Category: Performing

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A New Direction

It’s funny.

I face a new direction in my life.  I am working towards the career that I have tried to abandon several times.  But now, I must face it. I like to work with music.  So, I am pushing to build a company, purchase equipment, and market myself to the masses.  I am concerned but I have lived long enough to notice that working a 9 to 5 job is not working for me.  I need to change.  So,  I am going to do this.

I have open my company (A Serious Production), a website, and have a couple residencies in Sacramento.  So I will pursue this.  I am a Dj / Sound Engineer that also produces music and podcast.  I will still pursue Poetry but I do need a career to strive for. Also my company website, click: A Serious Production. Check it out and hit me up if you live in Northern California and need a DJ or Sound Guy.

Thank you for reading

Plus, check out one of my hump day mixes below:

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Ode to my life (Day 7)

I was born a son that became a brother.
A soldier who became a College graduate; twice
a boyfriend/lover that turn into a father; twice.
But missed the role of husband; shame.

a high school basketball player(center); 1 season
Tae Kwon Do student(Blue Belt); fought a Korean boxer and got silver.
wrestling champion (bronze); never got the medal they owed me.

5k color runner(twice); never ran a marathon.

When I was young I like poetry but, it wasn’t hip-hop.
So, I became an emcee with no DJ.
So, I became a DJ without a studio.
So, I became an engineer but they needed music.
So, I became a producer but didn’t play an instrument.
So, I became a musician
and threw it all away to be a poet.

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Good deed

Who enjoys a good deed? Me. Well, that depends. I was waiting at the bus stop near Natomas marketplace. I got a bag of full of tacos and a burrito. A definite Taco Tuesday entree. After eating, people started appearing at the stop to wait for the bus also. Traffic was busy and moving. Drivers racing to get to the freeway or marketplace.
Suddenly, a SUV broke down in the far left lane next to the island. The driver was waiting for the red traffic light. When the light changed green, all the cars passed the starting line except the SUV. It stalled and the driver was scared. She turned on her hazard light and waited. In a dangerous area, car approached with a sudden stop and carefully went around the stalled SUV. I evaluated the situation. I knew I couldn’t push it myself, so I waited and viewed the situation. The bus was late and the SUV was stuck in the left lane. What do I do?

Then a guy got off the bench and started to walk over.
I asked as he passes me: are you going over to help?
“Yep!” He said confidently.
“Cool, let go.” I say with assurance.

We run into traffic, with our backpacks on, to the SUV. He lets the woman driver know we are here to help. I get behind the SUV and start to push. She hasn’t release the emergency brake yet. He commands her to release the brake. She releases the brake. The SUV starts to move. There is no traffic so we are to clear to cut across the street.

I assumed she would turn right towards the side entrance into marketplace. But she didn’t. She aims for the main entrance. The downhill makes the SUV easy and fast to move. But we reach the bottom and the weight of the Suv starts to reveal itself. This thing is heavy. My legs are spazz and heart races. She takes right into the main entrance with an elevation that I have never noticed before. This SUV is heavy. We struggle to push this SUV to safety while the bus has arrived, has picked up the passengers at the stop, and leaves.
‎I groan: “she better appreciate this.”
‎as we pushed on the cobblestone. She maneuver to the gas station. My lungs are trying to catch a breath. When did a good deed turn into a full body work out?

“Hey. good job. Name’s Josh!” He said between breath.
“CharRon.” I said, exhaling.

The lady driver jumps out and thanks her rescuers.

“Thank you, Thank you!” She shouts.
“No problem. You take care, ma’am.” I say with a tired smile.
Josh and I walk back to the Bus stop. We talk about our appreciation for each other. He pulls out two bottles of water from his backpack and passes me one. I crack my open the bottle cap and take a swig. We both sit on the bench exhausted. Both smiling as we wait for the next bus.

So to all those about to do a good deed, tell them the whole plan or you, too, will be pushing heavy objects uphill.

Good deeds need people
Work for soul. Love for creatures.
Angel’s feathers earned

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Iambic: 6 months as a publisher

I created and published a local literary zine / guide book in Sacramento that has been in circulation for six months. It is called Iambic. Click here to head over to the Iambic Tab. I never thought I would be a magazine publisher but here is why I did it. This article below was added to Iambic issue 6:

Downtown Sacramento offers dozen of venues for art events. Second Saturday just shows a glimpse of it. On any given day, you can find visual arts, music, comedy, burlesques, and theater plays.

There is also large poetry community. I have been part of Sacramento poetry for the past two years. I entered the scene with little knowledge of the scope of poetry in Sacramento. Over the past two years, I have dedicated time and energy to seeking out as many poetry forums as I can find. I visited over a dozen venues and special events, met hundreds of poets in the area who regularly perform and have even worked with several on projects. What became apparent was that Sacramento lacked an up-to-date resource where people can seek out events, venues, coaches, and information about the Sacramento poetry scene. I looked at what had been established and decided that a zine would be appropriate for these three simple factors:

  1. Eskimo Pie website is online but it is not maintained anymore.

When I moved to Sacramento from Stockton in October 2015, I checked the Eskimo pie website (www.eskimopie.net). It offered a calendar for open mic venues and poetry events in the Central Valley community. It was established by Rebecca Morrison, well known poet in the Sacramento poetry community.  I had the fortune to meet Rebecca during her personal trip back to the states. The site became a great blueprint to model sections in Iambic.

  1. Display unknown people’s poetry, visual arts and short stories.

I learn one of the big caveats in literary magazines is that any work posted on social media is considered to be published. Poets and writers want to present their work to the masses but Industry wants to be the first to do it. Poets and writers early in their careers need small publications looking for new and unique works to feature them. Iambic offers a no-cost way to submit your work for consideration for publication. We publish frequently and our scope is very broad. I also created a “Youth Poet” section which feature poets less than 25 years of age.

  1. Be a guide to a large poetry community

I was alone when I moved to Sacramento.  I got a position at The Art institute, and was living with roommates.  My friend circle was bleak. I needed to find an activity to distract me from this. I discovered the Sacramento Poetry Center. I went to an open mic and was interested with poetry again.  So, I asked a few poets about other venues and they directed me to them.  So, I checked out all the open mic venues in the area and it became a habit. I started participating in open mics and studying to be a poet and spoken word artist. But, I notice that not all poets go to every open mic venue or workshop in town regularly.  Poets started noticing and asking me about different venues.  I would give them my analysis and I became known as a circuit poet.

Conclusion

I created Iambic to serve my poetry community as a guide since; there are a variety of venues for patrons and workshops for poets to work on their craft. But, it was also to make outsiders aware that a poetry scene exists. So, I have been publishing Iambic for 6 months. Here is to another successful six months!

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Iambic’s Meet the Host: NSAA: Part 1

Lawrence “NSAA” Dinkins is a Renaissance man: Veteran Poet, Poetry Show Host, Blogger, Recording artist, photographer, graphic designer, podcaster, entrepreneur and book author. A Detroit native, his portfolio life has made him an active artist in the Sacramento art and poetry scene. He appears in June’s Issue of Iambic.

His latest event is Poet vs. Band on June 11, 2017 At Gold Lion Arts (2733 Riverside Blvd) at 3pm – 6pm. The event will be filled with poets and musicians & will be celebrating NSAA birthday.  For more information, visit his website: http://www.nsaa360.com

This is part 1 of our interview where we discusses his poetical Journey:

So, how long have you been doing poetry? When did you become a poetry show host?

I guess I started around 2009. The Sacramento urban poetry scene was slowing down. A lot of my favorite poetry spots was thinning out and falling off. Me becoming a host wasn’t about ego thinking, “I’m a poetry pillar” but instead it was an act of desperation. It was a finger in the dike. I didn’t know if I could save poetry at Mahogany but it was worth a try. So, I offered to host a Wednesday. I mean if one or two people are coming out I can host that. But we survived the drought and Khiry (Khiry Malik, founder of Mahogany Poetry Series) brought on more host. I am very proud to say that I helped save Mahogany in some small way. We also must give much love Zion and Queen Sheba for allowing Mahogany to stay there after they took over that location.

Do you enjoy form or academic poetry (sonnets, odes, Villanelle) or free verse?

I think all forms have their value. We are living in such an open time thankful to those like the beat poets that smashed the poetry rules making free verse a more acceptable poetry style. My love is free verse, of course. But occasionally, I write in form.

Did you perform or publish poetry in Detroit? If so, how were the poetry spots difference from Sacramento scene?

I didn’t start coming out as a poet until I got here in Sacramento.

As a sketch artist, how does it compliment your poetry?

Sketching allows you to really look at things, as does all art forms. But for me sketching allows me to really see things. You might say something is beautiful or interesting but what makes that something appealing to you. When you try to sketch it and really capture what it is that draw you to a subject you’re mind switches. In figure drawing class, you learn this. Nudity in public is a taboo because of its link to sexuality but in figure drawing class something interesting happens in your brain, a trigger, and you start to see the human body more than a sexual or shameful object but as something beautiful and difficult to capture.

You are known as a Poet veteran in the Sacramento Poetry community like Bob Stanley, Sean King, and Indigo Moor. But, you are still more active than them in streets and corporate realms. Why?

I don’t see myself as more active. Bob (Bob Stanley, president of Sacramento Poetry center) is everywhere. What I’m saying is that we just don’t know what they are doing, there is a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. Now I will say I’m a grass root poet or a poet on the street. I believe in poetry, I believe in art, that it should be accessible, have meaning, help in some way. Theater, dance, visual, short story, storytelling, spoken and written poetry, song all the art forms should elevate, imagine, reflect, solve the human experience and plight. What does it mean to be human, right now? Who are you, right now? As an artist, this is what I reach for. The other poets you mention are doing that in their own way, probably in a better way than I am.

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Day 20: The Shot

As the basketball leaves my hands, thoughts occur:
Will it go in,
Will my 3 months of practice be worth it,
Will my aim be true,
Will the push be enough,
Or is this all a waste of time to think about?

Since, the anticipation has got:
Fans rising out of their seats,
Cheerleaders gripping their pompoms,
Coach slowly crouching,
Bench warmers leaning in their seats,
And a Referee watching agressively.

All to the commentators’ last words:

And He shoots?!

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Day 15 – I am up to something

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I enter poetry

to have some therapy

Rap was hard to perform

and my DJ stuff wasn’t close to me

So it was back to basic

I found open mics

where I recited my lyrics

didn’t get many likes

So, I started training

Poetry became my study

Rap became a hobby

I was up to something

I wrote poems long

I wrote poems short

I found different arenas

this became my sport

I started to do features

I even host a show

The rapper merge with the poet

My coach says I am on a roll

I formed an alliance with others

They saw I had a thing

I am starting a movement

I am up to something

I created a zine

for my poetry

but an idea come up

so I change it up

to express the community

I presented it to the world

and it became an epidemic

to honor my poetic journey

I called my zine, Iambic.

I created all of this

you may think this nothing

but this is just the middle

I am still up to something