Welcome to Love's Troubadours, a
Lorraine Hansberry-inspired novel series about people learning and living as they love.Ananda
Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke (www.anandaleeke.com) is the author of the series. Click here to find out how it was made: www.lovestroubadours.com/id7.html.
The first book in the Love's Troubadours'
series is entitled Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One (iUniverse,
Inc. - August 2007). It tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething Oakland-born BoHo B.A.P.
(Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. The novel begins with Karma's
life in an uproar. Her relationships and the museum curator career that she struggled to form in New York City have crumbled,
leaving no viable options to rebuild. Relocating to Washington, DC, Karma struggles with denial, depression, and debt.
A lack of full-time employment opportunities forces her to craft a gypsy existence as a Jill of Many Trades: yoga teacher,
art consultant, and freelance curator at Howard University Gallery of Art. Unable and unwilling to appreciate these jobs as
gifts, she wallows in a pool of lost identity-and doesn't see a way to keep from drowning. When she looks in the mirror, Karma sees a woman whose choices have dishonored her true character.
Now, for the first time in her life, Karma must learn to see herself for who she really is.
Love's
Troubadours - Karma: Book One is available on Amazon.com for $20.95. To purchase a copy, click on the link below.
Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Essence Magazine, Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, Mother's Day,
and Women's Health Week in May.
The United States of America celebrates Asian Pacific
American Heritage Month in May to honor the contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent.The celebration began in 1987 when Congress passed a joint Congressional Resolution to commemorate Asian American Heritage
Week during the first week of May. This week was chosen to pay tribute to the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants in
America on May 7, 1843, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad by many Chinese laborers on May 10, 1869. The
week expanded into a month long celebration several years later.For more information about Asian and Pacific
Islanders in America, visit www.apahistory.com/about.html.Be
sure to visit the Coalition
of Asian Pacific American's web site featuring information about its annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival on
May 10 New York City - www.capaonline.org.To learn more about cultural events sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, visit
www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage%5Fmonth.
Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One is a novel that celebrates Asian culture, cuisine, art, and spiritual practices.Love's
Troubadours readers meet Thai and Indian characters with family roots in Thailand, England, India, Pakistan, and the
United States of America.They visit Thai and Indian restaurants in Washington, DC and Chicago.They also attend a festive Indian Hindu wedding.In addition, they become familiar with the Chinese
practice of feng shui, artwork of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, spiritual significance of the Chinese goddess Kuan Yin, and Buddhist teachings.
This year Essence Magazine celebrates 38 years of existence. Essence was founded in May 1970. The
birth of Essence was an important moment in Author Ananda Leeke's life because it helped to shape her
vision of Black womanhood. At the time, Ananda was six years old. Her mother Theresa brought home a copy of
Essence and let her look at the pictures of Black women. Ananda had never seen so many different images of Black women.
She thought they were all beautiful. As she got older, Ananda spent hours reading and re-reading her mother's copies
of Essence. Essence became her Black woman's Bible and inspired her to become a lawyer, artist, writer,
and entrepreneur.
Ananda paid tribute to Essence in Love's Troubadours - Karma:
Book One by creating a scene featuring the novel's main character Karma Francois reading an Essence article about
online dating. Author Connie Briscoe wrote the article. To learn more about Essence, visit www.essence.com.
On May 1, 1950, Illinois Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks became the first African American to
win a Pulitzer Prize for Annie Allen (1949), a volume of poetry. Ms. Brooks is featured
in Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One. The book includes a scene where main character Karma recalls
seeing Ms. Brooks perform her poem "We Real Cool" at a social gathering held at her Uncle Wilson's home
in Chicago. For more information about Ms. Brooks' life, visit Chicago State University's Gwendolyn Brooks
Center - www.csu.edu/GwendolynBrooks/index.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwendolyn_Brooks.
May also marks the celebration of Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11.Mother's Day offers us an opportunity to honor the women
in our life who have nurtured, supported, and loved us from childhood to adulthood. These mothering folk also include ourselves
and men.Each of us has the spirit and love of a mother inside of us.That's why
we should celebrate the gift of mothering.If you are looking for unique Mother's Day gifts, visit
www.cafepress.com/kiamshacom and purchase Love's Troubadours' apparel and products.
Click here to buy copies of Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One: www.lovestroubadours.com/id26.html. The novel tells the story of a woman who mothers herself in her healing journey
and learns to forgive her own mother so that their mother-daughter relationship can heal and flourish.
Women's Health is celebrated in May.May
1-3 marks the inaugural National Black Women's Health Conference titled, "I Am Every Woman." It will
be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel downtown. The keynote speakers for the event are Pearl Cleage
(Author, Poet, Playwriter), Dr. Celeste Clark of the Kellogg's Company, Dr. Rogsbert Phillips (Breast Cancer Specialist)
and Dr. Lynn Perry-Bottinger (Cardiologist). In addition, the session speakers are embellished with tremendous accolades including
Mrs. Xernona Clayton of the Trumpet Awards Foundation. For more information, visit www.nbwhc.com.
May 11-17 is the 9th annual National
Women's Health Week. It is a nationwide initiative coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services'
Office on Women's Health (OWH), to encourage women to make their health a top priority and take simple steps for a longer,
healthier and happier life. For more information, visit www.womenshealth.gov/whw. Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One promotes mental, physical,
and sexual health awareness in the lives of African American women.Love's Troubadours' readers
learn about the importance of sexual self-pleasure, HIV/AIDS awareness grassroots efforts, and addressing mental health and
stress-related concerns with the support of therapy, spirituality, yoga, meditation, chanting, journaling, communication,
family, and friends.They also witness the impact that sarcoidosis has on African American women and their
families.
May is a great month to spend time learning about women's
health online resources. See the list of women's health links below.Make sure you
visit Girly Home Webzine, a fabulous online lifestyle magazine that caters to women of color. It focuses on providing
women of color with news across a wide range of topics including mental and physical health, beauty and wellness, food and
wine, the art of femininity and etiquette, financial savvy, society and culture, and home comforts. http://girlyhomewebzine.com
B. Health Organizations, Web Sites,
E-Zines, Blogs, and Message Boards
1. Black Women's Health Imperative (Celebrating 25 years on June 21, 2008 in DC) is the only organization
devoted solely to advancing the health and wellness of America's 19.5 million Black women and girls through advocacy,
community health and wellness education and leadership development. Founded as the National Black Women's Health Project
in 1983 by health activist and McArthur genius Byllye Y. Avery, the Imperative promotes optimal health for African American
women across their lifespan - physically, mentally and spiritually. www.blackwomenshealth.org/site/c.eeJIIWOCIrH/b.3082485
2. National Mental Health Association (NMHA) is dedicated to helping ALL people live
mentally healthier lives. With our more than 320 affiliates nationwide, NMHA represents a growing movement of Americans who
promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation - everyday and in times of crisis. www.nmha.org
3. Depression
Is Real Coalition is a group of physician, patient and constituency groups that has come together to run an educational campaign
about depression. These groups are concerned about confusing messages in popular culture suggesting that depression is "just
the blues" or worse, a "made-up disease." The goal of the Coalition is to help people suffering from depression,
their families, friends and the general public to understand these essential facts about depression. www.depressionisreal.org
4. Blackwomenshealth.com (BWH) is a company that was founded in January 1999 by David P. Pryor, M.D., a board
certified Internal Medicine physician. We have a staff of talented writers, including physicians, nutritionists, and a ministerial
staff, as well as corporate managers and executives. BlackWomensHealth.com is dedicated to promoting the physical, mental
and spiritual wellness of today’s African American woman. Furthermore, the site will educate and empower women on ways
to improve their health status in an effort to live happier, more productive lives. www.blackwomenshealth.com
5. Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation,
Inc. promotes appropriate mental health care, service delivery and theoretical understanding of all the mental health programs.
http://blackmentalhealth.com
6. HealthyMinds.org, the American Psychiatric Association’s
online resource for anyone seeking mental health information. Here you will find information on many common mental health
concerns, including warning signs of mental disorders, treatment options and preventative measures. www.healthyminds.org
7. England's Waltham Forest Black People's Mental Health Association offers a range of services to
adults with mental health problems and their carers who live in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. People are usually referred
by the local mental health teams and other agencies. We also accept self-referrals - those not yet in the system. www.bpmha.org 8.
Girly Home Webzineis an online lifestyle magazine that caters exclusively to discriminating ladies of color. Dr.
Yakini is the brains (and beauty!) behind this lifestyle webzine focused on providing women with news across a wide range
of topics including mental and physical health, beauty and wellness, food and wine, the art of femininity and etiquette, financial
savvy, society and culture, and home comforts. http://girlyhomewebzine.com
9. Black Women Speak! is a community
blog for Black women of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities to speak from the heart to each other about everything. www.blackwomenspeak.com/speak/index.php
11. Black Women for Wellness is committed to healing, educating, and supporting Black
Women! It started as sisterfriends with the Birthing Projected in Los Angeles in 1994. www.bwwla.com/index.php
12. Our Bodies,
Our Blog features daily blog posts about women's health news and analysis. It was established by Our Bodies Ourselves
(OBOS), also known as the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective (BWHBC), a nonprofit, public interest women’s
health education, advocacy, and consulting organization. http://ourbodiesourblog.org
18. The Women's Sexual Health Foundation supports a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of sexual
health issues and serves as an educational resource for both the lay public and healthcare professionals. http://www.twshf.org/
Poetry Recommendations From The Love's Troubadours Team
Poet/Musician/Scholar/Activist/Author Tim'm T. West's poetic memoirs and poetry
chapbook are some of Author Ananda Leeke's favorite books to read. See descriptions below.
Courage of form, courage of content. Sensuous thinking. Radical motion. Tim'm T. West carries forward
Audre Lorde's practice of poetry as the "light by which we scrutinize our lives." With its embrace-critique
of origins and its bravura leap from academic precincts into vernactular revelations, this book renews my hope for our collective
survival."
— Jan Clausen, author
of Apples and Oranges: My Journey Through Sexual Identity
Bare: Notes From A Porchdweller
Tim'm West's new chapbook BARE contains more of the thoughtful dialogue
on spaces and self begun with Red Dirt Revival but is contextualized by many of his new experiences since moving from his
"second home" in Oakland to Washington D.C. Funny, sexy, moving and immediate, BARE evidences West's motivation
to continually re invent and recontextualize the self as a means of creating fresh spaces for our truth telling.
Flirting
Flirting is Tim'm T. West's poignant follow-up to Red Dirt Revival:
a poetic memoir in six breaths. Another poetic memoir, expressed mostly through poetry (though also prose and essay), West
flirts with memory, girls, boys, danger, politics, and romance". Known for his brave testimonials, West writes in the
tradition of poets like Audre Lorde, Essex Hemphill, and Pablo Neruda who all seize language as a tool reflecting social change
while bridging political and erotic landscapes. While rooted in his experiences as black, gay-identified poet, emcee, activist,
and educator, Flirting is an invitation to (re)connect others to that optimistic, joyful space where, even between rocks and
hard places, hope springs eternal.
Has Artist/Author Ananda Leeke's work made a difference
in your life this year? If yes, then click on the PayPal button above
and make a donation to Kiamsha.com, LLC, Leeke's healing arts company. PayPal offers Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
secured payment options.It also offers a PayPal card that you can use for other purchases. Many thanks
in advance for your gift. It is greatly appreciated!
Kiamsha.com, LLC promotes creativity through coaching
and expressive arts, teaches contemplative practices (i.e. yoga, Reiki healing touch, meditation, breathing exercises, journaling,
affirmations, and prayer), and builds community that awakens your soul and transforms your life.
AKOMA is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that represents the heart and
means keep an open heart filled with compassion.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
WHAT IS LOVE'S
TROUBADOURS?
Love's Troubadoursis a healing fiction series that features stories told by people who are learning and living as they
love. The healing fiction series is deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of the West African griot and troubadours
of the French Middle Ages. To learn more about these traditions, read the sections below.
Senegalese Griot, 1890
WHAT IS A GRIOT?
A griot is a West African poet, storyteller, historian, advisor, arbitrator, and wandering musician
who serves as a repository of oral history tradition. Griots are walking history books who memorize traditional songs
and teachings, folktales, cultural history, and family relationships. This information is passed down through generations. Griots
also marry them with current events and chance incidents to create praise songs and stories with wisdom teachings, comic relief
and satire, political commentary, and gossip. Today, griots live in Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and Guinea. They are present among
the Wolof, Serer, Mande, Malinke, Bambara, Fula, Tukuloor, Wolof, and Mauritanian people. There are several African names
for griots including jeli (a word that means "blood in the Manika language that is derived from ; northern Mande areas),
jali (southern Mande areas), guewel (Wolof), gawlo (Pulaar, a Fula language), and igiiw (Hassaniyya, an Arabic language).
WHAT IS A TROUBADOUR?
Troubadour is derived from an Old French word "trobador" which comes
from the verb "trobar" that means to invent or compose. When you put it all together, troubadour refers to a composer
and performer of lyric poetry. The French Middle Ages (1100-1350) gave birth to the troubadour tradition in the eleventh century.
The tradition defined troubadour lyric as poetical, rhetorical, and musical fiction. They dealt mainly with themes of courtly
love, chivalry, nature, life, and death. Most troubadour lyrics were metaphysical, intellectual, and formulaic. They also
included many genres including alba (morning song - the song of a lover as dawn approaches, often with a watchman warning
of the approach of a lady's jealous husband), canso or canço (the love song, usually consisting of five or six
stanzas), dansa or balada (a dance song with a refrain) ensenhamen (a long didactic poem, usually not divided into stanzas,
teaching a moral or practical lesson), enuig (a poem expressing indignation or feelings of insult), escondig (a lover's
apology), partimen (a poetical exchange between two or more poets in which one is presented with a dilemma by another and
responds), planh (a lament, especially on the death of some important figure), salut d'amor (a love letter addressed to
another, not always one's lover), and tenso (a poetical debate which was usually an exchange between two poets, but could
be fictional).
ODO NNYEW FIE KWAN is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that means the power of love.
Copyright 2009-2012 by Madelyn C. Leeke. All rights
reserved.
The slogans "Love's Troubadours"; "Be love, love light, and
live as the spirit of life"; "YOGA is Your Opportunity to Graciously Accept yourself"; "Honey I'm
OM"; "OM on My Mind"; "Our Womanist Spirit"; "BAP Living;" "Black American Princess...BAP
Being At Peace;" and "Sisterhood, the Blog" are the intellectual property of Kiamsha.com, LLC. They
may not be used without the prior consent or licensing by Kiamsha.com, LLC.
