Spotlight of the day - Imani Tolliver

Seriously, I say this all of the time and I'm going to keep saying it until you all get it. Hear me now...I KNOW THE MOST AMAZING ARTISTS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD! I do! My spotlight of the day goes to Imani Tolliver. We have known each other since um, um, I guess 1994 when I first started going to the World Stage in Leimert Park in Los Angeles. The Anansi Writers Workshop. I love everything about this brilliant woman and I am honored to call her friend. Back oh about eleven, twelve years ago we both lived in an area of Los Angeles commonly referred to as The Jungle. Yep. Remember the movie Training Day with Denzel Washington? THAT jungle. Well, Imani lived two blocks north of me and Jennifer Bowens (another bad ass human being and poet friend) lived two blocks north of us. And, keep up with me now, Yuri Hinson (need I say that she is another bad ass poet?) didn't exactly live in the jungle but we all made a nice crew and together became THE JUNGLE FLOWERS. No, we were not a for real group or anything, we were just four women who did what we could to be a light in a let's just say, a heavy environment.

We have all moved away but to me we will forever be the jungle flowers. Imani is a light and awesome example of woman, writer, friend, artist to me and to many. Last Wednesday at the World Stage we didn't have a featured artist so we used that time to...talk, to reconnect. Conney Williams (bad ass poet, I told you I know the best...) is the host of the poetry night and asked us to share stories of those back in the day World Stage days (that I miss like...like...I just miss them that's all). Imani's name came up all over the place. Her writing is so free, so grown, so...girl and honest. Don't just take it from me. Please visit her website at www.imanitolliver.com.

Love yourselves today