How to Become Amazing
U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo, poet, storyteller, singer, educator
is the Journal of Expressive Writing's OPEN MIC Featured Author on
April 13, 2022, 7-8:30 p.m. ET.
FROM OUR PRODUCER & HOST
KELLY DUMAR
(she/her) Boston based poet, playwright, daily blogger, and leader of creative writing organizations—in person and online—for 30 years. Kelly's philosophy about teaching and coaching is simple: Your stories are not only meaningful, they are beautiful, and they deserve to be written, crafted and shared.
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When I spoke to U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo on the phone to prepare for her upcoming featured reading with the Journal of Expressive Writing, I heard a welcoming voice with a centered presence exuding a warm glow of confidence. When I listened to recordings of U-Meleni performing her poems on stage, I saw—and witnessed—a fearless powerhouse, a speaker with charisma, elegance, passion, and authority. U-Meleni is a tender, fiery, and riveting storyteller whose words, voice and presence thoroughly engaged me. I am so looking forward to her reading this Wednesday night, April 13, at 7:00 p.m. from her poetry collection, Soul Psalms.
I trust U-Meleni will deliver for us a lesson in writing as healing. In fact, she says, “Writing is medicine. Mental Wellness is a human right and art can heal.” And, more than that, she will bring us an engagement with her life story of how to become "amazing."
I live in between two worlds, three tribes, two continents, belonging and not belonging, mahogany dipped in mazhanje juices. You see the elders always told me some day I would be amazing.
Her name was conceived by her mother and father when she was two weeks over her due date, and they were anxiously anticipating her birth. U-Meleni means, “What are we waiting for?” She tells us, “My name has been the compass in my life.”
I come from a long line of medicine women. Spiritual women. Women who pray, who receive wisdom in their dreams . . . and do the work to manifest with help from the most high.
Poet, storyteller, singer, educator, and creative facilitator, U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo is a Zimbabwean American who has performed internationally in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Portugal, and Ireland. She is fiercely passionate about using her voice for women's empowerment, wellness, diversity & inclusion, and the exploration of translation or "hyphenated identities" through her work.
Soul Psalms, her recent poetry collection, is described by the publisher, She Writes Press, as “filled with lyrical and vivid imagery that takes you on an emotional journey toward finding self. Exploring themes of family, love, body image, acceptance, and belonging, Mhlaba-Adebo’s words flow melodically and powerfully, bringing readers to a place of peace. The themes in Soul Psalms may be personal, but they appeal to a universal pull: the desire to become ”well, amazing."
We hope to see you on Zoom Wednesday evening for this remarkable event with U-Meleni, and to hear 15 additional writers read their writing for 3 minutes each in the OPEN MIC that follows.
See you then!
Kelly
More About U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo
U-Meleni was featured on “WGBH Suitcase Stories.” Her poetry collection “Soul Psalms" (She Writes Press) was described by David Updike as “written in a fearless female voice tempered with optimism and healing possibilities of love.” In Spring, 2018 she was a Keynote at the Naturalization Ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as well as the 15th Annual Refugee Conference in Lowell, MA. During Women's History Month she performed in a staged reading at the Next Stage Arts Project in Putney, Vermont for "Bold Women: Brazen Acts," amplifying women's voices written by Rivka Solomon. She was also featured alongside Yo Yo Ma, David Ortiz and many gifted others in the #StandsWithImmigrants: Projections, a series of large scale Boston portraits, projected onto Boston’s urban landscape to highlight the critical role that immigrants play in our society (the kick off happened at the Edward Kennedy Institute).
Learn even more about U-Meleni at: u-meleni.com
Read U-Meleni's poem, "Burial," published in the Journal of Expressive Writing.
REGISTER NOW to attend/hear U-Meleni followed by our OPEN MIC with 15 writers who will read their work for up to 3 minutes each.
All OPEN MIC events are FREE to attend and OPEN TO ALL, but you do need to register through Eventbrite here.
The Journal of Expressive Writing OPEN MIC is produced and hosted by Kelly DuMar.
Read about our upcoming featured authors on our OPEN MIC page.
Journal of Expressive Writing Submissions
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About the Editor:
Jennifer A. Minotti (she/her) is a Writer-in-Residence at the Center for Women's Health and Human Rights at Suffolk University. For the past 25 years, she has dedicated her professional life toward working for the betterment of society. For 17 years, Jen worked at Education Development Center (EDC)—a global non-profit working to improve education, health, and economic opportunities worldwide—in a variety of technology, research, writing, and leadership roles.
In 2012, Jen founded the Women's Writing Circle as a means to merge her passions for expressive writing, positive psychology, community organizing, women’s health, and social activism. In 2020, she founded the Journal of Expressive Writing in order to provide a place for sharing expressive writing, believing that we need this space on a fundamental, human level, individually and collectively. Jen is a graduate of Boston University (B.S.) and Columbia University (M.A., M.Ed). Her writing has appeared in numerous refereed journals, anthologies and literary publications.
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Read Jen's interviews in the Selfish Poet and Pen & Prosper.