Mahoganie: The Chronicals of a Komplex Phemale

The Reviews Are In

nobody@vox.com(Mahoganie) — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:45:43 -0400

Yesterday I received an unexpectant review.

I was in the midst of ditching, packing and cleaning for more renovation work when the phone rang. It was the project manager/lead for the volunteer work I did with the group of sixth grade boys. The culminating event for the project was this past Monday. However, I missed it as I had to take care of some things for the Snickerdoodle.

Apparently I made a lasting impression on the boys as they were excited to see their name in print. The final project for the boys included an anthology the project manager and I put together for the them. The book featured the work they did with me and even a few written things from their regular classwork. It also - in keeping with the theme of creativity and business matters/sense - the book also featured their professional profile (what they wish to be in life). The boys also had business cards as well that told their "desired" profession.

"Believe me when I say, your name is gold in that school. The teachers were impressed, the parents and the principal loved it."

I was given praise for the work I did during my short time with the boys. Honestly, I didn't know I had introduced or encouraged whatever creativity they had within them. Some weren't use to speaking in front of their class. Because I had them stand in front and present their poems, they were eager to share their work to all by Monday's event. What I'm most happy about is the fact that the boys actually learned something!

The whole time as I held the phone to my ear and listened to Ms. S go on and on about how what they experienced through the program has changed them, I couldn't help but wonder if this is part of my purpose - basically just inspiring and enpowering through writing. Nisha use to ask me ..or tell me rather.. that I should thinking about teaching. I don't know about that kid! As I tell Nisha all the time, ESPECIALLY TO HER, teaching is a special gift. I saw this in my mom and all her close friends who are now retired from the school system. I see it in Nisha as she is a high school English teacher in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.

Me? I never wanted or even considered being a teacher. I don't have that much patience to deal with an ill school system, parents who act worse than some children or being over worked and under valued.. even though the most rewarding part is watching a child mature with knowledge and molding them for the world. I guess what made it "easy" for me with these boys is the fact that it was a small group - easy to manage. The other thing is - as with most sixth graders - they were very impressionable. As I prepared for my presentation I made sure I was on their level with some things, while exposing them to something they may come across is in junior high school.

Ms. S went on to say how the boys gave her suggestions for next year, which proves the point that children want to learn when you take your time with them and make it interesting. I hope to be around for next year's project. I really did have fun doing this. I'm actually sorry to see it end.

As for my purpose and my gift... I honestly do believe this writing with worth more than gold. Thank you Lord for such a gift.

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Public Service Announcement From Mahoganie

nobody@vox.com(Mahoganie) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:53:31 -0400

We interrupt your irregular scheduled blog entry for this Public Service Announcement from your Mahoganie network.

Hel޲޲lo޲ eve޲޲ry޲o޲n޲e!޲޲

I com޲e bar޲ing޲ som޲e exc޲iti޲ng new޲s.

I jus޲t rec޲eiv޲ed wor޲d tha޲t I wil޲l be fea޲tur޲ed in an upc޲omi޲ng ant޲hol޲ogy޲ cal޲led޲ Wha޲t Was޲ I Thi޲nki޲ng?޲ The޲ boo޲k is a col޲lec޲tio޲n of per޲son޲al ess޲ays޲ des޲cri޲bin޲g the޲ mom޲ent޲ the޲ per޲son޲ fin޲all޲y rea޲liz޲ed the޲ir rel޲ati޲ons޲hip޲ was޲n't޲ wor޲kin޲g. I sus޲pec޲t thi޲s is goi޲ng to be a fun޲ky and޲ fun޲ col޲lec޲tio޲n as I can޲ ass޲ure޲ you޲ my sto޲ry is any޲thi޲ng but޲ "no޲rma޲l."޲ Bec޲aus޲e thi޲s pro޲jec޲t is a spi޲n off޲ of an int޲ern޲et tal޲k sho޲w bas޲ed in Cal޲ifo޲rni޲a, som޲e sto޲rie޲s wil޲l be mad޲e int޲o sma޲ll ani޲mat޲ed fea޲tur޲es.޲ I'm޲ not޲ sur޲e if min޲e is inc޲lud޲ed in the޲ vid޲eo bun޲ch,޲ but޲ I'm޲ def޲ina޲tel޲y in the޲ boo޲k. To get޲ a sen޲se of wha޲t kin޲ds of thi޲ngs޲ may޲ be inc޲lud޲e che޲ck out޲ a vid޲eo fro޲m the޲ir arc޲hiv޲e.

htt޲p:/޲/ww޲w. sla޲tev޲. com޲/pl޲aye޲r. htm޲l?i޲d=1޲250޲621޲483޲

The޲ boo޲k wil޲l be pro޲duc޲ed by the޲ big޲ hou޲se pub޲lis޲her޲ St.޲
Mar޲tin޲'s Pre޲ss (www޲. stm޲art޲ins޲. com޲ ). Thi޲s wil޲l be my sec޲ond޲ ant޲hol޲ogy޲ fea޲tur޲e.

Onc޲e I rec޲eiv޲e oth޲er inf޲o (re޲lea޲se dat޲e, etc޲.) I wil޲l sha޲re.޲

As alw޲ays޲.. I tha޲nk and޲ lov޲e eac޲h of you޲ (fa޲r and޲ nea޲r) for޲ any޲ enc޲our޲age޲men޲t you޲ hav޲e giv޲en me upo޲n my wri޲tin޲g end޲eav޲ors޲.

Lov޲e,

Mahoganie

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Shameless Promotion

nobody@vox.com(Mahoganie) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 16:32:19 -0500

Surfacing....Phenomenal Women on Passion, Politics and Purpose

I FINALLY received my copy of the the above anthology. It took long enough. (lol)

The book is wonderful, as it contains contributions from a collage of wonderful women.

Readers can find my contributions on pages 34-5 and 75, with a bio in the back.

However what I am a bit perplexed about is why the book doesn't have a table of contents......

Anywho.. here is more information about the book for those that missed my original post about it back in November.

Surfacing: Phenomenal Women on Passion, Politics & Purpose.

Currently the book is only available .. for purchasing. You can purchase the book on Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com. The easiest route to purchase of course is through our website, Katrina Anthology - where you can get to Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can view the bios of the participating authors, read excerpts and of course purchase the book. The cost is $19.95. At the moment, I'm unsure as to the exact date the books will be on actual bookstore shelves. The publisher is still working out the details with this.

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