The Urbane Urbanite

"There is something terribly radical about believing that one's own experience and images are important enough to speak about, much less to write about and to perform " -James Baldwin That quote by famed literary icon James Baldwin is a staple on the website for The Fire This Time Festival, and speaks to its mission to provide captivating, conscious portrayals of the black experience and offer a platform for early-career playwrights of African descent to explore new voices, styles and challenging new directions for contemporary theater. The festival, which kicks off its third season on January 16 with a panel discussion on diversity in contemporary theater, includes a four-night limited engagement of seven eclectic ten-minute plays and five staged readings (the panel discussion and readings are free) presented by the Horse Trade Theatre Group. According to Derek McPhatter, a playwright and lead producer of the festiva...

One of the most fascinating conflicts to watch on screen is the internal struggle of sexual expression. Only after watching important films like Pariah , does it become glaringly clear just how difficult it is to be your authentic self in a world where you feel there's no place to be the person that you know you are. Adepero Oduye brings that battle to life with her fearless portrayal of Alike (pronounced: Ah-Lee-Kay), a Brooklyn teenager who isn't really coming to terms with her sexuality per se, but more so struggling to figure out how, where and with whom she can be herself.

My Holiday Party Guests Piled Toys for Tots Near The Tree I hosted my 3rd annual holiday party last weekend - and it was a success! The sangria was flowing (until it was all gone); the food was hot (until the food warmer thingy blew out) and the DJ was spinning (until she was ret ta go). My guests had a great time. I couldn't have asked for a better night. But this year I did something different. I teamed up with The Apostles' House whose mission is "to provide comprehensive social services to homeless and at-risk families and individuals in the Newark, [NJ] area in an environment that encourages and enables self-sufficiency." I received a text message from a friend stating that they were in need of toys for homeless children staying there this holiday season. So, in lieu of a bottle, I asked my guests to bring an unwrapped toy to donate to the kiddies at The Apostles' House - and they did not disappoint. I had over 40 partygoers at my crib and ended up w...

With the holidays looming and a brisk chill wafting through the air, ‘tis definitely the season for eating and drinking. While sizzling thirst quenchers like teas, hot chocolates and warm apple ciders will be bought and consumed by the boatloads this winter, what hot beverage options are available for folks looking to get lit - and stay toasted? I commissioned the head bartender at 169 Bar, a down-home dive bar on the lower east side of Manhattan, to concoct five warm, charismatic cocktails perfect for keeping the cold at bay and a buzz on deck this winter. I've tried them all - and they're good!

April 15, 2011. That date stares me in the face, mocking me, each and every time I fire up my computer. My homepage is my blog. And April 15 is the last time I updated. Nearly five months ago. Once upon a time, I was a mega-super-blogger. I blogged five days a week, (sometimes seven), and I went in on that blog. I begged writer-friends for exclusive quotes , interviewed my favorite photographers , told my whole life story, chronicled my world as a mother , wife and writer . I shot commercials for new blog posts . (No. Seriously.) I assigned and edited a weekly guest blog spot . I hired an ombudsman . And a graphic designer. And then had the nerve to hire an assistant too. I treated that blog like a full-time job. And then, (surprise, surprise), I burned out. Completely. I’m the energizer bunny when I have a new idea, whether it’s blogging, Tweeting, running or dieting. I don’t do anything halfway. So when I decided to blog, I went all out. And when I found myself with nothing le...

I don't offend easily. With close to ten years of rejection under my belt auditioning and working as an actor, I've grown quite the thick skin. But I'm still an artist and very sensitive about my shit! About a month ago, a friend and loyal reader of this blog made a comment about the post: My Upstairs Neighbor's Bed . He went on about how good he thought the post was and how much he enjoyed reading it. And then - like a rusty dagger to my heart - he asked: You made that up, right? Listen. Del don't make up blog posts. EVER! No disrespect to the bloggers out there on that James Frey flow; the ones who concoct misadventures and stretch the truths of their lives to entertain their readers. If that's your thing, fine! But it ain't mine. Everything you read over here on my little slice of the interwebs is 100% true. Period. Besides, I'm a writer. If I wanted to hit you with a piece of fiction, not only would I do it, but I'd say point blank: C...

Photo: S. James  Del don't do road trips. Usually. I have terrible childhood memories of being sandwiched in the back seat of an unairconditioned hooptie, riding down south in the middle of the summer. *Shudders*  So naturally, when talk of a road trip comes up, I'm the first one on the computer looking up a flight to said destination and making plans to meet my travel mates there. In my mind, by the time they get to the hotel completely aggravated, cranky and smelling of automobile, I'm already checked into my room, curled up with a Kindle and enthralled in a good book. Such was the case this past summer when my homies decided that a road trip from northern New Jersey to Toronto was in order for the 4th of July weekend.