Here's a question worth considering: At the heart of the 8 compelling nonfiction stories and 5-article appendix which make up Dreams of the Immortal City Savannah is this interesting question: What would your life mean if you were living someone else's dream of what it should be? For some very good answers to why, please check out: https://www.prlog.org/13003205-dreams-of-the-immortal-city-literary-odyssey-through-savannahs-cultural-embroidery.html Cyberwit.net News Release

Ja A. Jahannes (right) and Aberjhani signing copies of Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance at Barnes and Noble in Savannah, Georgia . (photo courtesy Bright Skylark Literary Productions) Any attempt to write a biographical essay about someone as multi-talented and prolific as the late Ja A. Jahannes would be incomplete without immersion––or re-immersion––into a comprehensive sample of his works. In Jahannes’ case that would mean listening to diverse genres of music, going through numerous powerful poems, revisiting provocative essays, and revisiting intensely-original memoirs, novels, and plays. Getting it all done in the short amount of time allotted by deadlines would not be possible but enjoying the challenge would be. In the course of rising to meet that challenge by penning the essay 5 Ways to be Geniuses Together, Celebrating  Ja Jahannes , I naturally looked for suitable quotes to include with the essay. Upon finding more than I could use, I was inspired to

(Quotation poster of Ja Jahannes created by Posted Poetics) One self-penned definition of the word genius is: a focused intensification of individual intelligence resulting in works of exemplary creativity, visionary leadership, or uncommon spiritual depth and beauty. This definition is perhaps a fitting one to describe much of the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Ja A. Jahannes, who was born August 25, 1942. in Baltimore, Maryland, and died in Savannah, Georgia, on July 5, 2015. As recently as April 28, Jahannes (as he was known to many of his friends) had started a new blog in which he stated his intentions as follows: “This is the beginning of me putting my thoughts, observations, queries, photos and insights in one place for present, current, and past generations (it could happen…time travel) to read and witness that I made some small, if not minuscule, contribution to Planet Sol-3.” Unfortunately,  battles with illness and the drive to continuously produce creative wo

Image still from photography video of modern-day slavery by Lisa Kristine presented by TEDTalks . Two of the most acclaimed movies of the past decade, 12 Years a Slave and Django Unchained , have focused on the degradation, inhumanity, and absurdity associated with slavery as it was once practiced in the United States. Those who are surprised by this film genre’s ability to continue to command the attention of audiences around the world might want to consider the fact that various forms of forced servitude are very real in 2015. In addition, just as the year 2011 marked the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War, 2015 commemorates the sesquicentennial of the war’s end. It is therefore also the official end of slavery in the United States and reason enough for movies that remind viewers why so many fought against it then and why so many, acknowledged or not, are doing so now. For all intended purposes, the precise date of the end of the Civil War was

                       The late jazz bassist Ben Tucker. ( photo courtesy of MySpace music artist page ) It is always difficult to make peace with the death of someone who gives as much to a city as preeminent jazz-man Ben Tucker gave through his musical genius, philanthropy, and love to Savannah, Georgia. It is even harder when that death occurs violently and makes one feel like it should have never happened in the first place. Nevertheless, that so many are now taking time to remember and honor him is truly inspiring. It was never my privilege to know Tucker as well as many others in Savannah’s jazz and cultural arts community did but it was my good fortune to benefit from his expansive creative endeavors. The 2009 article A Son of Savannah Celebrated  was one small attempt to pay tribute to the man while still in his jazz swinging prime 2009: The City of Savannah Celebrates a Favorite Son - National African-American Art | Examiner.com Aberjhani

                                    (Poster courtesy of Bright Skylark Literary Productions ) Recently the following quote from the poem A Poet Is a Clinton D. Powell , also known as “A Poem for a Poet,” has been making the rounds on the Internet: “A poet is a verb that blossoms light.” The poem was written to commemorate my friend Clinton’s inspired life and early death on January 2, 2011. That others have been gleaning some small inspiration and motivation from the phrase seems appropriate enough. He would have liked that because although he was not particularly prolific as a poet, he was an extraordinary champion of the art and those who practiced it. There were few venues in Savannah , Georgia, where he did not turn up for open mics or other poetry showcases (including  classrooms on every educational level) to lend his support.  To read the full post by Aberjhani please click the link : A Bouquet of Light upon Light - Bright Skylark Literary Productions

"You were born a child of light's wonderful secret-- you return to the beauty you have always been." Quotation from the poem Holiday Letter for a Poet Gone to War from the book VISIONS OF A SKYLARK DRESSED IN BLACK by Aberjhani. One of the greater joys of my endeavors as an author and poet has been an occasional opportunity to compose poems, essays, and articles to supplement the vibrant works of visual artists with my own literary constructions. That was the case in 2011 when providing panel text for paintings featured in the extremely gifted artist Michele Wood’s I See the Rhythm of Gospel exhibition. Previously, I had been blessed with a similar honor when composing ekphrastic poems for the art of Luther E. Vann in ELEMENTAL The Power of Illuminated Love . And I’ve written any number of essays reviewing the works or chronicling the lives of other contemporary artists such as Allen Fireall (who currently, heartbreakingly, is challenged by the need for a hear

Family of Trayvon Martin sitting front row: Tracy Martin (second from left) next to Sybrina Fulton and Jahvaris Fulton. The Rev. Al Sharpton is behind them and family attorney Benjamin Crump seated far left. (AP photo by Evan Vucci) Florida State Attorney Angela Corey’s announcement on April 11 that George Zimmerman had been arrested on charges of second-degree murder for the shooting of Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, brought some sense of relief to Martin’s family but has not quelled the concern of many that Martin’s death represents only one incident within a pervasive pattern. Appearing on the NBC’s  Today Show  Thursday, Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton expressed her belief that the shooting was an “accident” resulting from circumstances that “got out of control.” She later clarified her statement on MSNBC by pointing out that,  “The 'accident' I was referring to was the fact that George Zimmerman and my son ever crossed paths. .. My son was profiled, fol

Troy Davis in court room . Neither petitions bearing the names of almost one million people nor requests from such high-profile figures as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Pope Benedict XVI convinced the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles to cancel the execution of Troy Anthony Davis scheduled to take place September 21. With the Board presenting its announcement just one day before the planned execution, it appears that the two-decade-long struggle to free Troy Anthony Davis, following his conviction for the 1989 murder of Savannah police officer Mark Allen MacPhail , may soon come to an end. For the full article by Aberjhani please click the link : Savannah Talks Troy Anthony Davis No. 15: Board Denies Clemency - National African-American Art | Examiner.com

(Protesters express solidarity with Troy Anthony Davis) The chorus of protests against the imprisonment of Troy Anthony Davis that have risen repeatedly over the past two decades received a crushing rebuttal September 6 when a Chatham County (Georgia) County Superior Court judge signed a warrant for the inmate’s execution. As it stands, Davis’s execution is now reportedly set to take place at 7 p.m., September 21, 2011. The order to execute was issued despite a virtually non-stop hue and cry presented by such organizations as the NAACP, Amnesty International, and the European Parliament. It represents the fourth time Davis has been scheduled for execution. His battle to save his life began when he was convicted for the 1989 slaying of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail . Since that time, the case has evolved into one of the most controversial, politically charged, and highly debated in recent history. A press advisory issued by the office of Sam Olens, Georgia state attorney gen