What an amazing two weeks!

On the first of the month I moved from my apartment in Fort Greene [thin walls, slamming doors, issues with the snorer] to another apartment in Fort Greene. It has certainly been a full year of transition and reshaping for me, but I feel like I found my NYC apartment for now. [Not the house I'm seeking, but a decent spot to lay my head, do my work and get away from it all].

A few days after I moved, two good friends invited me to Los Angeles for the Fourth festivities. I swam, I sunned, I hung out with some of favorite people in the world and I slept. For some odd reason, I couldn't snap out of this lethargy. I was yawning way past noon. Maybe it was the smog, or the record-breaking heat; maybe it was a need for much-needed rest creeping up on me, maybe somebody was dropping sedatives in the drinking water. Whatever it was I was one yawning brother. [For my L.A. friends I wasn't able to see... I'll be back soon.]

I also made a great connection with a film company and wishing for continued growth and work with them. I even had a chance to holiday in San Diego with a my long-time Hortense. And I must say she was full of light and love and focus... I was so proud and happy for her. She is one LIGHTED SOUL.

When I returned to NYC, I hooked up with another long-time friend Karla Brundage. She was in town on book tour for her poetry collection SWALLOWING WATERMELON. I've known Karla since my early neo-soul bohemian performance poetry days in San Francisco. Karla lived directly across the street from me in Oakland, and when I started teaching Fourth grade she gave me her car. It was a broke down mess of a car, but Karla gave it to me and I was grateful. It kept me mobile for many a day.

On Friday of last week, Karla was reading her poetry at the Nuyorican Poetry Cafe [the legendary] and she asked yours truly to share the mic. I read, for the first time, a long excerpt from my short story JESUS AND THE WHITE CAMARO. I was excited and honored and inspired and the audience really seemed to love it. Thank you, Karla. Your poetry was pouring sensuality and honestly all up in the place!

A day later, I was in Memphis, Tennessee attending the annual ADKINS-PEEKS family reunion. My dad's people. It was such a great time. We had this amazing tour guide who navigated us through Memphis' rich black history and never held back the truth behind the truth of how daunting life was for many poorer blacks in that area prior to Dr. Martin Luther King.

I certainly slept for a good two days upon my return to NYC, but it was such a great time to travel and create and gain knowledge.

Oh, I almost forgot. Upon landing at Newark International Airport from Memphis, I quickly hurried for a 1pm rehearsal of a short play by Amy Evans at the Culture Project. Along with a few other amazing young actors and directed amazingly by Daniella Topol, we rocked the house in a play examining the silence of women in Darfur. You have to catch me on the street to get the 411 on the explosive symposium following the play.

An amazing two weeks!

My favorite quote from Memphis: I was swimming in the pool at the La Quinta Inn. Simple swimming. Underwater, floating on my back, several dives under the water. Well, this 11 year old boy paddles over to me and says to his cousins, "Look, y'all, he's swimming on top of the water. [then to me] "How did you learn to swim like that? You went to school for swimming, didn't you?"

Until next time,

Keith