Talking In Class

Thursday, April 15, 2021

INTERVIEW WITH HEATHER BARKSDALE

Heather’s Bookshelf:

Author Interview

with

Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte

Book Title: Betrayal on the Bayou

Released: 6/19/20

Genre: Historical Fiction

Interview by Heather L. Barksdale

What inspired you to write “Betrayal on the Bayou”?

Bize-Boutte: Embedded within my active imagination and actual Louisiana family history, this book had been rolling around in my head for about ten years before the frame and the heart of it all came to me at once and I sat down to write it. In my original concept, it was a sweeping biographical family tale, but after a while I knew I would never have enough factual information to fill in the blanks. Too much was being hidden and withheld by certain family members who will never come forward. It was then that I decided to write a novel.

When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?

Bize-Boutte: I don’t believe in writer’s block. I embrace the ideas of “waiting for the muse” and “imagination at rest” when I am not writing, which is not often. I have learned the literary value of letting things simmer before they are written as well as writing them as soon as they reveal themselves. Both have equal power and neither state should deter the writer.

Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?

Bize-Boutte: Yes, this is from a poem of mine currently in progress that I plan to use in teaching writing classes:

WRITE IT

Write it for you

Write it for me

Write it for them

Write so they see

Write your wishes

Write your truth

Write your encore

Write your youth

Write your real

Write your imagine

Write your fears

Write your passion

Write what you see

Write what you thought

Write who you are

Write what you brought

Write when it wakes you

Write when it shakes you

Then read out loud those words

To set them all free

And add your voice

To this life symphony

Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process, or your book?

Bize-Boutte: Well, I have been writing since I was gifted a Smith Corona typewriter by my parents at age twelve. Although I did not write much during my thirty-one-year career in government, I never stopped conjuring stories, so when I retired, I began to “empty out” all of those stories, thoughts, poems and whatever else was in “my there.” But guess what, “my there” magically refills all the time!

As you can see from above, I also use words unconventionally, especially in my poetry. I tell people to not be afraid to do that if it is a part of their voice.

In my writing process, I generally get the entire concept of a book, poem or short story in my head all at once and I am able at that point to write the beginning, middle and end. In the case of Betrayal on the Bayou, it was almost fully formed as I set down to write it. Then I use my own brand of “storyboarding” to fill in any blanks, provide details and assure continuity. I do not write to word count. I do not write filler. I just write what comes and what makes me want to know what my characters will do next and what makes me want to turn the page to find out. When I feel I have done that, I then believe I have something to share with others.

In Betrayal on the Bayou, I describe the insidious, permanent damage caused by colorism, racism and betrayal in a fictional Louisiana town in the nineteenth century, sometimes in literal, shocking ways.

If "Betrayal on the Bayou" were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?

Bize-Boutte: This is quite the interesting question because I have been asked this by people who have read Betrayal on the Bayou, and yes, I have thought about it. So here goes:

Emile: Chris Pine

Clotilde: Margot Robbie

Margot: Journee Smollett

Marie: Adele

Vanessa: Natalie Dormer

Francisco: Esai Morales

What is your favorite book, genre, and/or author?

Bize-Boutte: I am a big fan of Walter Mosley and Stephen King for their sharp character development and storytelling. Two of my bedrock authors are James Baldwin and Barbara Neely: Baldwin for his fearless truth and Neely for her depiction of the complex Black woman. My “go to” poets are Niki Giovanni and my late sister, Patsy Bize who could “rhyme on a dime.” And I love James Grisham’s page turning crime and the late Sue Grafton and her wonderful crime solver Kinsey Milhone.

What are you working on next?

Bize-Boutte: I am always writing poetry so I may have another book of poetry coming up at some point. As for the next novel…I have two ideas “simmering” including a possible sequel to Betrayal on the Bayou, or something else entirely.

The muse will bring it soon.

Learn More About the Author and Betrayal on the Bayou Here:

Blog: www.sjbb-talkinginclass.blogspot.com

Website: www.sheryljbize-boutte.com

Friday, April 9, 2021

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH. COME CELEBRATE WITH US AT THESE EVENTS!

JOIN US FOR A POETRY MONTH CELEBRATION

No Poetry No Peace

Monday, April 26, 2021 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm

A Reading and Celebration of National Poetry Month

"Poetry provides pathways for creative and cathartic human expression and peace."

S. J. Bize-Boutte

https://www.milibrary.org/events/no-poetry-no-peace-apr-26-2021

This event is produced by the MECHANICS INSTITUTE LIBRARY in partnership with the San Francisco Writers Conference.

Please register via Eventbrite and the Zoom credentials will be sent to you when you register and a few days prior to the event.

https://www.milibrary.org/events/no-poetry-no-peace-apr-26-2021

Join us in celebration of National Poetry Month for a reading of poems from No Poetry No Peace, a collection written by Sheryl Bize-Boutte and her daughter Dr. Angela Boutte; and a selection of local poets.

ABOUT OUR POETS

Pushcart Prize nominee Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an Oakland multidisciplinary writer whose autobiographical and fictional short story collections, along with her lyrical and stunning poetry, artfully succeed in getting across deeper meanings about the politics of race and economics without breaking out of the narrative. Her writing has been variously described as "rich in vivid imagery," "incredible," and "great contributions to literature." Her first novel, Betrayal on the Bayou, was published in June 2020 and a poetry collection she has written with her daughter Dr. Angela M. Boutte, titled No Poetry No Peace, was published in August 2020. She is also a popular literary reader, presenter, storyteller, curator, and emcee for local events.

Dr. Angela M. Boutte is a biochemist, neuroscientist, and avid recreational indoor climber who loves the tranquility and peace found in writing the occasional poem.

Isis Machline Blanchette is a wife and mother of 2 young boys living in Long Beach, Ca where she works as a special education program director. Isis loves to dance, sing, and enjoy life's simple offerings. She has been writing most her life and is an aspiring author. She writes prose, essays, poetry, historical fiction, and science fiction. Tonight she will share from her poetry collection.

Leticia Garcia Bradford is a poet, playwright and publisher. In 2014 she founded B Street Writers Collective (BSWC), Hayward, CA- a community of writers both amateur and professional. Her poems and stories have been published in local and national journals. She edited BSWC’s anthologies Fly With Me and What Is Love which she is, also, the publisher for MoonShine Star Co. In 2017, Leticia toured around the entire SF Bay Area with her poetry and stories at open mics and readings.

A long time activist, journalist, and Bay Area resident, Fred Dodsworth earned his bachelor's degree in creative writing with a concentration on gender studies, and his Masters in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. A poet since childhood, Fred's short stories and poems have been published in Red Light Lit, Rag Mag, Troop, Oakland Review #3, riverbabble, Transfer, Milvia Street, Bay Area Generations, Writing Without Walls, Saturday Night Special, Something Worth Revising, US Represented, and in the anthologies 11-9 the Fall of Democracy, RISE!, Colosses: Home among others.

Kevin Dublin is a writer of poetry, prose, scripts, and code originally from the small town of Smithfield, NC. His words have recently appeared in The Racket, Cincinnati Review, North Carolina Literary Review, Sparkle + Blink, and he is author of the chapbook How to Fall in Love in San Diego (Finishing Line Press, 2017). Kevin holds an MFA from San Diego State, leads workshops as a part of Litquake’s Elder Writing Project, and enjoys making video adaptations of poetry and developing web apps for writers. You can find him on Twitter @PartEverything.

Mary Mackey is the New York Times bestselling author of 14 novels and 8 collections of poetry including Sugar Zone, winner of the 2012 PEN Oakland Josephine Miles Award and The Jaguars That Prowl Our Dreams, winner of the 2019 Erich Hoffer Small Press Award for the best book published by a small press. Her poems have been praised by Maxine Hong Kingston, Al Young, Wendell Berry, Jane Hirshfield, D. Nurkse, and Marge Piercy for their beauty, precision, originality, and extraordinary range. Her novels have made The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle bestseller lists and been translated into twelve languages. At www.marymackey.com, you can sample her work and read her interview series People Who Make Books Happen, which is designed to help writers and teachers of writing. You can also follow her on Twitter @MMackeyAuthor.

AND ON APRIL 30, 2021

4:00-5:30 pm Pacific Time, PDT

FOR THE

WOMEN'S NATIONAL BOOK ASSOCIATION-SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER

SPRING POETRY MIXER

REGISTER HERE:

https://wnba-sfchapter.org/april-30-wnba-sf-poetry-mixer/

MEET THE POETS:

Lucille Lang Day is the author of seven full-length poetry collections and four poetry chapbooks. Her most recent collection is Birds of San Pancho and Other Poems of Place (Blue Light Press, November 2020). She has also co-edited two anthologies, Fire and Rain: Ecopoetry of California and Red Indian Road West: Native American Poetry from California, and has published two children’s books and a memoir, Married at Fourteen: A True Story. Her many honors include the Blue Light Poetry Prize, two PEN Oakland/ Josephine Miles Literary Awards, the Joseph Henry Jackson Award, and eleven Pushcart Prize nominations. She is the founder and publisher of Scarlet Tanager Books. https://lucillelangday.com

Award winning poet and Pushcart Prize nominee Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an Oakland multidisciplinary writer of prose/poetry, autobiographical and fictional short stories. Her writing has been variously described as “rich in vivid imagery,” “incredible,” and “great contributions to literature.” Her first novel, “Betrayal on the Bayou,” was published in June 2020 and a poetry collection she has written with her daughter Dr. Angela M. Boutte, titled “No Poetry No Peace,” was published in August 2020. She has served as a poetry judge for the Bay Area Poets Coalition, the long-term emcee and co-curator for theMontclair/Oakland Public Library’s annual celebration of National Poetry Month and is slated to judge the WNBA-SF’s Effie Lee Morris Writing Contest poetry category. She is a popular literary reader, presenter, and storyteller, and in addition to her books, her varied works appear in numerous journals, anthologies and print and on-line magazines and videos. www.sheryljbize-boutte.com

Dr. Jeanne Powell holds degrees from WSU in Michigan and USF in California. She is a published poet and essayist, with four books in print from Taurean Horn Press and Regent Press: MY OWN SILENCE, TWO SEASONS, WORD DANCING and CAROUSEL. She founded Meridien PressWorks™, which published 20 writers in 20 years. Jeanne’s film and cultural reviews appear online. For ten years Jeanne facilitated Meridien Writers, which met monthly in San Francisco. For a decade she hosted Celebration of the Word, a weekly open mic in the City. Jeanne has taught in CS, OLLI and UB programs on college campuses. She has been a featured performer in coffee houses, cafes, libraries and bookstores. Jeanne’s new collection of poetry will be published in April 2021 by Taurean Horn Press. www.jeanne-powell.com starkinsider.com/author/jeannep

Athena Kashyap grew up in India and went to the U.S. for her higher education. She received her BA in Critical Social Thought and History from Mount Holyoke College, her MA in English from the University of California at Davis, and her MFA in Poetry from San Francisco State University. She currently lives in San Francisco where she teaches English at City College of San Francisco. Athena has written two collections of poetry, Sita’s Choice (2019) and Crossing Black Waters (2012), both published by Stephen F. Austin State University Press in Texas. Her poems have appeared in Exquisite Corpse, All Roads Lead You Home, The Missing Slate, Forum, The Fourth River among other journals. Her work has also been anthologized both in the U.S. and India and has been translated into other languages.

Iris Jamahl Dunkle is an award-winning poet, literary biographer, and essayist. She has published four poetry books, including West: Fire: Archive, The Center for Literary Publishing, 2021 and the biography Charmian Kittredge London: Trailblazer, Author, Adventurer. Dunkle teaches at Napa Valley College and is Poetry Director at the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference.

The author of three poetry collections, a chapbook of short fiction and You Can Be a Winning Writer, a book for writers, Joan Gelfand’s work appears in national and international journals including Rattle, PANK! The Los Angeles Review of Books, Prairie Schooner, Kalliope, California Quarterly, the Toronto Review, Marsh Hawk Review and Levure Litteraire. Her chapbook of short fiction won the Cervena Barva Fiction Award. President Emeritus of the Women’s National Book Association, a member of the National Book Critics Circle and California Writers Club, Joan coaches writers. Joan’s novel, Extreme, set in a Silicon Valley startup, was published by Blue Light Press in July, 2020.

SAVE THE DATE: JULY 17, 2021-MECHANICS INSTITUTE CLASS-FROM STORYBOARD TO NARRATIVE

THE MECHANICS INSTITUTE LIBRARY

PRESENTS

From Storyboard to Narrative

with

Sheryl Bize-Boutte and Joan Gelfand

Saturday, July 17, 2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm

This event is presented in partnership with the San Francisco Writers Conference.

It will take place via Zoom. Please register via Eventbrite and the Zoom credentials will be sent to you a few days before the class starts.

REGISTER HERE:

https://www.milibrary.org/events/storyboard-narrative-jul-17-2021

Questions? Contact Taryn Edwards, tedwards@milibrary.org

In this workshop, authors Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte and Joan Gelfand will guide you from storyboard creation to story narrative. You will become familiar with the process of storyboarding, how it helps and guides the writer, how Sheryl and Joan each used their own unique storyboarding techniques to create narrative for their novels, and a fun storyboarding exercise for class participants.

Joan Gelfand's reviews, stories and poetry have appeared in over 100 national and international literary journals and magazines including Rattle, Prairie Schooner, Kalliope, California Quarterly, the Toronto Review, Marsh Hawk Review and Levure Litteraire. Joan has been a featured reader at numerous venues in the United States and Mexico including Bowery Poetry Club, the Southern Festival of Books, The Public Library of New York, and Litquake. Development Chair of the Women’s National Book Association, a member of the National Book Critics Circle and a juror for the Northern California Book Awards, Joan blogs for the Huffington Post and coaches writers. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Adam Hertz and two beatnik kitties – Jack Kerouac and Lawrence Ferlinghetti.

For each class, we reserve the right to cancel at any time and issue a full refund. If you are unable to attend your class, please email tedwards@milibrary.org at least 10 days prior to the class to receive a full refund. All fees must be paid at the time of registration.

Questions? Contact Taryn Edwards, tedwards@milibrary.org

https://www.milibrary.org/events/storyboard-narrative-jul-17-2021

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

MILLS COLLEGE QUARTERLY ARTICLE: MILLS GIRLS AND BLACK POWER

MILLS GIRLS AND BLACK POWER

An article entitled Mills Girls and Black Power has been published in the Spring 2021 issue of the Mills College Quarterly Alumnae Magazine. The transcription of a January 2021 roundtable discussion featuring myself and three of my Mills College 1970's sisters, shares insights and stories about how we fought for equity as Black students at Mills while not quite fitting the prevailing definition of what a "Mills girl" should be.

https://quarterly.mills.edu/mills-girls-black-power-a-roundtable-discussion/

Sunday, March 28, 2021

THE CLOSING OF MILLS COLLEGE AND THE LAST BLACK GOLDEN GIRLS

THE LAST BLACK GOLDEN GIRLS

Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte

Mills College Class of 1973

I am writing this on the day of the March 17 announcement about the “transition” of my alma mater, Mills College, from a degree-conferring academic institution to an as yet undefined “Mills Institute.” This declaration finally put to rest months of speculation and misinformation surrounded by years of concern about the future of the College.

This change will also mean that Mills College may hold its last commencement ceremony in 2023.

That year, 2023, holds special meaning for me and my classmates from the graduating class of 1973. It will be the year that we reach fifty years since our commencement. It will be the year in Mills’ parlance that we become “Golden Girls.” A Mills “Golden Girl” gets the royal treatment at her fiftieth reunion and it is a wonderful and joyous achievement, whether it is tethered to the institution, to us a group of amazing women, or both. To truly understand how significant that year will be for us, you have to know that the Mills class of 1973 is still thought to be the largest class of Black women in the history of the college. Gaining admission in 1969 to this prestigious all-female undergraduate institution was both a result of the Black Power Movement and our stellar grade point averages. Many of us were from Oakland and up until our acceptance and admission to the College had little or no idea what was hidden behind the ornate fences that surrounded it. The fact that we graduated, many with honors, was and is a testament to our tenacity, savvy and still quite evident, “change-maker DNA.”

In 1969 we arrived Black at a Mills College that begrudgingly welcomed us. Mills had, and has always had, a split personality. With a progressive presentation on the outside, Mills was, and is still deeply biased on the inside. My years there were filled with pride and pain and would become the subject and title of an article I wrote for the Mills Alumnae Quarterly Magazine in 2015.

I write this from the perspective of a former student who was both richly encouraged and treated with withering disdain. I write this as the first and only woman of color to be appointed as the Executive Director of the Mills College Alumnae Association, who on my first day on the job watched three white employees walk out as one of them said, “There is no way we will ever work for her.” I write this as a short-term contractor at Mills who while in a staff meeting listened as the art museum director at the time said she was taking down an African art exhibit and putting it in the basement, “...because no one wants to come here and see that crap anyway.”

The March 17 Mills College announcement cites changes in higher education, declining enrollment, and budget deficits as the reasons for its academic demise. But, as with many colleges, Mills relied heavily on the financial contributions of the “good old girl” White alumnae, many of whom have now passed away. Some of these same women can be found in the College’s yearbooks of their era in drama classes smeared in blackface, and while I was Executive Director, one of them asked me more than once if I was available to clean her house. Many of them are gone now, and when it came time to seek new funding pathways, Mills did not cultivate the alumnae of color.

Don't get me wrong here, Mills did in fact ask us for money from time to time, but they never cultivated us as a Mills affinity group. They never mixed us in their famous Mills College chocolate chip cookie dough as a part of the Mills alumnae recipe. We were never a normal course of business for Mills. Mills never connected and acted upon the changing demographics of its alumnae base and the opportunities to fundraise outside of their real inside identity. Oh yes, there was the attempt to connect in 2006 when a large meeting of Black alumnae was held. It resulted in many painful stories of ill treatment at Mills, many tears, but no meaningful follow-up. As I write this in 2021, Mills College has no Black employees in its Office of Alumnae Relations. I asked. What does that say about their internal design even today?

So, while I am saddened by the news that my alma mater will no longer exist in its present state, I also understand the inevitability of it all. Knowing no lasting progress has been made to change the closed, confusing, and "you are not really a Mills girl" culture I and others faced in 1969 and beyond, from time to time I have wondered when the doors would close.

Yes, we have come full circle, my beloved Mills College 70’s sisters. Who could have imagined that the Black women who graduated in 1973, would be among the last group of “Golden Girls” for Mills College?

And who could have imagined that here in 2021, we still have to wonder if Mills will celebrate our shining legacy?

SJBB/March 2021

www.sheryljbize-boutte.com

Thursday, March 11, 2021

BOOK REVIEWER HEATHER BARKSDALE GIVES BETRAYAL ON THE BAYOU 5-STARS

IN HER 5-STAR REVIEW

BETRAYAL ON THE BAYOU

AUTHOR AND BOOK REVIEWER

HEATHER BARKSDALE WRITES:

"...Overall, I found the book to be well-written, character-driven, and haunting. I thought that the character development of each of the main characters was really well done. Each of them had their own voice, background, desires, and motivations..."