Poetry Jam, abesha style
June 4, 2009 at 3:59 pm 6 comments
Selam All,
This past Sunday, we had a wonderful time at the Tsehai Poetry Jam. So today, we have posted the best of Poet/Photographer Richard Beban photographs from Sunday’s incredible ‘Little Ethiopia: Intergenerational Conversation’ Poetry Jam presented by PEN USA, the Ethiopian Heritage Foundation and Tsehai Publishers.
This video will be posted in the near future. The photos are at my Flickr site as a set to browse through, or, if you just want to relax and not move a finger, as a slideshow.
Since we will have similar program at the Tsehai Conferences in Chicago, stay tuned by visiting The 4th Annual Interantional Tsehai Conferences. If you are a poet and would like to get involved, let us know. We would love to hear your feed back.
Akbariwo,
Elias WondimumPublisher & Editorial Director
Tsehai Publishers
Loyola Marymount University
One LMU Drive, UH 3012, Los Angelse, CA 90045
Entry filed under: Latest Posts.
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My e-Shoe Box 
1.
Ankami | June 10, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Gobes. Ienjoy a lot yoor slideshow.
2.
abesheet | June 10, 2009 at 11:37 pm
You certainly did, Inem. So nice to see you again bro. And, what do you know, with something for every one of us 🙂 . Now that you read, and testified, to the excellence of Zadie’s White Teeth, Mazzi may consider strolling down to the nearest B&N and checking it out. Last time I saw it, it was on the “Bargained price” section. Along a couple of good books i won’t have rubbed the eyes over buying if i were back in Ethiopia. That’s something i learned after arriving here. That nothing kicks and screams like the purse of your strings when you are in a “baEd ager” going through a recession.
By the way, if you have any photos or EELPA-related woes you’d like to share, Inem, feel free to mail them to abesheet@gmail.com. A friend sent me this file this morning, which cracked me up big time. I were only around for the “3 times a week” meBrat metfat “Qitat”. Even that, though, was unbelivably hard on me. Sitting in an empty room in a huge condo devoid of humans (none of my “goreMssa” neighbours came home until AFTER the lights came back), while a candle flickered like the dying breath of a consumptive patient, waiting (of all things) for ETV; you don’t know hardship until you been through that 🙂 .
Ankami:
I’m glad you liked the slides. They are my favorite too, the very reason for making the post actually. “Ewnetim little Ethiopia!!” were the words I uttered when seeing them. Something we’d see a lot of once the videos are uploaded as promised, hopefully.
Anchi!
Welcome, sis, and nice to see you. Laughed out loud when reading the “Kuri/viagra” part. I’ve seen her once in close quarters. A handsome woman who stands out (perhaps literally) above all. Wouldn’t put it past her. So you, too, like Aster Kebede? Every time i think about her, i think of Neway Debebe. Like Jennifer Aniston, she represents the unfairness of life and the heartache womenkind has to go through before maturing (“enBesilalen … bechGir essat teTebsen” enditil getamiwa) and knowing the ways of this world. Speaking of JenAniston, call me “shallow” if you will, but if these rumors about Angie and Brad calling it quits is true; I’m hosting a “Dil yale Digis” and inviting all abesha & abesheets to San Diego. For Angie, too, represents the type of female every one of us has the misfortune of coming across and dealing with: “The other woman” :mad:.
Alemtsehai used to indeed be a goddess. She, Hailu Tsegaye and Jemanesh Solomon were the apples of my young adoring eyes. The three people I’d have thought would get somewhere. Not so much nowadays. They are, ofcourse, still around. But it feels more like an attempt at not dying out completely, an “almotkum alehu” buchiria, than an actual presence. Kind of like what the undersigned is going through nowadays. Nothing like a “baEd ager” going through a recession to confuse the hell out of your self worth.
3.
Ankami | June 12, 2009 at 10:56 am
I just lnked you about Meklit Hadero
http://mamaetiopia.blogspot.com/2009/06/melit-hadero-otra-voz-etiope.html
4.
abesheet | June 12, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Hi Ankami,
Posted a spanish version of this response on your blog. You have either set your moderator on, or it simply didn’t like me. As I couldn’t find my comment look however hard I did for it. So here goes..
Inem:
That was a funny joke, mostly because I can HEAR the guy’s miret in “ere bakachu”. You know how we loved complaining, right? Making a mountain out of a mole hill?! Over the mebrat, the wuha, the werefa, the Qetero. And it always begun with “ere backachu”. It’s got the same woeful resonance [if that’s the word i want :roll:] to that of “ere tewu ataseQayun” and “the Judgement is upon us”.
Mazzi:
You should really consider joining facebook, girl. Coz every other ethiopian on the planet seem to have received that file yesterday. (Two of my abesha friends who have a holy reverence to the keyboard, in that they do not go near it unless somebody’s life is at stake, and Mesfin, my darling cousin, sent it to me on the same day). I’m glad you liked it though. “Gemed”…………. *sigh* how much do I miss thee. Lemme count the ways..
5.
Mazzi | June 12, 2009 at 5:41 pm
You know Abesheet, I have this major aversion to all the social networks out there (the likes of FaceBook, My Space, Tweeter and such…), and have yet to find it in me to create profile(s) for myself. It looks like that is where the 21st century life is heading, and one of these days I may be forced to join the band wagon and even learn to love it. Until then, however, I shall try to figure out how long my little rebellion can actually stand the tide.
So I guess I was among the other Ethiopians on the planet who did not receive the file of the amusing ‘Gemed Chewata’ by the electric towers. It sure was amusing.
Ever since I came across Meklit Hadero’s website some time back and listened to some of her music samples on the site and few more of YouTube, I have become a fan :-). I love the “Earthy” look/feel/sound to her art, and she sure gives the impression that she knows what she is doing. How many of us can really say that?! She has got a great potential to become a revered vocalist, and maybe even a poet with appeal in main stream circle. She reminds me a little of Jill Scott down to the hair do and vocal style.
What joy it would be to see Meklit perform live in an intimate setting, maybe a nice Jazz Club/joint. I truly miss those kinds of music events that I used to attend often when life was young and anything seemed possible! How times have changed… I wish Meklit the best of success, and hope to hear more of her music in the future.
6.
Ankami | June 15, 2009 at 8:56 am
Thank you Abesheet. I apreciate a lot your efort to read and write in Spanish and for feed our blog.
Kisses from Spain