So, yesterday was labor day and I was gonna wear white (being that you're not suppose to after). But the dress I was gonna make into a shirt (by tucking it up and in and over) I left a dress so I didn't throw on my white jeans. So after I was dressed and satisfied (even tho my son said I looked fat) I left the house - picked up the homemade cake I had made and was on my way to my mentor Marita Golden's house for her and her husband, Joe's Labor Day Bash. And I had to park around the corner and down the street!!!

The place was packed. They even had a meet and greet committee who gave you a name tag and had you write down your contact information so that you could be invited to next years jam. And food was set up in two places - no three places. The dining room - sprawled over the huge dining room table - the kitchen on the counters and the basement where there was a dessert and "spirit" table in the back.

The basement was made into the Juke Joint - there was a live band who played every instrument that makes a band a band (see the photo journal) - maracas and shakers and things that rattled were through out the audience so that we could jam with the band - and every half hour or so - the music got low so that people could hop on the open mic. We did poetry - we sung songs - community bulletins (that's how packed the place was) and Sarah and I had to represent for the Hurston Wright Writers Week Alumni. We spat while the band played in back. Loud. Next time remind me to pull out my inner diva - and command silence or play low - real low (can I do that at somebody else's house).

But the band was good - tho - no for real for real - they were. I mean who has a whole live band at they cook outs. Okay ballers do - But I don't know too many ballers soooo...

After I did my piece journalist and author Sonsyrea Tate with the Washington Informer approached me about covering my book - All Black Girls Ain't Got Rhythm (yeaaaaa). I also met and talked to a lot of interesting people and emerging writers - MacArthur Wilder (who schooled me on the real Dr Marion Berry and just why the people elected him even after the scandal). Wilder is working on a screenplay documentary on the life of Dr Berry that doesn't include the infamous 1990 crack bust. He says he wants the documentary to be about the character and work of the man, not shame and embarassment.

See, I'm a little off track now - but being a non-DC native, I always wondered just how he got elected again even after the scandal. But any DCer will tell you - he was a man of the people - he fought - he promised - he produced. Crack or not - he delivered. Plus he had a long history of moving and doing - from demonstrations - marches and developing charter schools before they were envouge. And that's why I think this documentary - movie is needed because the rest of the country needs to know what DCers already know about former Mayor Marion Berry.

Okay - back on track, I met Babatunde and his cousin Lorenzo who didn't have any cash - but Babatunde whipped out his Mac so that he could purchase a book online - as I shared with Lorenzo (who is writing a novel and he's a poet) the in's and out's of self-publishing. I met Janet who is also writng a novel and she told me about her friend who wrote Misery Loves Company (by B. Lawson Thorton). The two were collegues in a law firm and decided to write a book - racing each other to have chapters finished. I also met Nate Thomas who is 25 and running for Prince George's County Board of Education. Wow! Oh and I can't forget Dwayne - a fellow writer and Alumni of the HWWW - who runs a book club for black boys/men called Black Men Read. They meet at the Karibu in Bowie - I will certainly post more specifics on it - because I'm certainly going to have my son join.

(shout out to the HWWW alumni who were there - Myself, Joy, Sarah, Sherri, Shana (I know that's not how she spells her name - but its close), Dwayne and Michael Kayode.

I met and was supported by so many other's at this bash that was attended by well over 100 people - it was a honor to be there.

Thanks Joe and Marita for inviting me!!!