Share an evening of jazz and poetry featuring Marvin F. Cockrell and Focus with your beloved amidst the backdrop of the captivating exhibit, “Color in Freedom,” by Joseph A. Holston. Admission $15 per person includes hors d’œuvres. Non-refundable pre-paid reservations required by Feb. 10. To make reservations, call 314-241-7057 or send e-mail to thegriotmuseum@aol.com
Week six of the Sightlines internet tour continues today at Molly Lundquist’s Lit Lovers site–geared for a well-read community of book clubs. Molly interviews Janet about her inspiration for the Sightlines Collection, posts a reader’s guide with reviews, and includes a scrapple recipe from Janet’s father.
As the last post in Women’s MemoirWomen of Inspiration s Women’s History Month question of what women inspire us, I wrote about the Women of Inspiration in my life. It honors eight women who give me hope in becoming the kind of old woman I want to be. All six are in their 80’s and…
“Trade Winds, Flash Flood,” original instrumental by Nancy Lippencott (music video on You Tube). Nancy is our neighbor on Riehl Lane. Pop and I used to play with her.–JGR
AJE – Al Jazeera–English version of the Arabic-language news network. Breaking news and features plus background material including profiles and global reactions. My friend Judy Tart says: For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been watching Al-Jazeera streaming on-line to get the latest and best coverage of the uprisings in the Middle East, and I’ve…
Well, gosh! Heather Summerhayes Cariou and I tied as Grand Prize Winners for Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett’s Womens Memoirs Memoir Writing Contest Featuring Favorite Holidays. Heather Summerhayes Cariou’s story “The Sweet Ghost of Christmas Past” is published today on Womens Memoirs My story “Passage into Elderhood: Happy 60th Birthday” will be published soon. This…
Ron Gregory organized a marvelous evening. I, as usual in polarized racial St. Louis (goodness!), was pretty much the only white folk there. But, luckily, I feel comfortable. After five years in Africa surrounded by Africans, this is no novelty. Came with a friend. Sat at mostly an all-woman table…really nice woman. Mostly boomers. For…
Someone just told me this definition of Griot. Wonder if they got it from Wikipedia? –Janet
A griot is a West African poet, praise singer, and wandering musician, considered a repository of oral tradition. As such, they are sometimes also called bards. In African languages, griots are referred to by a number of names: jeli in northern Mande areas, jali in southern Mande areas, guewel in Wolof, gawlo in Pulaar (Fula), and igiiw (or igawen) in Hassaniyya Arabic. Griots form an endogamous caste, meaning that most of them only marry fellow griots and that those who are not griots do not normally perform the same functions that they perform.