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Colin Grant is the son of Jamaican parents who moved to Britain in the late 1950s. He spent 5 years studying medicine before turning to the stage. He has written and produced numerous plays and is currently a producer for BBC Radio. In his new book, Negro with a a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey Grant looks at one of the most controversial figures in African-American history. Both worshiped and despised, Garvey led an extraordinary life as the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association which had branches in more than 40 countries. In honor of W. E. B. Du Bois’s birthday, which is tomorrow, Grant has taken a closer look at the relationship between Du Bois and Garvey.

A great excitement swirled around the garden reception for W.E.B Du Bois in the grounds of the royal governor of Jamaica’s official residence. On 3 May 1915, the island’s representative men assembled to honor the Harvard-educated African American, feted by the local papers as a scholar who certainly ‘belonged to the aristocracy of intellect in America’. A stocky dark-skinned black man was one of the last in line to extend a proud hand of welcome. Du Bois later recalled his ‘remarkable intensity’ but other than that, little impression was made on him by the man who was destined, over the next decade, to become his nemesis: Marcus Garvey. (more…)

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Who Was George Washington?

Mark McNeilly is the author of George Washington and the Art of Business: Leadership Principles of America’s First Commander-in-Chief as well as Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers. On Monday he helped us celebrate President’s Day. Today he takes a closer look at George Washington on the anniversary of his birth. The views he expresses are his alone and are not meant to represent those of any company or institution with which he is affiliated.

We celebrated President’s Day on Monday but George Washington’s actual birthday is today, February 22nd. While many of us enjoyed the slew of Presidents’ Day Sales, what we may have lost is reflection on who this great man was and the impact he has had on our country. And for many who do think of him, he is not a man of history but a man of myth. For example, when talking with a friend of mine about Washington she said, “He’s sort of a fable, kind of like Paul Bunyan.” For some he is not even that. In one recent study of college students’ knowledge of American civics only 68% of freshman knew Washington’s proper role as general and statesman in the founding of our country. The rest (roughly one third of the students) thought he was a constitutional writer, a social compact theorist, advocate for states rights or the leader of the Massachusetts’ delegation to the Constitutional Convention. (more…)

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My first son was born on Valentines Day and so this day is one of a kind and very special for me. He has his own home now so I called him to wish him a happy birthday much earlier than I normally would. I knew he was not awake and had every intention of leaving him a voicemail. I was quite silly in my message and I told him that prior to his birth he had kept me up all night and what time he was born, very early in the morning, so I thought I would call and wake him up to tell him how much I love him and I wasn't about to wait a minute longer. He said he really enjoyed my message and said he didn't know what time he was born at that time in the morning. In his baby album we even have a photo of the clock at that exact time. Funny, I guess I never told him. I think I will get the kids baby books out and share some other facts with them that they don't know surrounded the time of their births.

She's 19 today! 

When did that happen???

And this is the first birthday  where she hasn't at least "popped in" for  a little celebration.   So I'm going to bring the celebration to her!



We're thinking of you here, babe!  In fact, Dad found these for you . . .



 . . . you know . . . so you can give my one humongous suitcase back?  LOL
These will be better for toting back and forth to college anyway.  And taking on the little trips, like the American College Theater Festival you're at now!

Hope you're having fun!

Love you babe! 

I immediately thought of Pedro Cerrano saying "Hats for bats" in Major League, but this will have to do instead.

For my friend, Fred who sometimes participates in Poems of 15 Words or Less with us, I wish you a very happy birthday. Many years ago back at MDHS you were the first guy I met who understood and enjoyed playing with words almost as much as I did.

Have a great birthday!
 

I’m posting from sunny Tucson where I am attending the 7th Regional Conference of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), hosted by the U.S. section (USBBY) of which I am the past president. What a terrific event! It’s a gathering of a few hundred people dedicated to promoting international understanding through children’s literature, a cause near to my heart. Our first speaker was the effervescent artist Yuyi Morales who inspired me with her odd and clever juxtapositions of Mexican folk art and wisdom, pop culture connections, and pithy use of language. She used a colorful character, Señor Tlalocan (rooted in Mexican folklore) to guide us through her presentation and presented various prayers of this character both visually and verbally. Here was one of my favorites:

Señor Tlalocan's Prayer

“Mighty impulses of mine, give me the courage to follow you always. Might I remember that there is no right or wrong decision, but only commitment to what I choose. Help me stick with my favorite option and work on it with conviction and passion so as to make everyone believe it was the only choice I had.”

I love this thought and I send it out to all of you and especially to my daughter in honor of her 24th birthday today. And here’s a poem that echoes that conviction, as crazy as the connection might seem.

God Went to Beauty School
by Cynthia Rylant

He went there to learn how
to give a good perm
and ended up just crazy
about nails
so He opened up His own shop.
"Nails by Jim" He called it.
He was afraid to call it
Nails by God.
He was sure people would
think He was being
disrespectful and using
His own name in vain
and nobody would tip.
He got into nails, of course,
because He'd always loved
hands--
hands were some of the best things
He'd ever done
and this way He could just
hold one in His
and admire those delicate
bones just above the knuckles,
delicate as birds' wings,
and after He'd done that
awhile,
He could paint all the nails
any color He wanted,
then say,
"Beautiful,"
and mean it.

From God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant (HarperColllins, 2003)

Emily, just be who you want to be where you want to be it. All the rest will take care of itself. Thinking about you…

I know it's late to join the Poetry Friday round up, but here's the link for those who are interested.
Picture credit: tlacuilopilo.blogspot.com

Thank you all so much for all your posts and e-cards. You really made my birthday special! (((Hugs)))

I gave myself a present. I wouldn't move from my computer until I finished writing the rest of STEP MONSTER. Whew! That was the longest and most difficult revision I have ever done! The last time I switched a manuscript from a chapter book to an MG was CAMP CAPTIVE, and once the beginning hook clicked, the words just flew. I think it took about a week to write the first draft of the MG version.

Part of the reason STEP MONSTER took so long was because I had to stop for several conferences and vacations, and to polish three other novels. I was getting back into the groove when I had to stop and revise one of the other novels again. I also had run the beginning of STEP MONSTER through several of my groups, and received such wonderful feedback, saying it was my best work yet. Wow! But then I looked at the huge hole between the old and new versions. I kept writing and writing, and the versions felt like they were growing further apart instead of together. I don't think I had any usable chunks until somewhere around page 90--and even then, I had to be careful that anything I kept was in the MC's new and improved voice. But...I DID IT! I still have some polishing to do, but I love, love, love the novel. The first 64 pages are polished and ready to go, and I'm busy revising the rest and sending it through my groups. I was going to push myself to get this out by December, but with most of my time going to NaNoWriMo in a couple weeks, I'm probably going to start submitting it in early 2008.

By the way, this is what my daughters made for my birthday. Not only was it incredibly sweet of them, and extremely creative...it sparked a great picture book idea!

I think the first step for sewing for a man is the colour scheme, choosing colours they like that aren't too girly. I wanted to make an apron for Bradley - now that we have a barbecue. I found the perfect piece in my stash, a sturdy white cotton with blue stripes and a striped ribbon for the neck strap. This was a sample piece of fabric and already serged, so it saved some extra steps. I made it up as I went along but it worked quite well, so here's another tutorial.

Step 1: The rectangle was 26" inches wide and 34" long. I pinned the neck strap in place (20" + hem allowance), and folded over two corners at the top. At this point you can try it on to see if it's roughly the right size. I had to try it on myself then imagine myself a little bit taller.
Step 2: Once the right amount of fabric at the top corners was folded over I cut off the excess and folded the edges and pinned in place. Then iron and sew!Step 3: The waist straps were just twill tape stitched in place. I recommend making them long enough so you can wrap around the back and bring them around to the front again to tie.Step 4: Love is in the details. I hemmed the ends of the straps (by hand) so that they wouldn't fray.Step 5: I added a 9" x 17" pocket. The serged edges were just folded once then sewn in place, with a 1" hem at the top. Pin it in place before you sew then try on the apron to see if you like the position. I sewed a couple of extra seams to make divisions in the pocket. That way there's a skinny one to hold tongs. Finally, I embroidered Bradley's name to personalize it. I should have done the embroidery first, then hemmed the top of the pocket to hide the back of the embroidery but I didn't think of it. The easiest way to do it neatly is just pencil in the lines before you stitch.Done! Bradley loved his new apron... Gosh he's handsome. And such a good sport letting me take pictures.

The Raggedy Man by James Whitcomb Riley

O the Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;
An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!
He comes to our house every day,
An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;
An' he opens the shed—an' we all ist laugh
When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;
An' nen—ef our hired girl says he can—
He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann.—
Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The rest of the poem is here.

This week's Poetry Friday round up is at Check it Out (Jone/ Ms Mac).

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Today is my birthday; I turn another year older and it occured to me that from now on I want my birthdays to move along at a snail's pace...really slow! Vintage queen of the escargot!

Today is my son’s 19th birthday and I am sending a shout out to him to wish him every good thing today and always. He is a wonder to me, a young man grown out of my blonde angel baby; a serious, loyal friend emerging from a playful toddler marching to his own drummer; a smart and thoughtful son from the ticklish baby I carried to Africa and back. Happy birthday, Alex. I look forward to watching what you will be and do next. Here’s a poem to guide you on your way.

A Time To Talk
by Robert Frost

When a friend calls me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, "What is it?"
No, not as there is a time to talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

From: Schmidt, Gary D., ed. 1994. Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost.
Illus. by Henri Sorenson. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439254191.

FYI: An audio reading of the poem is also available here.

Barry the Birthday Bear, and some purple houses just for good measure. The bear is from a card I just made for my girlfriend. You can read more about it here: BloggyMcBloggBlogg

The houses were for the fun of it...much like everything else I draw. Odd fact #25: The texture for the house drawing comes from a photoshop brush I made out repeating text spelling out the word "sky."
www.SoundsLikeBlue.com