» Astro/Numerology

HOROSCOPES BY KNOWYOURNUMB3RS By GODDESS KYA

September 22, 2022 — September 28, 2022

Rebirth of A New Nation: Numerically speaking, last week, the 8th-14th of September, was a 9 universal week. This week, the 15th-21st, is a 1 universal week. 1 in numerology is the Alpha (Beginning); 9 is the Omega (End). The numbers 1 and 9 combine to make 19. The number 19 is honor, success, prestige, self-esteem, princess or prince of heaven. A new moon in Libra at 2 degrees will arrive on Sept. 25, as we embark on new beginnings, new alliances, new experiences, new voyages, and new ways to operate differently upon this new Libra moon. Take a stand for what you believe in and do Vinateria what your heart desires. Create an alternative mastermind plan for your services, or for how products can be used differently. It’s a great time to share your knowledge and wisdom, and remember to slow down as an exuberant energy is presented. Apply your practical, mental skills and common sense—which isn’t common nowadays—to accomplish a task on your list to do. The darndest things will occur this week when you least expect. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” Revelation 22:13.

Reevaluate your priorities, as swift changes with professional and person al relationship opportunities are presented to you. It’s a cycle to study, learn and develop a master plan to exploit your services. Your mental ability is sharp and performing at its highest. Your perspective, security, belief, and experience is keeping you grounded to continue to push through barriers and excel into higher levels. September 23rd -24th, short distance travel can come up for you or someone traveling to you, as can meeting prominent people in leadership. The spotlight is on you. Setting the foundation requires a sketch, blueprint, or outline to have a clear picture of what you need. Once you have a finished blueprint and are ready to pitch it’s time to act. Diagnose your feedback and results to make any updates or improvements. Working in silence allows you to perform at your best and complete important tasks. September 25th-26th: when you complete your projects, you become aware of the direction to go to open doors for yourself. What seems like a monkey wrench in your plans stopping you, that’s the uni verse making the necessary adjustments in your schedule. The awkwardness and unbalanced mood change is there to get you uncomfortable to get comfortable to do something different or listen to the message coming through. Continue to build and add on to your foundation of your establishment like building your resume. Sept. 27th-28th are beneficial days to see the growth within your development all by following your heart and being committed. A winning streak week to hit a double grand slam and a slam dunk while  grandma bakes her favorite cake or pie or even makes a main dish you like. Your ancestors are rewarding you for the effort you made through your heart commitment. For those who are just starting it’s not over, yet you have time to change when you are ready and have had enough. Take the lead while accepting your royalties, rewards, recognition as the universe always rewards those who do a great deed. Sept. 22nd & 30th you are blazing hot as you are amazing and a bit overwhelmed. Remember the working bees in the background. When change occurs, it moves fast in the air formed like hurricanes, floods like water overpouring and lightning strikes faster than a wink of an eye yet you are in midst of it all and remain untouchable. When you are guided with the supernatural power you are heavily protected as you continue to walk the path you are on. The alpha and omega is a beautiful twist of turn that seems magical and is occurring right before your very eyes. Sept. 23rd-24th no words can express the feeling and what you are witnessing in your life. Gratitude. September is about paying attention to the details, the hit and miss  scenarios all making sense now. All your hard work is being paid off; even through facing the difficulties of the unknown you remain true to yourself. A woman or man of their words is a committed person who understands the importance of one character and obligation. Huge regards are on the way and things that were delayed, postponed are now in transit to you. Sept. 25th-26th be excited thatmall the hints given were pieces of the puzzle leading up to a reward.

September brought career change, family obligation, health concerns and investing in yourself. A yearning desire to be free and go on a new Capricorn journey. Your words are powerful so say what you mean and do as you say. Contradiction may play a role; just ignore and deliver the message Dec 22 Jan 21 that’s on your heart. When you ask the universe to make a way, just play your part and it shall be. Be a helping hand this week. Sept. 27th-29th career changes and a possible relocation are on your mind.  You know exactly what direction you are headed in as temptation rises; stay clear on what’s in your heart and mind to do. There is something to conquer this week that will impact your life personally. There are angels in the woodwork reaching out to you if you sit in silence to listen. Your dreams are foretelling as you experience the déjà vu theme. This time you are wiser and aware. Sept. 22nd & 30th, how you respond will be the outcome. You know what you know. The establishment of what you built is being rewarded for stick ing through the toughest times and it did not give in. It takes time for fruit to grow on trees, and trees to grow strong and tall. What you put out in the universe you will receive back. Big mama is here to claim and reward those of good deeds. You have rewards, recognition, and people you have helped are reaching out to you. The people including yourself are living proof of your work and growth. Sept. 23rd24th, your wish is granted. October 2021 to September 2022 has been a spiritual warfare  fright while carving out your potential and mastering your skills. Of course, you had to pitch it out to folks to gain feedback. Now you are in full throttle creating your masterpiece. You are already giving it your best shot and have a service or product to show for it with the help from others. Sept. 25th-26th self-improvement reflects the greatness within you. No more tiptoeing, it is what it is. When your heart and mind are in lockstep nothing can change the direction of your course. You are solely committed and free to live a new life on your terms. Free will at its finest. Now it’s time to put a move on it and haul your inventory to finish the job. Tina Turner stated “big wheels keep on turning, proud Mary keeps on burning and we’re rolling, rolling on the river.” Sept. 27th–29th is time to do just that. Keep it moving. The tug of war pull is necessary to push you to the top, some thing you are aware of and take heed to the assignment. You understand the protocol, procedures and experience needed to pick the best of the best to address certain issues. Not everyone speaks the same language and understands that being able to communicate and connect is essential. Something simple as a hand gesture can be confused and understood. The context clues and details tell a story. Sept. 22nd & 30th, what is your story?

Cancer

June 22 July 23

Leo July 24 Aug 23

Virgo Aug 24 Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 Oct 23

Scorpio

Oct 24 Nov 22

Sagitarius Nov 23 Dec 21

Award-winning AmNews writer launches guide to the stars

(Courtesy image)

Jordannah Elizabeth, AmNews writer and best-selling author of “She Raised Her Voice! 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way Into Music History” brings her candor and insight to the world of astrology. On sale September 13, “Astrology for Black Girls: A Beginner’s Guide for Black Girls Who Look to the Stars” is an honest, open exploration of what the stars reveal for Black girls who are interested in harnessing and cultivating the power of the zodiac, and bringing that power and understanding to their lives and the lives of those around them.

This book provides the perfect introduction to astrological charts including the sun, moon, rising signs, houses, elements, and more. As a life-long astrology practitioner, Jordannah Elizabeth addresses the role of astrology in Black communities, how to practice both faith and astrology, how to talk to family and friends about the stars, and how to use the zodiac for personal empowerment. Complete with four-color illustrations by Chellie Carroll throughout, this beautiful book will capture the imagination of middle-grade Black girls for years to come.

Albert Ibokwe Khoza in Robyn Orlin’s “And so you see…our honourable blue sky and ever enduring sun…can only be consumed slice by slice…” (John Hogg Dance Umbrella photo)

By CHARMAINE PATRICIA WARREN

Special to the AmNews

Bring on the fall with a variety of dance performances. At NYLA, South African choreographer Robyn Orlin presents Albert Ibokwe Khoza in “And so you see…our honourable blue sky and ever enduring sun…can only be consumed slice by slice” Sept. 22-24. The solo, a New York premiere, “…was created in response to South Africa’s recent celebration of 20 years of freedom and contains Orlin’s trademark mix of forms, expressions and genre. Orlin describes the performance as “…an ironical playful body, caught between sin, transformation, decay and brilliance, using the ‘seven deadly sins,’ on a journey through a ‘requiem to humanity’ with the third world still on stage and the first world paying to be part of the show…” according to the release. For more information visit https:// newyorklivearts.org/event/andso-you-see/ works featured in five programs includes Pam Tanowitz, Christopher Wheeldon, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Bavarian State Ballet (Germany), Compagnie Hervé Koubi (France), Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dutch National Ballet (Netherlands), Gibney Dance, Kyiv City Ballet (Ukraine), Nrityagram Dance Ensemble (India), and San Francisco Ballet. For more information visit https:// www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/FallforDance/

Sept. 24 – (Virtual) Edisa Weeks’ DELIRIOUS Dance Roots Party returns and will include a discussion with Brooke and Ashley Diamond from the Free Ashley Diamond Campaign. For more information and to register visit https://www.eventbrite. com/e/virtual-roots-party-sept2022-tickets-400713032467

Sept. 26-Oct. 1 – Leslie Parker continues a multiyear project with a creative residency at Danspace Project to explore the archives and the physical location of Danspace from the 1950s to the present for the world premiere of “Divination Tools: imagine home.” For more information visit https://danspaceproject.org/

Sept. 27-Oct. 2 – Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca return to the Joyce with repertory and new works led by Barrio and Artistic Director Martín Santangelo. On the program is “In ni bien ni mal, todo lo contrario” (neither good nor bad, just the opposite), and more. For more information visit https://www. joyce.org/performances/soledad-barrio-noche-flamenca

Sept. 28 – Kyle Abraham will premiere a new work at New York City Ballet’s tenth annual Fall Fashion Gala at Lincoln Center. Also, on the program are works by Gianna Reisen, Justin Peck, and a finale from the George Balanchine “Symphony in C.” For more information visit https://www. nycballet.com/season-andtickets/fall-22

Sept. 30-Oct. 16 – Celebrating 50 years of work, Ping Chong, the founder and Artistic Director of Ping Chong + Company, will present a reimagining of “Lazarus” 1972–2022. “Lazarus” was Ping Chong’s first independently created theater production. For more information visit https://www.lamama. org/shows/lazarus-2022

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

Special to the AmNews

The essay collection in Black American literature has been a source of intellectual assertion of an array of thoughts and commentary on culture, existential examination and perception and different forms of expression: creative nonfiction, journalism and personal essays. Collections are also opportunities for editors to compile and curate the work of influential writers, oftentimes, posthumously. “James Baldwin: Collected Essays,” “The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni,” Toni Morrison’s “The Source of SelfRegard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations” and “The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou” are collections that have touched readers all over the world. There are two collected works emerging in 2022 and 2023 that promise to quickly be added to the Black literary and journalistic canon for their historical relevance and contribution and as undeniable sources of Black excellence.

Victory Is Assured: Uncollected Writings of Stanley Crouch by Stanley Crouch, Edited by Glenn Mott (Liveright)

Stanley Crouch, who passed away in 2020, is known as one of the world’s most auspicious jazz critics. His poignant and intellectually engrossing writing style has been a source of cultural fervor and conversation beginning with his contributions to The Village Voice as a staunch and provoking cultural critic. Crouch’s legacy places him at the pinnacle of Black criticism, making “Victory Is Assured” a collection that offers relief to those who still grieve the writer’s voice and impact. Editor Glenn Mott assembles the writer’s previously unpublished works and pieces found on his computer following his unexpected death. For those who have followed Crouch’s work since the beginning, young writers who are excited to delve into the modern work of a criticism titan, and every reader who sits between the spectrum of fan and the inquisitive student.

You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays by Zora Neale Hurston, Introduction and Edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

“You Don’t Know Us Negroes” is the highly anticipated new book of essays from the deeply profound Black writer, Zora Neale Hurston. The carefully crafted assortment of essays, gathered by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Genevieve West, span over 30 years from the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance to educational integration. Hurston’s work “articulates the beauty and authenticity of Black life as only she could. Collectively, these essays showcase the roles enslavement and Jim Crow have played in intensifying Black people’s inner lives and culture rather than destroying it.” This collection is a historical addition to Hurston’s culmination of work that has been emerging since the 2000s. “You Don’t Know Us Negroes” is indispensable literary work for the Black book collector and Black literary enthusiast.

It is nothing less than reassuring that the continuation of the exploration of these writers is actively creating new works for the world to discover. We mustn’t take for granted the consistent mining of writing from writers like Crouch and Hurston. Their work preserves the integrity of Black literature and is likely to inspire a new generation of Black writers, authors and cultural critics.

New books from two Black women novelists arrive this fall

By JORDANNAH ELIZABETH

Special to the AmNews

New novels from masterful writers Namwali Serpell and Amber McBride are available this fall. Serpell, a Zambian-American novelist and a professor of English at Harvard University, has offered her second novel, “The Furrows,” following her award-winning debut, 2019’s “The Old Drift.” Serpell’s depth and ability to intertwine emotion and narrative storytelling create a searing story of mourning and mystery. In “The Furrows,” the narrator is Cassandra, or Cee, who recounts the story of how, when she was 12, her 7-year-old brother, Wayne, disappeared beneath the ocean’s waves, “‘the great grooves in the water’ like furrows in a field,” writes The New Yorker.

Amber McBride is a lesser-known author whose prose and touching literary language acquired a twobook deal with Feiwel & Friends, pital for treatment of clinical depression. When she meets a boy named Faerry, she recognizes they both have magic in the marrow of their bones. And when Faerry and his family move to the same street, the two start to realize that their lifelines may have twined and untwined many times before,” describes Feiwel & Friends.

Both authors, who are just beginning their careers as novelists, unfold the worlds of their protagonists in their unique ways. Both books are written through the eyes of young people. McBride chooses to embed fantasy and magical elements to embolden and push the conflict of her character’s depressive predicament. And Serpell chooses to focus on the feeling, the inner experience and the pain alongside the gripping detail of the mystery of the swallowing of a girl’s younger sibling. They approach the experience of a young child in different ways: one through the lens of mental illness and fantastical imagery and the other through reality and the physicality of being lost.

As the careers of these writers unfold, it would be beneficial and positive to pay close attention to the structure and beauty of their writing. These books are the foundations of their personal styles and ability to execute the articulation of a character’s perspective. “The Furrows” and “We Are All So Good at Smiling” are already refined and reveal a glimpse of what they are capable of through the gracefulness of their current voices. They have the ability to become masterful, and in a world where Black women novelists and their stories have been overlooked and under-published, the newfound inclusiveness in major publishing offers these writers, and others, opportunities to hone their craft—to keep writing and explore as many complex and interesting scenarios and circumstances as they choose.

The newly renovated James Earl Jones Theatre (©2022 T. Whitney Cox photo)

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

On Sept. 12 the former Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in honor of this phenomenal theater and film legend. Many celebrities were on hand that day to celebrate this great occasion including James Earl Jones. While I was not able to attend this event, I recently received a personal, private tour of the theater by Robert E. Wankel, chairman and CEO of the Shubert Organization, which deemed Jones worthy of this honor. I was taken into the theater and shown all of its $47 million renovations and magnificence by Wankel and Mark Schweppe, vice president, theater operations.

From the time I entered the building I was enthralled by the stunning, detailed and delicate designs. Renovated by Kostow Greenwood Architects, the theater is truly something impressive to behold. A modern annex truly gives the theater a beautiful expansion.

They built the 5-story building to give the theater public space and it is accommodating in so many ways. Starting on the first floor, there were five dressing rooms for the stars of the productions, along with a bathroom. From the dressing rooms I was taken to the additional wing space on the stage. From the stage, when you look up, the theater is lit with the assistance of 400 LED fixtures, which had not been the case before. When you stand in front of the stage you can view the restored scene of Marie Antoinette painted above the stage. The theme of Marie Antoinette has been restored throughout the theater, from paintings of her delicately placed on the walls along the stairs, to the bust of her in the lobby entrance. They replaced the Tiffany glass that was originally part of the inside of the main theater., and there are now wheelchair-accessible locations in the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony along with an elevator that can take people up. There’s a whole new rigging system, and the stage was dropped five inches in order to address a sitsightline issue: the original stage stood too high for some of the audience to see the performers’ feet; this is now no longer a problem. Every level now also has a bar to serve patrons.

“We bought the land next door and built this building on it,” Wankel proudly shared. Taking the elevator to the fifth floor we stepped out to the mechanical areas. Walking down to the fourth floor we stepped into a massive, gorgeous rehearsal hall with a brand-new hardwood floor and a right wall completely covered by mirrors, along

with more dressing rooms. On the side on any level of the theater there are windows to give you a view of the happenings outside. A lovely standing light illuminates the stairs and reaches the height of the five floors. It’s absolutely stunning and it gives the space a warm and welcoming feeling. Entering the theater in the balcony area, you could clearly look down and see the stage, and the seats were incredibly comfortable to sit in. (In case you were wondering, there are 1,047 seats in this enormous theater). There are ladies’ rooms on every level (and I had to check those out of course). The theater originally only had restrooms in the lower level with a total of four water closets for women, and three urinals and one water closet for men. Now there are bathrooms on every floor in this breathtaking theater, which will definitely help those before-performance or intermission lines move with greater speed. There are offices on the interstation floor for theater staff. On the second level, mezzanine, which gives access to box seats, there are no stairs, but instead there is open space to accommodate people with wheelchairs. They would come off the elevator and go straight to their seat. From this box seat, your eyes are again able to appreciate the beauty of the Marie Antoinette scene vividly depicted above the stage. On the lower level we see the orchestra pit as well, and there are passageways that lead to the front of the house for the actors to go through and restrooms for the crew. In the lower level stands a screen displaying photos of James Earl Jones in productions. Recalling when Jones was there for the ribbon-cutting, Wankel said, “We brought James in, the curtain was down. We sat him down and we took up the curtain, he lit up like a Christmas tree. Then he told us how this was the first theater he worked in. He had one line, ‘Mrs. Rosenberg, dinner is served.’ Opening night he was with two superstars and he stuttered through the whole night. He told the story of how he was a stutterer and now he has become the most famous voice in the world.” Stepping out of the theater Wankel pointed out the Mark Schweppe, vice president, marque to me. Divided in theater operations and Robert E. Wankel, chairman and CEO of the Shubert Organization in the newly renovated James Earl Jones Theatre three sections it reads “James Earl Jones.” And on the side of the theater, high above, (Linda Armstrong photo) the sign reads “Jones” identifying the location of the theater from far away. There’s also the sign that declares “Ohio State Murders” with a photo of Audra McDonald who will star in the newly named theater’s first production. Everything is absolutely thrilling to see and experience. For more info, visit www.shubert.nyc/theatres/james-earl-jones