( Detailed section of "Bettin' On Herself" artwork by Luther E. Vann from the book ELEMENTAL, The Power of Illuminated Love )  Success for the creatively-inclined individual can be defined in many ways. Certainly there are those who necessarily measure their triumphs in terms of monetary gains. There are others for whom success means the refinement of a process, participation in a unique endeavor, the achievement of a level of personal mastery, or the realization of a rare kind of vision. For some, it is all of the above. Upon agreeing to work with the artist Luther E. Vann on a book showcasing contemporary art, ekphrastic poems, and short essays in 1991, there was little reason to believe it would ever see publication much less gain recognition as a “success.” It was not the kind of work on which publishers preferred to take chances. Neither the artist nor this author at the time commanded such compelling presences ...

                   Cover of Talking Back to Dr. Phil by love-based psychology advocate David Bedrick . You can catch the previous segment of this 4-part series by Aberjhani by clicking right here . Part 3 starts now : Another principle derived from David Bedrick’s meditations on process-oriented psychology suggests treating “the powers behind difficulties or disturbances as allies instead of enemies.” That could be a tough sell for people dealing with issues such as spouse abuse or drug addiction, but the author makes his case well enough. Moreover, the debatable nature of his love-based manifesto in its entirety is not lost on Bedrick. In his own defense and that of those he would help to heal themselves and their communities, he notes the following: “Like the US Constitution, I do not adhere to majoritarianism, but rather protect marginalized people and forms of expression from being seen as ‘problems’ and subjected to ...

“We each have lessons to learn and to teach, and healing is something we all do together.”—David Bedrick ( Talking Back to Dr. Phil ) Black History Month is a time I usually reserve for purchasing and reading books by and about African Americans to help add functional substance to the month’s cultural and educational value .  It therefore was unlikely that I would read David Bedrick’s Talking Back to Dr. Phil ––after receiving a copy as a gift––any time soon.  This is what happened to change my mind: Just as I was preparing to place the book halfway between a stack of titles waiting for my attention, I took a quick look inside at the acknowledgments page and read this opening sentence: “About twenty-five years ago, I had the privilege of hearing the music and poetry of Etheridge Knight, a freedom-loving black poet living in Boston.” Since Knight was one of my all-time favorite tortured-soul scarred-radical-genius explosively-complex literary heroes, I k...

When a writer’s name and book titles end up repeatedly on lists of celebrated “best authors” or “best books” it is usually a strong indication they are not only worth reading but occasionally: re-reading. So it is with the Harlem, New York-born author James Baldwin (Aug 2, 1924 - Dec 1, 1987). Were he still alive on this 88th anniversary of his birth, Baldwin could smile with satisfaction at the knowledge that his masterful works continue to illuminate the shadowy depths of human existence and to help empower the lives of socially embattled individuals. In June, the Library of Congress included the author’s classic The Fire Next Time on its initial list of “Books That Shaped America.” Chroniclers of the great author’s powerful impact on contemporary culture and history, however, started making sure in the last century that readers in this century would retain access to his legacy. In 1999, the Modern Library placed his Notes of a Native Son among the top half of “the 100 be...