Book of Towers Pt. 9: The incomparable Nina Simone

Nina, Nina, what an incredible autobiography she released in 1991, titled 'I Put a Spell on You'. Not only did she live a prolific life as a singer, she was a survivor. She lived through some harsh times, went through various romantic relationships and battled with bipolar. She had a enstranged relationship with her daughter and had survived an abusive marriage. She speaks about her relationship with her dad and how much she admired him and how it turned sour later on after a certain incident. The book covers a good amount in its 176 pages.

She was very outspoken, an intense and captivating performer on stage. In her bio though you get to hear from her who trained her as a piano player, how she worked her way into the music scene; the many people she met and how she lived as a black woman in America when racial tension was very high.

One of the things that stuck out for me was how much she loved music, writing songs, singing it and how she was pushed to exhaustion while performing. Music was her anchor it seemed.

The book paces well which makes it engaging from page one!

Book of Towers Pt. 8: Lorraine Hansberry

'An informal autobiography' is stated on the front cover of the book 'To Be Young, Gifted and Black', rightly so. Lorraine Hansberry is easily one of the best writers we've had in America. I'm so happy I have read her autobio. What I found great and unique about it was that the book incorporated excerpts of her plays and interviews she gave during her great success with 'Raisin in the Sun' and letters that she has written to people so on. She was a big smoker, friends with many celebrities but here we get to read what she has written in her journal it seems-and her expressions are not always pleasant. You get the sense of her isolation and how it was like for her as a black woman in America-which she so wonderfully depicted in her literature. I didn't know she wrote opera as well (Toussaint). She was well educated and wanted others to know and tell about our (black people) culture.
She was the youngest of four children in Southside Chicago- 1930.
Nina Simone wrote a song about her-same title as the book.

'Genuine drama has a way of hiding out in the essences of scenes rather than in their trappings, i think.'

-L.H.

'Look at the work that awaits you! Write if you will, but write about the world as it is and as you thinkit ought to be and must be-if there is to be a world. Write about all the things that men have written about since the beginning of writing and talking-but write to a point. Work hard at it, care about it. Write about our people: tell their story. You have something glorious to draw on begging for attention. Don't pass it up. Use it...this nation needs your gifts. Perfect them!'

-Playwright (character in Hansberry's stageplay)

'There's always something to love. And if you ain't learned that, then you ain't learned nothing.'

-L.H.

'Never be afraid to sit awhile and think.'

-L.H.

Goodbye 2016

This has been a exciting year- I read a lot, watched over 90 new movies, wrote a couple of new short scripts, directed three short movies, released one short movie on Vimeo (which received really good responses), began writing two poem books (hoping to finish both next year)...next year I expect to be even better and hoping to direct a feature length movie of my own.

RISE AND GRIND PEOPLE, it's going to be an incredible New Year!!!

A film master's Birth

Just wanted to take out time to say happy birthday to a legendary film director, considered to be one of the greatest living directors around. Martin Scorsese. I had the honor in witnessing him direct on location, on Wall Street, in New York. He was directing Leonardo Dicaprio in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. 

I've read plenty of books about him and consider him a inspiration (both of us are from New York), and at the age of 74 he is still going strong! God bless him :-)

Biblical Story in the works! (Part 2)

Back in Oct. 2014 I announced that I was going to write a stage play of 'Joseph' from the Bible. Since then I'd done a outline of the story. The more I visualize it and think of the vastness of the story and the order of events that I would like to tell it, it would work best on screen! Therefore, I will be writing a screenplay of the incredible life of Joseph.

More to come...

Revised 'Beauty'

I'm happy to say since the last rehearsal me and some of the cast had back in April 2014, I have revised the script 'I am the Beauty of this World'. The latest draft I must say is my favorite! The depth of characters, the opening scenes, the change of structure and the very last scene all contributes to making this a draft I am very happy with and looking forward to filming soon. When? I don't know, but there still needs to be some recasting done, and raising funds, etc. But first things first is to get the script where it should be and what I have right now is very pleasing. 

More to come!!

-Keith D. Bracker
Director/Writer

Poetry Books!

So I've began writing poetry at the age of 10, ever since then I continued to write poetry, even though when I began to write screenplays, the poetry slowed down but I would find myself grabbing a napkin or a piece of paper and write a poem. I love poetry and the ones that are masters at it continue to inspire me.

My favorite poet is Pablo Neruda. And I just began to start reading Audre Lorde. I'm enjoying her writing.

Therefore over the years I've written many poems that cover love, faith, pain, loss, romance, relationships, violence and death. I've been wanting to complete a poem book, ready to publish, since 2000. So yes, it's been 16 years in the making and now I've decided it's about that time to go hard, with full force, to finished not just one but two poem books. Over these decades a lot has accumulated inside of me and as a storyteller/artist I am to respond and express my thoughts, inner emotions about what has been happening around us globally but esp. here in America.

As of right now both poem books are untitled. One will deal with Christianity and the various aspects of it and the other poem book will explore world events and the injustices in the world, esp. in America.

More to come!