Tamara J. Madison Tamara J. Madison and Cyd Charisse Fulton are participating at this weekend's 11th National Black Writers conference convened at Medgar Evers College, The City University of New York in Brooklyn.  aaduna has a unique professional development objective and with the support of the Sovereign Foundation, these two contributing writers will pursue those workshops and events that can enhance their writing career.  Cyd Charisse Fulton They will also be joined by Adeola Adeniyi, a writer featured in the First Anniversary/winter-spring 2012  issue.  In addition to these writers, Camille Goodison, who we hope to publish in the summer issue, will also participate in the conference. Tamara and Cyd will write about individual experiences at the conference and aaduna  will share those reflections in the near future.   

"Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events." This is how aaduna will celebrate in Jersey City, NJ!

Sheila Applegate, author "Enchanted One" - featured non-fiction, aaduna Spring/Summer 2011 issue   "I would say that the most defining event in my early years was the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie , Scotland . I was an SU [ Syracuse University ] exchange Student in London  the semester leading up to that tragedy. Many of my friends and most of my fellow students were on the plane that went down just before Christmas. "My first experience in England  had been several years earlier through a High School exchange program. I now understand that the family I stayed with in High School is part of my soul family. As a result, we experienced an instant recognition, love and sisterhood. Because the Browns felt like family to me, I decided to stay through the holiday and spend Christmas with them. This choice in essence saved my life as it kept me from being on the flight home with the other SU students." Read the entire interview with Sheila.  Cli...

I am White. I am not unproud of it. Even here I can’t say I’m proud of it or people immediately put white sheets on you. I am White. At least, by American government standards when you have to fill in the bubble. My family has Native American blood inserted somewhere. That doesn’t count, though. For all intents and purposes, I am as White and European as John Smith. Hell, John Smith may as well be my father. I am white. I am Irish, German, French, Scotch, Welsh. White. But that’s only on the side that cared enough to trace lineage. I’m sure the whole continent of Europe – East and West – is represented in my single white composition. I’m sure that there are drops of Black somewhere, but I can’t claim that. They won’t let me. That’s worse than claiming Native American. I can’t be Native. I can’t be Black. I can’t be Asian. I can’t be Latin. They won’t have me. Therefore, I am White. I am not a racist. I am nervous Read Ami Danett's full story in the current issue of aaduna...

aaduna First Anniversary winter/spring issue Home Page Cover - "Africa 27" - Collette V. Fournier, Photographer (c) 2012 IT' S A CELEBRATION! IT IS OFFICIAL. THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY ISSUE IS NOW AVAILABLE! CHECK IT OUT GO VISIT www.aaduna.org Tell your friends.  Help spread the word around the world!  aaduna 

An excerpt from Keith G. Laufenberg's short story, "Life Without." T he reason that the Cat got life without the possibility of parole was because Maximum McDow had enticed her snitches to testify that there had been a certain number of kilos of coke involved in the deals. See, Maximum McDow wasn’t just satisfied with a simple conviction, she wanted a conviction where there would be the maximum punishment allowed, and then meted out. See, I know all about this shyster McDow because I finished law school in 1994 and have been practicing criminal law ever since. The Cat is incarcerated in Atlanta , at the federal pen there, where he’s doing triple life, each life sentence followed without the possibility of parole. That’s right, you heard me right, triple life; let me explain that, see, what happened is that Maximum McDow had some old drug cases that she wanted to clear off her books and the easiest way for her to do it, now that she had a ‘drug kingpin,’ the Cat, alread...

Frank A Gladden, fiction writer/poet, Silver Spring, Maryland 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee and contributor to last year's premier issue, Frank A. Gladden  returns with another poignant story titled, "Needs" that will ignite your imagination.  Here is a brief excerpt:   The police officer glanced around again, pulled his sunglasses down his nose, and slid out the car. He adjusted his cap and pushed his glasses up with his finger, tossed his Playboy magazine on the seat of his cruiser and walked in my direction.             "Hey slick!" he yelled.             I turned around to face the tall, imposing, ruddy-faced man with what appeared to be burn scars covering the left side of his face—striding toward me. Several cars on the narrow street slowed to a stop.             “Me?" I asked, tou...