Happy Birthday, Little Mandy! |
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Dear friends, It is Virgo season! My birthday is quickly approaching - Sept. 18 - and I am thankful to complete another trip around the sun with support and love from family and friends. This year has brought many challenges and lessons along the way. A big reminder for me, with all my Virgo drive and energy, is that we cannot make it alone. When I think of my younger self - like little me pictured above - my first thoughts are of trauma and what I didn't have. We were poor. My mother was a single mom doing her absolute best. But we had each other and we laughed and we played and a life without much was still good. We weren't alone. We need each other. No one comes into or leaves this life alone. The phone call you make that might feel years too late could be just the medicine you and the heart on the other end need. The partner making dinner, giving you space, or a deep hug could come right on time. And all the little interactions with kindness and grace help us stand taller and continue this journey. Who are the people who lift you up? Who do you need to reconnect with? Who are you thankful for? Take the time to let them know. Give people their flowers while they can smell them. With love, Amanda |
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Help me celebrate my birthday by donating to Cave Canem! I would not be the poet I am today without CC's support. Donate to my FaceBook Fundraiser by Sept. 18 or through Cave Canem Kindful. |
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NEW ANTHOLOGY I'm excited for this new anthology and happy to have a poem included. They are still accepting submissions, so get at them if you got that work! | | |
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Wild Women of Poetry Showcase Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7:00 p.m. Looking forward to the annual Kentucky Women Writers Conference. I'll be reading in the showcase featuring Mahogany L. Browne and Ellen Hagan. Registration is free! | | |
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| | Know what you need to know and how to vote early, by mail, on election day, etc. However you vote, VOTE. | | |
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| | Make a plan to vote. Above is my plan. I'm voting early in Texas. Make a plan and vote early in your state. | | |
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“What is safe in this burning for survival?” Amanda Johnston turns and turns the question, a high stakes puzzle to unravel, the answers all bound up in love. Tight, spare, minimalist and brimming with mystery, these poems weigh the consequences of every gesture: the opened lock, the raised right hand, the inward reach. “You grip the wheel, knuckles frozen, and press the gas/as clouds drift in and out of your mouth.” With strong resolve, illimitable talent, and a clear reverence for the forebears these poems reach for and find, Amanda Johnston crafts a collection of beauty and daring. Her risks are honest; her voice, vital—I mean absolutely necessary. -Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon | | |
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Want to bring Amanda to your event? Let's connect! Available for online readings, adult and youth workshops, seminars, and speaking engagements. Press Kit | | |
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Cave Canem Foundation is near and dear to my heart. As a fellow and current board member, I know firsthand how Cave Canem supports Black poets with the necessary time, space, and encouragement needed to dream, create, and grow. Thank you for your continued support for this "home for black poetry." | | |
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Get Poetry News & Updates from Amanda Johnston |
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