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James Baldwin and Democracy Today

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Question: Have you ever taken a deep dive into what the great American author James Baldwin meant when he said this: “I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”                 (from James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son )   The following essay, Democracy and Dinosaurs down by the Riverside, offers an important demonstration of why Baldwin's words possibly matter now more than ever as Americans (and the world) observes America250 and prepare themselves for an uncertain future impacted by AI , midterm elections , climate extremism , and evolving definitions of the world "normal." Democracy and Dinosaurs down by the Riverside (part 1 of 3): Culture Democracy and Dinosaurs down by the Riverside (part 2 of 3): Chromina Democracy and Dinosaurs down by the Riverside (part 3 of 3): Timelines Aberjhani Multiple figures like these by sculptor Woodrow Nas...
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The Joy of National Poetry Month

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  Poetry and Jazz were both major driving forces of creative energy behind what the world has come to know as the Harlem Renaissance. Celebrating National Poetry Month and Jazz Appreciation might strike some as inappropriate in 2025 when the leading nation of the free world, the United States of America, is in all-out tariff-war with allies and foes alike, and extreme weather events occur on a regular unpredictable basis. But many people in the international community depend on music and poetry as primary cultural resources that help them put everything else in perspective. Therefore, they celebrate, as with the posts on AuthorsDen: https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewPoetry.asp?id=367969&AuthorID=25279     https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=84164&AuthorID=25279  
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Shakespeare’s Face Reinterpreted: The Second Coming of Artist Rocky Bettis

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(“Shakespeare Considered Sepia” 2024 digital painting by Aberjhani based on original 1623 First Folio engraving by Martin Droeshout.)    “Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.” --  Stella Adler (from Stella Adler on America's Master Playwrights) 1. Different Times and New Places     Have you ever noticed how that ultimate icon of English literature, William Shakespeare (1564–1616), sometimes pops up in places where you might least expect to find him? That was my experience twice in February 2024. The first instance occurred while I was conducting research online for a James Baldwin Centennial Project and received several Google search results referencing Baldwin’s essay, “Why I Stopped Hating Shakespeare.” The great “Bard’s” name had not been included with my query, while Baldwin (1924-1987) had recently been the subject of a Google Black History Month doodle, so the search result seemed odd.  The second instance woul...
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Embracing the Whole of Life: Notes on James Baldwin at 100

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( “Embracing the Whole of Life” digital painting of James Baldwin by Aberjhani ©2024 modeled after original photography by Sedat Pakay ) The centennial celebration of the birth of author-activist James Baldwin in 2024 offers a unique opportunity for educators, students, advocates, and various groups to delve into the profound sociopolitical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of Baldwin's life and work. Of particular use in this endeavor may be this observation made by author-poet-artist Aberjhani: Please CLICK HERE FOR FULL FREE ACCESS to read entire article .
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