New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 08/19/2013 --Legendary poet Shirley Bradley LeFlore holds the distinction of publishing two books simultaneously with 2Leaf Press, her debut poetry collection, BRASSBONES & RAINBOWS, and her stage play, RIVERS OF WOMEN accompanied with photographs by award-winning, Chicago-based photographer, Michael J. Bracey.
BRASSSBONES & RAINBOWS is a personal odyssey centered on LeFlore’s life growing up and living in St. Louis, Missouri. LeFlore weaves the fabric of verse through jazz, blues and gospel in an easy going, smooth and soothing Southern American dialect mixed with African American Vernacular that rolls off the reader’s tongue. The collection includes a foreword by Amina Baraka, an introduction by Gabrielle David, historical photos of the poet, with cover art by Frank Frazier. BRASSSBONES & RAINBOWS is available in both print and ebook editions.
RIVERS OF WOMEN is a play that is based on LeFlore’s signature poem, “Rivers of Women,” alongside some of LeFlore’s most prolific works of poetry rooted in the stories and voices of women, which also incorporates music and dance. Bracey matches his images with LeFlore’s poetry, adding a visual dimension that succeeds in endowing every poem with an added sense of depth and emotionality through his unique mode of multilayered conceptualization. RIVERS OF WOMEN is available in print edition only.
LeFlore has been writing, performing and publishing poetry for nearly five decades. An original member of the Black Artists Group (BAG) (an artistic collective in St. Louis committed to a collaborative interweaving of diverse artistic mediums), LeFlore has collaborated with musicians, dancers and visual artists around the globe. As an oral performer, LeFlore has blended the vocal texture of her poetry with the music giants of jazz, blues, gospel/spirituals and classical music, performing with jazz and blues greats such as Oliver Lake, J.D. Parran, and Hammiet Bluiet. Her play, “Rivers of Women,” which premiered at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis in 2012, marks the directorial debut of National Bestselling author and producer, Lyah Beth LeFlore, the poet’s daughter.
Check out the poetry of Shirley Bradley LeFlore in both print and eBook editions,and be amazed.
About 2Leaf Press
2Leaf Press (www.2leafpress.org) is an imprint of the Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes multicultural literature and literacy. www.theiaas.org
