Upside My Head (Pay Attention Now)

Well said and love the inspiration combined with t...

2012-05-10T11:30:03.678-05:00

Well said and love the inspiration combined with the humor.

Having moved to the 'burbs with my then toddle...

2012-03-21T20:08:06.532-05:00

Having moved to the 'burbs with my then toddler son toward trying to navigate a 'better' for his existence I was reminded again and again, your address doesn't matter. And I live with the (mostly) smothered fear that my son will be 'that' son, as well.

Very nice piece. And thank you for sharing the links to other news on the subject.

Wow...very well said Ann! I applaud you.

2012-03-21T07:39:40.979-05:00

Wow...very well said Ann! I applaud you.

thank you, Ann -cz

2012-03-20T21:06:31.586-05:00

thank you, Ann
-cz

So cool, makes me wamt to dress better.

2012-03-09T18:41:22.193-06:00

So cool, makes me wamt to dress better.

I. Love. This.

2012-02-22T07:15:07.699-06:00

I. Love. This.

Beautiful, moving post. Thanks for this.

2012-02-13T06:51:00.680-06:00

Beautiful, moving post. Thanks for this.

Great job. Thanks especially for spending some of ...

2012-02-05T11:02:37.849-06:00

Great job. Thanks especially for spending some of your ink on the character of Laura.

This is Caroline, not anonymous. (I couldn't ...

2012-01-26T15:21:14.652-06:00

This is Caroline, not anonymous. (I couldn't figure out how to get my name at the top of my post.)
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Enjoyed your review, Millicent. The movie had many layers to it, providing insight into many challenges of being black, a teenager, independent thinking, and so much more.

I've been struck by the push I've seen with facebook friends - straight - who sent out lots of messages about "Be sure to see Redtail this weekend" and few such encouragements were sent regarding "Pariah." Steven Spielberg backed Redtail - certainly a movie of importance. Spike Lee backed "Pariah" - which originally was an independent short film. With Lee and other's money, it was made into the full-length film we all enjoyed. Both opened in the Twin Cities last weekend. Redtail came in second last week - of course it's got money to do commercials on TV. I hope the buzz about "Pariah" results in more money being thrown at it and other movies that represent the topic, actors, writers, directors, etc. that "Pariah" represents.

Steph and I were there at the Saturday showing, wh...

2012-01-26T15:07:35.714-06:00

Steph and I were there at the Saturday showing, which was also sparcely attended, and we were 2 out of 5 people of color in the entire theater....(something that never ceases to amaze me about Minneapolis despite that I have lived here for over 25 years.)

Nonetheless, we both enjoyed the film, and as expected entertained a good deal of discussion immediately following.

There were many ways that I connected to the different characters portrayed. Like Milicent, I grew up in a big city environment, and I rarely felt I fit in with the usual crowds.

One of the scenes from the movie that struck me the most was when Alike and her new love interest (can't remember her name) were at the house party with the alternative music being played by the house band. That reminded me so much of myself growing up and hanging out on the North Side of Chicago...I think many of us found solace in places like those....

Great review by Millicent! And I agree with everyt...

2012-01-26T14:10:47.710-06:00

Great review by Millicent! And I agree with everything she noted about the film. I saw the movie, too, and saw a lot of myself as a black Lesbian. My coming out story was different but I could relate to Alike's sense of alienation and I think other audience members did as well regardless of their race or sexual orientation.

I share your disappointment that the film isn't being more widely embraced by Twin Cities residents. Despite its' specific setting in the African American straight and gay communities, the underlying story has universal appeal, looks beautiful, has a soulful soundtrack, and has outstanding performances (but no Oscar nominations?! don't eveb get me started on that).

I attended a Friday show and it was a pretty meager turnout. I'm not entirely sure what to attribute that to but have decided to focus on am doing everything possible to encourage family and friends to support a fabulous film. It would be wonderful to have strong sales and attendance to show the world our stories can be as entertaining as they are meaningful!

Nice review. I agree that it is a coming of age st...

2012-01-26T13:28:23.912-06:00

Nice review. I agree that it is a coming of age story that everyone can find a way to connect with. But I really liked that Akile and Laura are Black lesbians, like me. I liked seeing "me" in a movie.

"But wait. I'm not laughing anymore. Kind...

2012-01-17T08:57:01.229-06:00

"But wait. I'm not laughing anymore. Kind of overwhelming isn't it, after watching 12 in a row. Imagine living with it. Every. Day. Or maybe you do live with it. Every. Day."

That is so perfect.

White woman in my late 40's and southern. Hat...

2012-01-07T13:12:52.806-06:00

White woman in my late 40's and southern. Hated the book. Hated the movie which I just saw on DVD last night. Found it sooo aggravating and insulting to both black and white. It took a topic of profound importance and made it into fluff. I agree with the reviewer who said it was "historical kitsch" and I can't understand why on earth white audiences are eating it up...like Minnie's pie.

Jen, thanks for the feedback and motivation. I'...

2011-12-26T09:00:53.624-06:00

Jen, thanks for the feedback and motivation. I've always wanted to attend BlogHer and maybe this is the year to do so! I do promote my blog on Facebook and Twitter, but staying motivated in my biggest challenge.

Blogging isn't dead, but the sharing/commentin...

2011-12-26T07:55:24.432-06:00

Blogging isn't dead, but the sharing/commenting and community part takes work: make a Facebook page for your blog and tweet about it on Twitter. There are blogging conferences, and huge platforms for women bloggers--like BlogHer. If you decide to renew your blogger-life, you may want to expand into the social media sphere!

May the odds be in YOUR favor!

2011-12-23T08:59:11.690-06:00

May the odds be in YOUR favor!

Thanks, Juin. Any chance you would be interested i...

2011-12-09T12:42:18.338-06:00

Thanks, Juin. Any chance you would be interested in doing a guest post on your new book? What it took to write it, and what it means to have it out there in the world? Congrats, by the way!

Thanks for posting this Ann. It continues to amaze...

2011-12-09T12:14:13.793-06:00

Thanks for posting this Ann. It continues to amaze me that "gay" is supposed to somehow make us less "human". The same as the color of my skin or the genitalia is supposed to make me a different citizen entitled to the crumbs that might be scattered at my feet. Thank you Hilary for just keeping it real and honest and from the soul.

Hi Ann, Great post! I am not quite at the "a...

2011-09-08T16:05:40.211-05:00

Hi Ann,

Great post! I am not quite at the "age" of worry, however from time to time my memory fails me. Two major factuors (stress & multi-tasking) are usually in play for me and probably most people who experience a temporary laspe.

When we are stressed out it can be difficult to recall the information that's in storage. When possible, take a few deep breaths and relax, as it may help you access the info you think you've forgotten. The times that you're the most relaxed, you may find yourself remembering the weirdest stuff. :-)

When we are multi-tasking it's close to impossible to do just one of our tasks well. Focus on one task at a time and you won't forget that you left the water running in the bath while you're downstairs on the phone while simultaneously cleaning the cat litter...

Lynette, a lot of work has been done on supplements and warding off the A word. Some of the most promising are Turmeric, Vitamin D3, Omega 3 & ECGC which is prominent in green tea. Of course, a healthy diet will also help. I also like a good daily dose of Sudoku!

YO!

@RoAnne - I've always been a daydreamer and di...

2011-09-06T15:50:16.052-05:00

@RoAnne - I've always been a daydreamer and distracted, too. But now so much more so!

Okay thanks Ann,now I've got something new to ...

2011-09-06T10:39:46.890-05:00

Okay thanks Ann,now I've got something new to worry about. I actually have not been living in fear of Alzheimers. I have always been a daydreamer, forgetful, and easily distracted. Many of my childhood memories are of losing things, forgetting to retrieve my belongings from wherever I happened to set them down, remembering to do homework but then forgetting to take it to school, I could go on. My mom chalked it up to daydreaming..."if you would quit daydreaming and pay attention to whats going on..." So my current forgetfulness while very irritating just seems natural. I did learn to keep track of my stuff, and I have tools at my disposal now that I didn't have in my youth, so actually I'm doing better not than then. Don't get me wrong, I certainly have those moments when I wonder if I'm losing it, like recently walking all over a giant parking lot searching desperately for my black Corolla before remembering that the car I had parked was a rental car--a tan Camry that I had walked past several times. Okay, I'm gonna go play Sudoku for a while.

Thanks, Jon! Great comment and list of suggestions...

2011-09-05T12:47:23.833-05:00

Thanks, Jon! Great comment and list of suggestions. And so true that it is something that so many of us fear due to watching someone we love go through it. And isn't it true that the prevention for so much of what could ail us is exercise and healthy eating?!

Hey Ann, I don't think it's running anymo...

2011-09-05T12:18:35.212-05:00

Hey Ann,

I don't think it's running anymore, but "My Father's Bookshelf" was a great play dealing with Alzheimer's and dementia. I learned that humor is the best remedy when dealing with this. And you don't have to be 50+ to be worried about this. Watching a loved one go through dementia or any personality changing disorder brings awareness to something a lot of us will go through.

Personally, I think the current research on what empowering choices we can make every day to mitigate Alzheimer's and dementia is aerobic exercise [1], learning / stimulating the brain as much as we can [2], and general mindfulness [3,4]. I love the idea that playing Sudoku or the Wii can possibly delay onset :-)

[1] http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2010/01/aerobic_training_boosts_aging.html
[2] http://www.livescience.com/581-mental-exercise-halves-risk-dementia.html
[3] http://aboutalz.com/?p=1362
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness_%28psychology%29

Thanks, Lynette. Yes, people reading this, please ...

2011-09-05T11:38:17.728-05:00

Thanks, Lynette. Yes, people reading this, please share your stories and what you do to minimize your memory loss.