tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172433102010-04-06T15:10:12.431-05:00Therapeutic thoughts and theses from a Weaver of Dreamsjeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-51663078868664882052010-04-06T14:53:00.003-05:002010-04-06T15:10:12.452-05:00

The Haitian Chronicles, Day 5i'm home. well...almost. Miami's airport is home, for the next few hours at least, but i am back in the U. S. of A. and so that counts a lot toward the prospect of seeing my own bed tonight, even if it seems i will be on one of the last planes leaving the southeast coast. by the time i'll arrive, today will be becoming tomorrow, and i will go back to awakening in the

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-70376191240620817232010-04-04T20:28:00.003-05:002010-04-04T21:34:33.907-05:00

Chapter 4 of The Haitian Chronicles...this morning was Easter Sunday, but there were no Giant Rabbits bouncing around here hiding colored eggs; no other remnants of the pagan fertility rituals long since faded and folded into the commercialized celebration of new  fashion, candy, and greeting cards that buoy the Spring financial quarter at a time we call Easter. make no mistake. this was

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-8456549871307600202010-04-03T21:24:00.009-05:002010-04-04T21:38:16.302-05:00

The Haitian Chronicles, Chapter 3there is a dented-up, broken down truck in the front yard. i'm sorry, in the front dirt and gravel space that constitutes a yard in this neighborhood. the front of the truck has a hood held in place by a hinge--no matter, it hasn't moved in God knows how long. the bed of the truck is covered by its original plastic liner, turned upside down, hoisted high above

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-60057323236043100372010-04-02T20:32:00.005-05:002010-04-03T08:50:23.500-05:00

Breakfast at Gradeci'm sitting down after a dinner of pasta, potatoes, and plantain, a tasty trifecta that both represented both the starch-based local diet and salvation, the latter because--after being gone all day in the streets of Port Au Prince's neighborhoods--i was beyond famished. i fought the urge to woof down the delicious plate of food that awaited the men upon our return home,

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-62785757781223420872010-04-02T09:31:00.004-05:002010-04-02T09:47:02.077-05:00

The incredible kids at the Gradec Orphanage letting me hang with themWe arrived at the airport in Port Au Prince yesterday afternoon.  Upon arriving, you realize you are in a different world.  There were visible cracks in the walls in some places, a lot of hustle and bustle, and things were not--how shall i say--as organized as i've experienced in a few other travel destinations.   After

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-28567625237711179272010-04-01T08:14:00.000-05:002010-04-01T10:16:16.009-05:00

I don't know where i got in my head the notion i was leaving on April 2nd (probably because that's the day i'm scheduled to dig into the work with Dwayne Jones of I build By Faith), but i almost freakin' missed my plane. Had i not called to offer some condolences to a friend of mine, who asked, during the late-evening conversation, when i would be leaving, i might still be asleep instead of

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-62685957120125121112010-03-24T07:49:00.003-05:002010-03-24T08:56:18.232-05:00

just a few days ago, i was driving back home from an out of town trip with the family in tow, and i called a good buddy of mine, Dwayne Jones, to check in with him on a project we've got going. Dwayne and i are what i call "Big Vision" types: "brothers of the same mind, un-blind," as Chuck D. would say. telephone conversations with the founder of ibuildbyfaith.com have yielded some pretty

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-79434447396923184852010-02-08T17:22:00.000-06:002010-02-08T17:22:36.856-06:00

Amun Ra Theatre 2010 Season Passyeah, i went ahead and did it, folks. and i'll tell you why. because ART should be accessible, affordable, AND excellent.and i'm also doing it to disprove the myth that my people(s) don't buy tickets in advance for anything. :-)i've been blessed to be a part of an amazing movement in Nashville, TN. a movement that has been going on now in its present manifestation

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-36793767820574559172010-01-22T10:37:00.023-06:002010-01-22T15:30:37.454-06:00

1 Year and 3 Months15 Months60 Weeks449 Days10,776 hoursThis equation equals the patience quotient of every major Religion in the world. this is how long i've patiently held back telling a fascinating--and sad--story of use, abuse, and refuse that involves a small community agency in Nashville, and the people that have preyed upon them, in the name of The Lord.Before i share this story, i have to

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-87155248395777063982009-10-28T01:25:00.006-05:002010-01-22T23:31:31.785-06:00

i was honored to be able to sit down several days ago with the legendary historian Dr. James Haney, who hosts one of the longest running local television shows in Nashville. if anyone wants to hear and know the real story, check it out. it will air locally in a few days, but i've also posted the entire interview here below, in 4 parts. it's pretty straight ahead. gonna jump on some busy work. i

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-83045841693598980642009-10-11T11:30:00.005-05:002009-10-11T12:07:46.947-05:00

i find myself in a reflective mood as i sit in the corner of a Starbuck's that used to be a second home. so much much happened in this very corner. i recall tweaking many shows and planning many seasons; sketching out ideas on napkins, from big ideas to dialogue and melodies and lyrics for songs and salutations; yes, even completing the painful, yet necessary Weaver Of Dreams. that one left me in

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-17859975105343088282009-10-05T07:59:00.002-05:002009-10-05T08:16:07.682-05:00

so i figured, with all the regular blogging, i'd have to figure out how to eventually go to the thumbs and share thoughts. so here i am, sitting inside the Starbuck's in Metrocenter in Nashville, TN, giving thanks for seeing another Monday, while i wait on the wife to come and chill for a few. we're getting prepped for a production of Black Nativity that will blow the roof off Nashville. i may

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-80578361039457004202009-09-30T21:47:00.003-05:002009-09-30T23:00:14.583-05:00

At approximately 5:45 p.m. Central Standard Time on Monday, September 28, just over 7 days from the time i climbed a ladder up to the rooftop of the Amun Ra Theatre's Playhouse to live until we raised enough money to expand our community outreach programming, particularly our Youth Performing Arts Academy, i walked down a ladder live on National Radio, on the Michael Baisden Show.and history

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-75881979545034360152009-09-27T10:17:00.003-05:002009-09-27T11:16:11.967-05:00

i arose with the sun this morning, feeling a sense of enlightenment within, and entitlement without of the power to shape and mold intangible dreams into a tangible reality. we are all creators, collectively, endowed with the ability to look into each others' eyes, find purpose, agree, then get up off our behinds and put in the work.people are putting in work today.i have to thank Margie for

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-89414513711086695632009-09-26T02:22:00.002-05:002009-09-26T02:54:22.604-05:00

have you heard of a citywhere the streets are paved with gold?have you heard of a citywhere the streets are paved with gold?have you heard of a citywhere the streets are paved with gold?there are 12 gates to the cityhallelujah.-Traditionalmany pathways, many entrances, many various ways to reach the fortune. by the fortune, i mean not the pot of figurative gold that awaits us when we reach the

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-54822234233611324582009-09-24T20:39:00.001-05:002009-09-24T22:07:40.326-05:00

what a day this has beenwhat a rare mood i'm inwhy, it's almost like being in lovethere's a smile on my facefor the whole human racewhy, it's almost like being in loveall the music of life seems to belike a bell that is ringing for meand from the way that i feeland when that bell starts to peeli could swear i was fallingswear i was fallingwell, it's almost like being in love-lerner/loewe (the Nat

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-10591793824672934112009-09-23T18:28:00.003-05:002009-09-23T19:51:04.976-05:00

last night was a bit of a booger. and who wants even a bit of a booger, because it takes every bit as much effort to eradicate as a full-blown one. you still have to dig deep, contain and eliminate it, and even after it's gone, you can't shake the feeling that it's still with you, especially when you encounter someone else.so yeah, last night was indeed, just like that. there wasn't a monsoon by

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-57790604894353963492009-09-22T10:04:00.004-05:002009-09-22T12:09:52.727-05:00

i woke up e-a-a-a-a-r-l-y this morning. got a decent night's sleep, considering it's the first time i ever slept on top of a roof. i had a roll up padded camping mattress my wife brought over to the theater. she was about to try to toss that booger up here, but thankfully i stopped her and deferred that task to one of our teens, Trenay, who was also outside hanging last night with a group of

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-55042883076834451502009-09-20T19:17:00.004-05:002009-09-21T09:54:03.379-05:00

If you haven't heard already, i'm headed up to the roof of the theater i--along with many other volunteers and contributors--helped build last year. It is the first African-American theater facility in Nashville in over 100 years. More significantly, we run a Youth Performing ARTs Academy for young people ranging from 9-13, and a Teen Ensemble that takes them to adulthood. In order to keep those

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-44852716538461020872009-09-19T15:13:00.004-05:002009-09-19T17:33:18.133-05:00

ever heard this one: "i'm praying for you that God will_______________(fill in the blank)."it's rampant within what i call the Outwardly Demonstrative Body of Christ. i've encountered countless people who, although they have no idea of my favorite color, what my Mama's name is, or where(and when) i choose to attend the equivalent of "church service," let me know--without me asking, exactly and

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-20551573420064402832009-08-29T11:56:00.007-05:002009-08-29T20:59:57.974-05:00

I had said I wasn't going to write no more poems like thisBut the battlefield has oozed away from the stilted debates of semanticsbeyond the questionable flexibility of primal screamingThe reality of our city, jungle streets and their kastaposHas become an attack on home, life, family and philosophy, totalIt is beyond the question of the advantages of didactic niggerismThe mother fucking dogs are

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-9466794570575334632009-07-09T22:19:00.002-05:002009-07-10T20:05:24.033-05:00

it happened again last night.the other night, i was tired, really tired, driving home after stopping off at the store on the way home and i got followed by a cop. all the way from west end through charlotte and all the way to within a block of the theater where i work.i was pissed.so last night, when i was leaving our kid's program and another at Fisk, i saw 3 cop cars that had pulled over some

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-88317223342190866882009-07-05T20:23:00.004-05:002009-07-05T21:27:34.741-05:00

Death.Dying.End.Passing.Quietus.the last several weeks have left any and all of we who call ourselves scribes falling over our thoughts to compose fitting epitaphs for giants among us. oh, how we have suffered losses of late. from broken hearts to strange twists of fate. all along, our songs of lamentation have arisen throughout the nation, from the hills of Tennessee to those of Cali. Shall we

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-55774046241069430072009-06-26T11:42:00.004-05:002009-06-26T11:51:27.745-05:00

good morning, internet family,i have been blessed to know a lot of good people. as of late, i've been doubly blessed to work with many of them in the cozy confines of The Amun Ra Theatre, in Nashville, Tennessee. i guess you could call it my baby. the baby's getting bigger though, day by day.many of you have asked me what i've been up to. the short answer is: building the dream. we're in the

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17243310.post-62290108977769026232009-06-22T18:39:00.004-05:002009-06-24T15:33:42.056-05:00

People (and Actors) Get Ready...see you soonSo it's finally here: the official casting call for my first Independent Feature film. leave it to me to take on something controversial, right? (if you don't know, read the bio page, LOL). i can promise you one thing--we're all in for a wild ride.i won't be talking much about this particular film until i have most of it "in the can" as we filmmakers

jeff obafemi carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805736646037335321noreply@blogger.com4