Sapphire Interview {from the archives}

Stories from The World We Spin In
Stories from The World We Spin In
Sapphire Interview {from the archives}
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Sapphire: She live in full-spectrum truth-light*poet*novelist*performance poet*dancer*teacher— “I have brought into the public gaze women who have been marginalized by sexual abuse, poverty, and their blackness. Through art I have sought to center them in the world.”—her first novel, Push continues to focus public gaze, as does her subsequent novel The Kid.

Interview first aired on Joy Journal Program – WBAI, Pacifica radio

Ntozake Shange Interview {from the archives}

Stories from The World We Spin In
Stories from The World We Spin In
Ntozake Shange Interview {from the archives}
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Ntozake Shange: She live in music-light & love innovating poet*spoken-word artist*dancer*novelist* playwright* mother*very known for gift— “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf,”—that keeps giving*born October 18, 1948 Trenton, NJ,—died October 27, 2018 Bowie, MD

Interview first aired on Joy Journal Program – WBAI, Pacifica radio

Jayne Cortez Interview {from the archives}

Stories from The World We Spin In
Stories from The World We Spin In
Jayne Cortez Interview {from the archives}
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Jayne Cortez: She Visionary poet *cultural worker*mother*grandmother*director, known for Yari Yari: Black Women Writers and the Future (1999)…*born May 10, 1934 in Fort Huachuca, Arizona—died December 28, 2012 in Manhattan, New York City*

Interview first aired on Joy Journal Program – WBAI, Pacifica radio

Welcome to Joy Works Everywhere!

Joy Works Everywhere is an urban heart center, a place of welcome, created for the joyful development and expression of holistic living. Joy Works is a philosophy of living that speaks to our ability to attain health, wellness, peace, and laughter.

Peace Building: A Manual For Living Peacefully Every Day: Learning Conciliation

Peace Building book cover

PEACE BUILDING: A Manual For Living Peacefully Every Day: Learning Conciliation

paperback, 81 pages, $22.00,

Author: Carletta Joy Walker

Peace Building is a collections of essays, poems, dharma talks, charts and art, all imagining and describing the joy, beauty and possibilities of building peaceful hearts, homes, communities, cities and nations. The collection invites and challenges its readers to the act of transforming rage and violence into peace and joy; words interspersed with colorful art pieces proclaiming the fun and exciting possibilities of peace; it’s a bold call to see the peace within us and build a world without war, or better yet, without a need for war.

A great choice for organizations, families and educators, leaders, trainers and individuals for 2020 and forever…

Peace Is Sanity

Sit Alone Now In Trust Yield—Weekly Meditation on Peace
By Carletta Joy Walker

Joy Works Journey

In the early nineties during a meditative period, I drew a picture that for me represented the consensus/synthesis of many of the religions existing in the world. Ankhs and crosses, animal totems, stars, moons and holy sites were included as well as figures and shapes coming from what I think of as some collective unconscious that meditative practices allow me to sit inside. The drawing was exquisite, certainly something I wanted to keep, take pride in in an ego way. Simultaneous to my attachment feeling came the very clear message that I should burn this picture. I knew resistance was futile so this time I didn?t even try too much to reason my way out of it. I burned this precious and beautiful picture over the altar where I?d gathered the spiritual oneness to be able to draw it.

Later, as often happens with my meditative practices and explorations, I found a religious/spiritual precedent for the action. Burning an image or icon is part of bringing the image, the representation to fruition. This burning ritual marked the solidifying from the ethereal to the real Joy Works Urban Heart Center, which became Joy Works Everywhere! Inc.

JOY is an important spiritual concept. Joy is my middle name, given to me by my grandmother as, I like to think, a gift to carry me through until I could walk, soar on my own. She done well by me, and I have shared that Joy name vibration with two godsons and my sister gave it to my youngest niece. Joy is life elixir and barometer; when it flows smooth, starts to be steady in the face of sadness or pleasure on through the range of human emotion we begin to know stillness, glimpse oneness. Joy Works Everywhere!, Inc works for this JOY. We live mindbodyspirit wholeness/perfection. This mindbodyspirit labyrinth includes the politic of life and the intellect needs and understanding, the spiritual/religious/soul need, the physical body & body needs.