Psssst... See that black and white emblem to the left? It's pretty fly, isn't it?
Miz Write, a most lovely Sista of The Pen who scribes a mean blog here, recently presented this page with the most prestigeous "Beautiful Blogger Award!"
(Applaud me! I'll wait. Applaud me, dammit!)
Seriously though, coming from a writer/blogger/spirit that I personally admire, this honor leaves me feeling both thrilled and humbled. Thank you so very much, my Sista-Friend.
In addition to the Award itself, each recipient was then asked to reveal why they write or blog, and basically what purpose it serves for us personally.
This, for me, is a heavy question with many multi-layered answers, but I'll spare you my elongated version for the sake of brevity and simply tell you this:
In an often intense and crazy world, I choose to write in an effort to remain sane. I write because my heart is a singer of many strange, beautiful, perverse, alarming and sensual tunes, thus, I sing out in the written form to clarify this rush, this cacophony of emotions. I write to process, to purge, and funnel out feelings. I write in an effort to solve the zen arguments being waged inside my head. I write, because it's better than being sent to prison for going off on someone, or several someones when I'm frustrated, pissed or angry. I write because my inner poet is much more expressive and far more civil than my all-too-human tongue. I write because it's the most socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.
Most of all, I write because I HAVE to... as it gives further proof of my earthly existence, and my beauteously flawed humanity. By doing so, in some way, I feel as if I've mattered.
That's it. And trust... that's not ALL... but that's certainly the gist of it.
Thanks again, Mz. Write!
One Love.
Lin
11 comments:
Applause! See, this is why you are a "Beautiful Blogger" without a doubt. Muah!
Standing in the aisle...OVATION!
Well of course you are a Beautiful Blogger...I mean we already knew that. Kudos to Ms Write for hanging an obvious sign out for you!
((HUGS))
how have you been :)
Clapping! You are a wonderful blogger. And I like your reasons for writing because they remind me a lot of the reasons I write.
it seems like there's general consensus about the quality of writer you are so of course i'm looking forward to reading a lot of your pieces.
peace, love and happiness =)
Greetings, I come by way of Miss Curvy's blog.
Well, if Miz says you can write, I am prone to "listen".
But right now, I am hooked on your playlist. Many of the artist I have never heard. I am off to read your pieces.
MAN! I had to come back!
Lets just pretend we are just sitting around killing time in a positive way. I mean, this comment has nothing to do with your writing (done that in my other comments), this is about your music taste.
Now, as with your writing, the cream comes to the top.
I'm sitting here having my morning coffee and doing my e-mail thang and your last comment popped up. So, I dropped by your site and your music started playing.
Man, what do you know about Joe Sample? Come on, Joe Sample from the Crusaders! Listen, although Lalah (I'll get back to her)might have been why you liked that song, Joe Sample has been around, and I've always loved his sound. Now Lalah Hathaway, come on man, is she sweet or what? She can blow. And that song (When your life was low) is reminiscent of one Angie Stone sung to D Angelo. The melody was different, but the message was the same... "you're gonna miss me when I am gone".
Speaking of D'Angelo, when you broke out one of my top five love songs (nothing really matters) I had to stop the music and get me another cup of coffee. I was in for the long haul.
See, you didn't stop. You hit me with Boney James and Gang Starr's Jazz Thing. Man, I thought you were going to break out The Last Poets. Really, you were taking me there.
But let me back up. Melody Gardot (imo) = Sade. Now, I only heard that one song, "love me like a river", but man, I went back to a place of ease and comfort.
But see, you kept killing me with Dwele (thank you), and John Legend. I am not a huge fan of Legend but what I do like of his work, I love.
In short, my brother, you gave me a huge comeup this morning. So, if you see me hanging around your blog, pay no attention to that man behind that screen, he's just chillin' to yo music, until he downloads his own.
I don't have an award to give, but if I did, it would probably be something simple like **BEST BLOGGER PLAYLIST**.
The image would have to be some type of mosaic. I'm seeing Miles Davis, Etta James, Malcolm,Langston,the Pacific Ocean, a tall mountain, Obama, musical instuments, Donny Hathaway, and maybe Bernie Mac (gotta have my humor).
So moan on, moanerplicity, it's gonna be alright in the moanin'.
Later
Hey Carey,
Thanks for the music props. Man, I know plenty about Mr. Sample. My history w/ this cat goes deep, yo.
Like to hear it? Hereitgo: Back in the day a friend of mine and I skipped out of high school, cruised into the local record store, and this mean, seriously rhythmic music was playing in the background that felt so RIGHT to my young spirit, I had to ask the clerk who was that playing. He tells me it's "The Crusaders." Cool. Never heard of them, but I wanted to buy the single. Of course the song playing WAS NOT a single. I had to cop the whole damn LP (yes, I'm dating myself! lol)! Not only that... but it was a DOUBLE LP, so ya KNOW that cost a brotha PLENTY!
Here's the rub: Took that sucka home and HATED every other song on the album BUT the one we'd heard in the store!!! Man, I was so pissed! Felt utterly suckered and ripped-off!!!
Turns out I was just TOO YOUNG at the time. I wasn't fully cooked. I was 17 and too damn young to fully invest emotionally and aurally to FEEL what these cats were putting down. The vibe was just all over the place to be digable. So, it took several YEARS later to finally EVOLVE and mature into it. But I'm now a huge fan of Jazz and most of the work Joe has done since. I hope you've heard his collabs with the mad lovely Lizz Wright! It's stellar, man!
Gardot, though very young, tries to channel Billie sometimes, but I feel her vibe.
I have a love/hate thing for John Legend's sound. I respect the fact that he's bold enough to not follow trends in muisc and boldly goes his own way. Johnny Legs (as I calls him) is a throwback to another era in some ways, but I feel he can blow, even if at times, he gets a lil too theatrical for the room. (smiles)
I like female voices, when someone comes around who is completely unique, that can hook me for life. Rickie Lee Jones, for example.
Songs and people who have a profound history in my personal life will always get top priority.
The stuff on the playlist is just a wide assortment of music and artists that I dig for various reasons, and often I'm the ONLY one in my clique digging it. But that's cool. Slowly I tend to win over some open-minded converts.
People tell me they just let my list play on as they go about their day or evening doing what they do, and that's huge compliment. So, thanks for listening. Keep enjoying!
One.
Lin
*Laughing*
I am laughing at your last comment @ my blog. You know, the one in which you said you didn't want to kill the vibe of my original topic. Well, it looks like I've/we've totally destroyed the original theme of this post *smile*. But this is not another love TKO. See, Mizrepresents is a friend of mine, so I know she doesn't mind, and she understands.
More importantly, this is yo blog joe, so, this morning, it's your thang and I am just following your lead. Well, that's my story...
Are you kidding me, Crusader LP covers. Man, back in the day they were my platform for cleaning my weed. And those double LP's were perfect... weed at the top and the seeds fell to the bottom. But, as I said, that was back in the day. The winds of time, and maturity, has forced me (gratefully) to mend my evil ways. My new motto is "What About A Time Called Now". I no longer do the goofy.
Speaking of your intro into Jazz, my brother was my guide. He played standup bass. He went to college on a wrestling scholarship (er'body wrestles in Iowa). While there, he ran into a couple of brothers from NJ who were there on Music scholarships. James Brown and the Temps were poppin back then but these brothas were on a Jazz tip (one has played with Mr Sample). So, my brother got turned out and he turned me out.
Oh, I am like you, I don't care if it's a female or male, white or black, if the music grabs my heart and touches my soul, I'm on it.
Anyway, you pulled my coat on some music that I WILL check out!
Good look.
And you write well. I don't comment over here often but now that I have finished applauding I must openly acknowledge your gift.
Now back to lurking.
SLC
Ok. Since y'all are on the subject of Joe Sample.
Growing up in Paterson New Jersey I always listened to the quiet storm on WBLS and the Chief Rocker Franky Crocker. Everynight he played this smoooove jam while taking phone calls from different ladies. They never said the name of it so I had to press play and record at the same time (remember) just to get it down. Not until I went to college in Virginia did a native New Yorker tell me it was Joe Sample playing "In All My Wildest Dreams" from the album "Rainbow Seeker".
My freshman year of college I was blessed to play Rainbow Seeker as part of the Jazz quartet at Virginia Union University, and I still have that rectangle version of Rainbow Seeker. Think it's called a cassette. (Definitely not 8-track).
Awesome play-list sir.
Back to lurkin' I go.
Laughing @ SLC.
So the music man in you compelled you to come back. didn't I see you with a sax in your hands? One of these days, you're going to break out a Vblog - huh, whatya think? I've heard you've been singing in church. Come on, I'm waiting.
Yes, you don't comment very often, but when you do, you always drop a little sometin'
Btw, those brothas I was talking about, (the ones that turned my brother on to jazz) came from White Plains.
On a side note, I just posted a couple of videos that you probably don't know nothing about *snicker*
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