The poetry of M.Hooks

June 09, 2016 / Esther Hassell

I met a Liberian man, writer, and filmmaker. Conversing with him about life as we listened to Nina Simone sing “Ne Me Quitte Pas” he began to tell me what he wished for. It was so beautiful that I began to record – this is what he said

“I wish freedom wasn’t restricted – I wish we could all break the chains that held us back

I wish when we said we love one another we didn’t love an idea, but we deeply, truly love what is so rooted in our future and in our past

I wish we didn’t see color –

I wish life was not a monetary gain

I wish the financial entities didn’t get richer on the expense of humanity

I wish there were no third-world nations, underprivileged and impoverished people

I wish there wasn’t classism; I wish we were all given equal opportunities

I wish there would be more ‘spineful’ black men instead of spineless black men

I wish black men knew how many doors have been knocked down

I wish sometimes black men knew that not all fights are their fights

I wish black men understood there are certain fights that are black fights

I wish black men understood we have a reason to protest the future and not everyday the present

I wish there were more stronger black men and women that we could emulate our lives to in this present moment

I wish our construct wasn’t about degrading one another, condensating one another

I wish the construct of all humanity was to love and respect and cherish the future

I wish Malcolm X Boulevard would stay a black boulevard because it represents so much; it’s such a high symbol

I wish symbolism was not used for the wrong things

[Nina Simone, “Aint Got No, I Got Life” begins to play]

I wish your kids and my kids, and all of the kids of the future will respect who they are with what we’ve left behind – with the little we will leave behind

I wish we read more books

I wish we understood what is freedom, even when there’s no freedom

I wish we cried some days because there is truly a blessing in it

I wish we smiled all the time

I wish I loved everyone equally as I love myself but the truth is I don’t

I wish I looked in the mirror more often and see my faults and my flaws

I wish I’d correct them

I wish knowledge wasn’t a age long thing to have, but there it is –

I wish I’m a black man so yes I am an African man

I wish I represent more than just coming from the continent but preserving everything that is off the continent

I wish there is many more Africans that want to go back and support Africa and uplift Africa

I wish sometimes there would be black love all the time, you know – I do

I wish the liberation of women’s movement in 1964 didn’t take place, but then it did and its good, but I wish we didn’t aspire to be the wrong things, but then we are because the information was just misconstrued

I wish there would be more black women with black men and understand who they are and what they represent -

I really wish for that because then we would have more black men and black kids that have spine, that know what they represent, that there’s some sort of truth to what they represent

I wish this is nothing more than what it is – it’s just my wishes”

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Poet/Lover

June 09, 2016 / Esther Hassell

He met her on a New York City train, saw her for the first time and knew he was stricken.

"M", as we will call him, walked up to her and asked her if she would go dancing with him that night - she boldly said yes. Four days later "S", as we will call her moved to San Fransisco four days later. Between day one and day four they would spend every possible minute in each others company - carelessly diving into one another's lives in efforts to soak up the others existence. They stayed close through the distance and later she would move to Paris. Sadly the distance separated them at last but his heart still belongs to her. Meet @138films.

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Fly

May 16, 2016 / Esther Hassell

The Breevort Houses are a public housing complex in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. 894 apartments are housed within 13, 7-story buildings that sit on over 17 acres of land. Life in the projects of New York City and its boroughs is really known to a select group of people and only imagined by the rest of the world. These were once the home of famous rapper, Fabolous, but only a slim number of those that grow up in the projects make it to stardom; those that do add a touch of romantic glamour to idea of growing up there.

This post is not about the Breevort Houses though, it is about a menswear shop across from the complex that offers everyday young men a feeling. The story of BedStuyFly made me fall in love with an idea – with a dream. For about six years the shop has been up and running and every year they design a sweatshirt with the word “Success” printed on the front and the number of the year printed on the back and the sleeve; when I asked about the sweatshirts, Mark, one of the young men manning the shop wearing that top said the purpose for the wording was a way to speak (or wear) a way of life into existence. This not only marks the success of the store but of he who wears it and potentially all who read it. There is also the fact that the décor of the store is a mixture of vintage furniture, unfinished wood and hardware, and a copper tile ceiling that instantly ties the rooms together and brings you back to the early days of the historic Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood. These are only some of the facets I loved about this place. Everything sold in the store is of the label bearing its namesake, even the store’s exclusive scent is BedStuyFly, its deep and rich just as the young men I met inside who believed in the vision of the store so genuinely you could feel it vibrating in every word they said.

There is a place in the world that offers every passer by a glimpse at a dream, a dream that for some comes true everyday as a passer by, like myself, enters this store, this haven, this oasis, in Bed-Stuy and falls completely in love.

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categories / Brooklyn NY
tags / Strangers, Blog Posts

The Artist

May 12, 2016 / Esther Hassell

“Dont worry, I’m an artist”

— Godlyn

That’s what she said to me when I stopped her and asked for her picture. She had caught my eye from the other side of my train car because of this brightly colored hair of hers – little did I know her artistry went far beyond her hair; this is Godlyn also known as @Ghodess_

Making of "Reign" Part One

Rihanna by Ghodess

The Making of "Reign" Part Two

Rihanna by Ghodess

Reign

Rihanna by Ghodess

The Making of "Blue Rose"

@lili_ann by Ghodess

The Making of "Blue Rose" Blended

@lili_ann by Ghodess

The Making of "Blue Rose" Unblended

@lili_ann by Ghodess

Blue Rose

@lili_ann by Ghodess

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categories / Brooklyn NY
tags / Strangers, Blog Posts

A Day at the Market

May 05, 2016 / Esther Hassell

"Thats the way, uh huh-uh huh, I like it, uh huh-uh huh", he laughed and sang it to me; said it's what the boys would say when they smelled the amber oil he sold me. -Harlem

*Sanna Kanuteh, Shabazz Market/Both #78 116 St., Harlem NYC*

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categories / New York NY
tags / Strangers, Blog Posts

An Advocate for 'Future-Love'

May 03, 2016 / Esther Hassell

'The New York Culturalist' image courtesy of @losangelesversusnewyork via @jabjeanius876 — *'The New York Culturalist' image courtesy of @losangelesversusnewyork via @jabjeanius876*

In a haze of excitement and content to be rekindled and re-involved with wandering in nearby cities (this time the sprawling city of Queens, NY) I met an Internet favorite –“The New York Culturalist”.

We met as I asked him for directions to a studio where I was to meet a friend for a photoshoot, the topic of discussion with that friend would be “f***boys”. Elevator doors open, I ask the Culturalist for directions and he answers me in kind – intro over. I meet my friend, conversation ensues, another young lady in the room with me shares the same attitude consisting of multiple eye rolls and a whole lot of lip pursing as we defend the women of the world who are not looking for these ‘boys’ and instead are self-investing till a man comes along. Women who are intelligent, confident, talented, strivers, like the pair of us don’t even use the term since these boys aren’t on our radar – still our good male friend swears that is just the type of guy women want. His argument: he’s good looking, is talented on multiple levels, is an artist, has good manners, well spoken, the whole gamut and yet the ladies he’s met simply are not looking for quality – they seem to be looking for charm, some display of wealth, an endless appetite for new places to dine (to share with a girl who shares that appetite), but what makes this man most attractive is his no-fail douche-bag-ness. Yes, if he wont answer your texts on the same day, fails to return calls, isn’t the first to text in the morning and the last text at night, he is the one. (Insert eye roll for days, and a good ol’ teeth sucking, Caribbean style)

Back to the Culturalist – later in the conversation he joins in and fully agrees with my friend and goes on to bash the women of NYC applauding every point mentioned above. We continued to chat throughout the day, eventually exchanging names and “what do you do’s” till he mentioned his blog and went on to point out his most popular post; “You Can’t Date In New York City”. Obviously I’ve read it. My thoughts: yes, this generation is hooked on the perception of being social while really being isolated, but also, yes you CAN date in NYC. By the end of the evening he had called me a unicorn noting that a woman who looked like me “never” acted like me (insert 'thinking' emoji). Apparently by design I am not supposed to be nice, or smart, or kind, or nerdy, or down to earth, or sensible, or mature, or attentive, engaging, smart, educated, and to top it off what I am supposed to be is manipulative or otherwise crazy.

There are lots of wonderful people in and everywhere around this city and the world. The fact that a man can say "women only want 'f***boys' ”, and a woman can say “most men nowadays are just that” shows that there are tons of outliers. So put the phone down, grab a glass, sit across the table from some one and be genuine. Ladies, no, you are not a JennerKardashianKravits Tumblr bae so stop pretending to be. Gentlemen, you are not the last man on the planet - no one will wait forever. Be you and please don’t think there is no future-love, love is alive and kickin’ and out there for you…even in NYC.