A Book About Leroy W. Allen, Fine Artist

Photo:Kansas City Star First Anniversary of 9/11

Front Page of the Kansas City Star 

I'd promised myself that I was going to write a book about my brother, Leroy W. Allen, the extraordinary fine artist who left us in 2007. Shortly after his death I attempted to tackle the task and almost immediately realized it wasn't time and that it probably wouldn't be time anytime soon. I tucked my pen and thoughts away, allowed myself to enter and begin the journey of early healing and immersed my grief related creative urges in a host of other tasks.

It appears I'm approaching the time now when I might be able to do him, his art, his still unfolding legacy and the love we, his family, felt from and for him justice. I've begun to rumble through memories - both tangible (photos, writings, drawings, videos, etc.) and intangible more and more. I love what I'm feeling, thinking, seeing through eyes both of hindsight and new revelation. My hand now itches with the need to try to capture a part of him for posterity.

When and how long it will be? I have no idea, I just know that God willing it will now happen. I'm grateful.

An old photo of Leroy, his daughters, our parents and me.

Tweeting Emerging Music and Other Things

Today was eventful on many levels. I felt a sense of special favor on my life throughout the day as one wonderful thing manifest into another, and then another, and yet another. I am too grateful for the wealth of blessings not to acknowledge them.

Something that is on my mind though is that I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, I'll do from here as it relates to music. For the past five years I used the Emerging Music column to give exposure whenever and however I could to raw, beautiful talent and talent that just needed one more little push. I truly loved doing that. But as of the early part of this week I ended my tenure as Editor of Emerging Music at Bellaonline.com.

While I don't want the expectation of a weekly column, which is a requirement at Bellaonline of its Editors, I do want to showcase someone extra special when I see them or they are brought to my attention. So, I think I'll start to "Tweet" about Emerging Music talents for a while. See how that feels and how that works for those artist. The challenge is going to be how to whet appetites in 140 characters or less, but I love a challenge. And I guarantee you, if the talent is there I'm going to make sure the world knows it for certain, regardless of the boundaries!

So, that said, I guess I need to go through my latest CD slush pile. There is bound to be something truly powerful and worthy of a Tweet or two in it! Give me a nudge if you, your management team, or your record company sent something to me recently that you think I ought to be on the look out for! I'm ready to try to make it happen for somebody!