When I Read: We Real Cool

A while back I mentioned that I actually read when I was little. Mother's an English teacher so I had no real choice. And while I prized books- especially series about babysitters in Connecticut- I also loved a good poem. Unsurprisingly, most poems I read, memorized and spoke out loud dealt with the African American experience.

Well one Christmas, like any teachers child, I opened up my wrapped books to find a thin paperback copy of black poems. I excitedly read it, and then my sister and I did our first Last Poets-esque piece around the Christmas tree. I don't think the recording ever worked, but I'll always always love this piece.

This You Tube piece also had Digable Planets "Rebirth of Slick (Cool like that)" as the background piece...and I mentioned my admiration of them in this OSF piece.

Happy Wednesday!!!

We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks
THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.



We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

Old School Friday: Jazz Rebirth

This week's Old School Friday is all about Jazz. Since I disappeared for a long time, I thought my choice was fitting as a rebirth of my status. Enjoy the Jazz and Rap Fusion!

Digable Planets- Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)


And because I can make anything become related to Do The Right Thing, peep Spike's use of jazz, hip hop, and Spanish music to create this scene. ( No it's not my You Tube account, but I did have to write an essay on this clip.)



Happy OSF!
Check out other participants here:http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

Random sidenote: Thelonious Monk went to my high school. There was a memory cube on the first floor (music floor) dedicated to him.