(left to right) Dr. Walt Aikman, BOD secretary, Billye Chabot, BOD/Treasurer, Eli Hernandez, BOD member, Ellen Blalock, BOD member, Bill Berry, Jr. CEO/aaduna Inc., publisher/aaduna, Lisa Brennan, BOD member/aaduna visual arts editor & executive manager of administration and marketing Hosted by the historic and internationally recognized Seward House Museum and its director, Billy Chabot (a Board member,) the aaduna Board grappled with a variety of programmatic and strategic issues to chart the journal’s direction for 2017.  The Board encouraged and embraced organizational direction to expand and enhance editorial review of poetic genre submissions; provided options to broaden marketing and promotional initiatives, and offered workable suggestions and pertinent ideas to the planned May 2017 aaduna fundraiser planned for May 25 th at the carriage house theater (a.k.a. Theater Mack) at the CayugaMuseum in Auburn, NY.  The Board also decided to take un...

Author Michele Jones Galvin reads at "word, revisted" at the Carriage House Theater, Cayuga Museum While her and family were leaving Syracuse, NY at 2 AM this morning to drive south to Church Creek, Maryland to attend this weekend's official opening of the visitor center “dedicated to the life and mission of abolitionist and legendary Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman,” last evening, March 9th,  Michele Jones Galvin captivated her audience as she read from chapter five of her book, “'Beyond the Underground: Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People,” co-authored with her mother, Joyce Stokes Jones.   Ms. Jones Galvin , a Tubman descendant, kicked-off the inaugural season of “word, revisited’ a literary speakers’ series and open mic segment extolling the written word sponsored by Auburn, New York’s legendary Cayuga Museum of History and Art in partnership with Olive Trees (a three decades old print publication devoted to poets and writers) and...

The InterFaith Works and El-Hindi Center for Dialogue hosted its 2017 Racial Justice Awards Ceremony last night at Syracuse Stage in Syracuse, NY.  Interfaith Works, founded in 1976, builds “bridges of understanding among people of different religions and across racial divides."  The El-Hindi Center “serves as regional hub for constructive community engagement and the important work of dialogue” among disparate groups of people to foster mutual understanding and trust. The 2017 awards ceremony recognized Zau Jat N-Hkum with the Racial Justice Youth Award; Jawwaad  Rasheed received the Catalyst Award; the Organizational Award went to the Brady Faith Center located on the City’s South Side, and Auburn resident and social justice leader, Laurel Ullyette was bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award.   aaduna visual arts editor, Lisa Brennan with Laurel Ullyette, recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award Dick Ford, pianist and director o...

Artistry can easily be defined as a combination of skill, knowledge of craft, imagination, creative intent, and perseverance. But is that all of the story? I suspect it is how an artist intertwines, loops, twists and weaves all these nuances into a visual entity that ignites the viewer’s imagination and creates the need to see more, experience other levels of subtlety, instills the desire to embrace all that the artist has to offer. Some is never enough.   Unwrapping Vanessa: Fiber Memory Art by Vanessa Johnson is a visually mesmerizing exhibition of personal stories expressed in fabric, beads, small and found objects, and photographs. The exhibition explores Johnson’s new work that “honors the voices of women and girls who continue to influence the artist’s life, and speaks to her own transnational experience through women who inspire." Ms. Johnson combines her over two decade background as a fiber artist, writer, storyteller, community activist, and actor to bri...

aaduna needs 40 poets. When we started our initiative to celebrate National Poetry Month, we sought to identify 120 poets so we could post 4 poems per day during April, the fourth month of the calendar year, the month identified to be National Poetry Month.   40 opportunities remain available. We cannot write the poem that you have written.  We cannot submit the poem that you really want to share with the public. We cannot make you do what you want to do in your heart. We do not have a read and review period, no theme or length requirements; your poem can be unpublished or published.   We will give your work a public platform up to available postings.  Only you can make that happen. Send your poem as a Word doc. to info@aaduna.org The longer you wait, the less opportunities there will be.   Ali Baba needed 40 thieves...we are more honest!!!!! For more details of the 4 x 4 poetry initiative CLICK HERE  ...

So, what do you do when you are a successful and published poet with readings throughout the Northeast, publisher of poetry chapbooks, lecturer, creative consultant, and educator at New York University?   You write a play and enter a competitive, juried theatre review process. With over 100 submissions, and 26 finalists, The Downtown Urban Art Festival (DUAF) has selected to present a play penned by Cyd Charisse Fulton as one of its productions to celebrate its 2017 anniversary season.  Ms. Fulton is a founding poetry contributor to aaduna when this literary and visual arts journal premiered its inaugural issue in February 2011.    Photo via google images 15 th Anniversary Season Downtown Urban Art Festival CHERRY LANE THEATRE 38 Commerce Street New York City TUESDAY, May 16, 2017 at 7:00 PM EDUCATED AND STILL TRAPPED by Cyd Charisse Fulton Cyd Charisse Fulton, Downtown Urban Arts Festival Ida, an African Am...

We were advised this morning that aaduna now has a reading and viewing presence in 100 countries with the addition of Zimbabwe to the roster! Interestingly, we picked up Egypt and Paraguay earlier this week, and our views/week are also increasing. So, how will we celebrate? We will continue to do what we started in 2011…provide a publication platform for writers, poets, and visual artists, especially people of color and others who have been traditionally denied access to publishing opportunities due to unnecessary obstacles. We will continue to be multicultural and diverse in outlook and outreach to creative folk. We will continue to remain committed to our Mission , and maintain a supportive, nurturing and empowering spirit and environment for our community of contributors, readers, supporters, and submitters. We will not worry about adding countries (nor have we,) we will worry about how to continue to be vibrant, pertinent and an enhancement to the world of publishing. T...