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Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke
- 45, Female
- Washington, DC
- United States
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- Personal Bio:
- Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke is a registered yoga teacher, certified Reiki practitioner, artist, writer, creativity coach, radio host, and entrepreneur. She owns and operates Kiamsha.com, LLC, a company that allows her to share her healing arts gifts. Currently, she works as an artist-in-residence for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts (www.smithfarm.com) at Howard University Hospital. As an artist-in-residence, Leeke engages patients and medical staff in creative expression, guiding them to tap inherent creative and cultural roots through breathing, relaxation, and reiki healing touch exercises; and a variety of mediums including visual arts, music, storytelling, and creative writing.
Since 1995, Leeke’s mixed media collages, wire sculptures, and paintings have been exhibited in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The Women’s Collective and Howard University Hospital own Leeke’s wire sculpture collections dedicated to communities of color living with HIV/AIDS. In 2001, her artwork was featured in Heart and Soul Magazine.
Leeke’s poetry is featured in Beyond the Frontier: African American Poetry for the 21st Century edited by E. Ethelbert Miller. Leeke has also self-published several books of poetry and women’s creativity workbooks. In addition, Leeke has facilitated expressive arts and self-care workshops for women of color living with HIV/AIDS; cancer patients, their caregivers, and health care providers; interfaith communities attending the Washington National Cathedral’s women’s spirituality conferences; children with unique learning styles; and lay ministers.
Leeke is a graduate of Morgan State University (B.A. in French, 1986), Howard University School of Law (J.D., 1989), and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation, 1991). Her memberships include the Yoga Alliance, Mid Atlantic Yoga Association, Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship, Society for the Arts in Health-care, Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington’s Business Volunteer Program, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., All Souls Unitarian Church, Insight Meditation Community of Washington’s People of Color Sangha and All Souls Sangha, and Results Gym. Leeke lives and plays in Washington, D.C.’s historic U Street neighborhood.
- Do you have any published books:
- Blessings All,
My debut novel Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One was published in August 2007. It tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething Oakland-born BoHo B.A.P. (Bohemian Black American Princess). Karma is a daddy's girl, HBCU graduate (Morgan State University), and sorority sister (Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. Karma represents a new type of Black woman who is a Love Jones cohort, a member of a vibrant population of Black middle class women who are young, remain single, live alone, and continue to accumulate personal, spiritual, and sensual wealth. She is a departure from the video vixens and stoic matriarchs. The way she wears her womanhood as she confronts the effects of her poor life choices and embraces a spiritual journey of healing and love, makes her a 21st century archetype that everyone can relate to.
Art plays a major role in Karma's life. It inspires, consoles, and teaches her. My novel offers you a wonderful opportunity to look at life through Karma’s eyes as an art enthusiast and museum curator. Through Karma's eyes, you will learn about exciting artists and photographers from the African Diaspora, Americas (USA and Mexico), Europe, and Japan such as Lois Mailou Jones, Kara Walker, Renee Stout, Yayoi Kusama, Faith Ringgold, Chris Ofili, Ansel Adams, Marion Perkins, Elizabeth Catlett, Francisco Mora, Alexander Calder, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Maria Izquierdo, Jean Michel Basquiat, Andre Derain, Annie Lee, Betye Saar, Alison Saar, Amalia Amaki, Joyce Scott, Lorna Simpson, Constantin Brancusi. Eldzier Cortor, Amedeo Modigliani, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Archibald Motley, Adrian Piper, Hughie Lee Smith, and Charles W. White.
My novel's characters will definitely shake things up in your life! They represent a wide spectrum of beautiful brilliant brown people. Some wear locs, naturals, and processed hairstyles. Whatever way they choose to express their outer selves, I think you will find them incredibly fascinating. Their heritage is rich. You will get to know African American, Afro-Latina, Afro-Thai, Afro-Hindu, Black British, and Afro-Russian folks. Some folks practice yoga, meditation, mantra chanting, Christianity, and Buddhism. Others participate in spoken word events, HIV/AIDS awareness activities, and grassroots healing work to help the African American community overcome homophobia. You will also witness the diversity of loving relationships in the Black community - straight, lesbian, and gay.
Music plays a major role in the novel. You will have a chance to see how the music of Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Sting, Deva Premal, India.Arie, Amel Larrieux, Omar, Eric Roberson, Fertile Ground, Julie Dexter, Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Les Nubians, Stevie Wonder, Omar Sosa, Susana Baca, and others impact the characters.
The novel takes place primarily in Washington, DC. It features many businesses, organizations, and landmarks in the U Street, Shaw, Adams Morgan, and Dupont Circle neighborhoods such as Mocha Hut, Cake Love, The Islander, St. Augustine Catholic Church, The Women's Collective, 18th and U Street Diner, All Souls Unitarian Church, Malcolm X/Meridian Hill Park, 9:30 Club, Metropolitan Baptist Church, and Teaism.
My characters also travel to Chicago, Oakland, San Francisco, New York City, and Wilmington, DE. Several are members of Black greek letter organizations such as Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Other characters are graduates of Morgan State University, Howard University, Bennett College, Xavier University (New Orleans), Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Savannah State University.
Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One is now available ONLINE (only) for $20.95 on Amazon.com, Borders.com, iUniverse.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Target.com, and Booksamillion.com. Barnesandnoble.com is offering a member discount of $18.95. For more information, visit www.lovestroubadours.com.
Thank you for stopping by.
Peace and Light,
Ananda Leeke
www.lovestroubadours.com
www.youtube.com/kiamshaleeke
kiamshaleeke@yahoo.com
- Why did you join this group?
- To learn and share
- Favorite Writing / Book Related Site?
- http://www.m-w.com, www.chicagomanualofstyle.org, www.nanowrimo.org, www.awpwriter.org, www.writersdigest.com,www.bibookreview.com, and www.pw.org/mag
- Website
- http://www.lovestroubadours.com
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Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke's Photos
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Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke's Blog
Celebrate Author Ananda Leeke's Official Book Release Party on 12.6.09 4pm in DC & Watch Countdown Video #1
Greetings All!
I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with fabulous food, fun, and family moments that fill your heart with joy, gratitude, and love.
Join me in celebrating Day 1 of the That Which Awakens Me Book Release Party Countdown. Check out the video below that features me reading an excerpt from Chapter 5 of my new book That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery. It discusses my writing life. For more information, visit w… Continue
I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with fabulous food, fun, and family moments that fill your heart with joy, gratitude, and love.
Join me in celebrating Day 1 of the That Which Awakens Me Book Release Party Countdown. Check out the video below that features me reading an excerpt from Chapter 5 of my new book That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery. It discusses my writing life. For more information, visit w… Continue
Posted on November 30, 2009 at 12:16am —
Check out Author Ananda Leeke's video about the making of her new book, That Which Awakens Me that aired on the november 1st episode of Ananda Leeke Live!
Greetings All,
Last week, I launched my first author chat on Ananda Leeke Live!, my new UStream.tv series (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/anandaleeke). During the chat, I discussed the making of my new book, That Which Aw… Continue
Posted on November 8, 2009 at 11:09pm —
Watch video of Artist Ananda Leeke's author chat about her artwork in her new book, That Which Awakens Me
Posted on November 8, 2009 at 11:00pm —
DC Social Media Examiner Ananda Leeke discusses Blogalicious, 1st annual conf for women of color bloggers on Examiner.com
Happy Monday!
Guess what? I am the newest member of the Examiner.com (www.examiner. com) team. In my new role, I will serve as DC Social Media Examiner. This is an exciting new writing opportunity for me to share my passion for social media… Continue
Posted on September 28, 2009 at 11:59am —
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