#189: Confessions of an Academic (Friday, August 13)

I first met Emma Benn a couple years ago at what was supposed to be a book club gathering. They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but immediately I could tell that she was artistic and she was smart. Very smart. She didn't say much, but her comments were informed and thought-provoking. I like people like that; people you can have a good discussion with. Plus, I don't know many people who would've left from upper Manhattan and trek all the way to Brooklyn--in the summer--for a book club. A party, maybe, but certainly not a book club.

But Emma's today's Good Friday for her poetry. She's a spoken word artist who's performed in Philadelphia and NYC’s poetry circuit, including the infamous Nuyorican Poetry Café. She's just released her sophomore album, Confessions of an Academic, which is really about her personal journey as a young, black, talented lesbian living in America.

So, you should listen to her album. Because she writes from the heart, because she's following her dream, and because I said so. LOL. To order a copy via PayPal, email PoetAcademic@gmail.com.

And if you're in New York City, come to Emma's album release party this evening at 8pm at Billies Black Lounge/Restaurant. 271 W119TH Street in Manhattan (www.billiesblack.com)

Be excellent!