Headsprung

So I finally saw Karinne Steffans in person at "The Enigma of Beauty: Airbrushed to Perfection" panel at The Harlem Book Fair. Panel was all women: Akiba Solomon, Benilde Little, Tia Williams and the mind boggingly beautiful (and 50!) Iman. Although I have spoken with folk who have come into contact with Steffans, read all of her articles, and her book it's hard to make an assessment of someone until you can witness their energy and this is still relatively superficial. So I will proceed to make superficial comments: Her skin is amazing. Really luminous. She's a very cute girl. Not gorgeous. Bedroom eyes. Cute figure. Not styled very well. Looked a little dowdy. I am thinking this could have been done on purpose. Little jewelry. Diamond pendant and studs. Bad Weave. Yearns to talk, needs to be heard. Seems like this may be the first time in her life that she's had an audience. Seems to be very validated. Repeats herself a lot. Caters to her audience. Knows how to work a crowd. Obviously like many of us is stuck on her childhood. Also very interesting how respectful and affirming the audience (predominantly women) was. No one addressed her disrespectfully. I wanna see Steffans, Cynthia Plaster Caster, Pamela Des Barres, Bebe Buell on a panel. Now that would be interesting. I taped the panel but I ain't gonna transcribe it. The moderator, Krishan Trotman was great. She shared her mother's advice to her when she was mocked as a child for too nappy hair and too black skin: "You're as good as God's got!" Say it. I should also add I want to be friends with Iman. She's a wise woman and Akiba Solomon's story, of heinous gendered black on black verbal crime, left me feeling a little low.

Also there were like 3 black men at the Harlem Book Fair. Although almost none of the black men I know read anything unrelated to their jobs I was still surprised. Now that I think about it my Dad is the only black man I knew growing up who liked to read but then again it was Seattle.

Anyway to female blogerie and lurkers: ever slept with a musician? Ever wanted to sleep with musician? Why? Comment anonymously or send me an e-mail. I'm serious.