Nikki Giovanni, Tupac Shakur and Working Monday

I finished reading three more collections by Nikki Giovanni, The Women and the Men, Love Poems and Blues: For All the Changes. Her peoems really speak for themselves. One of my favorites is " I Wrote a Good Omelet." The book of  love poems was dedicated to the memory of Tupac Shakur. There is also a poem about him in that book. I am always blown away with her ability to say so much with a few words. She can evoke so many feelings and memories in a few lines. If I had the money to do so I would buy copies of all of her books for myself and for all of my friends. Anyone who is left unaffected by reading her writing could only be heartless and brain dead.

I have a collection of poems by Tupac Shakur. He wrote beautiful, powerful poems. He was one of the most talented rappers. It is sad that he was killed at such a young age. More attention should be paid to his talent and less to controversies about him.

I am working on Monday. That is good. I do not know how much I will be working next week, but I will be working at least six hours.

What is allowed in public (adult content, more to cum)

When a man and a woman kiss, hug or hold hands in public few people pay any attention. If two men do the same things there are people who say that what they are doing is obscene. I know that there are people who don't like any public display of affection. I would like to be able to walk down the street holding hands with the man whom I love. I would like to be able to greet him with a kiss wherever we are. It would depend on what he wants whether or not I would do other intimate things for him in front of other people. This would be discussed beforehand. It is my decision to be submissive. It turns me on. There are select places where I could please him in public. I must admit that it would be a turn on to give him a blow job in a place where there is a risk of being caught.

"Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea" by Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni's book entitled Quilting the Black-Eyed Pea: Poems and Not Quite Poems was published in 2002. Whenever I finish one of her books I want to read more of her writings. She can comfort us with words, but the role of the writer is not always to comfort. She writes often of racial injustices. Those injustices continue today. She writes about the accomplishments of African Americans. She hints at sexuality. Here are some of my favorite lines from this collection:"And isn't that literature should teach us. To be our own hero. To love. To cry. To laugh. To live. And try to let others live, too." I do not believe that anyone can read her writing without being affected. When we look at photograph of the author on the cover of the book we see intelligence, wit, mischievousness and joy among other things. I feel a bit sad, because I will have to return this book to the library, and my other books by her are in a place where I cannot now read them. I will enjoy them again when I have access to them.
 Actually there are three more books of her poetry at the library. Yay!

Which Countries Are Advanced?

Why is it that the countries with advanced weapons are often seen as being more developed than those without those things but have developed spiritually and/or artistically? Governments do not think that the people o Tibet have anything to contribute to society, so their plight is ignored. This is tragic. The level of the civilization should be measured by help the poor and the foreigners are treated. Countries that want to control other peoples are barbaric. Those who want to live in peace with others are advanced.

The President should be elected directly by the people.

In the U.S.A. we have two major parties. All other parties are treated as "independents." Only the Republicans and Democrats get major media attention. People who vote for independent candidates are said to be throwing their votes away. We need to bring the two-party system to an end. Other parties should be able to have primaries. After the parties choose their candidates elect their candidates there should be a preliminary election, and the two top candidates from that election should run against each other in the final election. Here I am talking about the presidential election. The people should be able to vote directly on the candidates in every step of the process.

"Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid" by Nikki Giovanni

Chasing Utopia: A Hybrid is a collection of poems by Nikki Giovanni in 2013. The poetry of Nikki Giovanni can stimulate all of the senses. The Utopia mentioned in the titular poem is a beer that is brewed by Sam Adams with a suggested retail price of $190.00 per bottle and with an alcohol content of 27%. In the poems of the book there are references to foods, beverages, literature, music, civil rights, arts, etc. I have seen her referred to as being controversial. This is something that I do not understand. She has often spoken out against racial injustices, and she is known for directly stating her views on various subjects. I would recommend savoring her poems. One would miss a great deal if would speed read her writings just as one should savor every bite of a sumptuous meal. Few writers move as much as she does. She definitely deserves all of the awards and accolades that she has received.

The Langston Hughes Reader: The Selected Writings of Langston Hughes

The Langston Hughes Reader contains selections of the works of Langston Hughes in various genres: poetry, prose, drama, etc. previously I had not read much of his writing. I had mostly read about him. I saw this book in the library, and I decided to make up for my deficiency. I am glad that I did. He was one of the most important writers of the Twentieth Century.  He wrote about slavery, the Jim Crow South, the Spanish Civil War, Jazz, and more. His writings are humorous, educational, tragic and sometimes ribald. In ways his writings have things in common with rap. Some people thought that he wrote things that were too vulgar. The things that he wrote need to be read today to remind people that the riots and racial injustices have been going on for much too long. It pains me to realize that the color of one's skin can be in some circumstances a death sentence. There were people who were denied medical attention at a hospital that was close to them because they were not white. Then these people died on the way to a hospital where they could be treated. That is barbaric. Racial injustices conti An editor who was going to publish one of Langston Hughes' stories was disconcerted, because he could not identify the race of characters in the story. He asked Hughes to add modifiers so that the race of the characters would be evident. Why was this important? His writings are as relevant now as they were when they were first published.