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So you wannabe be a freelance writer? You wanna eat as a writer? You betta hustle…(the recap)

Hello World,

If you weren’t able to make the AABJ (Atlanta Association of Black Journalists) panel discussion “The Art of the Hustle” last Saturday, thanks to blogger extraordinaire Yalanda Lattimore, editor of DryerBuzz.com who videotaped the event, you can watch it here! (Thanks 🙂 ) Panelists endeavored to share how we have pursued our journalism and writing careers as the field of journalism continues to evolve in the wake of the Internet, bloggers, newspaper layoffs, decreasing budgets, etc.

Check out the mini-bios of the illustrious panelists…

Curtis Bunn, Kelley L. Carter, Denene Millner, Dion Rabouin and me. (Malena Cunningham was there via Skype.)

Kelley L. Carter is an Emmy-Award winning entertainment journalist. A graduate of Michigan State University, Carter has been an entertainment reporter and critic for more than a dozen years. She’s worked for a number of national and international media outlets, including USA Today, VIBE, BBC, EBONY, ESSENCE, ESPN, MTV News, the Chicago Tribune and the Detroit Free Press. Carter has interviewed many of Hollywood’s elite including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Jada Pinkett Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Drew Barrymore, Jamie Foxx, Mark Wahlberg, Katie Holmes, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Ben Stiller, Bradley Cooper, Courteney Cox, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Aniston, Ryan Reynolds, Sandra Bullock, Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. Carter also is regularly tapped for her expertise for TV networks, including CNN, HLN, E!, Fox News and the TV Guide Channel to deliver pop culture takes on entertainment, and give news updates to breaking entertainment news. She currently works as a freelance journalist and covers travel, lifestyle, music, film, celebrities and television. Twitter:  @KelleyLCarter

The New York Times best-selling author Denene Millner is a hotly sought after award-winning journalist whose insightful and captivating pieces have secured her foothold in the entertainment, parenting and book publishing industries. The former Parenting Magazine columnist is the founder and editor of MyBrownBaby.com, a critically acclaimed blog that examines the intersection of parenting and race. Millner also frequently contributes to ESSENCE, EBONY and JET magazines, and has appeared regularly on the “TODAY show,” CBS’ “The Early Show,”” The Nate Berkus Show,” HLN, CNN, and “The Rachel Ray show.” She’s authored 20 books, including the best-selling “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” co-written with Steve Harvey. Millner’s latest, the novelization of Whitney Houston’s posthumous movie, Sparkle, hits bookshelves in August. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters. Twitter: @MyBrownBaby

Curtis Bunn is a 25-year, national award-winning sports journalist who has covered virtually every major sporting event and done every job in the newsroom. Bunn, who now serves are deputy editor of www.atlantablackstar.com, spent the bulk of his career as a beat reporter covering the NBA – first the New Jersey Nets as a 23-year-old for New York Newsday and then the New York Knicks for Newsday and the New York Daily News. In 1996 he joined the staff of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he worked for 13 years before accepting a buyout in 2008. The author of five novels, he is the writer of the book, “Yes Ma’am, No Sir: 12 Essentials Steps For Success In Life” with Coach Carter, the subject of the 2005 blockbuster movie starring Samuel L. Jackson. His next novel is “Homecoming Weekend,” to be released in September by Strebor Books/Simon & Schuster. Twitter: @curtisbunn

A packed house...

Malena Cunningham is president of Strategic Media Relations, Inc. a media consulting business she founded in 2005 and co-author of the book “Savvy Leadership Strategies for Women.” A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in public relations/journalism, she began her 23-year broadcast career in television news at CNN in Atlanta working first behind the scenes, then on-camera for WTBS. In 1992, Malena moved to WVTM/NBC13 in Birmingham as weekend co-anchor. Within five months, she was promoted to the 6 p.m. weekday newscast becoming the only African American at that time in Birmingham in a main anchor position. During her 12 and a half years at NBC13, Malena won two Emmy Awards (1995 and 1996) for special reporting. She was also part of the 6 p.m. news anchor team that won an Emmy for Best Newscast (1996). In 2004, Malena won the prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow Award for anchoring the half-hour documentary “Beneath the Rubble,” which chronicled the 40th anniversary of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Twitter: @strategicmediar

Dion Rabouin is a freelance journalist whose writing has been published in The Hollywood Reporter, the Los Angeles Daily News, AllBusiness.com, The Atlanta Voice and many others. He has been featured on Los Angeles radio stations 90.7 KPFK and Southern California Public Radio’s 89.3 KPCC, as well as on television on “RT News” and “Today in LA.” He was formerly secretary of the Black Journalists Association of Southern California and currently serves on the board of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Atlanta chapter in addition to being a member of AABJ. Twitter: @DionRabouin

And I served on the panel too, and since this is my blog, I don’t feel the need to post my bio 🙂 But you can follow me on Twitter @jackiehwrites

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

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Saturday in the A – Featuring Life’s A Fish & Then You Fry…

Hello World,

AJ & Chris...

I have been classified as an introvert, but the older I get, the more I find myself being out and about – especially in the A, my beloved hometown…One of the events I recently attended was “Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry,” which is more of a movement instead of just a regular ole summer fish fry…Read my interview with entrepreneur Anthony “AJ” Joiner, one of  the brainchildren behind one of the summer’s best parties…and check out these pics…

Phillippia performs...

 

1.How and when did the “Life is a Fish and Then You Fry”start? 

“Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry” started as a birthday party in April 2009. I bought all the fish, fries and fixings, and invited people to my home for my 36th bday. And it was completely free. People encouraged me to charge for fish plates, but I didn’t want money to get in the way of people having a fun experience.

After the first party, people literally begged me to do it again so that they   could bring their friends. So…I did another one, and that’s when I decided to give it a name. “Life’s a Fish & Then You Fry” was officially born.  I wanted to continue doing it because people were having a genuine good time. There were never any incidents; everyone was meeting new people. It was just fun. It was an option for people who didn’t want to go to the club or for people who liked to do something every once in a while.

2. Tell me about the evolution of the party and how it got bigger and better every year

It turned into an underground movement! It grew exponentially from 60 plus,  to 150 plus to 500 plus! It was sheer word-of- mouth and people posting their pics on Facebook!

For the last two years, we partnered with Chris Cornell , owner of E Period LLC , and this year, we partnered with Clayton County Commissioner Wole Ralph and others to host this party in the Clayton County International Park and Beach!

Chris used to attend the house parties. He had his own large scale barbecue that he did yearly for his birthday. At one of the fish fries (the one where police and news helicopters were hovering above trying to figure out what was happening) we discussed a partnership… and the rest is history…

Commissioner Wole Ralph attended one of the fish fries and expressed interest in creating a county partnership with Clayton County. He enjoyed the event and thought the partnership would make sense. We could organize, promote and make the event unforgettable. The county could provide the facility, security, emergency management plans, and help facilitate our needs to make it city-wide! The park had over 3,500 patrons over the course of the day so we were really excited!

A collage of Josh Bias & The 630 Band...

3. Who were some of the featured performers?

We had a great lineup of performers – Untitled, Soulantis, Josh Bias & The 630 Band, and we ended the party with an incredible show by Phillippia and a fireworks show! We also had some great comedians – Comedian Landry, Comedian Arnesto and and Gerald Guillory!

Oh, this was ONLY the beginning. For anyone in ATL the 4th of July weekend 2013, it will be even more spectacular! So, if you’re NOT going out of town – get $10 ready for an evening of unforgettable live entertainment along with a few tricks we have up our sleeves.

Any thoughts?

Below is a video of Phillippia performing for the crowd! Check out the couples dancing onstage!