The year so far
It's been a while since I've posted here. A lot has happened. The anthology I edited was featured on CBC Radio! When I told my mom about being interviewed, she thought it was for CBC Toronto. The weekend it was broadcasted, she received a call from a colleague in PEI asking if I was her son. Later that day, as she was driving home, the presenter on CBC announced that my interview was going to be on. She pulled over and listened to her son speak on national radio. Soon after she got home, I got a call from her. It was a good day.
Not all the days have been good. Two members of my family had Covid-19. A friend in the US who I try to chat with regularly, also contracted it. Slowly, everyone I know has been impacted by this thing. Yet convincing people to use masks is becoming more difficult. That said, we can't live in fear.
On the positive, I've just talked to Denis at Mansfield Press. They were supposed to publish my third book of poetry back in September, but you know, a pandemic hit and other things took precedence. It looks like Mansfield Press is back up running now, and I was given the news that one of my favorite people in the book industry is going to edit my manuscript! To say I'm happy is an understatement.
Some of you may know that when I was in University I released a spoken word poetry/rap/instrumental album, Red: TBR Vol1. What you may not know is that I received grants for a sequel Gold: TBR Vol2. The album was completed, but then the label that agreed to release it shut its doors. Soul and I decided to put it out through Souljahras Productions, but we needed to update some of the beats, some of the beats we didn't own. When we only needed to finish one track, life caught up. My hope is to get it done by early next year so we can release it as a mixtape.
Some people knew about Gold, but what they don't know is that the final album in the trilogy Green: TBR Vol 3 has been written for nearly a decade. Last night I came across the demo tapes of the final project. It still stands up. It'll probably be 2 years before I can share it. But, it will be released. Throughout the pandemic I completed my first full length project in a decade. Heavily influenced by reggae and dancehall, I already have a label interested in it. There's a lot going on.
We're super busy at We're Still Cool. If you want to hear my voice, or read my thoughts, that's usually where they end up. Also, if you have an idea that you think fits the website, let us know, we do pay around $50 for accepted pieces.
With everything so hectic right now, please mask up and take care of yourself. This thing is real, masks do work, and from my fam and friends who have had it, the stories are scary.
Peace and respect