black women breathe flowers, too. just because we are taught to grow them in the lining of our quiet (our grandmothers secret). does not mean we do not swelter with wild tenderness. we soft swim. we petal. we scent limbs. love. we just have been too long a garden for sharp and deadly teeth. so… Continue reading Close Encounters
On Leaving (Again) and Thoughts that Have No Words
"During the time between ending one project and beginning another, I always have a crisis of meaning." - bell hooks There are instances. Instances when I will stand still outside amongst the bustle of life and close my eyes and imagine that I am as alone as I sometimes feel. There is a deep well… Continue reading On Leaving (Again) and Thoughts that Have No Words
Ghosting
Ghosts Things fall apart And people disappear One minute they are there And the next you are drinking wine alone at the table Or raking through 8 years of memories captured in photographs And it haunts me August, You bring some of the hottest days of the year And I returned to America and fell… Continue reading Ghosting
Greece Days 6-9, Mykonos with my Woes
After Santorini took our breath away at multiple corners and left us with very full tummies from delectable meals, we took a fast ferry this time to our next and final stop, Mykonos. Now Mykonos is seen as one of the party islands of Greece, and especially of the Cyclades. There were a lot of… Continue reading Greece Days 6-9, Mykonos with my Woes
Greece Days 3-5, The Beauty of Santorini and #BlackGirlMagic
There is one place since childhood that I have seen photographs of and have just sat there staring. That place is the island of Santorini. I have always been drawn to the white buildings with blue domes overlooking the most mesmerizing of blue waters. So when Imogen and I were planning our trip to Greece,… Continue reading Greece Days 3-5, The Beauty of Santorini and #BlackGirlMagic
Choice Revisited: A Black Woman Reflects on Alice Walker and Returning Home
This was the first time that I did not begin a new journey with time spent reflecting in the Town Where Time Does Not Reside. I boarded my flight in London and came straight to this new beginning in Philadelphia, the weight of time zones and memories jarring the journey. There was a moment on… Continue reading Choice Revisited: A Black Woman Reflects on Alice Walker and Returning Home
The Arrogance to Be Alive
My latest piece.
Greece Days 1-2: Athens, Feta, and Casual Sexism
The #TooTurntTwerkTeam takes Greece 2k15. That has to be the most important thing you, my reader, takes away from the next few blog posts about my "yay MPhil is done" trip to Greece with my Cambridge ride-or-die Imogen. We have something very special in store too, but I will leave that reveal for after the… Continue reading Greece Days 1-2: Athens, Feta, and Casual Sexism
How to Get to the Other End of a Dark Tunnel
People often ask me why I research black men and not black women. The answer to that is long and complicated, but it boils down to doing the work of what would be so close to my own life day in and day out, would be to live that life twice. I am so grateful… Continue reading How to Get to the Other End of a Dark Tunnel
For Michelangelo and Makiah
I can hear them From the first words I read Laughter high and smiles wide Weaving in and out of what they believe are safe streets Home And in the last seconds of hugs and kisses you don't know are the last you'll ever give Are the same seconds it takes for someone to end… Continue reading For Michelangelo and Makiah
Odelia Younge 