…the indomitable wave, the current of the universe – let it crash on our sorrows, our wounded memories, and our ghosts. dissolve all spirits save for those that tell of our true worth, our infinite soul. you are only bound by the past, by empty comparisons, by your history – until you realize the key and the lock are one and the same – open your hands…

There are no words for the feeling of holding your first book in your own hands. I am so beyond proud and thrilled to announce my first book of poetry and prose, DECISIONS WE MAKE WHILE WE DREAM, is finally COMPLETE!

I started the process of putting together this collection in late 2010, and now, on what would have been my Nana’s 66th birthday – it’s ready to share with you all. It’s all original poetry and prose written by me, from 2000 to the present.

I can’t express how important this book is and how much it means to me.. But I want to wholeheartedly thank each and every one of you who has helped or supported me on the journey to this moment, and of course anyone and everyone who offered kind words and congratulations, and expressed interest in owning a copy of their own.

My original hand-colored rainbow wings and the final product with amazing cover designed by Miss Heidi Hernandez!

CLICK HERE to learn more and pick up a copy!

I’m signing and numbering each one and shipping them out myself. D.I.Y. till I die! It’s 76 pages, softcover and perfect bound with a sky blue spine (my favorite color). This is a direct manifestation of dreams.. I saw myself holding this book in my hands, and now it’s finally here.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful Nanny.. I miss you every single day and I love you up to the sky!

And here’s to dreams… Always.

Facade of Long Island City library, April 2012

It’s been quite a National Poetry Month for me and I’m so grateful for the experiences I’ve had. I finished up my 30 haiku in 30 days (albeit a bit late ;))… Uploaded a poem to the A Poem From Us project…

And went to see my poem at Queens Borough Hall in the Queens Poets & Poems exhibition! Thanks so much again to Queens Poet Laureate Paolo Javier for including me – we need more visibility for Queens poets! :)

Here’s me with “validation” up on the wall – and rocking my dad’s denim jacket from the 70s ;)

I was also so very, very lucky to be a part of a stunning multi-disciplinary performance piece called “Some Kind of Nature,” directed by my longtime friend, the AMAZING Patrice Miller, at 571 Projects in NYC.

An interdisciplinary exploration of the figure through performance text and sculpture using classical texts and new material from contemporary authors written in response to the process and work of artist Julie Tremblay. Featuring work from Marcus Bowers, Edward Einhorn, Audrey Dimola, Justin Maxwell and others, Some Kind of Nature focuses on the intersection between the real and surreal, the body and the idea of the body, drawing inspiration from classic surrealists and writers like Jorge Luis Borges.

It was indescribable watching my poem “voyage” be performed before my eyes in such a context, by such talented actors and alongside the work of incredible contemporary poets and legends like Poe, Carroll, and of course one of my all-time favorites, Rilke.. An experience I will literally NEVER forget!

And while it’s unrelated to poetry, this is absolutely worth mentioning.. For the past few months I’ve been working like mad as producer on my best friend Nick (NJ) Calder‘s music video for rock band Acey Slade and the Dark Party, “Grave of the Fireflies.” The shoot wrapped a few days ago and I’m still flying. What an amazing, challenging, fun, and inspiring experience – and just the first of many with this team of NEON REBELS we forged. Cannot WAIT for more..

A few production shots from the video, shot at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn!

Tomorrow will bring one of my most important updates EVER.. More soon!

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter”

I want to keep this short even though there is SO much to say – but I just wanted to express that I wholeheartedly stand in solidarity with my high school, LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL, on today of all days.. I am a proud product of LICHS, and I would not be the individual, the professional, and the creative person I am today if I hadn’t attended this school.

I believe that LICHS has been unjustly targeted by the Mayor’s ineffective plans for “turning around” city schools that aren’t performing up to his standards. The actual proposal as per the DOE is: The Proposed Closure of Long Island City High School (30Q450) and the Opening and Co-Location of New School (30Q365) with a District 75 Inclusion Program (75Q993) in Building Q452 Beginning in 2012-2013. Tonight there is a vote that will determine the future of the school..

I attended the public hearing in opposition of the school closure on the 17th of this month, and was overwhelmed by the support from local officials, past and present students, faculty, community members, and everyone in between. I am at a LOSS as to why an exceptional school like LICHS could land on a list of school closures. It boggles the mind of everyone who hears about it, especially my fellow students from the class of 2004.

As I mentioned – there is SO MUCH to say on this subject – but I’d love to leave you with some of what my amazing Government teacher, Ms. Kapodistrias said, what I said, and what many others said.

full version here

WATCH MORE VIDEOS FROM THE HEARING HERE

LICHS gives opportunities to EVERYONE. Kids who wouldn’t otherwise have had them. ESL, special ed, low scoring, high scoring, kids with kids of their own, and on and on. It’s all a NUMBERS game and it sickens me – we shouldn’t have to beg to keep this school open. OUR VOICES, our passion for this school should be enough. Bloomberg wasn’t happy with how LICHS scored and so he marked it as a “transformation” school YET DESPITE ITS PROGRESS they pulled LICHS out of the transformation program BEFORE IT WAS EVEN COMPLETED, and dumped it on the “turnaround” list – which basically means if it doesn’t get a vote TONIGHT to keep the school as-is and help it in a way that will actually BENEFIT the students and faculty, they are restarting a school with almost 100 YEARS of history in the neighborhood with a new name, a confusing and stressful situation for students, and a demoralizing situation for faculty. They are exhausted, and it is just not fair.

LICHS is a public school that gives kids from Queens and all over NYC – kids from EVERY background, mental capacity, and family income – a place to get a well-rounded education with top-notch programs including sports, culinary, visual arts, and theatre. Bloomberg could not be more disconnected from NYC education, especially when putting a school like this on the chopping block. Listen to the voices of your own neighborhood – stand in solidarity.

LICHS, I will always love you -

and I will always be proud to say I AM LIC.

Nick (NJ) Calder is en route to Chicago right now for the world premiere of his first feature film Fear Eats The Seoul on the BIG screen in the Chicago Fear Film Fest! We are still in the process of submitting it to more festivals and spreading the word.. Amazing how far you can come. We’re also filming a music video next month – more on that soon ;)

Mike Stahl, who consistently churns out killer posts (sorry - blessays, actually) for his DeFaced column on SUGAR -N- THUNDER, is reading at Boundless Tales at Waltz-Astoria next Thurs, April 19th. Can’t wait!

Eric Whiptastic just released his first eBook – TIBBY! Another dream that has come really far. You can check it out and snag it for just 99 cents on Amazon right HERE! It’s funny, strange, and well-written – what’s not to love?

As for me…

There are times that all the changes of these past few months get me down more than others. Ruminating on it – I wrote a new poem this week during lunch. Sometimes I feel like the universe comes through me with things I need to hear.. Words have a magic all their own.

sifting

feel your sadness –
but let it slip
through your fingers.
the sorrow will leave,
the memories will remain.
sift through your life
in this way –
keeping the good,
letting go of the pain.
for when you look back
upon your time
on this plane –
you’ll find that the
hourglass sands
that worried you so
have just spilled on through
to fill the
glittering shores
of eternity.
your feet will be back
in the waves
and you’ll wonder
why you ever feared
you were running
out of
time.
- ajd, 4/11/12

More soon.. I just sent the first copy of my book off to the printer – fingers crossed for good news coming soon!

And – find me on Instagram @audreyleopard! ;)

Thanks so much to fellow LIC’er Eric for supporting poetry in the area and including my poems and spoken word recordings on his great local music/food/culture blog, Sometime in Long Island City! We met at the John Lennon tribute I sang in at LIC Bar back in December. You can check the post out HERE. Thanks so much also to J for being a doll and recording me reading my work (psst.. his next film is going to be pretty insane.. AND this track of his is stuck in my head almost constantly.. but I digress). I put the recordings up on a shiny new Soundcloud – you can check out the playlist on my site HERE.

Here’s one I wrote some moons ago called ‘disassociative’:

Speaking of poetry recordings – I stumbled upon this great new site called A Poem From Us – you can record a video of yourself reading your favorite poem and upload it! I love the idea and I’m planning on participating as soon as I can figure out which poem to read…

Lastly! I am incredibly excited that my book is nearing completion. It’s a retrospective of my favorite pieces of work from 2000 until now, with a dedication to my beautiful Nana, of course.. I’m aiming to release it around what would have been her 66th birthday next month. It has an amazing cover by a lovely graphic designer I know (who is also an incredible burlesque performer!) and I’m currently going over my printing options.. D.I.Y. ‘TIL I DIE! Can’t wait for everyone to check it out.

More soon!

The show is free and open to the public during regular work hours.

Here’s the address:

Office of the President, Borough of Queens
120-55 Queens Boulevard Rm. 223
Kew Gardens, NY 11424
(E, F to Union Turnpike/Kew Gardens stop)

Here’s a list of the participating poets and poems:

Lorraine Schein (Sunnyside), “Dreambox”
Norman Stock (Jackson Heights), “How to Become the Poet Laureate of Queens”
Jill Hoffman (Forest Hills), “10. Demeter”
Arlene Gay Levine (Forest Hills), “The Road”
Franklin Bruno (Jackson Heights), “Occupation”
Mark Lamoureux (Astoria), “Mysterons”
Matthew Hittinger (Astoria), “Golden Circe Sips Her Coffee”
Rigoberto Gonzales (Forest Hills), “Point It Out”
Hassanal Abdullah (Jackson Heights), “My Grave”
Rajiv Mohabir (Woodhaven), “The River-Son’s Betrayal”
Vicky Byron (Richmond Hill), “Sketch Artist”
John Rice (College Point), “Outside the Bar in Sunnyside, Queens”
Audrey Dimola (Long Island City), “Validation”
Maria Terrone (Jackson Heights), “The One Chosen”
Andrés Castro (Kew Gardens), “Ignorance Is Not Bliss In Jordan”
Nicos Alexiou (Astoria), “Astoria”
Kate Donohue (Astoria), “What With the Blue Flames Leaping Obediently From the Lungs of a Gas Stove”
Angelica Harris (Glendale), “Taurus Rising”
HaaJar “Hajee” Johnson (Astoria), “Journey Life”
Kevin Michael Wehle (Flushing), “The Boogeyman’s Accomplices”

I’m going to echo Paolo’s sentiment and repost: “Many thanks to Terri Osborne, Cultural Affairs Coordinator at the Boro Prez Office, for spearheading this new and vital initiative to lend greater visibility to contemporary poetry in Queens.”

Can’t wait to see it!

Read my poem “validation” HERE. The subject is something very close to my heart so I’m even more excited that it was chosen for this exhibition.

NYC view from Gantry Park at twilight, photo by me

Poetry is always something to celebrate ;)

But in the spirit.. I’m doing a haiku a day, every day this month – check them out on my Tumblr!

I’m also so excited to announce that I’ll be hosting the Boundless Tales reading series at Waltz-Astoria for the summer months – more dates & details soon!

Boundless Tales will also be featured at the 2nd annual NYC Poetry Festival this summer, which is going to be AWESOME. Congrats!

I’m reading at the Boundless Tales reading series again tonight at Waltz-Astoria, starting at 7:30pm! Debuting a bunch of pieces including brand new work from the past few months. Excited to share..

Thanks so much to Aida for the invite and for supporting my work, and the work of fellow local writers, playwrights, poets, and authors.. Always looking forward to it!

Facebook invite HERE. Support local writers in Queens, and if you’re a writer yourself – go to the website and submit your work so you too can READ! :)

I was thrilled to have HerHattan NYC do a great spotlight piece on my Compass Project!

HerHattan NYC covers emerging female talent and entrepreneurs in NYC. In their words, it “exists to share the stories of talented women who, everyday, work to make their dreams a reality and watch their passions unfold, in the city where you have to make it to live it.” So glad to be a part of it – thanks so much to Stephanie and Irma!

I love that it happened organically and is a snapshot of this time. This is my first little book of this sort – I haven’t made DIY books/magazines since I was pretty much a wee lass, and it’s absolutely wonderful to tackle it again. More to come.. Hope you enjoy!