A local professor and poet says his recent poem on the revolution in Iran evokes a time when poets tackled tough political issues.

It’s called A Poem for Nayda, a tribute to a young woman who bled to death June 20th during recent demonstrations in Iran. Rutgers University Camden English professor Dr. Rafey Habib is the author:

“One of the things that poets should be doing is addressing these important issues. And poets always have in the past. For the last more than 2000 years, poets have been very, very political. And it’s only in recent times that poetry in the West has become somewhat apolitical.”

A Poem for Nayda and other poems by Dr. Habib’s poetry are on YouTube.

http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/4784171.php?contentType=4&contentId=4329930

Below is a brief history of Elites TV:

In 2001, reality TV guru and editor J.L. Thompson launched Elites TV as a global entertainment news source and fan community focused on shows such as Big Brother, Survivor, and The Amazing Race. By 2004, Elites TV had become reality TV fans’ go-to site for breaking news and gossip; staff writers provided in-depth coverage from the New York City reality TV scene, interviewing a host of reality TV producers and stars, including Mark Burnett and Survivor winner Ethan Zohn. An interactive web community, Elites TV’s community message board was home to over 20,000 reality TV fans; additionally, as an organization, Elites TV sponsored reality TV parties and events, such as NBC’s The Restaurant: Season 2 Premiere Party with Gideon Horowitz.

In 2005, entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker Chris Barrett teamed up with J.L. Thompson in an effort to expand Elites TV beyond the realm of reality television. The site acquired a new prestige as a trustworthy independent online news source. With renewed financing and an ad revenue share program, Elites TV acquired writers from all across the United States and began producing over twenty original news articles a day. In 2005 and 2006, Elites TV received over twenty million page views.

In early 2009, Elites TV partnered with some of the Internet’s most reliable news sources in order to provide the most accurate and expansive array of world news; the site now syndicates news from vital sources such as Citizen News Service, PLoSONE, Open Congress, Global Voice, American Forces/Defense Link, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Still in synch with its roots, Elites TV remains one of the Internet’s most prominent gossip and entertainment sources, proud partners with popular sites such as The Evil Beet and Behind The Hype.

Elites TV boasts its own unique collection of guest columnists and contributors. The site has enlisted over forty gurus and personalities, such as YouTube marketer Nalts, champion poker player Roy Winston, and celebrity law expert Matthew Semino. Elites TV’s writing team continues to provide exclusive, in-depth coverage of the world’s top film festivals, including Silverdocs, Sundance Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, and more. Elites TV’s articles have been quoted from and linked to on sites such as The Village Voice, Huffington Post, Gawker, Deadspin, and National Ledger; Elites TV’s exclusive videos have appeared on Drudge Report, Perez Hilton, Jimmy Kimmel Live, BBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.

In early 2009, KBC Media, a prominent and highly acclaimed media relations firm, acquired Elites TV and its staff. Elites TV, formally based in Texas, relocated to historic Collingswood, New Jersey.

For more information visit: ElitesTV.com

/Film, included the video of Matthew Quick reading his novel.

“Taking the Hollywood Report at face value, the screenplay hasn’t been written yet. In fact, it has, and in the video – which you can see below the break – Quick describes it as “phenomenal” and says he’s “really excited about” it. Every screenplay of Russell’s that I know, so far filmed or not, is pretty darn good so I’m inclined to believe him. And it’s good to know the creator is on side, at the very least to quell worries of bad PR and creative battles. We all know, I think that Russell loves a good creative battle (or do I just mean ‘I know we all think’?).

…The casting process is currently underway, and your Fantasy Studio actor suggestions are welcome in the comments if you have any. Here’s that video.”

Shakespeare Sonnet 138 recited from memory by Daniel Wallace

SONNET 138
When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor’d youth,
Unlearned in the world’s false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress’d.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love’s best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter’d be.

Filmed by: Chris Barrett
Special thanks: Elizabeth Licorish

For more information on Daniel visit:
http://www.danielhersh.com

19 year old actor Craig Bazan performs monologue from William Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus.

In the summer of 2007, I filmed Craig Bazan performing a monologue from Hamlet entitled “Hamlet on the Street” ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa-cfEncd6Y ) across the street from his high school in Camden, NJ. The video went on to be featured on the front page of YouTube and on ABC News. Craig Bazan is now a theater major at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

Titus Andronicus may be Shakespeare’s earliest tragedy; it is believed to have been written sometime between 1584 and the early 1590s. It depicts a Roman general who is engaged in a cycle of revenge with his enemy Tamora, the Queen of the Goths. The play is by far Shakespeare’s bloodiest work.

Directed by: Chris Barrett

Tiffany’s Head Floating over the Waves: a chapter from THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK: A Novel by Matthew Quick (Sarah Crichton Books / Farrar, Straus & Giroux 2008). The Weinstein Company has optioned the movie rights, and David O. Russell has written the screenplay. TSLP was short-listed for The PEN/Hemingway and lauded by National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, People, Kirkus Reviews, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Publishers Weekly, Pearl’s Picks, and others. TSLP has been translated into Spanish and Italian and has been published in the UK by Picador.

For more information please visit: http://www.matthewmquick.com.

Filmed by: Chris Barrett
http://www.DirectYourOwnLife.com

An excerpt from a story by Evan James Roskos called “Cocks.” look for the complete piece in the forthcoming issue of StoryQuarterly.

Granta’s New Voices
http://www.granta.com/Contributors/Evan-James-Roskos

Evan James Roskos attends the MFA programme at Rutgers University. He is working on a short story collection that explores American manhood. He teaches composition, creative writing and literature courses in his home state of New Jersey.

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherized upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question…
Oh, do not ask, “ What is it? ”
Let us go and make our visit.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening.
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains.
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys.
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me.
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

And indeed there will be time
To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?”
Time to turn back and descend the stair,
With a bald spot in the middle of my hair–
[They will say: ``How his hair is growing thin!'']
My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin,
My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin–
[They will say: ``But how his arms and legs are thin!'']
Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse.

For I have known them all already, known them all:
Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,
I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;
I know the voices dying with a dying fall
Beneath the music from a farther room.
So how should I presume?

And I have known the eyes already, known them all–
The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,
And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,
When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways?
And how should I presume?

And I have known the arms already, known them all–
Arms that are braceleted and white and bare
[But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!]
Is it perfume from a dress
That makes me so digress?
Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl.
And should I then presume?
And how should I begin?
. . . . .
Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets
And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes
Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows? . . .

I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.
. . . . .
And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully!
Smoothed by long fingers,
Asleep. . . tired . . . or it malingers,
Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me.
Should I, after tea and cakes and ices,
Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis?
But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed,
Though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] brought in upon a platter,
I am no prophet–and here’s no great matter;
I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.

And would it have been worth it, after all,
After the cups, the marmalade, the tea,
Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,
Would it have been worth while,
To have bitten off the matter with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe into a ball
To roll it toward some overwhelming question,
To say: “ I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all”–
If one, settling a pillow by her head,
Should say: “That is not what I meant at all.
That is not it, at all.”

And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets,
After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor–
And this, and so much more?–
It is impossible to say just what I mean!
But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen:
Would it have been worth while
If one, settling a pillow, or throwing off a shawl,
And turning toward the window, should say:
“That is not it at all,
That is not what I meant, at all.”
. . . . .
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous–
Almost, at times, the Fool.

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

I do not think that they will sing to me.

I have seen them riding seaward on the waves
Combing the white hair of the waves blown back
When the wind blows the water white and black.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

“Wise and funny, with life lessons for all of us.” —Phil Rosenthal, Creator and Executive Producer, “Everybody Loves Raymond”

“A clear roadmap on how to go about achieving goals and getting what you want out of life…Required reading for everyone, young and old alike.” —Jason Rae, youngest member ever elected to the Democratic National Committee

“This is the blueprint for success and personal satisfaction I wish I had when I began my career.” —Mark Achbar, Director, The Corporation

“Efren and Chris attack everything they do with a spirit and a level of enthusiasm that we all aspire to have in our work and our lives.” —Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer, Netflix

“Confronting your movie on the big screen of life can be daunting…but Efren and Chris have created this masterful guide to get you that standing ovation.” —Rodney Charters, ASC, CSC, Cinematographer, 24

“Direct Your Own Life is a fast and fun read. It’s inspirational and upbeat.” —Senh Duong, Founder of Rotten Tomatoes

“There’s more good advice in here than in a dozen books from the so-called ‘experts.’ At the rate these two are going, they’ll be running Hollywood in no time.” —Patrick Creadon, award-winning documentary filmmaker, Wordplay and I.O.U.S.A.

“The secret to success is hidden in these pages!” —Chantal Claret, Lead Singer, Morningwood

“An entertaining guide for any film-lover who wants to produce a better life for him- or herself!” —Gill Holland, The Group Entertainment, Producer

“Direct Your Own Life will encourage young entrepreneurs not to wait in line for someone else to call their number.” —Pascal Maeder, Founder, Atopia

“The messages in this book are brilliant; I couldn’t have put them better myself…so I didn’t. This book is essential to anyone with a dream lodged somewhere in the back of his or her mind. Use it and live it!” —Brian Ach, Celebrity Photographer

“This book is the super model of all life manuals!” —Susan Holmes, Fashion Designer, TV Personality, and Former Supermodel

“A pragmatic and inspiring guide that encourages its readers not to write themselves off as victims of their surroundings, but to take steps towards being the person they want to be in the world.” —Luke Eberl, 22, Award-Winning Director of Choose Connor

Product Description
Take center stage with your own life script to be successful in any field.

Efren had a choice: Take a high-paying, big-studio role in Alamo, starring Billy Bob Thornton, or take a small, no-money-upfront role as “Pedro” in Napoleon Dynamite. Efren’s gamble launched him to international success and he has worked every day since.

Chris had an idea: Why not get a corporation to pay for his college education? He became a national spokesperson for FIRST USA, a division of Bank One. He garnered over 20 million dollars in publicity for the bank and over 80 million media impressions during the campaign. He has been featured on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, ABC, NBC, FOX, MSNBC, CNN and profiled in People magazine twice, including the “25 Most Intriguing people” issue.

Efren and Chris wrote the script for their own lives — and now they’re living their dreams. They share their story with tens of thousands of young adults all over the country, and now they share a five-act formula to help college students and young professionals take charge of their future.

About the Author
EFREN RAMIREZ, “Pedro” from the blockbuster hit Napoleon Dynamite and co-star of such recent hits as Crank and Employee of the Month, has not only been acting since childhood but also writing, producing, and directing. He has played diverse roles in many television shows including Scrubs, ER, Judging Amy, The District and Boston Public. He will appear in American Summer in 2008. When he isn’t filming, he spends his time speaking to students and appearing as a guest DJ in clubs all across the country.

CHRIS BARRETT, who began as a young business entrepreneur at the age of 14, has appeared in several award-winning documentaries and now directs them. As a senior in high school, Chris hit the national and international media by becoming the very first Corporate College Sponsored Student in America. He became a national “spokesguy” for FIRST USA, a division of Bank One. He garnered over 20 million dollars in publicity for the bank and over 80 million media impressions during the campaign. He has been featured on the Today Show, CBS Early Show, ABC, NBC, FOX, MSNBC, CNN and profiled in People magazine twice, including the “25 Most Intriguing people” issue.

Efren and Chris met at Sundance in 2004, which was the beginning of a great friendship and solid business partnership. Together they share a production company, Powerhouse Pictures Entertainment, LLC. Currently they are producing a groundbreaking documentary titled After School, which delves into the recent teacher student sex scandals that have hit the media. They talk to thousands of students every year about how to direct their own lives and careers.

Download Direct Your Own Life Chapter One and Introduction
http://www.directyourownlife.com/DirectYourOwnLife.pdf

http://www.DirectYourOwnLife.com