Artist of the Week: Miss Brown Herself

Name Cherrell Eunique Brown
Hometown Laurinburg, NC
Current Town Greensboro NC



How would you describe your art form??
Art is a way of arranging elements in a way that to affect the senses and emotions. My art form is painting, or sculpting- I craft words rather to paint pictures or to address issues or convey my emotions. Its often very raw because its directly pulled from an experience. I use words to convey that experience and create my spoken word.

How'd you get your name??
I got my name (Miss Brown Herself) after I took a break from writing for awhile. I took the break because I began to write poems for family members, for either weddings, birthdays and a lot of funerals. So my passion became associated with something that was an obligation and i shied away form it. When I came back to it, I had an epiphany- "who am I writing for" and my answer was Miss Brown Herself, and that's it- at the end of the day. I hope others gain from it, but its essentially my release.


How did you start??
I started in the 1st grade. Its funny because I was just getting into the concept of "homework" and I hated it. So sometimes Id try to be slick and in lue of doing assignments I'd write a poem or story instead, because that's what I liked. It was not till the 3rd grade when a teacher saw the potential in my writing.


Favorite place you've performed??
My favorite place to perform is always at my "home", and when I say home I mean at UNCG where my group Well Versed Xpressions was formed. I feel most comfortable because they are like family.


What is your inspiration??
My inspiration comes from different sources, but essentially myself. I don't mean that in an "arrogant "i inspire myself" type thing, but I feel like for my work to be effective and mean something to me- they have to be inspired by events that go on in *my* life- now that may come from experiences *with* people like my grandparents or my nieces or something going on in the world- but how it affects me shapes whether I am compelled to write on it.


What is your favorite piece you've done??
My favorite piece that I've performed is probably My Testimony, because its an expression of my short battle with cancer, and I never opened up about it- ever until I performed that piece. It was very lethargic.


Who is your favorite artist?? Underground and Professional
Well assuming that you mean poetically, I will have to go with Queen and B Yung, both from BNV...and more mainstream I'd go with Mayda Del Valle- she is a beautiful poet from Def Poetry Jam. Locally I am a big fan of The Original LP a duo with Dr. Love Crossling and Ms. Paula Latham- they are bomb poets and wonderful mentors of mine.


Where can you be heard and/or seen??
Well I've been taking an active role in community organizing lately, however when I'm spitting I can be seen/heard at any Open Mics thrown by WVX, i also have some poems on my facebook (Cherrell Eunique) and on youtube.


What are your upcoming projects??
Upcoming projects include some possible endeavors with a group of talented young ladies in a group called "Poet She". Its an all ladies slam teams planning to travel and put on events to get the community involved in poetry. I have also several pieces in the works that echo a lot o the political/community stuff I'm involved with. Its been heavy on my heart and mind for so long, and I'm excited to get it on paper, and hopefully performed.


What is your favorite quote or quote you live by??
My favorite quote..well I was just arrested for an act of civil disobedience lately and a supporter said to me after my release "thank you for not waiting for a revolution" and that resonated with me because we often wait for someone else to initiate change. we can start it, whether its through civil disobedience or our poetry. Change in communities start with change in self.


Do you have a twitter facebook or other way you can be contacted??
I have a facebook (Cherrell Eunique) and a twitter (EuniqueBrown)




THIS IS MY INTRODUCTION

The only daughter, materialization of your dreams

Never wore the same size, but I inherited your jeans

And

Your nightmares, because somewhere with your eyes and nose

Embedded inherently on the x-chromosome; was a vagrant- set back in black

Its impatience, turning me into a patient

Encaged in a prison of my self’s making

Turning neighbors into stranger

Inscribing hieroglyphics with its print less imprints

That my body doesn’t fully comprehend

And, I guess this is when I stand in group and introduce myself to you:

Hello my name is Cherrell, and I’m living with cancer

Living with like it’s the second signer on a lease

Well it only signs a second birth in me, cuz cancer don’t live here

M.R.I.’s and it always gets caught in sepia colored picture that my doctors photo crops

Faith filled I say “watch how my God photo shops”

But they’re not getting the bigger picture, trying to concoct the picture perfect elixir

But my medicinal faith isn’t prescription filled; it’s more like scripture reeled





THIS IS AUTOGIGRAPHY

See I was already born a miracle child, 1988 2 ounces shy of 2 pounds

Doctor said Mrs. Brown I’m sorry, but your daughter probably won’t make it past the first month

20 years later excuse me if I just laugh

Cuz my hearts already 841,518,380, beats past your last forecast

So excuse me if I cast out what you foresee in me now



THIS IS MY FIGHT SONG, MY-NO I WONT GO QUIET INTO THE NIGHT SONG

Because I can’t seem to wrap my head around the concept of wearing head wraps,

Or becoming complacent with steroid filled needles punctuating my 20 year statement

So I inject steroids into even sicker words, hoping they become bigger

Bigger than this illness

Transcending the blank canvass from which they came,

Transcending this temporary shell to dispel disbeliefs

Cuz time only moves forward, it doesn’t rewind

And even if it did who’s to say I wouldn’t be on this same life line

So I’m kneeling to phone a friend, because there’s a 50/50 chance that

I won’t make it past my mom 50th or my niece’s first dance

But my contentment doesn’t lie in hospital issued linens

I will grow cold in defiance, before I get comfortable with dying





Part II



THIS IS MY VICTORY SPEECH- THAT MY GOD PRE-WRITTEN FOR ME

See this is where my verse ends, and I passed my God the pen

And he precluded "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"

And he began in reverse erasing imperfections like accidental stray marks

Putting his stamp on everything like postcards and scribe scriptures on my DNA ribbons

So every part of me is testimony, so even in sin I’m living holy

And it’s quite comforting to know my God has humor,

See he began to confuse doctors, playing peek-a-boo with tumors

Till no radiation, the only thing I’d radiating is his glory

July 22, 2009- HE’LL PEN THIS CHAPTER REMISSION