Writing
Good Hair
A woman’s hair is her crowning glory. So said my Primitive Baptist grandmother, Mama Bea. My crowning glory has graced several different cultures and transformed from frivolous to practical. I attended one of those high schools where every day was a fashion show. I dutifully permed my hair about once a month and styled it, … Continue reading
Anthem of the Sun
About two and a half hours before showtime, I learned that one of my younger cousins was in a rock band, playing less than ten minutes from where I live. The door guy was about to charge me an entrance fee when I told him that my cousin was in the band. When he asked … Continue reading
Bloody Mary Research
This impromptu research all started because one of my cousin’s sent me a picture of her Bloody Mary; so I had to go to the same restaurant and see for myself. Sure enough, their standards were consistent. Every Bloody Mary came decked out with a full strip of crisp bacon and a skewer of cheddar … Continue reading
Dr. Velma
As a child, whenever I became sick, Dr. Velma, as Mom referred to herself, came to the rescue. She’d never attended any recognized medical school. She’d just survived growing up with my grandmother, who we grandchildren affectionately called “Mama Bea.” Under Mama Bea’s care, Little Velma, the youngest child, drank sugary beer slushies so she’d … Continue reading
Miffed about Muff
Prologue A few years ago, I surveyed a group of my female friends who train capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts. At that time, my mission was to discover their fellatio turnoffs. Collectively, they came up with twenty-eight objections. I compiled the data into a charming little essay called “How Men Blow Fellatio.” I’ve read it … Continue reading
Visionary Demands
For the October 2014 Austin Writers Roulette, “Visionary Ideas,” I imaged myself as the future global leader of the world. Not too far fetched, considering that most of the world’s population is female, brown-skinned and English-speaking (as a first, second or third language). There were ten changes that I wanted to see in the world. … Continue reading
Spoken Word for Insomniacs
During the first day of the 2014 Austin Feminists Poetry Festival, the rain poured down. Despite the inclement weather, I’d prepared 30 booklets for my “Spoken Word for Insomniacs” workshop just in case. I also took the opportunity to set up a stylish display of my book and Austin Writer Roulette business-card-sized fliers. The space … Continue reading
Writing on the Air Interview
For my first radio interview ever, I was part of a four-artist panel. Three out of four of us where there because of our participation in the upcoming Austin Feminist Poetry Festival. The lone duck artist with the second best hair, only to my dreaded head, was a documentary filmmaker, searching for his birth mother. … Continue reading
Permaculture Food Forests
Permaculture is a sustainable way to grow food. With sustainability in mind, people interested in permaculture think about getting the biggest bang for their buck. The key is to figure out multiple functions for everything, including back up redundancies. One of the cornerstones of permaculture is to take care of the Earth by conserving soil and water. … Continue reading
Water Update
The importance of water and the state of my apartment complex is such that I keep at least one 2.5-gallon of water in my laundry room for just such emergencies as I find myself in right now. When I flushed the toilet and didn’t hear the familiar sound of rushing water to refill the tank. … Continue reading