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Second
Friday!
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Jeanne
Towns -
Professional Arts Activities/Achievements
Maxine
Hong Kingston posed the question, How do people who don’t write endure their
lives? I can expand on that question by asking, how do people who
don’t embrace their artistic side endure their lives? Art, and in my case
I’m referring to literature,” has always sustained me. It’s given me
something to hold on to, a reason keep pressing forward, to live in a world
that is increasingly menacing and malevolent. The spirited way Tony Morrison
weaves Black life into a sassy song of triumph and hope is art at its very
best. The ride Alice Walker takes us on in her award winning novel, The Color
Purple, whereby we bear witness to the life of an oppressed and broken woman (Celie),
then jubilantly celebrate her metamorphosis into a woman of resilience and
substance, is art that compels me; and when Gabrial Garcia Marquez pens
mesmerizing stories about everyday people loving and in love that resonates
with fire and passion, I am transfixed. These gifted writers, who minister and
sustain us through their vibrant work are why I write and have continued to do
so.
To
date, I have had over 40 poems published, along with a collection of poetry
titled Lovin Me As I Am. I have also had a host of short
stories and articles published with topics that range from resilient African
American men who have succeeded as fathers, businessmen and role models in
spite of dismal odds, to a young woman triumphing over spousal abuse.
My
writing career can be traced back to a reading I attended in the ‘80s at
Roosevelt
University
, where I had the honor of hearing Poet Laureate, Gwendolyn Brooks read. Ms.
Brooks read a hauntingly beautiful poem titled The Mother, about a woman
wrestling with the aftermaths of abortion. You felt the mom’s regret and you
knew that she loved her unborn child, despite the finality of death. Ms.
Brooks later referred me to the Organization of African American Culture (OBAC),
one of the most prestigious writing organizations in the midwest, where
I later became an officer and member. OBAC toured the
Midwest
performing readings, hosting other writers and artists, and publishing the
works of both established and aspiring artists. Some of OBACs alumni include
Haki Madhubuti and Margaret Burroughs.
From 1992 to 1997, I taught poetry in Chicago Public Schools, under the
auspices of Urban Gateways, a renowned arts education facility. Afterwards, I
continued to participate in
Chicago
’s literary community. To date, I have received a number of Special
Assistance Grants, as well as grants and honors from the
Chicago
Cultural
Center
and the
New York
based, Poets and Writers, and The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
Later, I taught a series of poetry workshops at Chicago Public Libraries, the
Robert Taylor Housing Projects and a host of suburban high schools. In
September 2003, I returned to Urban Gateways.
In
spring and summer of 2004, I taught poetry at Dwight Correctional Facility, a
maximum security prison for women. There, I met a group of spirited women who
had endured both sexual and physical abuse, yet they gave me more than I could
ever give them, as they found a reason to laugh and embrace life despite
numerous adversities.
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The
Peoples Church of Chicago