Dr Toby Jenkins

Ariadne’s Note:

Guest hosts Koyali Berman , Vivian Davidson, Spanish host Israel Mota joined Ariadne Sawyer in an exciting interview with Dr. Toby Jenkins on the World Poetry Café Radio Show. Her new book My Culture, My Color, My Self  published by Temple University Press, is a fascinating read, full of insights and  wisdom. To hear this fascinating show, CLICK HERE!

Dr. Toby Jenkins is currently an Assistant Professor of Integrative Studies and Higher Education at George Mason University.  Her work focuses on the utility of culture (contemporary culture, folk culture, and pop culture) as a politic of social survival, a tool of social change, and a transformative space of knowledge production. In 2004, Dr. Jenkins came to Penn State University to direct the Paul Robeson Cultural Center. At Penn State she spent five years implementing a bold strategic vision for cultural education on Penn State’s campus.  Prior to that, Dr. Jenkins worked as a Program Manager within the College of Education at the University of Maryland conducting research assessment and creating mentoring outreach programs to local K-12 schools in the Institute for Urban and Minority Education. In 2000, Jenkins created the Joint Service Project, bringing together college students, faculty, and staff in grass roots community transformation efforts within the local community and in 2001 she created the Vision Cultural Mentoring Initiative providing college mentors and interactive cultural experiences for local high school students at low performing schools in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Both programs received honors from the President of the United States and the Governor of Maryland. Dr. Jenkins past professional experiences as well as her individual research projects and studies have taken her to over 20 countries to examine transnational issues of culture and education.

Check out her site and buy her book! http://tobyjenkins.weebly.com

I Want to Marry a Feminist
By Toby Jenkins

My prince
His name and mine sketched on cement
The comfort of knowing that we were always meant
to be together
That he’d be my shelter thru clouds, rain, and unpredictable weather
That whether—or not I had my shit together
he’d be my rock—he’d take the shot—he’d be everything I need and all that I’ve got*

But that was then and this is now—and today—I’m just trying to figure out how
I can marry me a feminist*

I don’t mean a bra burning, tables turning, smart, savvy, badass bitch
I mean a boxer burning, mind blowing, bold unapologetic—
two power fists to patriarchal bullshit
Who’s down for the cause just because
his mother worked way too long and much too hard
for him to grow up and forget
That the women in his life aren’t just ill—they are down right sick*

(audience) I WANT TO MARRY A FEMINIST!*

The type of dude that understands
That I value a held hand
I appreciate an open door—but I’m looking for a little more
like banging on the ceiling—
you see the door of opportunity is much more appealing
No doubt—Im thankful when he steps aside to let me pass—
but I’ll also take your strength to help me crack that glass
To not let justice be denied or swept past—
anyone
I’m looking for a gun
For a soldier ready to go to war against inequality
To concur the social powers which covertly oppress me*

(audience) I WANT TO MARRY A FEMINIST!*

A man– willing to take a stand
Ready to paint the town brown-black-yellow-white-and red
Ready to fight—
to beat down ignorance with insight
A man with so much class that he’ll share his last dollar so you can have gas—
to travel down roads of opportunity
The type of man– that will shake a homeless hand– and treat him with so much dignity
That the old man looks him in the eye, trying hard not to cry, and says “thank you for seeing me”*

(audience) I WANT TO MARRY A FEMINIST!*

A nonconformist
A community activist
A freedom exhibitionist
A bold soul that’s willing to put a twist
On ideas of being masculine:*

I want both a crier and a “do or dier”
I want yard working, car fixing, and building
But I also want cooking, cleaning, and listening
I want a nurturer
An active father
A present partner
Who’s willing to change the diaper, rock her, and wipe her
Who sees dinner with his family as the ultimate life buzz
Because
Every moment spent at a bar holding a beer—
is a minute his son is wishing daddy was here
I want someone that’s beyond roles and playing parts
I’m looking for a fresh start
For someone who can rewrite life
Who can co-author and edit an incredible work of nonfiction
A page-turner that makes all men sit up and listen–
Through his life, I want him to write—a bestselling award winning prize—
Titled: “Feminism is Sexy-Especially on Guys”*

(audience) I WANT TO MARRY A FEMINIST!*

Special Mother’s Day Performances by Intercultural Groups.

May 11, 10:30 am -4:30 pm

First Nations Welcome: Roberta Price.

Host Anita Aguirre Nieveras and World Poetry Directors.

A Filipino Tribute, music, poetry, dance and a fashion show!

Poetry, Drumming, singing with the Vancouver Korean Literary Arts Society of Canada.

Mr. SynnKune Loh Chinese Cultural Tribute.

Mr. Tommy Tao, ancient Chinese poetry.

Music and Poetry from the Vancouver Tagore Society

Poetry from the Canadian Author’s Association

Open mike

Refreshments.

Bring your Mother’s Day Greetings to put on the board.

Infomation: Ariadne Sawyer, 604-526-4729

www.worldpoetry.ca

My computer crashed -no photos.

Ariadne’s note: The World Poetry Cafe Radio Show with hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Isreal Mota welcomed a new radio show member, Alan Girling reading his poetry. Music by Susan Cogan and a special e-poem Tea in honour of Jane’s Tea and Fine Arts by Ana Yin created an exciting evening! To listen CLICK HERE!

Alan Girling has written fiction, non-fiction, plays and poetry.‘These days for some mysterious reason it’s mainly poetry that comes out. His work has been found all over the place: various online venues, in print magazines, in newspapers, on the radio, in anthologies, on stage, at public readings, and once in a shop window on a street in Hamilton, Ontario. He was a finalist for the 2003 Larry Turner Award for non-fiction and winner of Vancouver Co-op Radio’s 2006 Community Dreams Poetry Contest. His short play, ‘Whatever Happened to Tom Dudkowski’ was produced for Vancouver’s 2007 Walking Fish Festival.

Remembrance, 1966

He sat cross-legged
back straight,
on the floor
in the centre
of the gymnasium
attending—and being just
six and a half years old,
was altogether unfamiliar
with the practice
of remembrance: the call
for silence, the moment
to open, let the grief
of a nation
flow inward.

So he couldn’t
and didn’t
could only rupture
the vacuum
with a wide, loud,
involuntary yawn,
a parody of boredom
and disrespect
and the cause
of immediate laughter
among others
too young to imagine
men and boys
brought low
by bayonets.

But he was not too young to be called to the principal’s office
to feel the slap and sting of a steel-edged ruler on his palm.
to have opened for him
a wholly different occasion
for remembrance.

Alan Girling (C)

Bio de ‘Alan Girling ha escrito ficción, no ficción, obras de teatro y poesía por alguna misteriosa razón es sobre todo la poesía que sale. Su trabajo ha sido encontrado por todo el lugar: varios lugares en línea, en revistas, en los periódicos, en la radio, en antologías, en el escenario, en lecturas públicas, y una vez en un escaparate en una calle de Hamilton, Ontario. Él era un finalista para el Premio 2003 Larry Turner de no ficción y ganador de 2006 Dreams Comunidad Concurso de Poesía de Vancouver Co-op Radio. Su breve obra de teatro, “Lo que sucedió a Tom Dudkowski ‘fue producido en 2007 Festival Fish Walking de Vancouver.

Recuerdo, 1966

Se sentó con las piernas cruzadas,
espalda recta,
sobre el piso
en el centro
del gimnasia
asistir-
y ser justo
seis años y medio de edad
era totalmente desconocida
con la práctica
de la memoria: la llamada
el silencio, el momento
abrir, dejar que el dolar
e una nación
fluir hacia el interior.

Así que no podía
y no lo hizo,
sólo podía romperse
el vacío
con un ancho, alto,
bostezo involuntario,
una parodia de aburrimiento
falta de respect
y la causa
de la risa inmediata
entre otros
demasiado jóvenes para imaginar
hombres y niños
abatido por las bayonetas.

Pero él no era demasiado joven para ser llamado a la oficina del director,
sentir la bofetada y pican de una regla de acero con bordes en sus palmas,
que se han abierto para un evento totalmente diferente
para el recuerdo.

De Alan Girling, traducedo por Isreal Mota. (C)

Featured Poet

“Dr. Ram Sharma is an accomplished poet and writer both in English and
Hindi in the field of literature from first class to M.Phil. He did his doctorate on ` Post-Modernist Trends in Indian Novels in English: A Study of Anita Desai , Arun Joshi,
Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth. He is a renowned poet, critic, reviewer and translator. His poetry is of very high order which is read throughout the world. He has several research papers , articles, poems and reviews published in esteemed journals , magazines and newspapers of India and abroad including Poets International[ Bangalore] , Bizz
Buzz[ Mysore], Rock Pebbles[ Orissa],Contemporary Vibes[Chandigarh]Skylark[ Aligarh]Shine[ Tamilnadu] Poetcrit[ Himachal Pradesh]Indian Book Chronicle [ Jaipur], The Vedic Path[ Haridwar] Metverse Muse[ Vishakhapattnam], Young Poet[ Tamilnadu] He is presently working as ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR of English in J.V.COLLEGE,BARAUT , BAGHPAT , UP , INDIA and he is editor-in-chief of two international journals RUMINATIONS and Glimpses.”

Dr. Ram Sharma 

Music

Hear the music of life
music of snow capped peaks
music of zigzag meandering rivers
music of chirping
music of fragrant blissful flowers
music is the strength of God
music in every atom of nature
music and man ONE

ONENESS

(C)  A POEM BY DR. RAM SHARMA

Good Morning

After the slumber
arose dawn from darkness
vibrations of positivity
mild red sweet light everywhere
rays awaking men
bathing of the day in merriment
sweet lull echo of music
dance of buds and leaves
one wave merging into other
to say

GOOD MORNING

(C) POEM BY DR. RAM SHARMA

Jane’s Tea and Fine Arts even

Hosts:  Jim Wong- Chu and Ariadne Sawyer.
Poets and performers:   

First Nations Welcome and poem by Godwin Barton.Welcome poem by Ariadne Sawyer.

Jim Wong Chu  Storytelling and poem.

Koyali Berman.  Dance, health and well being.

Chinese Performer Xin Shu Wu Dong Swore.

Yilin Wang.

The Han Fu Society, costumes.

Tea ceremony.

SynnKune Loh.

Angelica Poversky.

Chinese Erhu Performer Joanna Wang. 

Kwame A. Yirenkyi.

Elaine Woo.

Duke Ashrafuzzaman.

Grant Hsu.

Guest host.

Wanda John-Kehewin is from the Kehewin Cree Nation in Alberta. She lives and works in North Vancouver. She has studied criminology at the NEC and Douglas College; Sociology and Aboriginal studied at Langara, and attended SFU’s TWS Creative Writing Program. She grew up on the Reservation and a huge part of her writing is created from the injustices she saw and experienced. Her work is published in UBC’s Aboriginal Anthology, Salish Seas, and elsewhere; she has shared her “truth” through many readings. Wanda has two daughters and two sons who definitely inspire her write and heal through the creative writing process. Her first book of poetry “In The Dog House”, published by Talon Books was launched at the World Poetry Canada International Peace Festival at UBC.  Wanda received a World Poetry Empowered Poets Award at the festival.

CLICK here for Wanda’s interview with the World Poetry Cafe  Radio Show Co-founder , and producer, Ariadne Sawyer and a special E-Poem by World Poetry Award Winner and Internet Launch Director Saleh Mazumder.

Our show also features Canadian Poets and musicians. If you have a CD that you want played, or wish to call in for a phone interview or come into the studio, please contact: ariadnes@uniserve.com and we will respond. We do have a wait list due to the recent World Poetry Peace Festival coverage and work involved. Also, please become a member of our Intercultural show every Tuesday night at 9 pm PST or check out past shows  and membership at www.coopradio.org

Vivian says:

“I was born in Mexico City and come from an eclectic European background.  I was raised in San Diego California, lived in Monterrey Mexico and have proudly called Vancouver my home for more than 12 years now.

I graduated from UBC with a Major in International Relations and a Minor in Political Science and have special interest in international development and sustainability. 

My hobbies include acting, drawing and various sports from martial arts to rowing and running.  I speak fluent English, Spanish and advanced Japanese and am self-studying French.  I love to travel, to learn about different cultures and have a particular attraction to the Japanese culture.  In my spare time I play guitar and write poetry, short stories and on anything that inspires me. 

I am currently involved as a tutor with students whom I teach English or Spanish to, as a landscaper and with the Development Disabilities Association providing respite care for children with disabilities.  I will hopefully go to Cambodia July for a three week volunteer relief trip and am in the midst of raising funds to be able to go. 

It is an honour to be part of The World Poetry Cafe Radio Show on co-op radio and find it amazing that such an organization exists with the aim of spreading the wonderful world of poetry and world cultures to over 44 countries. ”

Acco port in rain by Helen Bar-Lev

The World Poetry Cafe Radio Show with hosts Ariadne Sawyer MA and Israel Mota  welcomed a new host in training, Vivian Davidson. A special third poem celebrating the World Poetry Canada International Peace festival by UBC by World Poetry Award Winner Oswald Okaitei. To HEAR THE RADIO SHOW, CLICK HERE!

 A new  special featured is: In Loving Memory for thoses who have “Gone Home” (African saying)  for  the poet  Tom Berman.  It includes  a poem by him called the Leather Suitcase.  In addition World Poetry Member Helen Bar Lev wrote a poem about her friend Tom Berman.  

In Loving Memory:

From the end of 1938 until the outbreak of War in September 1939, about 10,000 mostly Jewish children, unaccompanied by parents or adults, were brought from Nazi-controlled Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia to Great Britain under the Kindertransport scheme. But for the Kindertransport, few, if any, of these would have survived the War. This poem won a High Distinction award in the 2006 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest sponsored by Tom Howard Books. Author Tom Berman received a $100 award. Winning Writers assists this contest. Copyright is reserved to the author. 

Tom Berman has been a member of Kibbutz Amiad in the Upper Galilee, Israel for over 50 years. He grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, having arrived there aged 5 from Czechoslovakia with the Kindertransport in 1939. He is a scientist whose poetry has been published here and there, now and again, and was Editor in Chief of the annual Voices Israel Anthology from 2003 to 2006. Amazon.com is still trying to dispose of a book of his poems (Shards: A Handful of Verse). He was married with one wife, three daughters, seven granddaughters, one grandson and one dog.

Here is his poem:

THE LEATHER SUITCASE

They don’t make suitcases like that any more.

Time was, when voyage meant train, steamship distances unbridgeable waiting for a thinning mail weeks, then months, then nothing

 Time was, when this case was made solid, leather, heavy stitching with protective edges at the corners.

Children’s train, across the Reich stops and starts again…
Holland a lighted gangplank, night ferry to gray-misted sea-gulled Harwich
 again the rails reaching flat across East Anglia, to London

 in my bedroom the suitcase, a silent witness with two labels
“Masaryk Station, Praha” “Royal Scot, London-Glasgow”

Leather suitcase from a far-off country, Czechoslovakia, containing all the love parents could pack for a five year old off on a journey for life.

Tom Berman (C) With permission.

Helen Bar-Lev

Here is the beautiful poem written by World Poetry Member and one of the free gift poem donners for the recent World Poetry Canada Interantional Peace Festival at UBC. She is also in the free WP E-Anthology listed on this site.

Tommy

Mild-natured man
you discussed
neither your professions
nor politics
for us you were
only the poet

But you were also
multi-faceted,
with modest partitions
that separated your knowledge
into segments
much like the creatures
that fascinated you –
chameleon, iguana,
seahorse, flounder,
you blended into
which ever environment
surrounded you

You were one
with the dogs you walked
the cats you fed
the land you tread
a poem in your hand
humour in your eyes
so human so gentle

How could you die?

© 4.2013 Helen Bar-Lev

We would like to send good thoughts and caring to the family and friends of Tom Berman.
If you have a loved one that has passed on, please send the information to ariadnes@uniserve.com and we may be able to include it in our new feature.

World Poetry Cafe Welcomes Yoshifumi Sakura!

The World Poetry Café with hosts Ariadne Sawyer, Vivian Davidson and Israel Moto welcomed Yoshifumi Sakura, a talented poet, musician and composer. Also welcomed back were our two festival hosts from Ghana Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah and Kwame Yirenkyi and others . PLEASE CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SHOW.

The World Poetry Café Radio Show needs your help! We are fundraising for the show and need to raise $1,000 per year to keep on the air. If you can become a member of the World Poetry Café, please go to www.coopradio.org and click on membership. Put in the name of the World Poetry Café and your membership will go in our account. As a member, you get three interviews on the radio and a featured poet spot on the www.worldpoetry.ca You will also receive a tax receipt.  Help us to keep the show on the air! We need $1,000 per year to keep our multilingual voices on the show.

Final event April 2oth!

World Poetry Canada International Festival  April 20, 1-4 pm  Lillooet room, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. University of British Columbia, 1961 East Mall Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/

    Hosts: Ariadne Sawyer and Yilin Wang.

    A special book launch: First Nations Wanda John-Kehewin “In the Dog House”, published by Talon Books. Navaho flute music by Angelo Moroni. Poetry readings  and open mike time permitting. 

   Music CD Launch, poetry presentation by Japanese composer Yoshifumi Sakura, 

Poetry readings by Bernice Lever, Synn Kune Loh,  Betty Scott, Carla Weaver, Sonja Grgar, Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah Kwame A. Yirenkyi, Una Bruhns  and others.

  Afghan film: The Broken Destiny of Poetry by Rahmat Haidari and Sajia Hussain (documentary on a young Afghan woman poet and her struggles to survive and write) trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0FPPddB6UY 20 minutes, English subtitles.

   Presentation of  Empowered Award to the well known correspondent Atia Abawi  to her brother and fiancée who are flying in to receive it.

  Join the World Poetry Peace Poetathon official launch as it flows around the world bringing a focus on peace with supportive peace connector partners.

Be sure and visit our amazing displays and those of our partners, get a free gift poem and look at the peace posters of Sattar.

 All free, Information: 604-526-4729

 Ariadne wrote: The World Poetry Radio Show with hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Israel Mota, tech Kelly and host in training Vivian Davidson welcomed Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah and  Kwame A. Yirenkyi to the radio show. A good time was had by all! Singing, poetry, storytelling and more! To hear the show: CLICK ON THIS LINK! Tell us what you think!

LET’S DANCE FOREVER

to Akash Patel, Oklahoma and Peace for People, Nepal

Let me dance
Let the world craze in smiley lavender
Let me dance to the drums of traditional incense
Let the majestic sticks muse your humming senses
Let the acoustic moonlight sight tenderness
In an arraying desire of imaged melodies

Let me dance
Let me roll love in the oceans swing
Let the flapping coil draw me ashore
Let me cheep-quack-honk like the duck
And marry the breeze of warmth
of the brightest sun

Let me dance
Let me dance to the cock crow
To catch the early worm of dreams
And renewed beams.
Let the thought of men mime my rhythm
Let the pool of love and peace
Flood their bowels and erode their heaves

Let us dance
‘till joy birth ooze and eternal blues
From the golden heart of you and I

Copyright © 07-08-2012

Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah
Tema, Ghana 

www.mkksomuah.wordpress.com

Featured guests on the World Poetry Cafe.