is a SAG actor and there is a lot of shit and paperwork that comes with his generous offer.

Make sure you have all your clearances in place. Now you would think this was a no-brainer but apparently more than a few shorts show up at the various film festivals’ programming offices with the sound track from Star Wars weaved all through them. It seemed a clever and heartfelt homage to George Lucas and his epic space adventure at the time, but most likely you will never get clearance to use it. So basically your film is dead in the water and no distributor will give you the time of day.

If you’ve gotten your film far along enough that it is seeing film festival success and a distributor is interested in signing a deal with you — know that your work is just beginning. They don’t call this showBUSINESS for nothing.

It is your responsibility to keep track of ALL paperwork that relates to the production of your film. Clearances (music, locations, brands), talent contracts, crew releases, proof of payments, and whatever contracts with investors or business partners. Lack of organization on your part will hinder you from securing distribution because these companies will not do this work for you. They will not take on any legal problems that were created during production. They need a “clean” film in order to get ample distribution.

When you find yourself at the negotiation table with your potential distributor, Orly Ravid wants you to remember that you have rights regarding your rights. Sometimes filmmakers are so happy to have someone paying their film some attention they will sign anything. Here is where you will be kicking yourself in the ass for at least three years if you don’t slow your roll and read and reread the fine print. Distribution rights as it relates to your film can cover many platforms: mobile/wireless, online streaming, television, theatrical, DVD, and whatever technology they have yet to discover. Fascinating facts of the panel: you can get a distribution deal showing your short on airline flights! In Korea, two minute shorts on mobile phones are all the rage! So basically where ever movies can be shown your short film has a shot of being seen there.

But back to your rights. Ravid, who is a 10-year industry veteran, suggest you don’t sign an “all rights” deal. If the distributor that is interested in you and your film deals in all areas but television distribution there is no reason for you to sign broadcast rights over to them. If they insist on these rights then request “bench marks” in your contractor. If they can’t get you a deal through a specific market in a specific time frame then they agree to return those rights to you. If this sounds all too convoluted you can check out Orly’s filmmakers’ tip sheet.

At the end of the day some filmmakers feel that they know their project the best and want to do the work to get it out into the world. These are the folks who are committed to DIY distribution. They get together with other filmmakers and rent out a movie theatre for a week and show their films. They get their films included in gallery showings. They post them up on Youtube. They sell their DVDs through a dedicated website. They launch impressive viral campaigns that gets them tons of attention – from the right people. Todd informed the crowd at the panel that Sundance has programmed shorts that they discovered on youtube. If your film is good it will get noticed.

Be mindful that some film festivals do frown on your short being seen by millions on youtube or your website if they are going to programming it, so do your homework to determine how your distribution efforts might bump up against some of these rules.

Distribution is a rapidly changing beast. Just this week AT&T U-Verse launched a channel dedicated to airing shorts! I think everyone can safely say that ten years ago they never saw this coming. Netflix has a “Watch Now” program, Youtube.com has a “screening room” program that is curated, programed and pays the filmmakers featured, and Hulu.com says they are open to short films as long as they have a significant marketing hook.

As you can see — opportunities are abound. Your best bet is to educate yourself and make a kick ass film!

Sonya Renee Taylor: Making Poetry Smart, Sexy and Funny

(originally posted on Velvet Park)

I caught up with Sonya Renee Taylor at L.A.’s famous Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffle restaurant this week to get the low down on what has been happening in her poet's life. We have recently switched coasts (She back to east and me, newly here, on the west.) and wanted to compare notes about living the artist's life – fulltime. Sonya is an HBO Def Poet and National Poetry SLAM winner and over the last couple of years has taken the leap to make her living as a fulltime artist on the road. Her verbal acrobatics have taken her from Texas to New Zealand and back again.

I first saw Sonya do her thing at a venue in Washington, D.C. about five years ago. D.C. is one of those places where you can literally go to a venue every night and hear some amazing work being delivered. From the moment Sonya hits the stage, you can’t take your eyes off her. She is this voluptuous, confident sister armed with take-no-prisoner poetry. That particular night she came with an over-the-top, part erotic, part public service announcement piece on using condoms. By the time it was all said and done, the audience was left begging for more. I didn’t know Sonya at the time, so count me shocked when a few months later, while attending the March for Women’s Lives on the National Mall, I heard her distinct and booming voice coming from the main stage. Her call to arms piece “What Women Deserve” energized the 1.6 million people in attendance in a way few of the other headliners were able to.

About a year later we ended up sharing the same stage at MotherTongue, a women’s open mic, and after the show we formally met. I was not surprised to discover that Sonya has a master's degree in non-profit management and has devoted a good chunk of her adult life to issues impacting a great many marginalized populations. She has lent her expertise to educating and protecting sex workers, getting the word out on HIV prevention, and protecting women’s right to choose. No wonder her poetry comes off so real. She is at ground zero on many of these important issues and knows the ramifications if we remain silent and do nothing.

But Sonya knows how to keep it fun and sexy on stage as well. She wants people to enjoy themselves and for those who come to her performance with a certain set of expectations she wants to shake them of those. “People who are new to slam/performance poetry sometimes believe it’s not as good as 'page poetry' or worse, that it is just plain bad,” she shares. Five minutes into any of her sets and they quickly abandon those notions. She says she loves to watch the looks on her audiences’ faces when she goes to some taboo place through her work. “First, they are always shocked, then self-conscious and eventually they loosen up and go along for the ride,” she says. During her performances she brings as much of herself to the stage as she can. She references her blackness, her womanness, her thickness and strength. “People know when you are faking it. They know when you are just pushing the words out and don’t care whether or how they land.”

So how does she keep her work and herself fresh when she is performing at such a constant pace? She says she has over 800 poems in her catalog to pick from (about 200 of them memorized) and tries to read her audience at the very beginning to get a sense of what they need to hear. She admits there are times that she gets bored with doing her “top 10” – she gets a lot of requests for her signature pieces – but figures there are worse ways a girl could make a living than telling her truth through her poetry.

Sonya’s recent move back to the east coast is also inspiring her to take some new risks with her work. She wants to adopt a new tone for her poetry and address subjects that she might have neglected in the past. She is also putting together a poetry book, A Little Truth on Your Shirt, that will debut in early 2010. (Her latest CD, Thick Girl, can be purchased at www.PoetCD.com.) Any trepidation she has about switching things up on her fans she keeps in check by recognizing that, as she grows, her work grows, and that’s good for everyone involved.

I recently discovered a video performance of one of her poems that I’ve never heard. I don’t know if “Slices” is in her top 10, but it should be. Enjoy!

Mississippi Damned: A Damn Fine Film

(originally posted on Velvet Park)

First, I have to tell you how I even came to see this film. I was hanging out in the DGA the day before its L.A. premiere and ran into one of the producers, Debra Wilson. We struck up a conversation and I learned that she was promoting Mississippi Damned. This was not the first time I had heard of the film. Before I left D.C., Lisa Moore of Redbone Press sent me the trailer and informed me that I had to check the movie out if I was going to be in town during Outfest.

When Debra and I parted company, I had all intentions of buying a ticket that day. But somehow I got sidetracked and, before I knew it, the film sold out. The only other alternative was to get to the theatre an extra hour early and hang out in the "stand-by line" in hopes of snagging a vacant seat. This whole L.A. thing has been my little adventure so I was game to waste an hour and see if the ticket gods were on my side.

One of those rare times when I am on time for anything resulted in me being the first person in line. I knew this positioning guaranteed that I would get into one of the 10 seats that are historically open during sold out shows, but I wasn't expecting that at 7:30 p.m. one of the Outfest volunteers would walk up to me and hand me a FREE ticket. Seems that they were having some sort of contest and the first person in the stand-by line for the showing of the film won a ticket. Lucky me! But my luck didn't end there. The line they instructed me to stand in turned out to be the crew/cast line and, before I knew it, I was being ushered into an empty theatre with my choice of seats. So I go from fretting I wouldn't get into the movie at all to being pushed to the front of the line.

So, clearly, all this good fortune put me in a great mood to receive this much talked about movie. But I have to admit I was secretly worried. The buzz on the film, and there was a significant amount of it, was that the story was compelling, the photography haunting andthe acting, by a primarily all-black cast, was exceptional. Still licking my wounds after being shamed into seeing Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married, with the weirdly same kinds of accolades, I had reason to hold on to some of my skepticism.


I’ve been to my fair share of film festivals and often the centerpiece film stinks to high heaven. It is often chosen because of the stars in the film or some other political reason. So what if this film fell into that category? What if it sucked? What if the mixed audience didn't get the story that writer/director Tina Mabry was trying to tell in her feature-length directorial debut? What if all the fanfare was unwarranted?

Five minutes into the film it was clear there was nothing to worry about. Mississippi Damned was in the capable hands of Ms. Mabry and she never lost control.

Based on a true story, the film follows a tight knit and expansive Mississippi family over the course of 12 years. On the surface, it appears like everyone is happy and doing their best to carve out a quality life, but through the eyes of the youngest members of the family, we quickly learn there are more than a few cracks in the foundation of this fiery and volatile southern clan.

Physical and sexual abuse plays a large part in this story and touches virtually every member of the family. And, like a lot of families, everyone knows but no one talks about it. Mabry is especially unflinching in the depiction of the sexual abuse of the youngest members. The audience was audibly disturbed when young Sammy is made to participate in oral sex with a family friend in exchange for the money he needs to attend an out-of-town basketball game (and maybe his one chance to escape his soul-sucking hometown).

The large cast is stellar. With stand outs being Michael Hyatt (Fame, The Wire), Malcolm David Kelley (Lost, Saving Grace) and Simbi Kali Williams (The Bernie Mac Show, 3rd Rock from the Sun). Their performances are riveting and heartbreaking. You can’t help but root for them, although it is clear not all of them will make it and their undoing is often by their own hands.


During the Q&A, Mabry shared that the film was shot in 19 days. The seasoned filmmakers in the audience literally gasped understanding what an amazing hat trick was pulled off. There is nothing about this film that seems rushed or lacking. Coming in at 120 minutes, the director takes the time to show us all the nooks and crannies. Each character is given the opportunity to develop and make an impression. The script is solid, with memorable dialogue like, “When you get one of your titties cut off then you can preach to me about thanking God. Until then, shut up!”

My chief complaint is that it is not clear that the story is being told primarily though young Kari’s eyes. It would not be until the narrative shifts into her young adult years that it becomes clear that she is the one that we need to invest all our hopes in escaping the suffocating dysfunction that surrounds her.

The cocktail reception that followed the screening elicited a lot of conversation around the various taboo subjects that were broached during the film. Two very interesting observations came up among the primarily black audience. First, why was the only family member to make it out a very light-skinned, pretty character? Second, why did the only gay character in the film end up in a mental hospital? Since the film is based on fact it is hard to argue with the outcome, but I do wonder if Mabry has heard this feedback before?

I suspect the other feedback she will hear, especially if the film wins a larger audience, is the way in which the men in the family are depicted. They are all at the mercy of some sort of vice, be it liquor, gambling or the need to batter their wives. It appears the women are left to hold the family together, but if we look close enough we can see that they are significantly flawed as well.

Mississippi Damned has received much deserved praise and high visibility on the festival circuit. Now the producers (Morgan Stiff and Lee Stiff) and filmmaker are hoping to treat the film to a theatrical release and, hopefully, to a wider audience.

Without a doubt, this powerful film needs to be seen at a theatre near you.

Review by Michelle Sewell

For more information on the film, check here.

View the trailer of the Mississippi Damned below

Lemon Trees and Lemonade

Discovered that we have a lemon tree in our yard.

Since I've been here there always seems to be lemons in the big bowl in the kitchen. Finally I had to ask Carolyn when did she have time to go to the store and keep us stocked up on lemons. She laughed and informed me there is a lemon tree in the yard.

Because I am a big geek I demanded that we go pick lemons and make lemonade. Check out our little lemon picking expedition and impromptu "cooking show" afterwards.


Michelle

Top 5 Things to do When You are New to L.A.

In my attempt to learn my new surroundings I've been asking folks to school me on the what and wheres of Los Angeles. I spent the day with actress (and all around cool chick) Colette Divine and she gave me some great tips on how to best experience all that L.A. has to offer.

We chatted at the huge Mulholland dog park with her cute little pups Spirit and Yoshi. I don't know if you will be able to see the entire park in the video, but take my word for it, it is bigger than any dog park ever needs to be...lol
Enjoy


Michelle

Had Breakfast with Ian Ziering (90210)

Okay, technically, we were just sitting at the same lunch counter at the Griddle Cafe (on Sunset Blvd)- but with only one seat separating us. So that's like we were having breakfast "together." I say why get hung up on details!

For the folks who had a crush on him during his 90210 hey day, time has been good to him. His hair is a little thinner, but you wouldn't be disappointed if you met him in real life.

He was having breakfast alone - which consisted of egg whites, oatmeal, and a bowl of strawberries. Not that I was paying that much attention to him.

More than a few of the other patrons noticed him as well, but no one came over to chat him up. I was tempted to ask to take a picture of/with him, but figured I shouldn't treat him like an animal in the zoo. Although I have to admit it is weird to be walking down the street, sitting in a restaurant, or shopping at Trader Joe's and see some celebrity walking around like a regular person. I'm sure I will get used to that eventually.

I did get a chance to chat him up before I rolled out. He was blocking the exit when I got ready to leave, so I said, "Excuse me." He said, "Sorry about that." I said, "It's all good." That's definitely the first step in a torrid, interracial Hollywood relationship, right?

Michelle