Departing From Midnight

Dear [Please Insert Name Here],

The impact of sunlight has a piercing affect on the darkness, quite like that moment when a young woman sits bedside, experiencing the burrowing pleasure of a new awakening between her thighs.

To say I want you, is admitting a desire to no longer be at odds with the veil of my bitter heart. Yet, being bitter never hurt a soul in this direction, so why should I have to account for the residue drifting apart from my hollow shell?

You say I’ve hurt you… Admittedly so. Not a moment of pride rests in my actions, but rather an eye opening revelation of the specks bouncing off my darkest hour.

I can no longer deny or resist our actuality. Nor can I excuse the leaves wrapped around my darkened throne. Like most trees, my roots have been committed to my surroundings. I guess I sleep better when my branches shield me from an unfamiliar dawn.

To you, I’m drowning in the sensation of Midnight, but I say I’m dancing under the light of a purposeful moon. I fear the pressure that comes from walking hand and hand in your sun- drifting and dancing, to a peaceful and bright afternoon.

Even Jill Scott, “Can’t Even Begin to Explain,” so why is it so important that I draw a conclusion in the sand, when everyone knows the promise of wind brings seasons of change.

The sun always sets, I just never awaken to smile at the dawn. But this marriage between my heart and the darkness has cost me a promise that only comes when you depart from your moon.

Like Yin and Yang, every element should have balance. And if my desire is to rest in your arms, I can’t chase the sun if I’m still howling at the moon.

I declare to you today, that I’m departing from midnight. I’m taking a temporary vacation into the light of possibility.

I understand that the fragments of our past, may’ve hindered the glimpse of our return to light. But at times, even the sun peaks through clouds. . .

I don’t expect to be showered with light beams or blessed with sunrays of guarantees from your closed heart, but if you give me time, I’ll re-write the universe, and our sun will never set to see another midnight in bloom.

Sincerely,

A Bitter Heart.


© A. L. Lewis

Black Nativity Review for Insight News

Went and saw Black Nativity at the incredible Penumbra Theatre!

Check out my review at Insight News

Black Nativity: A Season For Change

New at Clutch 12/7

An article about Players...

I interviewed 3 men who "consider" themselves to be members of the Player persuasion. Take a look at their responses... we could all learn something from knowing what these "MEN", if that's what they call themselves, think of us!

How to Be a Player link

December 7th, 1979- 2009!

Happy 30th Birthday to ME!

New Moon Interview at Insight News

Awwww. My interview with Edi Gathegi(Laurent) and Jamie Campbell Bower(Caius) of Summit Entertainments film New Moon. Check it out.

New Moon rakes in $72 Million Opening Day

New at Clutch 11/23

Two new articles this week!

Interview with phenomenal talent and Soul Artist Eric Roberson. Check it Out. Eric Roberson: Fans First.

And You Say He's Just A Friend, Reasons why you should never blur the lines between a friendship and a relationship

Showing Love to Other Blogs

Big Shout outs to Trina Domino from the Website
www.twilight20somethings.com for making it happen in a major way on the New Moon red carpet premiere! Her swag is unstoppable! Nice Job Trina!

Peep the link Below

www.twilight20somethings.com

New at Clutch 11/9/09

Are You A Jerk Magnet??? (Note to Self: I'm a recoveringJerk Magnet!)

TH3M! Premiere 11/27/09: 7pm @ 7 ULTRALOUNGE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
An Xjure Production
The Twin Cities, MN, and Major Metropolitan areas will welcome the newest chapter in the world of Television Entertainment, with the Premiere of TH3M!, as it makes its anticipated debut to the public on November 27th, the most anticipated Friday of the year, Black Friday…this year, not just for the shopping.
From the inveigling mind of creator and writer Tye Green, comes a new series spawn from the inspiration of laughter and casually interlaced with the dramatic elements of a life in moving pictures. TH3M! is a sexy sonnet of fascination following the lives of seven dramatically diverse women on the verge of awakening in their personal daylight, as they strive for success, acceptance, and understanding within, in a world driven by opportunity and fueled by the strength of one’s dreams and dedication.
TH3M! is what happens when a series like Girlfriends overlaps with the sizzle surrounding the infamous L Word meets the comfort and ubiquity of Friends. Marked with the characteristics of fire and ice and certain to captivate the world. TH3M! is the perfect solution to an unanswered desire that burns within audiences everywhere. TH3M! is an awakening heart to a populace finally ready to bring a new era to primetime television.
If you haven’t heard about us, then it’s time you get to know TH3M!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Premiering in the following Cities:
Minneapolis, MN - Seven Ultralounge…………................VIP Cast Premiere/Screening 7pm
St. Paul, MN - Rumours/Innuendo Night Club……………………………… Screening 9pm
Additional cities and locations Nationwide and in Canada to be announced
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“This show’s target audience stretches beyond LGBT, beyond race, beyond class. It brings a realness to television that we have not yet seen. TH3M! is capable of being the next classic.”
-Lisa Norman, Executive Producer, Pocket Hercules
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For More Information, or Interviews, Please Contact:
Creator, Tye Green: Tye@Tyegreen.com 952-412-4776
Producer, Alaina Lewis: Alewis@clutchmagonline.com 612-385-5202

New at Clutch 10/26

Ode to the Oldies but Goodies...

The Other Women Who Helped Raise Me

New at Clutch 10/19

Ooooooh, how long has it been really? Well, a while, but I am back once again. I've been a bit busy with my hands tucked deep in many areas of entertainment, but here I am with another dose or writing at my favorite website, Clutch.

The Quick Change Artist

Stylist Michael Cole Weds Jamil Smith

So, I interviewed hairstylist Michael Cole, owner of Talk of The Town Salon to write an article on his Commitment Ceremony to his soulmate Jamil Smith. Check it out.

Insight News: Cole/Smith Celebration Breaks Barriers.

New At Clutch 9/14

I Ain't Saying She's a Golddigger...

Tye Green Article

So I have the pleasure of working as a Producer on this new Television series, with the Award Winning and Famed Screenwriter, Ms. Tye Green!!! So far, it has been one of the greatest experiences of my young life, and when you're doing something you love to do, you want to stay in that moment forever.

Check out the article I wrote on her down at Insight News!

Tye Green: Poet and Award Winning screenwriter is up and coming filmmaker.

New at Clutch 9/7

Sometimes Mom and Dad mean well, but their interference just won't let us grow up. So you have to say...

Mama, I'm Grown

New At Clutch 8/31

A Motivational Piece....


Kanye West: Hip Hops Motivational Speaker

Vita.MN Summer Writing Contest

So I entered this Summer Story competition for Vita.MN Needless to say, I lost. LOL. But, here is my entry. The theme: About Last Night. . My assignment was to write an interesting and wild story about that theme in 500 words or less, however I wanted to write it. So... I took a bit of a risk with my angle for the piece, but here's what I came up with.




Dear Bearers of my $1,000,

Please don’t confuse the headline with arrogance, my mother always taught me to believe the things I say, so I’m just utilizing the Power of Suggestion. I was browsing through a Vita.Mn- which I quickly learned should not be confused with vitamins, although I hope your staff is keeping on top of their Flintstone intake. Anyhow, I ran across this competition that calls for a reflection of my wildest journey through Last Night.

Wild, you say? Well, I’m from a town quite like Pleasantville, so it’s hard for me to discern the exact level of excitement you’re in search of. I’m sure needlepointing without a tapestry needle doesn’t qualify as edgy living. And when I’m not trapped in my Sudoku puzzles, I spend most nights watching Mork and Mindy.

But believe me that prize money would come in handy.

You see, I need new material to finish up my Sandra Dee costume before Grease returns to the Orpheum. Somehow I hear better when I dress in character. I also want more Twilight trading cards to add to my Team Jacob scrapbook. New Moon comes out this November!

I already know what you’re thinking and no, I’m not a prude. I’ve been known to walk on the wild side a time or two. I’ve worn white after Labor Day, taken my shoes off without untying them, and once I even double dipped a potato chip at my grandparents 40th Anniversary. Crazy… I know. And I’m not ashamed either.

So as I was sitting in my bedroom, contemplating my destructive journey towards the finish line in this wild competition I began to see my plans draw closer to reality:

“I’d jump in my car, forget to buckle the seatbelt, get to an intersection and do an illegal “Rolling Stop.”

After that, I jaywalked through the traffic to a restaurant, ran inside, and budded ahead of the couple in front of me. I nearly gave my waiter a heart attack- my elbows resting on the table. I demanded more time with the menu and after his 4th attempt to get my order, I finally settled on milk and chili cheese fries- I’m lactose intolerant.

I excused myself to the restroom where I carefully lifted up all the toilet lids before running my wet hands over the courtesy mints next to the towel rack. I was an untamed beast but at least I left my waiter a tip. Normally I carry a calculator- don’t forget, the standard is 10%. But since this time around I was being wild and free, instead of money I scribbled a few words on a napkin: “Here’s a tip buddy, don’t quit your day job.” Oooh, I’ve always wanted to say that. You see, the madness never ends.”

…but as I continually pondered the shoulda coulda wouldas that reside at the avenue of my wildest possibility, I saw the sunlight peaking through the shadows of my fantasy and realized that my midnight through contemplation had caused my Last Night, to unfortunately escape me. It was now the morning after.

I hope this doesn’t make me ineligible to win. I fell short, but for only a second. That doesn’t mean I’m a loser, does it? I was a Wilderness Girl until I was 18. Our leader taught me a lesson I’ll always remember, “The intent to do wrong, is just as bad as following through.” Then I was only going to eat a grape without paying. At least this time around I was on the verge of crazy. Well, thanks anyway.

Nanu Nanu,
Daisy Openstein



© A. L. Lewis
Cover Art/Illustration by Dwitt of www.Dwitt.com

New At Clutch 8/17

Check out this link to read my interview with artist Letoya Luckett, formerly of Destiny's Child. Phenomenal woman, definitely worth the read.

Letoya Luckett: A Celebration of Lady Love

New At Clutch 8/10

Check out this article weighing the pros and cons of whether or not you should tell a friend that you saw their boyfriend cheating...

Should I Tell Her?

New Boyz Interview- "You're a Jerk- I know"

Hot off the internet and onto mainstream success, Warner Brothers newly signed duo are smashing up the charts with a hot debut single and dance craze to back it. In the spirit of Soulja Boys, Crank That, New Boyz, the young rappers behind the newest club anthem, You’re a Jerk, found capital stardom after creating a single to ride over the Cali Dance movement known as Jerkin’.

Less then a year ago, Ben J and Legacy were regular teenagers who had dual dreams of having a career in sports or a career in the music industry. An inevitable turn molded by their infectious new single You’re a Jerk, paved a road towards unprecedented heights that has them coasting towards a cemented position as the newest faces to watch in this competitive music industry.

Sweeping through the nation with a new sound and new imagination, You’re a Jerk, is a sign of things yet to come for the duo, and is only the tip of the iceberg in discerning their mass abilities. Already living up to their hype with their new single Dot Com, proving that they’re no “One Hit Wonders,” and fresh on the heels of lead roles in an upcoming blockbuster film, they’re steadily standing behind their original moniker and poised to prove to the everyone that when it comes to them, it’s truly out with the old and in with the New Boyz. I sat down with the burgeoning group, to get a fix on the world of Jerkin, their music, their shoe line Spectros, and everything else that interminglea with these phenomenal artists.

For starters, introduce yourself to the world.
Ben J: I’m “Ben J” the cardinal one.
Legacy: This is Legacy, the light skinned one.

And who are the others?
Ben J: There ain’t no other ones.

Oh, my bad. Yall were talking bout some “Jerk” stuff, I just figured there’d be more of you, since there’s a whole bunch of “Jerks” in the world anyway. [Laughs] But that’s cool, just two of you representing, I like that.
Legacy: [Laughs] Naw, there’s just two of us.

Your song “You’re a Jerk” has become a viral hit, that’s not only sweeping through the nightclubs, but it’s also taking over the airwaves. How did you come up with the song?
Ben J: We made the song in our studio. We didn’t make up jerkin’, that dance move was already out. We wanted a jerkin’ song, and the first song we made was I Jerk. That song was just a particular jerkin’ song where we were talking about jerkin’ in the club and a lot of people were doing the same thing. We were like, ‘we gotta do something different, something jerky because we were trying to put jerkin’ on the map’. So we thought of You’re a Jerk. You’re a Jerk is a double meaning, because not everyone knows what jerkin’ is yet. We made the song to relate to the people who know how to jerk, by saying, “ Oh yeah I can jerk, so I’m a jerk.” And for the people who don’t know how to jerk so they can relate to the song like, “Oh yeah, my boyfriend calls me a jerk all the time. My girlfriend calls me a jerk all the time.”

Now I heard an interview about how that song was born. If I’m correct, neither one of you were supposed to be recording music at the time, but you snuck and did it anyways. Can you elaborate on that story?
Legacy: As far as the story, we were being ungrateful with our parents because we didn’t like the clothing they bought us so they put us on a kind of punishment- a restriction from using the better microphone. We needed the good mic in order to make this song what it is, so we snuck in our parents room- broke in. We switched the bad mic with the good mic and recorded the song. They got mad at us for doing it, but look what it is now, it paid off.

Some people spend their entire life trying to nab a record deal especially with a company like Warner Brothers, how’d you guys swing such a good look?
Legacy: In L.A. jerkin’ is a movement, it’s like a culture. We had music, and we also had a huge following. We had people jerkin’ on stages, everyone saw it on Youtube and just like Crank That they started making Youtube videos. They saw over hundreds of people make videos and dancing to our song You’re a Jerk, and they saw how people were gravitating towards this jerkin’ thing, so they figured they could do something with this.

Did you know when you wrote the song that it was going to take off like it did?
Ben J: Honestly we just wanted to make music, and it was just another song we did. That was our first dance song too, we made like 10 other songs before that.

Now in the beginning, both of you were set for a career in Basketball and Football, what made you transition?
Ben J: I wanted to play football all my life. I started playing football when I was 6. Rapping was something I always knew how to do, but when I hooked up with my partner rapping was something he always wanted to do. I just enjoyed coming home from football practice and recording in the studio. After a while I just felt it. I knew I was going to do something in rapping instead of football so I just switched over and made it my main priority.
Legacy: I wanted to rap all my life, basketball was pretty much a secondary thing. So it wasn’t that hard for me to stop doing it.

So what’s your new single, and how are people receiving it?
Ben J: Our new single is called Dot Com and it will be out next month on the radio but when we first put it on our myspace, we had like 300,000 plays over night and now we’re at like 1 million plays.

When are you expecting your album to be complete so you can drop it for the world?
Legacy: August 8th, be on the look out for Skinny Jeans and a Mic.

Are all the songs going to be like You’re a jerk, or are you going to switch it up a bit and give the world something different?
Ben J: Naw we’re switching it up a bit because like we said before, we did music before we did You’re a Jerk. That was our first dance song. We have different styles and make different types of music for all listeners. The album is going to be a mix. Everyone expects it to be a jerky album, but we have different concepts. We’re going to bring some different things, so everybody needs to get ready for this.

Are there going to be any features we should watch out for or is it just going to be the two of you doing your thing?
Legacy: We have like local artists and underground people, but it’s really going to just be the two of us. We want to show the world the New Boyz and not anyone else. We really don’t need anybody else to get up on the track to make us famous.

What’s it like nowadays for you two, in being chased by adoring female fans, and having your posters plastered on the walls of teenage girls all across America.
Legacy: It feels good, but now that we’ve been in the industry for a couple months now, it’s starting to get normal to us.
Ben J: This is the life we chose, so we’re happy to deal with that.
Legacy: And I love girls!

So what’s next for you gentleman apart from music, I see both of you have enough charisma and personality to enter into the world of television or film, what do you think?
Ben J: We have a couple things going on right now. We’re working on an album, and other than that, we’ve got people who want us to audition playing lead roles in movies. We have a movie coming up called 818, and that’s officially us in that movie. It’s going to be big.

What’s that about?
Ben J: You know how they have the whole Streets of L.A. with the police and gangs and the crime scenes? This is not L.A., but it’s a different part of California which none of the movies ever show different parts of California like the 818 area code. We’re going to show gangs and police and how they react to everything out there. I play a lead role. I’m basically the O-Dog in the movie, and my partner wants to be the leader of the gang. We also have our own shoe with Vlado Footwear called Spectros.
Legacy: We also have the modeling thing going on. We’re trying to get a lot of stuff going because New Boyz are not one hit wonders like everybody thinks.

How do you think what you two have accomplished so far, is paving the roads for young cats who want to follow in your footsteps?
Legacy: Honestly it feels good because I’ve always been a role model to my little sisters and my little brothers. We have to stay focused and it feels good to have little kids look up to us and want to be like us. I never would have expected this.

Any final words to the readers of Yo! Raps who want to follow in your footsteps?
Ben J: If you’re trying to rap, just stay dedicated and focused. Not everybody gets signed in 7 months. Either than that, you can hit me up at twitter: Twitter.com/BenJNewboyz
Legacy: I’m at Twitter.com/ThaLegacy

Book Review: Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey

When crippled by an insatiable appetite, the hunt for fulfillment carries a significant quest to quickly satisfy ones fervent desires. For Nia Simone Bijou, a successful writer residing in Atlanta, the thirst for Pleasure drives her sexual curiosity from the lifeless pages of a fictitious book, to the tangible corridors within her silken boudoir. Synonymous to the adventures of her personal idol Anais Nin, Nia embarks upon a tantalizing journey to accommodate her body's silent call for a life of uninhibited erotica.

Through her eyes you are invited into a world of risk, fantasy, seduction and consequence. Mark and Karl, her identical sins and Kiki Sunshine, her unexpected inamorata, aid in Nia's desire to convert her unrestrained fantasies into a quenchable reality. Yet remember, a life without limits is the perfect enemy to a world with open reservations. As with any salacious desire, the heat behind Nia's irrepressible actions evoke a consequential promise of an intruding nightmare.

The answer to each page reads like a bridge towards everyone's unspoken fantasy. Dickey doesn't disappoint when portraying the hidden potential that rests in the whisper of an extreme intimate encounter. The rhythm within each passage reflects the rapacious hunger that drives one towards the peak of sexual insanity when on a search for a resounding Pleasure. Although the plot takes a quiet backseat to the celebration of erotica, there's never a dull moment or a pause in the heat to give the reader an opportunity to dry the sweat from their own hungry eyes.

Be aware, you may be easily swept away by the silent undertone of your own burning desires as they intermingle within the rising steam of Dickey's vivacious storytelling. To say the least, pleasure is an erotic lullaby teasing you with a sensual song through out the long and restless night. It'll hold you captive within its pages, until your own mind chooses to awaken itself from the fantasy to press onward unto the dawn of a new chapter.

© A. L. Lewis

Mr. Relevant- An Athletes Choice to Wait...

“Virginity spotting”; quite a ridiculous notion.

When it comes to picking out the people who are abstaining from sex, as oppose to those who aren't, that choice doesn't offer symptoms to be read so easily by the critical eye of a curious observer. It doesn't have a name, a face, an attitude or a specific residence. But no matter what you do, or however you package it, there's always an idea at the surface of this sensitive subject that collects a biased opinion on what a Virgin actually looks like.

Thanks to Steve Carell and his tireless struggle as a the infamous 40 Year Old Virgin, most will generalize when it comes to discerning what the image of “purity” typically resembles. Not everyone collects action figures, rides a Schwinn bicycle or finds solace behind the trimmings of a striped Lacoste Polo Shirt. In reality, a fine line must be drawn between the Andy Stitzers of the world, who due to lack of charisma and bravado are somehow forced to wait for a chance to extinguish their innocence, versus the select few courageous individuals, who go against the societal grain and make no excuse when it comes to the choice to hold on to their innocence.

In theory, the face of virtue lays within the trademark personas of your high schools less desirable. From the Barbie Doll toting crossing guard to those glee club singing goody two shoes, both fit the profile of what we'd typically consider the Last American Virgin. When it comes to anyone over the age of 18, the thoughts on who's still holding onto their “elected moral goodness,” seemingly hides behind the smiles of other obvious candidates; the unattractive computer geeks or those prim and proper Sandra Dee's. The list could go on but it would only amuse the stereotype, so I'd rather we end that longstanding affair in the world of quick assumptions.

What's obvious about anything is that nothing is truly obvious about everything. When it comes to the Card Carrying members of “Club Virgin,” the reality is, they're just everyday people. They're amongst the outstretched legs of the Alvin Ailey Dancers, to the faces in the cubicles behind you at your Brokerage Firm. But as hard as it is to believe due to all the temptation surrounding professional sports, Virginity also resides within the twinkling eyes of an attractive NFL football player.

“When women find out I'm still a virgin, their first reaction is 'Yeah right, you're just trying to get in my pants',” says Ryan Hoag, a former Minnesota Viking Wide Receiver. “I have people to this day that come up to me and say, 'I still don't believe you.' ” But in knowing an athletes endless opportunity to score both on and off the field, even as it slips from Hoag's honest lips, would you really believe him? If you ever met this gentleman, after a few words I'm sure you could.

At the tender age of 29, Hoag is definitely a rarity. Most single people in the world, including myself, that are rounding out their 3rd decade of living, have already tasted the forbidden fruit from the tree of sexual opportunity. When it comes to any athlete, the jock title quickly draws the lines of assumption; you instantly want to categorize their convictions amongst those projected by the masses. “I've always prided myself on being the exception; being different from everybody else because I don't like to be compared to anyone else. That's kind of where it all manifested, from that little mentality. I didn't want to be like him, him or the next him and here was how I could do that.” Hoag says about choosing to wait. “I've definitely had opportunities to change that, but I've stuck to my guns of committing to waiting until marriage. That aspect of my life is uncompromisable. I'm not willing to give that up for any reason or anyone.”

Prior to his days of tossing around the pigskin for teams like The New York Giants or The Washington Redskins, this Gustavus Adolphus alumni, who was both an All American in Academics and a 3 time All American in Sports, was considering a career as a Lutheran Pastor but changed his direction when he realized he could positively impact lives with a degree as a teacher. “I'm an athlete, yes, and it's a passion, but competitiveness is just something that's in my nature but it doesn't define me,” he states. “What makes me happiest in life is making others happy. It truly makes me ecstatic when I know I'm making someone's day or changing their life in a positive manner. That's why aside from football, I also work in a school setting. You see the impact you can potentially have even if you don't always achieve it on a day to day basis.”

Certainly his wholesome nature could be perceived like a needle in the haystack in the typical world of the NFL, but when Hoag received an opportunity to be apart of the ABC series The Bachelorette, he hesitated before jumping at the idea, because he knew then that his personal convictions would become common knowledge to the entire world. “I was kind of at a crossroads in terms of, 'do I really want to do this,' 'do I know what I'm getting myself into,' but then ultimately the bottom line is, ten years from now, would I regret not doing it, and I said ‘probably’,” he offers about opting to go forth with the experience. “It's one of those things where I'm happy I did it, but I wouldn't do it again.”

Most people weren't aware Hoag was still a virgin because it's not the first sentence he rattles off in general conversation. After the show aired late last year, Hoag's honesty in front of the camera earned him a badge of respect amongst millions of surprised viewers. I guess when you're handsome, an athlete, a model, and a teacher, the world would sooner expect you to have fathered 7 or 8 children rather than be waiting patiently for marriage before pursuing any activity that will bring you closer to fatherhood.

Still hard to believe right, especially when you replay the fact that he is a handsome 29 year old athlete living in the 21st Century? But everyone's different, and the opposite of our own norm is not always easy to consider or accept as the truth. Nowadays, people drop their virginity in the Sea of Life, as easily as they throw pennies in a wishing well in search of instant gratification. As priceless as our innocence really is, it's sometimes disregarded like the spare change hiding within our pockets. Tossed from the depths apart our fingertips, and left to tear through the surface of life's murky waters. But as I said before, what's obvious about anything is that nothing is truly obvious about everything. So understand that this statement is only true for some.

After Hoag was eliminated from the show, by Deanna the 2008 Bachelorette, the real journey began after he ventured back home. Bombarded with both negative and positive feedback based on the average person's inability to understand the truth about his choice to abstain, has helped him grow thicker skin, but also forced him into a position of being an unofficial role model to others who are at a point of questioning whether or not to wait or take a swim. “The same people that make a big deal about the fact that I'm a virgin in public, are the same one's that pull me aside and put their arm around me and say, 'Hey, I wish I could say the same thing,” he states. “I've been flooded by wonderful letters from people who are inspired by my honesty. It's still fun going out and getting noticed by people who say,' hey aren't you that guy from the Bachelorette, thank you for being so honest. Or having the special opportunity to do interviews with wonderful people like you.” (Hey 'I'm just happy for the opportunity to get lost inside your eyes and your smile Ryan.)

As this single, half African American and half Czech/Caucasian athlete, sets a new standard within the stereotype surrounding the typical virgin, he's still finds himself looking for that unique addition who will be comfortable enough within their self to stand by his side permanently. “Part of the problem I run into, especially when it comes to relationships, is that when you've lived your life a certain way, and you meet someone who is generally a good person but has made some other choices with the things in their path that differ from what I've chosen to do- right or wrong I'm not worried about the things that they've done before me, yet after we move on to dating, they somehow feel like those choices are put in the forefront and they begin to feel like they can't do enough to keep up with me.” He says, “Right then I know, it's not going to be a good match if they can't feel comfortable enough in their own skin when they're around me.”

So Hoag, is still waiting patiently. “I've waited this long and had this much discipline so I know in my heart that I can wait a little longer.”

In a generation of “Sexting,” a lot of parents are at war with their teenagers when it comes to breaking through with a message of maintaining their chastity. Even some adults frown at the idea of practicing celibacy or implementing our favorite Girlfriend Joan's infamous “3 month rule.” But remember, this is a generation that allows individuals to make their own choices. As an adult, your actions don't have to be rendered to anyone else's judgments, but it's still nice to know that we're surrounded by a few who are still holding out for marriage.

Although Hoag’s choice may rest on the other side of many of our coins, the idea of freedom of choice is a simple philosophy that even he carries under his personal umbrella. “I'm not out here to promote myself, or place judgment on anyone else or say that one way is right and the other way is wrong, that's just not in my belief system, that's up to God's decision making. As long as you're comfortable in your skin, and you are confident in the choices you make and have heart behind it, people are going to be able to understand that and feel it too.”

So for a man who was once titled Mr. Irrelevant in 2003, due to being the last pick selected in the annual NFL draft he has far since succeeded that underdog title. To be able to stand firm in your beliefs, not care about negative opinions, whilst clinging to a treasure chest of dreams and maintaining a passion in possibility, makes Ryan Hoag one of the most Relevant people I have ever had the opportunity to sip coffee with. Look for him in the future playing on the field near you, as he embarks upon a new journey with a new team in the United Football League.

© A. L. Lewis

New at Clutch 8/3

A lil something for the brothers...

What I Love About Black Men

A Rainbow Trapped in Midnight...

I met him in the school yard…

But the him that was then, could never amount to this moment of now I am forever faced with. This age of ever-changing excellence, that is good to only those that yield to its final conclusion. He was the image of a man, a black man, that shook the inner walls of my steel plated fantasy. I was hard up for success, and creeping underneath his core was a mirror-esque ere of pictorial triumph. Like a photo finish captured solely on record, he was like a motion picture reminding me of how much I liked my Brown Sugar. A decade trapped in grace had spawned the image of black velvet; so smooth at the edges, yet complex in nature and he was now interlocked in the iris of my eyes only desire. I wanted him.

But as my reality so aptly whispered…

I didn’t stand a chance to ever get swept away unto his incomparable magic. I was trapped in a vortex of impossibility, heaving at the shame of losing a battle to a nameless figure. Like the complexity of a rubix cube, his heart and mind were a scattered array of magnificent colors jaded by a continual fantasy. His heart was led by a whimsical pillar of a fate less ordinary. It would only formulate on command when awoken by a whisper from her…

A her that had yet to be determined, who quietly magnified the bubble around my fading confidence in capturing a rainbow trapped in midnight …

© A. L. Lewis

Last article at Insight News... for a while, but not forever!

Check out the link below to learn about a unique company known as Angies Hats.
Also, please visit her website. www.Angieshats.com It's definitely worth your time!

Milliner Angie Sandifer revives elegant art of yesteryear!

New Clutch 7/27

New article posted at Clutch! Check it out!

What's so bad about going natural

New At Clutch 7/21

Check it out...

The Stuck Up Friend

OR

Ode to the Black Woman

New at Clutch 7/13

Heres an interview I did on an artist that's been on the scene for a while, but is back with a new CD called God Son. Check her out.

Joy Jones- Beautiful

New At Clutch Magazine 7/6

Super personal piece, but heck, I'm always willing to share!! Check it out!

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Street Politics CD Release Party:

Review for Maria Isa's CD Release Party at 1st Avenue Night Club

Street Politics Concert Review

R.I.P. Michael Jackson. You will be missed.

As with all things in life, death is a promise before dying, quite like life is a guarantee for those willing to live. In truth, we all have sand in a predetermined hourglass that carries our legacy from conception down to the last grain fallen. No matter the date, or the dawn of your last sunrise, life up until your final sunset reflects the glorious road taken that led you onward towards your defining midnight.



Michael Jackson: Never Can Say Goodbye at Insight News

In Memory of Michael Jackson 1958-2009 at Clutch Magazine

New at Clutch 6/22

Great posts this week!!!!

The Other Woman- Inside the mind of your man's mistress

Dudes and Sportscenter- A mistress you can't get rid of

Patiently Waiting For... A list of the best neo soul artists you hope will reemerge

New at Insight News

Wonderful play at the Landmark Center. Kumbayah The Juneteenth by Rose McGee.

Check out the article at Insight News

New at Clutch Magazine

Check out this week at Clutch Magazine for June 15,2009

Ladies Represent: RichGirl and Electrik Red

Lil Fats Interview

Check out my Interview with the creator Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes. Dudes amazing!!!

Lil Fats Interview at Yo! Raps

New at Yo! Raps

Link to my interview with Benzino

Benzino at Yo! Raps

New from me at Insight News

Here's a link to my latest Interview with my FAVORITE person to interview, Mr. Tyrese Gibson. In the pic Left to Right, Michael Bay (director of Transformers), Tyrese Gibson, and Steven Spielberg (executive producer of Transformers).

Tyrese Gibson: Transformers 2 Interview.


Here's a link to a piece I did on the Sheraton Hotel Midtown. Big thanks to Barb Crushshon and the wonderful team at the Sheraton.

Sheraton Hotel Article

Clutch Magazine 6/1

Check these pieces out. Had fun writing these this week!

Sistas Stop It

Why Her...

Maria Isa; Incendiary, lethal

Hey, this chic is amazing! Check out the article, and go to the CD Release for Street Politics at First Avenue June 5 at 8pm. I'll be there! Wouldn't miss it for the world!

Maria Isa for Insight News.

Ebony Fashion Fair

Covered the Ebony Fashion Fair when they came to Minneapolis for Insight News...

Check the Article link below for my take on the event.

Ebony Fashion Fair Review

Clutch Magazine 5/18 and 5/25

Click the links below to read...

She Got Her Own---- This Weeks

You Can't Beat B-----Last Weeks.

Unique Image

I interviewed the Brothers from the new R&B group Unique Image who are signed to Big Gates Records, home of Plies. Check out their new song "Fresh Off The Lot" and read up on their plans for the music industry at the link below.

Unique Image at Yo! Rap Magazine

New at Clutch 5/11

Im soooo late in posting this, but there's no time like the present.

Love Connection: Kanye West and Tyra Banks. Support creativity : )

Follow this Link to Clutch Magazine.

Hangin with Charlie Wilson

Met up with singer Charlie Wilson and the Brothers from the Men of March group to discuss an important issue taking the lives of Brothers in our community; Prostate Cancer. Check the link below at Insight News.


Charlie Wilson Article

New at Clutch Magazine

Ladies Don't Listen to Jazmine: Reasons Why you should and SHOULDN'T bust a man's windows. Link

Top 10 Things Chris Brown needs to do to save his career and get back Rihanna. Link

Solid as a...JAY Rock!

Check out my interview with emerging talent Jay Rock at Yo! Raps. Get into it!

Jay Rock Link.

More at Clutch!

5 Signs to tell a guy is not ready for a serious relationship. Click Link.

Sasha Fiercisms. Check it out!

Gemini Magazine

Check out the Spring Issue of Gemini Magazine! (My article is on page 38) : )

Gemini E-Zine Link!

All Naptural

Check out these links! Wonderful gal named Laquita Thomas-Banks. Since I've gone Au NAPtural myself, I've gotten a million tips from her articles at Clutch. Show love!

All Naptural Website

Go Natural: Transitioning Versus the Big Chop

What If: Love Connection

So I was asked to write a fictional piece about the possibility of Love stirring up between Keyshia Cole and Q-tip. Imagine That. Check it out.

Clutch Magazine: Love Connection- Keyshia Cole & Q-tip!

R Les.....

Hit up Clutch and check into Mr. Ryan Leslie. Definitely Rated Next!

Ryan Leslie Article

The Infamous Up and Down Stare

Wrote a piece for Clutch Magazine, about the Infamous Up and Down Stare. Check it out.

Book Review: City Kid by Nelson George

Interviewed Nelson George, an incredible author and filmmaker behind such works as Strictly Business, CB-4, Life Support, One Woman Short, Black Face etc.

Check out the article I wrote on him and his book at the link below. Thanks

Nelson George Article for Insight News

My Interview With Kem!

I sat down with R&B/Soul artist Kem to discuss his upcoming show at Epic Night Club here in Minneapolis on Sunday April 12th. Check it out at the link below.

Kem Interview for Insight News.

Hello... I Love You.

Frequently confused with Goodbye…Go to Hell. It’s the conflict of thinking too far ahead and seeing the end in a memory before you even reach the beginning. The hesitation in proceeding forward because we see our perception of the latter day rather than the fruit within the Here and Now.

Slow down, I just want to get to know you. See the possibility in what seems so impossible, but there’s a wall of exclusion that pauses the innocence in my endeavors. Conversations that transition into the opportunity of friendship are now halted by the ideology of skipping forward to a sexual divide. Sexual promises met by an empty resolution. Or so you think.

Complex imperfections? Or rather looking too far around a man-made corner for life’s answers when true destiny or opportunity can’t be determined by equations and over analyzing. Let it be.

Definitely not the same, and at first glance completely opposite, but under a microscope of determination, we two are more alike then you’d ever think. Take a look before assuming.

Like cool running water over the edge of rock, I’m just trying to understand the current within your rocky and intricate stream. I’m just trying to get to know you, I’m just trying to live in today. I see the beauty in opportunity. I see the pleasure in knowing you. I see the edge of today, before the arrival of tomorrow. I see you.

Friendships not a risk, thinking too far ahead is the problem. Life has no ceiling, so why limit a possibility. When you look past an opportunity, life is just another cloudy day.

© A. L. Lewis

A couple from Clutch

Bambu Interview. A Filipino Hip Hop Artist with a Political Heart.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Hitting Up T.O.N.Y (One Night Stands Article)

Ericka Dotson from Indigue Hair Interview. Check it out.

A Conversation with B.G. from the Hot Boys

My interview with B.G. for Yo! Raps Magazine

B.G. from Hot Boys.

The Wiz Review

An article for Insight News on Washburn High-School's production of The Wiz. Check it out.

The Wiz

Welcome to SoulfullyUnique 2.0

I wanted to give my personal page a little more attention. Check back later for a new personal blog.

BEYONCE'!!!

Wow. Who knew that an article I wrote about Beyonce' would generate so much hype! Check it out. Get in on the discussion.

Top 15 Reasons People Hate Beyonce'

Color Purple Interview and Sweet Honey In the Rock and SOULTOUCH PRODUCTION

On Wednesday March 18th, I met up with two of the cast members of The Color Purple. What a pleasure to be in the company of two intriguing individuals. Special thanks to Stu James and Felicia P. Fields for offering me some of their time. Check it out, and don't forget to go see the play.

The Color Purple Interview

Had the pleasure of viewing a phenomenal performance by Sweet Honey In the Rock and writing a concert review of it for The Insight News. Check it out at the link Below.

Sweet Honey In the Rock


Met up with an incredible lady named Robin Hickman. She's the creator of Soultouch Productions, the niece of the late Gordon Parks and is front-lining a movement called Lovin the Skin I'm In based on the novel by Sharon G. Flake which encourages African Americans to embrace their beautiful brown skin. Check out my article at Insight.

Soultouch Productions

A moment on YOUTUBE

LOL! Check out this link and watch me doing what I do best... act silly! ; )

Free Madea Rally in Minneapolis.

First Name, Last Name...

So you're familiar with Yung LA? Well if so, I had the opportunity to interview him. Check it out at Yo! Raps.

Yung LA Interview!!!!!

Hmmm.... Kanye West as a boyfriend?

I'm sure stranger things have happened, but in the midst of a recession alls we have are our dreams... So I'm sure for those of you who like to think up alternatives to the neverending boredom that lurks in the corners of your life, heres a piece for you that I wrote for Clutch Magazine. Catch it!

Top Ten Reasons Why Kanye West would be a good boyfriend.

Kenna Sarge and Voice of Culture Dance Group

An article I wrote for the Insight News Newspaper on Kenna Sarge and her dance company Voice of Culture. Enjoy.

Voice of Culture.

CLUTCH Magazine "Indique Hair: Getting on the Right Track"

I love the things I have had the opportunity to do at this fun girly magazine fresh out of ATL! Such a transition from the rap life at Yo! but both work in unison to cover my entire personality!

Check me out... Indique Hair: Getting on the Right Track!

Ladies, this is for us.

Can anyone make change... all I got is 50 CENT!!!

What a moment and a GREAT opportunity!!!

My interview with 50 CENT!!!

The Turntable Master

Check it!
Grandmaster Flash

And a fresh face on the scene.
Romey

Hot off the Press!!!! Joe Budden!

So... I got the opportunity to interview Joe Budden! CHECK IT OUT at Yo! Raps!

JOE Budden

And then there was... CLUTCH!

Heres an article I wrote for the interview I did with up and coming neo soul artist Sarah White. I'm very excited about this piece, the artist, and to have had the opportunity to write for Clutch Magazine. Enjoy!

Sarah White Interview

More at Yo! Raps

Check out my interview with Dollicia Bryan. She's XXL Magazine's new Eye Candy Of The Year.

Dollicia Bryan Interview

Here's my interview with Lil Scrappy... Dig it!

Lil Scrappy Interview

Check Me Out At Yoraps.com

Tyrese Gibson Interview

Paul Wall Interview

Rocky Fontaine Interview

Jakk Doe Interview