Tunica Treasure, indeed!

Pop culture helps relatives learn our nearly lost language:

http://tunicarebirth.tumblr.com/

and I've got my makhina ring on today too ;)

And a new poem inspired by my makhina ring, made by Kenneth Johnson, Creek/Seminole silversmith extraordinaire

Backyard Astronomy

The light rises

In preparation for

High noon.

Here, it is called

The sun at her highest point

In the sky,

The brightest moment

Of a day’s life.

It was here

That the sun

Waited to return home,

For her daughter awaited her.

Something else waited

Instead.

Copperhead,

Steel eyes gleaming.

Diamondback ,

Trail points to the setting

Of the daylight’s only star.

From the passing

Of light it took

For the Sun to

Journey home.

Redbird was gone.

Her soul in a thrush and thrall

And her eyes no

Longer on the sky

It was an easy death.

Redbird moved

Across the world

To the Ghost Country,

Played for shine,

For luck,

For love,

For grace.

She could

No longer see

The sky

That traced

Her ascendance

Back to where

Her heart began.

Stars,

So many stars,

So much longing

And so far away,

A tiny pinpoint

Light of seldom

Rarity

Rushing from the dark

Blanket of night sky,

Which one,

She sighs,

Is home?

© 2012 Carolyn Dunn

It's been quite a while since the last post--- will try and keep up the blog. Here's a list of current projects:

Echolocation: Poems and Stories from Indian Country: L.A. : we are in the final copy editing stage. The layout has been beautifully designed by Gail Cross at Desert Isle Designs in Tucson and the amazing Stu Jenks, Renaissance Man, is publishing through his Fezziweg Press. We should see the light of day by January 2012 (fingers crossed!)

Bloodline (novel) is finished. It has been sent to Aunt Lute. We will see if they take a chance on it! Indians and vampires inherit Los Angeles in the near future.

The Bone Picker (play) is nearing the end of the first draft. Will send it to Native Voices when it's finished. Jeanie and Randy are patient. They have lots of new works in the works as well...

The third poetry book, The Stains of Burden and Dumb Luck, is in progress. Still editing. We may see some progress by the end of 2012. That is if we're not all at the bottom of the ocean by then.

My evil twin is hard at work at the next novel in her fantasy series, The Two Kingdoms.

I totally blame my students for this, but they have me totally addicted to the Josei/Shojo genre of manga. Oh, those girls have ruined my life!! It reminds me of my mom reading her Harlequin novels on Sunday afternoons while listening to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night. It's a wonder I survived Dora's choice in music and reading, but she lives on and I believe would have joined me in the manga obsession while listening to Crowded House. I am her daughter after all. So I am looking for a student to be a translator and another to scan. (Can I give independent studies credit for something like that???) That said, I am starting my own scanlation group (in my infinite spare time). Tyrrywoodscans.blogspot.com will be up and running sometime in 2012.

Adjusting to life in the Bay Area has been fun. I'm such an Angeleno that I bristle at all the Giants paraphernalia I am accosted with on a daily basis. Thank goodness for L.A. transplants at UCSC and the occasional Dodger cap. Ahhh... I can relax and breathe. I did spend seven years at USC so I guess I can survive enemy territory. After all, isn't this all enemy territory for a Hollywood Indian?

Carolyn on Feminist Magazine, Pacifica Radio's national feminist news program

Carolyn Dunn will be interviewed tonight on KPFK 90.7 FM on Pacifica Radio's (national) "Feminist Magazine" show from 7:45 to 8 pm. The interview will conclude with a ticket giveaway for the March 26th "Frybread Queen" show.

http://www.feministmagazine.org/

Arts Alive - March 12, 2011

Arts Alive - March 12, 2011

Wonderful story on the Frybread Queen about eight minutes in!

Lovely review of The Frybread Queen in Culture Spot L.A.

http://culturespotla.com/2011/03/theater-review-%E2%80%98the-frybread-queen%E2%80%99-at-the-autry/

Lovely article from Steve Julian at LA Stage Times

http://www.lastagetimes.com/2011/03/native-voices-opens-carolyn-dunn%E2%80%99s-the-frybread-queen/

Recipe: Native American Frybread from Playwright Carolyn Dunn

Recipe: Native American Frybread from Playwright Carolyn Dunn