Newsletter #20 The Anne Leighton Inclusion

Good wishes.  I’m getting ready for my second Kindness Session, happening on Tuesday, April 1, 6 pm, at the Poe Cottage.  This one found support in a number of media outlets including my hometown paper, “The Norwood News,” “Riverdale Press,” “Bronx Tourism” website, and New York City’s “Thought Gallery,” which lists major talks including events happening at the 92^nd Y. 

My poem for this letter is “Roger That” (Directive: Affirm!), which is dedicated to Roger McCormick who made these events happen.  (He also had me join the poets at Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday this past January.  I told him I’d love to help him find poets for next year. If you’re in the New York City area on January 19, and have a favorite Poe poem and want to write something inspired by him to share, send me a note!

 Kindness is important if you lead community organizations. Leaders have a responsibility for inclusion, not ignoring or belittling people that want to be involved with creating events even if they don’t make a difference. I recently started the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show, and am aiming to create new broadcasts every two weeks. Recently I had the pleasure to interview Joe Viglione, a musician that’s creating a documentary about bullying in senior housing. This and other interviews, including a recent one with New Jersey comedian John Poveromo are shared alongside some of my poems, including “Roger That,” at workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com.

(Joe is also listing his interview at  https://soundcloud.com/joe-viglione/anneleightonvideoplayback )

Joe was big into grants and fundraising for his work, and offered some advice in his interview. After this workshop, I’ll be reaching out to some organizations and sponsors, including a tasty candymaker that doesn’t use corn syrup, to get behind the Kindness Session. I’m looking for an outlet that we can include our poems and short writers, as well as “Kindness in the News Stories” on the website. If you have any suggestions, let me know. 

Hoping you’re having a nice spring, and finding ways to lift up your friends. 

Roger That

(Directive: Affirm!)

 

Inclusion

I reached out to the wrong person

and had to make a transition

to find humanity

a friend for my poetry

at Poe Cottage

 

He listened

first to my friend the musician

then to my never ending

idea of connecting

to create a night of poetry

at Poe Cottage

 

He’s written

stories about our community

and organized its history

including some teaching

manifesting our right to write

at Poe Cottage

 

He waited

for the people that journeyed

to a wrong location

and directed them here

walking them to Poe Cottage

To write poetry

 

I’m thankful

He listened and gave me

this new beginning

it’s about education

gracing kindness at Poe Cottage

in our poetry.

-2024

  

 

 

Joe Viglione on The Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

My interview with Joe Viglione, a multi-talented artist fighting against bullying in senior housing, goes live on YouTube at 6 pm, March 25.

We the She

 

(Etta, so supportive of me)

 

I dug her from my archives

Etta James grown up and deep

In her music, memories, her voice

the contralto that sang the lead.

 

And still her career goes on.

And she lifts her sisters

I met Etta on her “Seven Year Itch”

album of songs of her strength

 

Her story flowed

Chess had too much control

A label with 2 sessions a night

each track recorded alike                                                     

 

Chess fooled her big

Giving her a bill

Not paying her for gigs

saying she needed to do more

 

Time to be a woman

Teach them what’s right

Finally she took her stand

Lawyers helped checkmate their behinds

 

“Love women who rock,”

she said “Bonnie Raitt,”

who sang her “At Last”

Our love is here to stay, Etta James.

 

‘Cause our careers go on

k.d. lang said “Etta knew

and sang songs that gripped

both freedom and its cage.”

 

It took 20 years

For Etta to take control

One day at a time    

Healing her singing so real

 

Etta James Enterprises

Repeat after me, brothers and sisters

Etta James Enterprises

With help from her lawyers.

 

The boys helped her along

Keith Richards, Marvin Gaye, more

her career goes on

Functioning, loving sobriety

 

She saw real colors

 like she was 15 again.  

Clean and alive on stage Miss Etta

 No more stumbling!  

 

Her music portrays

Her strength, wisdom, age

Not as a super woman

But her own determination

 

And vulnerability

When she was a child

Etta wanted to join the Police

but instead the Glee club

 

Then Johnny Otis

invited her one night

to sing for him at the hotel

Shy, she sang in the bathroom,

 

And he loved her

Bashful, jazzy Etta

“Over the Rainbow”

“How Deep is the Ocean”

 

15 turning 16—

ponytail, Levis, white shirt  

Saddle shoes, tattoos

Red lips, shoplifting

Tom boy. Etta James

 

-January 2025

April 1: Bronx Historical Society Presents

 

The Kindness Session, a Poetry Workshop

Bronx Historical Society is presenting "The Kindness Session," a poetry workshop on recognizing the difference between kindness and cruelty to channel that in our writing on April 1 at 6 PM till approximately 7:45. The Poetry Workshop takes place at Poe Cottage, 2640 Grand Concourse, in the Bronx. Subways near the Visitors Center are the 4, B, and D train at the Kingsbridge stop.  Buses to the Center are Bx9, Bx22, Bx28, Bx38, and BxM4 (Express bus). The Poe Visitors Center is up the Hill from the Fordham Metro North train stop.

Led by area poet Anne Leighton, the Kindness Session will include sharing works from classic and contemporary including Edgar Allen Poe, Naomi Shihab Nye, Muhammad Ali, as well as selected poems from attendees.

Once the attendees discuss poems, they’ll be encouraged to think of incidents where they recognize kindness from life experiences, friends and acquaintances, and how it affected their lives. From there, writers will be encouraged to create a first draft of poetry. Writers will read their poems, and be encouraged to revise a first draft by the first week of May.   

Anne Leighton appears on the Grammy-nominated album, “Healthy Food for Thought: Good Enough to Eat,” (Audio & Video Labs) reading her poem “Feed Your Parents Well.” She’s contributed to The Indie Collaborative, The Literary Parrot, Elephant Journal. Her poetry book “The Leighton Explosion” made enough of a profit to use her earnings to record an original song, “Got My Eye on You, Santa,” which found her a publishing deal with Sheer Music South Africa/Downtown Music, USA. Anne's performed in the Bronx at ART in the Basin, Johnny Zs, and throughout New York State include NYC's Nuyorican Poets Cafe and Peter Max's Studio.  

Doug Odell talks Cobra Kai & Prog Rock on The Anne Leighton inclusion In...

Doug Odell talks Cobra Kai & Prog Rock on The Anne Leighton inclusion Interview Show on YouTube

Premiere is Tuesday, March 4, at 6 PM ET.  Doug’s the bassist for Ice Age, who I worked with in the early 2000s. The group is still recording.

John Poveromo on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show

John Poveromo is the next guest on the Anne Leighton Inclusion Interview Show. Which goes live Tuesday evening 6 pm ET/3 pm PT/midnight (Wed. morning Cape Town time.

 

I fell in love with the range of musicians, comedians, and health experts that John has on his podcast, "Dystopia Tonight.”  John's a working comedian with a wide range of talent including cartoon art, writing, filmmaking, organizing, and creating projects.

 

We talk about personal experiences with depression, mental health, and the challenges of navigating the current political and social climate. The interview also shares our experiences with social media, creativity, and travel, with a focus on the importance of empathy, understanding different perspectives, and supporting those who are struggling. He created an indie movie, "Duppet," a short that visualizes depression.  

Two other deep topics were our love for the TV show, "Supernatural" and John's hair care routine!

 

Everyone should tune in to John's M.S. Telethon happening this March 26-27.  Type up this link for the Telethon broadcast page:  bit.ly/dystopiaallnight25  

 

Newsletter 19: The Anne Leighton Inclusion

Wishing you a great 2025. I’m looking at my home as the safest place in the world, because it’s just me and the cats. Even so, I’ve been going out a lot over the winter, which has been a great way to start my days.  I think the cold weather just wakes me up, especially if I’m wearing the seasonal colors reds and greens this time of the year.

Years ago, I wrote articles for a Feng Shui Master.  Often, we collaborated on pieces about renewal in the new year and developing awareness of the world around us and ourselves.  Red stands for heat and fire energy, and green is for the earth and money.   

I’m thankful for the warmth and earth energy some poets and I will be surrounded with this Sunday, January 19, from 1 till 5 pm, when a group of us will read at the Poe Cottage to celebrate Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday.  I’ll be sharing “The Bells” and a new poem I wrote called “Black Cat” about standing up to a monster who has been exorcised from my neighborhood, and never had a black cat!

On the 25^th, I’m presenting a new poem about Etta James for We the She at Silvana, 300 West 116^th Street for a blues night my buddy Val Kinzler is organizing. When I was given this assignment, it was to write a blues poem about all the blues women. I said “I’d like to write about Etta, because she embodied the We the She spirit,” telling me to check out Bonnie Raitt when I interviewed her back in the 1980s. The idea is how she was lifting other women up! A few days later, Val sent a note, “Hey, it’s Etta’s birthday January 25!”

This month I wrote a poem, “Acceptance of Exceptionalism” for one of my friends, Lucy Kalantari, who is up for her second Grammy award for her music, and she’s also produced Grammy-winning and nominated albums for other artists.

Here’s the link workinggalrockandroll.blogspot.com/2025/01/acceptance-of-exceptionalism.html

I wrote the poem before I met Lucy.  One of my clients, songwriter/playwright Eileen Sherman (who wrote “Kwanzaa’s Pure Light,” a song I’m plugging to schools ) throws luncheons early January at an amazing New York City restaurant. This year she invited us to Sardi’s, which has been on my bucket list for decades.  As soon as I spoke, Lucy jumped up, “Anne! This is the first time we’re meeting!” I cheered on her Jazz Cats. In private I told her I wrote a poem for her! It's about how each generation becomes more self-assured because of our mothers; my mom taught me to fight City Hall, which is a great thing to write about, because I think we all have responsibilities to ourselves and future generations!

 

Acceptance of Exceptionalism

 To Lucy the Jazz Cat

 

My mother she told me

When I was a baby

To just grow and be the song I know

 

Some people they scold me

They say I’m so crazy

Wearing purple and singing so loud

 

This garden cans grow me

With doggies and kitties

Animals and vegetables like jazz

 

Self-belief does keep me

with passions continuing

accepting the weeds like I do me.

 

-November 4, 2024