Cyd Charisse Fulton, aaduna featured poet Happy Holidays aaduna Family and Best Wishes for a great New Year! Now, please pardon my vernacular, but I “grew some balls” participating in aaduna sponsored events, such as my poetry submission to aaduna’s premiere issue, the Seward House Museum’s First Friday presentation, the Centennial Celebration of the legacy of Harriet Tubman, and “Poets, Poetry and Spoken Word” at Hudson County Community College in Newark, New Jersey.   These amazing challenges forced me to write from my gut, work to preserve cultural history and begin Emphatic Publishing .   While the company is in its infant stages, I have managed to publish three poetry chapbooks.   ·         Sky Bop , by Kevin Jenkins is a brilliant collection of poetry influenced by Black love and Jazz.   ·         Emphatic Radical is my poetic kaleidoscope of Black cultural awareness...

Home With aromas that bring you back to earlier times and Christmas music wafting through living spaces With TV offering classic holiday movies and young adults away at college now back home rejuvenating their old friendships and other children finding new ways to keep their parents ever watchful With your shopping winding down or just gearing up, you hope that your credit card will not be compromised, and you may not know that Nordstrom has free shipping not only for Christmas but Kwanzaa as well!   Imagine that…. Kwanzaa. With this ‘n’ that still to do…glasses of libation being passed around according to need or desire…and the taste for something to munch on having a life of its own, Take a step back. Breathe.   And remember what this holiday season is really about for you and your family. Regardless of when or how celebrated, aaduna wishes everyone a safe and festive Holiday Season and trusts that the new year will bring each of us ...

aaduna publisher, bill berry, jr., aaduna contributors and authors Joyce Stokes Jones and Michele Jones Galvin We take great pleasure in sharing with you that aaduna contributors Joyce Stokes Jones and Michele Jones Galvin have announced the release of their new book, Beyond the Underground: Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People published by Sankofa Media based out of Syracuse, New York. aaduna had the distinction of publishing "Chapter Five" from the then yet unpublished manuscript in the Volume 2, Number 2 issue. Afterwards with ongoing support and encouragement from aaduna's publisher bill berry, jr. and other Jones/Galvin "champions," the authors worked diligently with a variety of talented people (literary agent Laura Ponticello, editor Courtney Rae Kasper, illustrator London Ladd, graphic artist Karen Nelson, website designer Ashtian Holmes, women's studies professor Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner, and John Galvin to name just a few) to make a dre...

The Background: "The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976 is the most honored literary project in America .  The prize was named among the most influential projects in the history of American publishing by Publishers Weekly . Since 1976, hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in the annual collections. The Pushcart Prize has been a labor of love and independent spirits since its founding. It is one of the last surviving literary co-ops from the 60's and 70's. The aaduna Announcement: Pushcart Prize Nominees The following four (4) nominees are from our spring 2013 issue: Poetry: Kelly Grace Thomas Kelly Grace Thomas - Unfinished Ode Lindsey Ferrentino Fiction: Lindsey Ferrentino - Dragon Woman Ronald Gauthier Ronald Gauthier - The Teenager and The Dyer Bill Non-Fiction: Essay T...

   aaduna Board of Directors (left to right) Sheila Applegate, Billye Chabot, Walt Aikman, Ellen Blalock (sitting,) bill berry, jr., Eli Hernandez  (photo by Lisa Brennan)  With a pre-meeting dinner of slow-cooked homemade chili, mixed greens with mushrooms, grape tomatoes and a spicy tomato/apple cider artisan vinaigrette served with crusty fresh baked bread, the aaduna Board of Directors completed its last meeting of 2013 on November 18. This session signaled the start of a challenging and exciting ‘new year’ for the publication.    With plans approved to initiate a refocusing of the web site’s design, functionality and outreach, the Board set the stage for aaduna to expand its institutional capacity building, and achieve an enhanced presence in social media in 2014.    Ellen Blalock, Eli Hernandez, Billye Chabot aaduna, Inc. the publication arm for aaduna , also plans to create additional organizational partnersh...

Christine Green aaduna featured Christine Green’s work in all three literary genres: poetry, fiction and non-fiction in the spring/summer 2011 issue, a feat not yet duplicated. The journal re-visited with her when her poetry was published in the winter/spring 2013 Second Anniversary issue.   Christine has also participated in aaduna-sponsored readings in Auburn and Rochester , NY . Here is a brief excerpt from her continuing journey as a writer, promoter of the written word and literary activist. Katherine Weston, owner of Different Path Art Gallery in Brockport , NY , first began presenting literary readings in August of 2010 in conjunction with the opening of her gallery. At that time, Tom Holmes hosted and organized monthly readings. When Holmes moved away from Brockport, Christine Green took over hosting responsibilities. Green has been organizing, presenting, and advertising the reading series since September 2012. She searches out, and interviews poten...

Auburn, NY crackled with the spirit, vitality and legacy of Harriet Tubman as the Harriet Tubman Boosters Club in partnership with The Seward House Museum and Women’s Rights National Historical Park kicked off its “Harriet Tubman: No Longer Underground” Symposium from November 8-9, 2013 at Cayuga Community College.   The symposium championed several noted scholars and authors who spoke about their latest research on Tubman; provided programs for educators to enhance their school curriculum offerings regarding Tubman, as well as site visits and tours to the Tubman Home, Seward Museum and National Women’s Rights National Historical Park .   Dr. Kate Clifford Larson, keynote speaker The symposium also included a Keynote Banquet at the Springside Inn on Friday evening where bill berry, jr., aaduna’s publisher and CEO of aaduna, Inc., served as master of ceremonies.   Dr. Kate Clifford Larson was the distinguished keynoter.   Her topic was “Har...

LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs contributed poetry to the premier issue of aaduna in February 2011.  A prolific writer and performing artist, Ms. Diggs continues to explore new avenues to present her work and cast her unique glow over audiences.  Awhile ago, she initiated a “report” to keep her fan based connected to what she is up to, and we decided that our readership may want to follow her creative career more closely.  Here is the information that you need:  Subscribe to The La Digga Report . LaTasha's new book, TwERK, is now available at Belladonna Books , SPD , La Casa Azu l, St. Marks Bookshop , McNally Jackson and Book Woman For further information: LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs Writer, Sound Artist, Curator, Harlemite Skype: Nevada1970 http://latashadiggs.tumblr.com/

As you know, aaduna celebrated Tubman’s Centennial in March on the day that she died 100 years ago. Since the Tubman recognitions have been worldwide, we thought our readership would like to know about the following event: On November 8 and 9, 2013, Cayuga Community College will host “Harriet Tubman: No Longer Underground,” a two-day symposium marking the centennial of the death of Harriet Tubman in 1913. Co-Sponsored by the Harriet Tubman Boosters Club, the Seward House Museum, and the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, the symposium will celebrate the life and work of the heroic African American woman who escaped slavery, conducted other slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, served the Union Army during the Civil War, and worked as a humanitarian and advocate for women’s rights throughout the 50 years she lived in Auburn, New York. The program will include leading historians presenting new research and insights about Harriet Tubman, highlighting th...

Tamara J. Madison Greetings aaduna community!  Let me begin by saying congratulations on the success of aaduna! I am excited about the wealth and range of work that I am seeing on the site and the amazing and hardworking artists that are a part of it.  I am also honored to be a part of the aaduna community! I was humbled, surprised, and grateful when aaduna first published my work.  It was work that I considered to be very risky but important. I also knew that many publishers would not wish to take such risks and/or that it simply would not reflect their platform or meet the interests of their readers. aaduna welcomed me with open arms, supported my vision of the work, and supported me graciously as an independent artist.  It has encouraged and inspired me to the extent of moving forward and self-publishing.  I am delighted to share that the work first published by aaduna is now HOT OFF THE PRESS and FRESH FROM THE STUDIO!  Ken...

Notwithstanding technical and logistical challenges, aaduna's  current issue is available for your perusal and reading pleasure at www.aaduna.org  aaduna's cover art, Summer/Fall 2013           aaduna's home page cover Summer/Fall, Carrie O'Grady artist (c) 2013 We are very excited about this issue’s eclectic writing and the diversity of our contributors in terms of their writing style, creative expressions and the locales that they call home.  Please inform all your social media contacts and e-lists recipients about the launch and invite them to check the issue out.  Of course, feel free to encourage those folks who write poetry, fiction and non-fiction to consider submitting their unpublished work to us (submissions manager@aaduna.org) since we are now accepting submissions for the winter 2014 issue through to November 13 th . In addition, take note that Argentina just joined the countries tha...

As the publisher, my colleagues and I have always felt that aaduna must  embrace and publish the “voices” of people of color, disenfranchised creative people, and the full array of other poignant writers and artists who express ideals that define, challenge and celebrate the entire range of human emotions and beliefs.  aaduna is multicultural in purpose, attitude and belief; diverse and pluralistic in publishing practice with a proven track-record, and globally driven while maintaining a focus on local and regional expressions.  Our ambition continues to be to create a welcoming environment where creative people can experiment, challenge, conform, or try something different in a safe and nurturing ambiance.  Artist driven and focused, aaduna is a safe harbor for creativity.  You may doubt our intent.  If that is the case, discover the writers and artists we have published; read and see their work.  Creativity and intent can readily stand...

aaduna mascot, "Cleopatra" - one of two Sphynx cats (her brother Cairo not available as he was sleeping at the time) sits by bill berry's side overseeing the publishing operation of aaduna's upcoming issue - due to launch within the next several days ~  STAY TUNED!!!!!!!     DISCLAIMER: Oh, while it may look like it, bill is not kissing or trying to suck the sides of this cat (LOL.)

Bobbie Panek is a Auburn, NY based poet whose works elicits the range of emotions that people go through.  More of her work is coming in the summer/fall 2013 issue...soon. "The Heart of the City" by Bobbie Panek Had a great time returned at 1 a.m. went on the harbor cruise on the Hudson and East River and on the uptown and downtown Manhattan tour buses our heads swimming with sounds colors textures smells shapes frenzy pastoral peace in Central Park Dakota Building where John Lennon died Leonardo Decaprio's Hudson River high rise Harlem 's Apollo Theater Wall Street’s narrow minds horses saris Soho and Hoboken homeless with signs bridal parties and pigeons Ginka Biloba gifts from Chinese churches with spires buildings so high you can't see the tops even when you stretch your neck back streets and people yellow taxis and people street vendors and people so much history an...