Addiction, Conversations Of A Sistah, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Online selfies, Tracy L. Bell

This “SELFIE ADDICTION” Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah”

The ReadyWriter

The 15 Types of Selfies

Tracy_Selfie_April 16Seems as though everybody is into themselves these days and this addicting craze of taking “Online selfies“. You can’t scroll through Facebook or Instagram in peace, without seeing pictures of your friends, followers and/or associates standing in front of a bathroom mirror posing in front of their hand-held smartphones.

 <<— My selfie per Dr. Rutledge’s advisement on tonight’s show

And what really gets me are the “POKED OUT LIPS” the dark rim poindexter reading glasses worn by some and the never-ending peace signs, that’s making them feel sexy or even somewhat cool. However, a Selfie addiction is similar to other addictions that humans experience. So the question is…is it healthy?

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center consults on this issue and has said…

“The desire to take, post and get “likes” on selfies goes back to a biological behavior all humans are wired for. “I think it influences our sense of social connection in the same way as it does when you go to a party and people say ‘Oh I love your dress'”

Rutledge Headshot 300 dpiRutledge told The Huffington Post recently. “Biological and social validation is a real need and there is even an area of the brain that is dedicated to social activity.”

Join me tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah” via “Conversations Live” as Dr. Pamela Rutledge, (pictured left) author of Selfie Empowerment and co-author of The Science of Audience Engagement will be my special guest. Dr. Rutledge is a leading expert on social behaviors and trends in media, technology use and development.

All “Conversation Links“ in this post will take you to the online show!

Meet you all on the air!

Conversations Of A Sistah, What she said

Cyrus Webb invites… Author/Poet/Blogger Tracy Bell to “Conversations LIVE” 04/15 by Cyrus Webb | Entertainment Podcasts

The ReadyWriter

cyrus_webb

Author/Poet/Blogger Tracy Bell returns to Conversations LIVE 04/15 by Cyrus Webb | Entertainment Podcasts.

Tune into “Conversations Live” on Tuesday April 15th at 8:00 PM as I will be the guest of Cyrus Webb’s online radio show as the Media Mogul (pictured here) discusses with me…

“My love affair with words and what it’s been like to share it with the world through my books, blog and now radio show “Conversations of a Sistah”.

As a bonus, I will share a piece with listeners from my soon to be released poetry book “These things”…the diary of a poet.

I look forward to being Mr. Webb’s guest and hope you’ll join us for the show.

Click the link here to access the show.

For Brown Girls, Karyn Washington, Light skin vs. Dark skin, Low self-esteem

She committed suicide because of her skin color!

The ReadyWriter

forbrowngirls

She was the founder of “For Brown Girls” an initiative to encourage dark skinned women to celebrate their beauty. At just 22 years old, she committed suicide in what many believe was due to her low self-esteem issues.

Karyn Washington launched her #DarkSkinRedLip initiative after rapper A$ap Rocky cautioned dark skinned girls against wearing red lipstick.  The mission of both of her endeavors was to encourage darker skinned women to celebrate their beauty.

The story has gotten the attention of those who feel that the African American community can often become fixated on skin color as a way of measuring a woman’s beauty.  

Although no one knows if these self-esteem issues directly contributed to Washington’s passing, it is clear that they didn’t make her life better. Not in her mind anyway, which is why I did the show in October 2012 on light skin vs. dark skin because it is a sad state and mentality that some women of color suffer and believe.

Sad.

Conversations Of A Sistah, National Poetry month, Poetry, Tracy L. Bell

The Gifts of a poet? Tonight on “Conversations Of A Sistah”

The ReadyWriter

african-american-woman-writing-check1-500x270

What is a poet? We know what the common answer to that question would be: A poet is a person who writes poetry. However, a poet’s work can be literal, meaning that his/and or her work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his/or her work can take on many different meanings and forms.

Poets exist in nearly every language and have produced works that vary greatly in different cultures and different times. Poets have used various styles that have changed through the course of literary history, resulting in a history of poets as diverse as the literature they have produced. Some poets write poetry for pleasure or as an occupation.

Poetry can be written in many forms, even from the poet’s imagination however, a genuine poet will write from experience and feelings which altars the soul.

April is National Poetry month, so join me tonight at 8:00 PM on “Conversations Of A Sistah” via “Conversations Live” as we explore some great poets of our time.

All links in this post, make it possible to access this post.

And if you would like to share your poetry on the air, here’s your chance…call the show at 1-347-426-3645 and press “1” to speak with me the host…

See you on the air, if you dare to share!

Most joyful let the Poet be;
It is through him that all men see.

A Raisin in a Sun, Broadway plays, Denzel Washington, Lorraine Hansberry, Performance

Denzel Washington in…’A Raisin in the sun’!

The ReadyWriter

raisin4f-3-web

I saw Denzel Washington in Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 reprised drama “A Raisin in the Sun” a couple of weeks ago and he gave a phenomenal performance.

Reprising Sidney Poitier’s role, Denzel is stunning as the dreamer-schemer Walter Lee Younger, whose frustration throbs at the heart of an American classic that is as deeply humorous as it is affecting.

The story spins around an inheritance of $10,000, or about $100,000 today. The money is willed to Lena (a wonderful LaTanya Richardson Jackson- Samuel L. Jackson’s wife) by her late husband — and she plans to use it to move the whole family into a white suburb. But there are bumps along the way.

Jackson brings dignity, strength and laughter, while Anika Noni Rose charms with contagious exuberance as Beneatha, who wants to be a doctor and to learn more about her African heritage.

As Walter’s long-suffering wife, Ruth, played by the sublime Sophie Okonedo whose voice is thick, strong and horrible on the ears.

Washington’s performance registers the colors of joy, despair, fury and determination and I love him!