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Born in New Orleans, K. T. Mitchell began writing at age ten,
spurred by a love of words and
an analytical mind.
Since then, Ms. Mitchell has published poetry, essays, short stories, poetry reviews and salacious tidbits for New York Magazine, Stanford University’s Black Arts Quarterly (now out of print),The Adirondack Review and Tribes Magazine. She has also given performances at CBGBs and other venues in the East Village.
Ms. Mitchell is currently pursuing a Masters in Education at Harvard and a Ph D in Education at the University of California, Davis.
Katies Irish Tambourine gently takes me by the hand
leading me off into a light-footed, lyrical dances knees high
the cats pissed on it once
Katies mother insisted the frivolous knick knack be thrown away
Katie, unassuaged, insisted on carefully cleaning the head.
She hadnt carried it across the ocean just to dump it in a landfill
Dormant in the living room corner, it was silent as The Blight until
it seduced with the promise of shimmy
a matchmaker down to her marrow Katie told of the frenetic Tings! the Celts produced with such a ring.
Imagine gypsy like maidens, scarlet and indigo silk scraps ribboning down their hair, foot stamping bare in the heather, not too far from the fire
that took the chill off the knoll.
Oh Fiddle, pipe and pint, fiddle pipe and pint, which song will we careen to today? The swaying of skirts, flirting lashes, bashful times were not those.
Each beat of the made up Celtic dervish chants
she punctuated with a little tap to the thing. I could not help but believe
as the tambourine gently takes me by the hand leading off into a
light-footed lyrical dances knees high
Knock off purses splash onto the bar. Lipstick, chump change, condoms, two sponges and tic tacs slid across the wooden rail and get stuck on spilled drink stains.
“You belligerent bitch. You’re drunk. You’re totally wasted.”
“I’m wasted? You’re the one who just showed the world the contents of her purse. Yesterday’s Sponge anyone?”
Janice scurries about, pushing stray lipstick and prophylactics back into her purse. “Not everybody can be the celibate femme queen,” Janice huffs. “Some of us need birth control because some of us need men. You’re always so mean and judgmental.”
“That’s why you love me,” Cassie slurs. “I’m not scared to call em like I see em. Hey, bartender! Bartender!” Cassie waves a spasmodic French manicured hand at the sunken-eyed gentleman at the end of the bar. Although he looks straight in Cassie’s direction, he doesn’t give any acknowledgement.
“Cassie, He can’t hear you over all this house music.” Janice flicks her hair over her shoulders.
“He can hear that girl in that tacky fur vest,” Cassie spits.
“She can’t be older than eleventeen. I wonder if he’s going to sterilize the bottle before he pours in the Cosmo. Wouldn’t want baby to get colicky.”
“There you go with your venom. Sit down. I got this.” Cassie calmly perches on the barstool, looking expectantly at Janice. Without forewarning, Janice slides close to Cassie, nuzzling her cheek.
“Um, Janice? What are you doing?”
“I’m kissing you,” Janice coos. “Isn’t this what you’re always saying you want from me?” Janice bats her eyes at the bartender through Cassie’s cascade of curls. The bartender pauses mid shake on the Cosmo he was preparing. Absent mindedly, he pours it, pushes it toward the girl in the fur vest, then makes his way to Cassie and Janice.
“Well you girls are frisky tonight.”
“Just her,” Cassie says through a nervous burp.
“Well why don’t you let me set you up with some drinks on the house to loosen you up?”
“Thanks. Let’s start with two Tom Collins.” The bartender turns away from them to make their drinks.
“All that for a drink?” Cassie hisses.
“Well it worked, didn’t it?” Janice smirks. “You’ll do anything for attention,”
Cassie says with distain. “It’s disgusting."
Janice shot, “You’re just jealous because you look bland when you sit next to me.”
Cassie sniffs. “The word’s wholesome.Even though I'm bi, I'm still wholesome.”
“Whatever the word is, Betty Crocker, I’m not it.”
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Graduated Cum Laude from The City College of New York with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing, 2008.
Awarded Carnegie Mellon Mays Fellowship, 2006
Studied Travel Writing and Dickens at Cambridge, England, 2006
Observed and assisted manuscript conservation in Timbuktu, Mali, 2007
Performed Original Music at CBGB's, 2005-2006
Awards
The Esther Unger Award For Poetry
Jacob Weiser Playwriting Award
2007 Poetry Ambassador
The International Outstanding Achievement Award In Poetry
Weston Scholarship for International Studies
CCNY Humanities Award
SSSP Outstanding Achievement Award
CCNY Black Alumni Scholarship
Kaye Scholarship
The State of Virginia Governor's Award for Volunteerism
Services & Specialties:
Writing Instruction Text Editing Travel Writing
Event Coordinating
Book Preservation/Library Sciences
Guerilla Music Journalism ~ Interviewees include Erykah Badu, John Popper, George Clinton, Bella Fleck, Elvis Costello & Vieux Farka Toure
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To contact Ms. Mitchell for an author reading, teacher workshop or another opportunity, please enter your information below.
Cafe Press Gift Shop
Warrior of Mande Online Game
Paper Dollz ~ An online arts community
My Best Friend's Secrets
Review of The War Works Hard ~ Beyond The Biodome
2009 La Mama Poetry Electric Festival, New York, NY
Howard University's Amistad Magazine, Spring 2007
The Adirondack Review ~ On Fata Morgana
The Seahorse Rodeo Folk Revival
Spectrum Exhibit~ Micro Museum
Forbidden Iconography
Compassion, Poverty's Lesson
Moon Mist Valley Poetry Anthology
