blackgirl on mars: notes on a life in copenhagen (or how my alienation brings me closer to people).

Words flow from around 3min-4. Listen. Contemplate. Do.

photo courtesy the lab  This just in: Bandit Queen Press Obtains Satellite Workspace! The book is not dead: it has returned to the art of itself! Bandit Queen Press says create your own reality! 

When we speak of awareness, what do we mean? The word itself means to be wary, to be awake, to recognize what may easily be overlooked. It implies a state of heightened consciousness in which we respond to individual sights and sounds and more, more importantly, to the meanings of our perceptions, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions, and our resolutions. In short, to be aware is to be alive to ourselves, to our personal being. In literature awareness goes by other names. A writer is said to be aware when he or she responds to experience with understanding, imagination, sympathy. All these terms imply that the writer has seen vividly, has felt intensely, has recorded exactly memorable impressions, that, by virtue of his or her literary skill, come into our possession. Henry James summed up his advice to young writer in two principles. The first was: "Write from experience only." But then James hastened to add: "Try to be one of the people on whom nothing is lost!...

Today. Rådhuspladsen, Copenhagen. 15:00 Watch live streaming video from occupydenmark at livestream.com

Thanks to UrbAlt for this. Yesterday evening I had a discussion with someone who used the word "professionalism". She discussed what she thought was "professional" and "unprofessional". This is someone, who, by the way, has had no corporate experience. Let's talk about "professionalism" and the way it is used in corporations, businesses and the function it has. From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary pro·fes·sion·al·ism noun \prə-ˈfesh-nə-ˌli-zəm, -ˈfe-shə-nə-ˌli-\ Definition of PROFESSIONALISM 1 : the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person(see 1professional) 2 : the following of a profession (as athletics) for gain or livelihood I, on the other hand have worked in many corporations, until at the tender age of around 24, I had had enough. I have worked at large multi-nationals such as banks and publishing companies. I have donned the dress of corporations, squeezed my toes...

This past year and a half of my life has been packed with eye-opening realizations. The funny thing about writing, or at least having the compulsion to write, is that so much of it has to do with contemplation. I remember in college learning how to compose poetry in my head, not relying on paper, much like our early ancestors once did. Composing poetry or prose in my head is a very integral part of my process. I need just as much time, if not more, thinking, as I do for writing. That said, I had a literary breakthrough this summer. I managed to write a draft of a novel I intuitively knew I had to write, even before coming to Denmark. Throughout the years I have had many people contact me asking me what life is like for a Black woman in Denmark. Well, first of all, the identity of my being Black is one that is constructed under the very colonialist mentality and one of the things you learn moving here is that, well, there are many places in the world where the folks are just not fam...

brown unboxing bureau 39, a series of 50 handcrafted books made in copenhagen, dk Chances are you have held a BQP publication in your hand. If so, you have experienced the power of each books' individuality, uniqueness. These books are not massed produced, but each a work of art, a performance piece, a statement of the book . I am a Brooklyn-based writer/artist who currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2007 I founded Bandit Queen Press. Using nothing but the words from my heart, paper pleasing to the touch, a stapler and photocopier machine, I produced 100 handmade, individually unique copies of my first collection of poetry entitled The Organist's Daughter . Four years later and three more titles under its belt, Bandit Queen Press is about living beyond survival mode and the power inherent in creative sovereignty. Bandit Queen Press's last creation, Bureau 39 , is a limited edition literary zine featuring the works of New York-based poets such as Willi...

A few months ago I noticed this book around Christiania. I haven't written anything about Christiania before, and that giant omission hasn't been by accident. The free state of Christiania is this bit of former military land that was taken over by a group of citizens. There are only two laws in Christiania. The first is no hard drugs and the second is do what makes you happy. Throughout Christiania is a combination of makeshift houses and nature that reflects the creativity and alternative thinking that its known for. When I first arrived, Christiania was the place to go if you wanted something alternative to Copenhagen life. It housed one of the city's first vegetarian restaurants, and let's not forget, Pusher Street. Pusher Street is this short stretch of road where well, pushers hang out displaying their wares. The variety of hash and marijuana that is sold there is impressive. Throughout the years many things have happened in and to Christiania. There's a b...