Monday, April 20, 2009

Pow Wow: A Fundrasier for The Before Columbus Foundation

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POW WOW FUNDRAISER

A Celebration Honoring 33 Years of
the Before Columbus Foundation
with special performances in
music, theater, poetry, dance
and the art of the short story.

Hosted by Ishmael Reed & Justin Desmangles

Sat., May 9, 2009
1-4 PM
with Reception

This event is free to the Public.
Donations are welcomed at the door.
Main branch of the San Francisco Public Library
Lower level, Koret Auditorium
100 Larkin Street (at Grove)

For more information, contact:
Justin Desmangles
hoodoojazz@gmail.com
www.beforecolumbusfoundation.org

Alejandro Murguia
Artists Performing:

The line up includes music, poetry, dance, theater and the short story.

Alejandro Murguia, Author

Deepa Subramaniam & Vidya Iyer of the Nrithyollasa Dance Academy

Flamenco & Jazz guitarist Aswut Rodriguez

Nrithyollasa Dance Academy
Tennessee Reed, Poet

Conyus, who will be reading his short story, Wormwood

A performance from Wajahat Ali's play Domestic Crusaders

Ishmael Reed, presenting a performance piece from Genny Lim's The Only Language She Knows directed by Carla Blank, with music by Jon Jang.
Tennessee Reed

The International Capoeira Angola Foundation

Conyus
Ishmael Reed
About the Before Columbus Foundation:

The Before Columbus Foundation was founded in 1976 as a nonprofit educational and service organization dedicated to the promotion and dissemination of contemporary American multicultural literature. The goals of BCF are to provide recognition and a wider audience for the wealth of cultural and ethnic diversity that constitutes American writing. BCF has always employed the term "multicultural" not as a description of an aspect of American literature, but as a definition of all American literature. BCF believes that the ingredients of America's so-called "melting pot" are not only distinct, but integral to the unique constitution of American Culture-the whole comprises the parts.

In 1978, the Board of Directors of BCF (authors, editors, and publishers representing the multicultural diversity of American Literature) decided that one of its programs should be a book award that would, for the first time, respect and honor excellence in American literature without restriction or bias with regard to race, sex, creed, cultural origin, size of press or ad budget, or even genre. There would be no requirements, restrictions, limitations, or second places. There would be no categories (i.e., no "best" novel or only one "best" of anything).

International Capoiera Angola Foundation
Domestic Crusaders by Wajahat Ali
Genny Lim
Jon Jang
The winners would not be selected by any set quota for diversity (nor would "mainstream white anglo male" authors be excluded), because diversity happens naturally. Finally, there would be no losers, only winners. The only criteria would be outstanding contribution to American literature in the opinion of the judges.

All winners are accorded equal standing. Their publishers are also to be honored for both their commitment to quality and their willingness to take the risks that accompany publishing outstanding books and authors that may not prove "cost-effective" in the short run. There are special Award designations (such as Lifetime Achievement) for contributions to American literature beyond a recently published book. The American Book Awards Program is not associated with any industry group or trade organization. The American Book Awards offer no cash prize nor do they require any financial commitments from the authors or their publishers. The Award winners are nominated and selected by a panel of writers, editors, and publishers who also represent the diversity of American literary culture.

American Book Awards
Before Columbus Foundation
The Raymond House
655-13th Street, Suite 302
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 268-9775
www.beforecolumbusfoundation.org




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