As always, we are uber busy. This summer will bring a lot of Indelible projects to the forefront. The first you can see pictured right above this update. Howard Treadwell's literary debut, Dreams of Loisaida, is going to print this month! Currently, Howard is on tour with Megan Rickman of Slam Richmond, with show dates in Atlanta, Savannah, Florida, and Virginia (including Richmond, of course). Megan Rickman also happens to be our newest AMP|Indelible artist! More info on her later.

Alexis MarieThiahera NurseCrystal Clarity

Megan Rickman

Speaking of new Indelible artists, we are pleased to introduce the newest additions to the Indelible freshman class: Alexis Marie & Thiahera Nurse. Both of these Urban Word prodigies are only 17 years old, and possess amazing skills on page and stage. Alexis Marie was a 2008 Urban Word team member, has toured extensively, featured on the HBO series Brave New Voices, and performed at the Sundance Film Festival.  Thiahera was a 2009 NY Knicks Slam finalist, and a 2009 Urban Word NYC finalist (where Howard Treadwell & Timothy Prolific Jones first encountered her work). Also added to our roster is visual artist/poet/graphic designer/muralist/overalldopehumanbeing Crystal Clarity (cover designer of the AMP published One Mic).

As you can see from the flyer to the left, Ella Turenne, Charan P, Aliyah Ansari, Thiahera Nurse (even tho' she's not on the flyer), SoSoon, and Timothy Prolific Jones will be performing at the fundraiser for the independent film, Zemira, on Wednesday June 17 at the Bronx Museum from 7-10pm. Also featured are an A-list of NYC poets, musicians, and singers. Tickets are available at www.zemirathefilm.com. The screen play was co-written by Mecca Woods and Curtis John. Info below courtesy of the film's website:

ZEMIRA is a coming-of-age story loosely based on real life events. It centers around the title character, Zemira Black, a book smart but awkward African-American girl struggling to find her place and her voice in the world. As if dealing with the stress of being a teenager isn’t hard enough, Zemira struggles with the adversity of her drug addicted parents and an upbringing in a violent South Bronx neighborhood, both of which are starting to destroy her unless she can figure out how best to fight for her life.

While this film’s primary theme is redemption, its depiction of drug use, violence, and teen promiscuity in a contemporary, black urban setting, remains unapologetic. The goal of the film, however, is not to rehash longstanding stigmas of the black experience in modern America, but rather to challenge them. ZEMIRA provides a story told from a young black girl’s point-of-view with themes of hope, love and family unity—a rare perspective explored, unfortunately, in American cinema.

AMP|Indelible artist, Blackout Arts Collective co-founder, visionary, non-profit consultant guru, and warrior woman Taij Kumarie Moteelall invites you to the book launch for Bolo Bahen! Speak Sister! at the Queens Museum on June 19, 2009. Admission is free. The Jahajee Sisters and Sakhi for South Asian Women have co-published a community-created collection of poetry and prose by an inter-generational group of women  from New York, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad, Suriname and South Asia. One of the focal points of this women's empowerment summit is combating domestic violence. Taij and the Jahajee Sisters, including longtime AMP|Indelible ally and Blackout Arts Collective member Simone Devi will be performing their works at the launch event. Expect to see many faces from the AMP|Indelible and Blackout families in attendance.

You can also catch AMP|Indelible artist Knickie D at Superheros & Rockstars on July 19th, at Public Assemply in Brooklyn NY. She will be performing alongside artists including Wordsmith Jones, Faro-Z, GIA, RIP MC of Writer's Block, and Queen Godis. Hit her up on Twitter if you need tickets; she has em, and she's sellin' em.

That's all for now folks. We look forward to seeing you in the crowd, on Facebook, and on Twitter.