"Last night was an unmitigated success!

I had the good fortune to read from my newest work, "Woman In The Wind: Praise Poems, Directed by Faith P. Nelson, Poet, Book Developer and formerly of BET Jazz, with Junior "Gabu" Wedderburn, Percussions of the Lion King and National Dance Theatre of Jamaica. I premiered praise poems to Rihanna, The I-Three Reggae Icons, and Beverley Manley Duncan, wife of former Prime Minister of Jamaica Michael Manley and activist DK Duncan. The event was curated by the Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars (ACWWS) and hosted by Dr. Simone J. Alexander. 

This is what folks had to say about my presentation. 

"You were AMAZING!" (Bobby Ceballos)

"Great reading, Andrene! It was a wonderful performance matched only by the strength of your verse." (Geoffrey Philp, Musgrave Awardee & Poet)

" Wow. Beautiful." (Alice James, Harlem Book Fair & Black Authors Hall of Fame)

"Andrene-Love how you incorporate the cultural history & particularities of everyday Caribbean life into the rhythms of characterizing Riri. Magnificent Andrene. Moving! Dramatic. Touches the soul as it encapsulates the historical empowerment of women of the African Diaspora. Powerfully rendered. (Dr. Marva McClean)

"Give them their roses while they are alive. Beautiful way to celebrate these powerful women." (Faith P. Nelson, Poet and Book Developer, Reader with Activist Group Poetry X Hunger)
 
"Beautiful tribute honoring these auspicious influencers. Thanks Andrene. Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the presentation of your work. I like the intertwining of the spoken word with the chant and drumming. Brought back memories of how lyrical you are.  (Vivienne Graham, Educator)

"Loved the performance. What I love about you is your excellency in always being yourself you are a true thespian . Take a bow mi dear, your research showed and your intertwining of history, culture and socio-political commentaries keep your work relevant. Thanks for always sharing such rich cultural heritage" (Dr. Jean Fuller-Stanley) 

 "Moving pieces! Bravo!"(Christine Reynolds, Daughter of Kapo)

 "Andrene. I speak your name with pride, my big sista. I salute you. A very deep reading. Love it. (Norma Dixon, Merl Grove High School Alumna - my alma mater)

"Powerful." (Dr. Jallicia Jolly)

"Excellent." (Sandra Dacas-Laing)

"Amazing!" (Nat Scotto)

"Awesome reading, Andrene!" (Dr. Aza Weir-Soley)
   
"Excellent work and presentation Andrene!" (Dr. Joy Gordon)

"Wonderful Andrene. Thank you." (Dr. Carol Bailey)

"Outstandingly Awesome Queen!" (Audria Russell)
  

Just completed teaching my Autumn 2023 Memoir Writing course. I thoroughly enjoyed the spirited discourse and willingness of participants to mine their memories for compelling stories to write about. I want to take the time to thank all participants for crafting their first draft. Stay tuned for more memoir writing opportunities.



​Photo Credit: Thought Catalog, Unsplash

"In Woman in the Wind, Andrene Bonner honors the African Praise Poem tradition to uplift and celebrate the lives of influential women across cultures, including Michelle Obama, Wangari Maathai, Michelle Obama, Greta Thunberg, and Louise Bennett-Coverley. Blending Caribbean rhythms and African aesthetics with the communal power of an ancestral griot, Bonner’s collection offers a bold, poetic resistance to the erasure of women's stories."
Geoffrey Philp, author of Archipelagos

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"Those who name have Power. Andrene Bonner. In Woman in the Wind, Bonner evokes the spirit of Oya in the praise poem for Reggae icons, the I-Three, and names African American Former First Lady of New York, as Oya, goddess of the wind, goddess of the hurricane, goddess of sudden change. This righteous naming inspirits these women with the ashe of transformation so necessary in this era. We need new definitions to help us navigate the changing terrain of textualities, gender identities, and geo-political complexities. Oya’s energies demand quick thinking and adaptation to instant and dramatic change if we are to survive the chaos and uncertainty that a hurricane brings. Bonner’s Praisesongs to these powerful diverse women―whose very presence in the space they occupy so elegantly embodies radical transformation―is as courageous and beautiful as the women whose praises they sing. Her poems ensure that their legacy will live on for generations to come. In centering our African traditions, in centering woman, Andrene Bonner centers liberational poetics, centers diversity, centers the power of women to sustain and build each other against all odds. This is how we honor our ancestral traditions. This is how we honor the power of the feminine. This is how we show radical love to our own, to ourselves."
Donna Aza Weir-Soley, author of The Woman Who Knew (Finishing Line Press), First Rain (Peepal Tree Press), Eroticism, Spirituality and Resistance in Black Women’s Writings (University Press of Florida) and Co-editor (with Opal Palmer Adisa) of the anthology, Caribbean Erotic (Peepal Tree Press).

I was invited to participate in a conversation with Musgrave Award winning poet and academic, Geoffrey Philp, on Thursday, October 26, 2023 @ 5:30 p.m. EST. Founder of Strong in Broken Places, Dr. Marva McLean, shared that Geoffrey will be focusing his presentation on "Chanting Down Babylon in the Anthropocene." Geoffrey's latest work, Archipelagos, published by Peepal Tree Press, will be the center of the discourse. Poet, Monica Minott, will join in the conversation. Can't wait.    
 www.peepaltreepress.com/books/archipelagos                     

Working on new ideas to advance the ideas started in this book. The working title for book and podcast is: "Trauma In The Classroom: How To Help Parents, Teachers and Students To Cope."