Two for One....Gauthier

Here are two short takes from Ronald Gauthier’s stories in aaduna’s Second Anniversary 2013 Issue available NOW at www.aaduna.org

Ronald Gauthier

#1

THE TEENAGER AND THE DYER BILL…

     “The sisters did what black women were forced to do then when negresses pulled the bodies of their men from smoldering ashes with the stench of death in the air. Or, when they had to cut the charred, thick rope from around their men’s necks as the men swayed from trees. Or when their husbands, sons and lovers were bullet-riddled and heaped on the blood-caked ground. These women washed too many black men in tender loving care and prepared their prematurely dead sons, fathers, and husbands for burial. They assumed the burden of making a life for the surviving family members. They prayed and taught the men in their clan to be careful, not to cross the racial line; to bow and apologize, grovel and even beg, all to stay alive. The women in Richard’s life, his mother and aunt, had the extra burden of forgoing their grief for a while until they found safety. They fled the white men in town who were not satisfied with killing Silas but deciding to slaughter all his kin. They escaped to West Helena, far away from the murder, but still in the violence-soaked land of the South. They ultimately ended up in Jackson, Mississippi.”

*****

#2

BLACK BOY…

     “Jamal chuckled nervously. He shot a quick glance across the dance floor near the entrance. The insurmountable VIP section with its flashy lights, ballooned canopied tables and purring comfort, luster and laughter, beckoned and tantalized him at the same time. This one area, off limits to folks not part of the “Black Hollywood,” was strictly for the important clientele: the rising rap stars, the athletes and the beautiful fly girls who surrounded them, concert promoters and their entourage. Only the best of the Atlanta hip-hop world got into the coveted lounge, a place so pricey and exclusive that rappers like P Diddy and Ludicrous tossed money out to the crowd while the music pumped and the dancers beseeched; jumped frantically, and snatched floating bills from the warm air.  The most sensual women Jamal had ever seen, beauty pageant material with impeccable bodies flowing in saffron, honey chestnut, mahogany, white, off-white, beige and midnight, sat like queens in the special lounge, the one off limits to men like him, the irrelevant and moderate.”

Check out the complete Gauthier stories in the fiction section of aaduna’s Second Anniversary 2013 issue.  Visit www.aaduna.org and ENJOY!

Did You Know That May Is Short Story Month?

We celebrated April as National Poetry Month, so now it is May...Short Story Month.  You know we are going to kick it up a few notches.

Lindsey Ferrentino

Here is a short take from Lindsey Ferrentino's "Dragon Woman" premiered in aaduna's Second Anniversary 2013 issue.  The full story ia available at www.aaduna.org

"How she had wanted this house to be hers. Back then, she’d pictured her mom bustling in the kitchen, her dad playing racquetball with her and her sister out in the yard, all smiles and dirty knees. Now, in her mind, she lived here with Rick. He’d work and bring home a few pounds of crab from the local fish market. They’d take beach chairs, beer, and melted butter to the water’s edge, sitting in the shade of the dragon, eating with their hands, tossing the emptied shells into the riverbed. They’d kiss in between bites and laugh when Rick dropped butter on his shirt, leaving a permanent trail of stains that had the vague resemblance of a star. They’d eventually shed their clothes, swim in the night’s mud-black water, and sleep naked under a blanket on the concrete floor of the dragon. Hollis would wake before him and laugh privately, an inside joke she’d discover with herself, as she watched the sun stand up on the water through the window in the dragon’s eyes, living in the house of her childhood fantasies, watching Rick’s soft, hairy body shift in sleepy silence.

What more...visit www.aaduna.org; click on Current Issue, and then Fiction. 

Finally...

THE WAIT IS OVER.

THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY 2013 ISSUE IS AVAILABLE VISIT www.aaduna.org

Enjoy.

Support Us.

Thank you.

Second Anniversary Issue Is Coming...

You have been patient.

Some of you have nails that testify to that wait; others have made hairballs from cleaning combs and brushes.  We do not recommend detroying nails, cuticles or losing hair while waiting for anything!  

We hope no one is binge eating although I can't get enough of certain foods to appease my nervous stomach or watching late night TV when there is no late night TV to watch.  My example should not be an example that anyone should follow.  With that said, I will not comment on the condition of my nails or those fuzzy balls rolling around my bathroom floor.   

 

While waiting for the anniversary issue (the fiction section is being uploaded as I write, and then all pages have to be linked to a uniform composition... and then we do a final online proof etc. etc.,) I find myself doing much needed yardwork, walking along the pier adjacent to Owasco Lake, writing (that's right...writing...using paper and pen...remember that process?!,)  and reading back issues of magazines that I have let drift.  

 

Lisa is working hard to make the next issue as magical and intriguing as previous ones.  I just hope my nails, hair, stomach, eyes and legs survive the wait.  The summer issue is already nipping at my heels.  Ouch!

 

Hold on...we're coming!  Thanks to Sam 'n' Dave, soul legends!

 

              

Auburn/Cayuga NAACP Freedum Fund Banquet -

Auburn, NY - The Auburn/Cayuga Branch of the NAACP will celebrate forty-six years of service to the Auburn community at its Annual Freedom Fund Banquet on Friday, May 10, 2013 at the Springside Inn.

The 2013 Freedom Fund Banquet will be exciting, memorable and historic. The theme for the evening is “Harriet Tubman: The One Who Never Gave Up.” The event will reaffirm the group’s commitment to empower local youth and prepare them for a better future. This year, the branch will commemorate its connection to the oldest civil rights organization in America with a keynote address by retired news anchor for WSTM-TV and CNY Central, Jackie Robinson. This evening of elegance will begin with a performance by Louis Nocilly and his band JAZZITUDE during the cocktail hour. President and CEO of aaduna, inc., William E. Berry, Jr., will be the Master of Ceremonies. The highlight of the evening will be the presentation of recognition awards to community members and organizations, Promise Awards and College Assistant Stipends to graduating high school students.

Please join us in this memorable and historic celebration! To purchase tickets contact Kathy Barnard at (315) 252-2686 or by email at unit2128@aol.com

 Visit  www.auburncayuganaacp.org for more information!

The Wait is Almost Over

For the past few weeks, aaduna presented poets whose words and imagery were woven into poetic statements for your enjoyment and reflection.   

In the Second Anniversary issue, you will experience other poets: Christine Green, Cyd Charisse Fulton, Jamar Ogletree, Christopher Shapard and Mariah Krochmal in addition to the poets whose works were shared with you over the past few weeks. 

Joining the featured poets in the anniversary issue will be fiction writers Ronald Gauthier and Lindsey Ferrentino, who is best known for her plays.  Timothy Ogene 's essay addressing how spoken word is best transferred to a print format will take center spotlight in the non-fiction genre.  Two of the galleries will be closed until the summer issue and the open one will enable you to experience the rawness and unedited vibrancy of "spoken word." 

We hope you enjoy the upcoming issue, launching shortly!

We also encourage you to support our efforts with a contribution to help offset expenses.  We depend on public support to keep us going since we are a non-profit, tax exempt organization.

Give us the gift of your support.  Visit www.aaduna.org and click on the Support Us button.

Thanking you in advance.

bill berry, jr.     

Is Life Better Without Poetry?

You already know that April is National Poetry Month.  You also know that aaduna uses this month to celebrate the poets who will grace the Second Anniversary issue.  

A person who can answer our question without thought or mico-seconds of hesitancy is Lyn Lifshin.   Enjoy this poem and watch for her additional work in aaduna's upcoming issue!

THE CELTIC  BIRD GODDESS' WILD SONG

you'll see me in Celtic

jewels, in tapestries,
carvings. I'm there in
the most gorgeous leaves,
echoes of my feathers
are in the swirl of rivers.
When you hear the
beauty of wings, what I
touched is touched again.
I run with the horse
goddess, with the swans,
the bull, those women,
half women, half ghostly
bird, a reminder of
strength and courage.
You will find me in your
dreams some night
it begins to snow just
after a full moon, my
feathers on your deck the
first night impatiens
wilt in the freeze. Just let
what has been closed
in you open to feeling, let
intuition unfold like a
bruise blue tulip