The Help...

A good friend of mine mentioned that she was reading 'The Help' (by Kathryn Stockett) & I told her I still hadn't seen the movie, then she added that the book was much better (as is often the case with books made into movies), so I said I'd read chapter 1 for free & buy the rest of the ebook if I got hooked - well, I got hooked. Ended up buying the rest of the book that very same night, lol.

A very interesting read so far. The inhumane way blacks were treated, despite the fact that they played such pivotal roles in the rearing of SO many white children truly amazes me. The arrogant sense of entitlement shared by so many whites during that time period is almost too much for me to stomach at times.

But I've enjoyed the character development thus far & must say that I really like reading about both - the whites who ignored current trends & treated blacks with the respect they deserved, as well as the black maids who cared for these white children SO much even though anger & resentment could've easily led them to do otherwise.

I've wanted to see the movie for some time now & this book only makes me more anxious to watch it & do a compare/contrast between the book & film. I'm currently reading the Steve Jobs biography as well & though I really HATE reading two books at 1 time, both are two I can't seem to put down at the moment.

I'll be sure to update this post with my final impressions, once I'm finished reading - hell, perhaps I'll review the Jobs book as well at that time...

Feature Friday: Distant Love...

Ok, I'm thinking this particular Feature Friday post will be the last. I find I just don't have the time to locate these hidden gems on my own as of late - but at least I managed a good 6-month run. Who knows? Perhaps it will return at some point. Anywhoo, the 6th & final selection is a poem I found online at www.short-love-poems.net & really liked.

The writer goes by Tiffany B, 'Distant Love' reads as follows:

My life has been so empty for so long,
no one to love or call my own.
I patiently waited for that time to come,
To share this special with someone.

Until you came from the mist, unexpectedly,
Taking me as I am and accepting me.
You filled the emptiness that laid inside,
releasing me form my bitterness and pride.

We shared endless moments together,
questioning if the feelings were true,
Not realizing how fast time had flew.
The time had come for me to part and go away,
The words goodbye I had refused to say.

I am now miles away from the one I love,
things are so different, but your still all I think of.
A day seems like year and a month feels like forever,
I think about the times we spent, and THAT
I will always treasure.

Your soft brown eyes that made me shy away,
your cute little smile that brightened my day.
Your gentle touch that gave me chills,
and your whole body in itself that gave
me thrills.

I'll wait patiently until we can touch again,
but i am now more satisfied because you
are more than just my friend.
To bring back those moments, and to
finally see your smile,
And hope that things will remain the same
for a while.

My feelings for you are now stronger than before,
and your love is something I will not ignore.
See now, a part of you has grown in me,
I love you always and forever it will be.

Feature Friday: Explore My Heart

It's my goal to post a Feature Friday blog the 1st Friday of each month. Any good literary, vocal or otherwise artistic works you'd like to see shared? Perhaps you've got some good stuff yourself. If so, shoot me an email at Ghostwriter28@me.com & I'd be glad to post it.

This week's selection comes courtesy of the late Velenda Anise Mason, a very close friend & confidant for many years. I thought I'd share two passages from 'Explore My Heart,' a book she published in 2008. Vam's birthday is next week, she would have been 30 and Tuesday marks the anniversary of her sudden death. In light of the fact, I figured it would be very appropriate to share a few of her thoughts this month. The 1st excerpt from her book focuses on infatuation versus love & the 2nd touches upon appreciating loved ones while they're still here to actually smell the flowers...

"I've been lucky in my fourteen years of dating to

experience real love more than once. It is a beautiful

experience and I would not trade it for the world.

I want young men and women to learn the difference

between infatuation and love. It is a job and it takes

compromise and sacrifice but it is well worth it. I have

gone through enough in my lifetime to know a thing

or two. Just know that with faith anything can happen...

...appreciate your family and friends while you still

have them here. You really don't know when you will

see somebody for the last time. It is a terrible feeling to

think of all the things you could have or should have done.

Besides you are going to find a small amount of people

who care about you and your well-being."

It's my hope that someone, somewhere will read her words and somehow find comfort in knowing that others too have struggled, it's certainly nothing new so try your best to maintain a clear mind. Above all, be-strong, live-wise & play-hard good people...

Feature Friday: Mother to Son

It's my goal to post a Feature Friday blog the 1st Friday of each month. Any great literary, vocal or otherwise artistic works you'd like to see shared? Perhaps you've got some good stuff yourself. If so, shoot me an email at Ghostwriter28@me.com & I'd be glad to post it.

This week's selection comes courtesy of the late Langston Hughes and was written in 1922. My mother always used to recite this poem when I was a child & today, for no reason at all, it popped into my head while riding into work n the train (I guess a few things actually stuck to the wall afterall). It's crazy how words she intended to find my ears more than 20 years ago finally ended their journey today. 'Mother to Son' reads as follows...

Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor – Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now –
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

Feature Friday: We are the Clumsy Passersby...

This month's feature is a favorite poem of mine by Chilean poet, Pablo Naruda. Though it was written years ago, it's never been more appropriate in my estimation. I think the thoughts represented in this particular passage are ones we all could stand to read whenever we find ourselves so busy with the hustle & bustle of everyday life, enjoy.

Any great literary works you'd like to see shared? Or perhaps you've got some good stuff yourself. If so, shoot me an email at Ghostwriter28@me.com & I'd be glad to post it, if it cuts the mustard, that is, lol. It's my goal to post a Feature Friday blog entry on the 1st Friday of each month. Pablo Naruda's poem, 'We are the Clumsy Passerby,' reads as follows…

We are the clumsy passersby,
we push past each other with elbows,
with feet, with trousers, with suitcases,
we get off the train, the jet plane, the ship, we step down
in our wrinkled suits and sinister hats.
We are all guilty, we are all sinners,
we come from dead-end hotels or industrial peace,
this might be our last clean shirt,
we have misplaced our tie,
yet even so, on the edge of panic, pompous,
sons of bitches who move in the highest circles
or quiet types who don't owe anything to anybody,
we are one and the same, the same in time's eyes,
or in solitude's: we are the poor devils
who earn a living and a death working
bureautragically or in the usual ways,
sitting down or packed together in subway stations,
boats, mines, research centers, jails,
universities, breweries,
(under our clothes the same thirsty skin),
(the hair, the same hair, only in different colors).

Feature Friday: Always Leave the Cage Door Open, So Your Lovebird Can Return...

While messin around online the other day, I ran across this poem & thought it was pretty deep, so I figured I’d share it as my 1st "Feature Friday" post, where I plan to spotlight someone else's work on (what I hope) will be the 1st Friday of each month.

Do you (or someone else you know) have any work you like shared, if so, shoot me an email at Ghostwriter28@me.com & I'd be glad to post it, if it cuts the mustard, that is, lol. Ami Linaiah's 2007 poem, 'Always Leave the Cage Door Open, So Your Lovebird Can Return,' reads as follows…

You did this, and he's the proof.

No wonder your hated,

spend the rest of your life Jaded.

This, the atonement for your crime,

because of your ways, you've run outta time.



Your bird flew away,

You knew he wouldn't stay.

Not after this,

you broke his heart and sealed it with a kiss.

I know you I'm in your head!

You're a bitch, the cards have been read.



A week ago I would never believe it.

That you would change so fast and he would see it.

You still love one another, but it's not the same.

Again, I'll say that we're to blame!



We gave into darkness, and he still forgives!!

Though we feel as though we don't deserve to live.

But he came back to us.

He still loves us.
The door to his heart is cracked open...

                     Look at what you've done...

                                 Just look what you've done...

Jay-Z.... (still encoded for now)

I was all primed & ready to order the new Jay-Z book, "Decoded" tomorrow but was fairly disappointed to find that while the Hardcover version of the book comes available tomorrow, I won't be able to download the e-book via Amazon's Kindle app for another 3 weeks on Dec. 7th.

Upon reading my 1st e-book, I decided I could never go back to hauling around an actual book ever again. I absolutely love the way the Kindle apps on my iPhone and iPad both sync with one another so that regardless of which device I choose to read from, my most recent stopping point & notes are saved (& synced over-the-air) in both apps.

I've also read e-books via the Kobo app as well the iBook reader designed specifically for Apple devices. After trying each at some point, the Kindle app remains my favorite e-book interface to navigate.

But I guess it's just as well that the e-book won't come out til December since I won't even have finished the Bush book by then - but still, I really wanted it on-deck in the archive.

I'm finding that I've been far more willing to read since the increased popularity & sales of e-book downloads for Kindles, iPads & other similar devices. Initially (though fully aware of the technology), I ignored the concept realizing that only the most popular titles were offered as e-books.

It appears the trend has finally begun to swing in the opposite direction as many more titles are available for immediate download the same day that their hard copy counterparts are. So it seems (at least until the next generation of reading technology comes along) e-books are here to stay. If you 've never before read from a e-book reader of some sort, give it a spin. Who knows? You just might re-discover the world of literature just like I did...

'Dubya'

Amazing – I still can’t quite believe this myself, but I’m actually reading the memoirs (entitled 'Decision Points') from George W. Bush’s two terms in office as the 43rd President of the United States of America, but that’s precisely what I’m doing! For many years, I’ve harbored ‘certain’ feelings for this man & never dreamed that I’d ever feel any differently. Yet incredibly, my feelings have since changed in that regard.

1st off, let me emphatically state that I claim to be neither republican nor democrat (I think BOTH parties suck ass). As far as political affiliations go, I guess I’d be best described as an independent; however, I’d beg to differ with that assessment in many instances as well.

It all started with the 2008 release of Oliver Stone’s biopic “W.” which traced the ultimate rise to power of the former President (played by Josh Brolin). Though much of the movie was more or less frowned upon & viewed as sketchy by the Bush camp in general, it allowed people to see a side of him that was often rumored & discussed, but rarely documented & never before depicted on-screen.

It was at this point that I started to think to myself, ‘this dude actually ain’t that bad,’ sure he might have been misunderstood & aloof at times (ok, ok – most of the time, lol), but far from the devil reincarnate that many people would have you to believe that he was.

As far as his opponents & critics (including myself), I think his perceived lack of intelligence & foresight simply became the easiest thing to attack. Though I still question many of his domestic & foreign policy decisions, I feel I have a clearer understanding of why he felt the need to make some of the choices he did.

Then came his November 9th appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. To me, he appeared to be a far more relaxed & easy-going person & while I've come to understand this to be typical of most presidents following their respective presidencies during my lifetime, he seemed far more genuine in his responses to the various questions that Oprah placed upon him & she certainly threw some hardballs at him, so I was pleasantly surprised to observe the candor in his responses.

Sure, it's common for people of his stature to get coached before making appearances, but I don't really see the motivation for such in this instance. He's done with all hoopla we've come to know as being Head of State — so really, why would he even bother to put forth the effort of so triumphantly fooling people at this point? I realize at the end of the day he's still a politician, so it may be deeply ingrained into his subconscious after so many years, but I really don't feel that's the case in this instance.

I was especially interested in hearing his thoughts on the tanking of our economy, 9/11 & the Katrina/FEMA debacle. Those were definitely the biggest issues during his reign & he again succeeded in pacifying my thoughts, even though the hour-long format of the show only afforded him to briefly touch upon each topic. I can't really determine how his interview came across to other viewers at this point, but my gut leads me to believe that many felt the same afterwards.

I look forward to finishing the book & will undoubtedly share my conclusive thoughts of the man with you all upon doing so...