Now Available: Northside Cries & Lullabies by N.V. Torres

Northside Cries and Lullabies is the second collection of poetry and prose by poet N.V. Torres. The book is a poetic exploration into the growth and struggles of a woman living on the northside of Philadelphia.

Excerpt:
"Once upon a time, I was in love with the world and the world was infallible in my young eyes. War and Crime were not guest at my tea parties. Inequity was irrelevant. On summer afternoons in the omnipresence of chaos, drugs and violence, I was a little girl sitting on hot pavement - ants in my hand as they wandered the mounts of my palm. According to my 6 year old self, all was good in the world. Sometimes I feel like I will never see that little girl again."

Northside Cries & Lullabies (2010)
ISBN: 978-0-578-05067-6
Goodbye Publishing House
Paperback, 113 pages

Now Available on Lulu.com! Click the link for a preview!

Also, I decided to open an account on Formspring.me so you guys can submit any questions you may have about NC&L. Check it out! And I opened a NC&L Fan Page on Facebook! Make sure you add it! Shouts to everyone who already added themselves as fans :)

My next steps are to...

*Set up a few readings

*Promote, Promote, Promote!

*And maybe plan a small book release party? We'll see :)

I want to thank everyone who has helped me make this book happen...you all know who you are. Enjoy the book. It is not only 110% all me, but its also a dream come true to be able to leave my mark and produce something that will be around long after I'm gone. I'm humbled and proud. Gracias.

formspring.me

How was your poem selection process for this book different from your previous book?

With the first book, I Know All The Right Things To Say, I had to choose from a collection of poems that were written from the ages of 17 - 22. Out of those, I selected about 63 poems that represented different aspects of my life that were important to me at the time since the book was about me introducing my voice in poetry. So I broke them down into Life, Discovery, Love, and Justice, and chose the poems that I felt best represented each of those.

The process was a little different for Northside Cries and Lullabies. I wrote the poems and prose specifically for this book, keeping in mind the vision that I had for it. Also, whats different about this book is that I included a few collaborative pieces that I had written with other poets I met from different writing communities.

Ask me anything about Northside Cries & Lullabies!

formspring.me

Ask me anything about Northside Cries & Lullabies! http://formspring.me/nvtorres

Almost there.

So, my proof copy of NC&L has arrived and I'm very pleased. I made some changes to the cover, for the better - at least I think so. Next step is to edit any mistakes I might have missed the first time around, and make a few minor edits to the front and back cover.

I'll be taking a short break away from the laptop to help chaperone a retreat in the Poconos this weekend. Still, I'm gonna try and get some editing (and homework!) done in my free time, and hopefully I could post the book up for purchase on Monday :)

Sometimes you have to take a step back and remember who you are. Lately, I find myself questioning if some of the decisions I'm making are true to who I am. Am I sacrificing? It feels good, yet wrong. I can't pretend that the little things don't matter to me anymore. Each day that passes they matter more and more, and my eyes can no longer hide the truth.

I think thats what I'm looking for. Truth. The question is, when will I be ready to go out and search for what is good and truthful? And should I continue to sacrifice in the meantime?

Big Pimpin', baby...Philadelphia Demeanor

Yo-la, Phil-ly! Guess who is this month's Big Pimpin' feature?

Yup. Philadelphia's own Irwin Roman, also known as P.

So, I first met P in early 2009 at an open mic night hosted by Dope Boys of Poetry which is a group of Philly poets in which P is also a member. He is notoriously known within the group for writing short, yet powerful poetry. The man is direct and likes to get his readers straight to the point and ain't nothing wrong with that!

I decided to feature him this month because not only do I enjoy his writing style, but he has also officially joined the self-publishing club with the recent release of his first poetry collection, Philadelphia Demeanor.

Plus, dude was kind enough to split a little ink with me on a collaborative poem, The Zoo, in my upcoming book which you will get to read very soon.

Feels good to see Philly doing big things :)

Here's a poem from his collection, and one of my personal favorites...Isis:

Isis

by Irwin "P" Roman

He told me her code name was Isis

But he doesn't realize that he's not the first man she treated like this

The highs where unbelievable but they came with devastating lows

Isis was well versed in the ring she handed excruciating blows

But he still loved her and just quite why nobody knows

He adored the she devil from her head down to her toes

And then came the day he couldn't take it no more

Next thing he knows Isis had walked out the door

But he never had the chance to tell her how he feels

He was so ready to buy that ring and on bended knee kneel

With wounds so deep that years later they still haven't healed

But it's over now like 112's Bad Boy deal

And Isis' M.O. just keeping it real

Is playing with the hearts of men just to stomp them with her stiletto heels

Now once he told me about the girl with the code name Isis

I told him since the days of Adam and Eve there's always been girls like this.

Click HERE to purchase P's book

Philadelphia Demeanor

by Irwin Roman

More...

http://www.nerdgang.blogspot.com/

http://stores.lulu.com/nerdgang

R U Ready?

Yola (Yo + Hola) beautiful people ;)

I'm in good spirits this week. Do you know why? Because my baby, Northside Cries & Lullabies, is FINALLY going to be published at the end of this week! Yup, you heard right. And I must say, its coming along well with over 50 poems and featured collaborations with fellow poets Christian Alvarez, Kevon Crute, This_isjust_M, Rome, and Irwin Roman who recently published his first collection of dope poetry, Philadelphia Demeanor.

I'm hoping and praying for the nothing but dopeness and positive energy while the birth of this collection comes to an end.

I'm feeling...

*satisfied

*ready

*hype

*relieved

...but mostly excited to finally place this baby into your hands :)

In the meantime, I'll also be brainstorming ideas for the release and the promotion which we all know I suck at. So again, any ideas or resources for online and/or offline book marketing would REALLY help!

xo

Black History - The High Priestess of Soul

Nina Simone was an African American singer, song-writer, pianist, composer and civil rights activist whose long musical career still influences modern music today. Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, Nina (also known as The High Priestess of Soul) started playing the piano at the age of four. She continued her musical education into adulthood, studying classical piano at Julliard School of Music. In 1958, she recorded her debut album, Little Girl Blue, which was the first in a long list of successful studio and live albums. It is this impressive repertoire that has caught the ears of many of today’s musical artist, such as Mos Def, Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, and Lil’ Wayne. Many artists have sampled Nina’s music into their own work, introducing the musical genius of “The High Priestess of Soul” to a younger generation of listeners.

Nina’s contribution to modern day Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Blues is evident today’s music. Many of today’s musical artists credit her for impacting their style and music. Talib Kweli was quoted in an interview as saying "Nina Simone was very inspirational as a person to me.” Kweli also remixed Nina’s 1966 song, Four Women.

Another admirer of Nina’s music is Lil’ Wayne. The rapper sampled parts of Nina’s Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood in the introduction and chorus of his song DontGetIt which can be found on his successful 2008 album, Tha Carter III.

Dr. Simone is also appreciated in today’s Rhythm and Blues genre. Mary J. Blige’s song, About You, featuring Will.I.Am, contains elements of Nina’s Feeling Good throughout the chorus. The singer is also slated to star as Nina in a film chronicling her life. The film is due to release in 2012. Nina’s music can also be found in various movie soundtracks, and television commercials. Her great impact on modern music is endless.

Even though Nina Simone is no longer with us (sadly, she died of breast cancer in 2003), her music is still admired by those who came after her. If Nina were alive today, she would probably view the fact that other musicians are sampling and remixing her work as a form of admiration. She paved the way for many of today’s African American Rhythm and Blues artists. The sampling technique has provided these artists with the opportunity to bring forth the music of yesterday into today. Because of this, her influence in music is still strong. Younger listeners are able to appreciate the bluesy, yet intense nature of Nina Simone’s music. This can only mean one thing - her legacy will live on f o r e v e r.

Nina Simone's Official Website