Amanda Furdge is the epitome of an orator. In addition to ten solid years and counting as a nationally and internationally known spoken word poet, Furdge is known for possessing a wide array of talents, as well as being highly respected as a mother, community leader, writer and cultural/social influencer. Recently we had a conversation with the artist about writing, motherhood, her work in the community and much more. The conversation we had is transcribed below and has been edited and condensed for clarity.


Flowered Concrete: How did you get into writing? What was the inspiration that led you to start?
 
Amanda Furdge: I started writing at a very young age as a way to express myself. I grew up Southern & Baptist within a family full of educators, nurses and ministers of the “gospel”. I used writing as a retreat- inspired by good and bad times. Moods. Sense of place etc. I have been writing for as long as I can remember and about whatever I can/could remember.
 
Flowered Concrete: As a kid growing up did you enjoy reading literature at all?
 
Amanda Furdge: I loved reading growing up. I still do. Once I realized I could escape into a book or magazine article, I devoured things to read. I love(d) stories and story tellers no matter the form. I have always loved the way it feels/felt to be transported into other spaces, times, universes through storytelling.
 
Flowered Concrete: What was it like publishing your book, From a Brown Paper Bag: A Collection of Thoughts, Feelings and Ideas?
 
Amanda Furdge: I self-published FABPB after giving birth to my second son as a way to thrust myself back into intentionally creating again. Ironically, at the time I worked in a print shop, so all materials and knowledge of the ins and outs of publishing were at my disposal. The stories were already written or being written and the poems and thoughts (ideas) just needed to be compiled. It was an arduous task though because nobody is harder on you than yourself, so editing was difficult. Otherwise it was a beautiful process.
 
Flowered Concrete: You’ve mentioned that you have two sons. And after following you on Instagram, I noticed that your bio says "King Maker" at the top. Is that a form of reverence and/or celebration of your sons?
 
Amanda Furdge: A parent from my teaching days nicknamed me “King Maker”. At that time, he was acknowledging me specifically as a mother because in the school setting, I worked in, we were a village Over time, I have become known by partners and community to have a very beautiful working relationship with men in general, often being able to inspire and encourage them to be their best selves.  Now that I have a husband and THREE sons, it’s definitely about reverence and celebration.
 
Flowered Concrete: I recently read an article in the Jackson Free Press that featured you called ‘How the Wage Gap Affects Single Mothers.’ Can you expound upon the experience of a single mother raising children in the state of Mississippi?
 
Amanda Furdge: Despite the fact that most households with children in Mississippi depend on the earnings of women workers—more than one-third of family households are headed by single mothers and more than half of households with children have a breadwinner mother—the earnings of women workers, especially Black and Hispanic women, are even lower than the median for all Mississippi workers. That only speaks to some of the harsh economic inequalities. As an artist, entrepreneur, activist, Mississippi has challenged me to truly instill in my children a holistic approach, understanding and view of the world. Mississippi is a place with a lot of work to do.
                                                   
 
Flowered Concrete: In the poem “Infinite Gratitude” you say, “I’m grateful for the black men that build me. That challenge me to stay. That humble me with hugs. That grow me with forgiveness. That swim to the bottom of my sulking and carry me back to the top with tenderness. The black men that tune into the magic before I do.” Often times, the media and mainstream culture paint African-American men in a negative light but in your writing, you shed light on men that empower the black woman. Do you mind unpacking those lines? I thought they were very insightful.
 
Amanda Furdge: “Infinite Gratitude” is my acknowledgement of the beauty in relating to the (black) men in my life. That piece could be a never-ending inner dialogue, but I live that poem every day. Those lines are for all of the black men from my Grandfather to my own sons to my husband and my brothers and comrades. I’m just thankful.
 

Flowered Concrete: Why do you think it’s important for there to be writings about black male masculinity. Especially from a woman’s gaze?
 
Amanda Furdge: I think it’s important for the opposite sex to hear from the opposite sex period. Perspective and truthful discussions about experiences and humanity are the only way we can progress in a healthy way as human beings. However, I do acknowledge the complexities of the relationships between black men and black women and I think the only way we can save ourselves is to save each other – with love.
 
Flowered Concrete: How did you and Eniola meet? How did your connection or relationship with her lead to you contributing to her project?
 
Amanda Furdge: I met E at something like a tent revival for the nonprofit organization I work for. I was in a session led by her group about truth and reconciliation and like most secure, dope, fly black women, we gravitated toward one another. After the week was done, we committed to staying in touch. It’s been a pleasure to support whatever her brilliance bakes up. When she told me about her project, I had no doubt that I wanted to do my part to see to its manifestation no matter what.  
 
Flowered Concrete: Are there any projects you have coming up that we the public should be aware of? Any past projects too? Books or visuals?
 
Amanda Furdge: I’m having another son this month so FABPB is my most recent project. Other than that, I have #30AF available on band camp and SoundCloud. It’s an audio experience of myself. Basically, a time capsule of my first 30 years on Earth produced by an incredible black man and artist named Stephen “5th Child” Brown. From A Brown Paper Bag is available on Amazon.
 
Flowered Concrete: Amanda, where can the people find you online to follow you and check out more of your work?
 
Amanda Furdge: I’m the only Amanda Furdge. Google will do it.
 
Flowered Concrete:  Amanda, it was truly a pleasure. Thank you so much for your time.
 
Amanda Furdge: Thank you & I salute you and all that you do.

Amanda Furdge is known for her wit, charm and kindness. Her warm and inclusive method of storytelling is often compared to that of a young Zora Neal Hurston. This first collection of stories, thoughts and ideas speak directly to the joys and challenges of love, spirituality and motherhood. Honest, simple and well-rounded; Her writings have inspired a devoted following of those who are embracing self-love and self-care around the world.


​Connect with her online: 
Instagram: @amandafurdge

Imani Jones immersed herself into the arts at a very young age. Growing up she experienced a myriad of things that introduced her to penning life on paper. For Jones, life has stood on the spectrum of defining one’s identity in an environment where race has made her conscious of her presence as a young black woman. Recently, we had a conversation with the artist about her battle-tested adolescence and the emergence of her artistry in college. The conversation we had is transcribed below and has been edited and condensed for clarity.
 
 
Flowered Concrete: Talk a little bit about your artistry. Was it a specific moment or memory? A specific experience that led you to becoming a writer? How did you get started?
 
Imani Jones: I’ve always been interested at a pretty young age in theater and entertainment in general. As I got older I moved further away from acting and more into writing. But I guess one of the things that inspired me to go into poetry specifically was the passing of my father. He passed when I was about 15 and it was really rough for my mother and sister. So that was kind of the start of everything.
 
Flowered Concrete: To play off of that first question, how has the landscape of Virginia contributed or inspired you in anyway or contributed to the development or honing of your craft?
 
Imani Jones: I grew up in a very predominant white area. I went to a predominantly white school. I guess I’ve kind of been inundated with a culture that’s so different than mine.  And in a lot of ways I felt like the other. The only black person in the room, the only black person in my class, so I think growing up in that atmosphere has encouraged me to delve into my own culture more and in my art. It has informed my voice as a black female artist in the sense that I try to put myself first as a black female and then as an artist.
 
Flowered Concrete: Has education and scholarship played a part in where you see yourself going in the future and maybe even where you are now?
 
Imani Jones: I think struggling with a sense of double consciousness sometimes takes me a bit further away from the art because trying to be a black female artist has been stressful upon me so wrestling with that has made me more hesitant to put myself out there. But the consciousness from my education has made me a little bit more cautious. So yeah, it definitely affected me.
 
Flowered Concrete: As a kid growing up did you enjoy reading literature at all?
 
Imani Jones: I always enjoyed my English lit classes. I enjoyed writing, I enjoyed reading. We did this poetry-out-loud kind of a thing at my school. We would recite poetry that was not ours, so yeah that definitely had an affect on me as well.
 
Flowered Concrete: Why do you think it’s important for there to be writing for black male masculinity especially from a woman’s gaze?
 
Imani Jones: I think that we are so inundated with this idea of the male being an alpha male and that its so natural for them to cheat and do this and that. And frankly, I think that’s bullshit. I think it takes female writers to unpack that and to pass the knowledge and experiences that they’ve had onto young generations so that we can start to deconstruct this idea that the male must provide and this toxic form of masculinity that I think is so present in a lot of my experiences and other women’s experiences. Just us being able to write about that will really help to kind of disperse that sense of toxic masculinity.                                                   
 
Flowered Concrete: How did you and Eniola meet? How did your connection or relationship with her lead to you contributing to her project?
 
Imani Jones: We met two years ago at a film institute through Nate Parker. It was a group of about 30 students and we met down in Texas and we spent a week there, writing, studying and understanding black art specifically. And Eniola was there and she was part of the filmmaking section and I was part of the directing section and we just kind of connected and vibed and we’ve been friends ever since.
 
Flowered Concrete: In the poem “Breath” you write, “There is a sad Sunday song that tells the tale of a weeping mother and her long lost son. We will never know such bitterness unless of course as we lay here we experience the last of us." Could you unpack that for a second? What were you trying to say there? I thought that was very insightful.
 
Imani Jones: I think for me I don’t know that I’ve experienced personally a lot of sadness or a lot of difficulty and love but I’ve witnessed a lot of it and so I think in any of the relationships that I’ve entered into I feel a sense of somberness about myself and I think that’s where the first line came from. That sense of a mother losing her son, there’s just this powerful and inexplicable sense of sadness and unknowing entering any type of knowing. For me it was one of the closest connections that I could make. It’s just a sense of purging and getting everything out and kind of going back later to try and unpack it.
 
Flowered Concrete: Where are you now with your art? Are you more so writing? Filming?
 
Imani Jones: I’m still writing. Whenever I feel like I need to purge, I’ll sit down and write, but I don’t necessarily force myself to churn out a book or number of poems.  But I’m still writing. I’m still working on films. I’m currently still working with the Nate Parker Film Institute. So right now, we are exploring the topic of race relations centered around Virginia. So, we just filmed a documentary that focuses on Jamestown and Charlottesville. Still working with that and I’m still writing plays as well. And in a lot of my plays I try to incorporate some sense of poetry, some sense of music, because I feel like that is always important to the story and I think that that’s something that draws the audience in and so I’m just trying to incorporate a little bit of everything into what I’m doing.
 
Flowered Concrete: Are there any projects you have coming up that we the public should be aware of? Any past projects too? Books or visuals?
 
Imani Jones: Yeah. Nothing has been released. I’m finishing up a play now. But I’m still kind of in the preliminary stages with that. So yeah, things will be coming out soon. (Laughs)
 
 Flowered Concrete:  Imani, it was truly a pleasure. Thank you so much for your time.
 
Imani Jones:  Absolutely. Thank you.  

​Britney Nichelle Newton, formerly known as Bird Nefertiti, is one powerful black writer and educator. Through performance and in writing she provides social commentary and inspiration that cuts through all the white noise while reminding us the importance of loving, living and walking in faith as she evolves for the better with the hopes of achieving her dreams. Recently we had a conversation with the artist/educator about writing, publishing, teaching and everything in between. The conversation we had is transcribed below and has been edited and condensed for clarity.
 
 Flowered Concrete: How did the name Bird Nefertiti come about? What does it mean to you?
 
Britney: The initials of my government are the same as Bird Nefertiti. When the name came to me in journaling, I had a phase in my life where I sat and it was me and God and I cried, I wrote, I laughed and the name came to me. And we all know Queen Nefertiti was one of the most famous of the Egyptian Goddesses. But outside of that Bird Nefertiti means a few things. The bird part is a representation of freedom. My climb and desire to be free through the use of my art and the use of the talent that God gave me. The Nefertiti parts comes from this place of where I’m loved and peace but at the same time I’m rooted, I’m black and the part of the things that make me sovereign is this idea of being a Queen but not in a traditional sense.
 
Flowered Concrete: How does your spirituality play into your individuality both as a person and an artist?
 
Britney: I got acquainted with many different paths to spirituality. I really dug into this African cosmology. I had candles, I did the whole nine. So I went on that path and I am so grateful for that time because I grew closer in my relationship with God and my relationship with my purpose. From there, I moved back to Greensboro (North Carolina) and now I am subjected to the temptations and the things that I was not trying to avoid but kind of trying to grow myself out of but reconnected with that and I’m fighting with normal human desires such as temptation and destruction and trying to maintain my spiritual ground. It was honestly this push-pull and struggle. But what I realized was that spirituality and God is in everything. God is in the wind that blows. God is in the trees that stand. God is in the water that comes down when it rains. God is within us.
 
Flowered Concrete: How does your work as a scholar studying African-American Women’s literature and spirituality affect your work as a multidisciplinary artist?
 
Britney: Everything works together. I’m also a teacher. I teach 12th grade IB language and literature. I teach AP literature and composition and I also teach 10th grade right now. My teaching, my work as a scholar and my work as an artist, all of that informs each other. I’m just trying to keep up with my ancestors. I’m just trying to keep up with the great African-American writers that came before me and are prevalent right now. I’m just trying to be on their level. They inspire me. Reading African-American women’s work and trying to solve the puzzle inspired my work. It inspired my efforts as an educator.
 
Flowered Concrete: As a kid growing up did you enjoy reading literature at all?
 
Britney: I liked to read. But you know what? I was always distracted by something. T.V., I was always going outside. But as far as reading goes I always enjoyed reading because it always took me out of my reality. I just taught this to my IB it’s called a paradox of fiction where it’s an escape from your own reality and while being an escape it also kind of helps to educate so I’ve always loved to read.
 
Flowered Concrete: When did you start writing poetry?
 
Britney: When I was a senior in high school my friend Nora suggested I started writing because she wrote and that’s what helped her cope with the things that were going on in her household and so I took to it and I started ever since then. And when I got to college I started writing and then my Sophomore year of college I decided to compete in an alpha pageant and I had to have a talent and I’m like “Yo, the only thing I can do for real is talk in front of people which made me realize, Oh right, I do write poetry so I wrote a poem and I got a lot of good feedback from it so I was like, "oh shoot, I really am a poet!” So I just kind of took it seriously after that.                                                    
 
Flowered Concrete: In the poem “father” you write, “My heartbreaker and tear maker/the originator of pain and resentment.” I love the use of the words ‘pain’ and ‘resentment’ and how they connect back to origins of a father. That’s so dope to me. Can you unpack that a little bit?
 
Britney: So basically, I grew up being a Daddy’s girl. I love my Daddy. Can’t nobody tell me nothing about my Daddy that I can’t. But at the same time my Daddy in his youth has done things. He cheated on my mom and my stepmom. And I watched all of that. I watched both of them cry; both of them suffer through it; both of them kind of recovered from it. I watched women feeling pain from him and it broke my heart because on one end you’re my hero but on another end because of what you’re doing now I have pain and resentment because I watched you do it and because you are the first man that I wanted to love I am really skeptical about how I pursue relationships with men in my personal life because of what I saw you do. And that is something I’ve had to write through and get over and heal from.
 
Flowered Concrete: Why do you think it’s important for there to be writings about black male masculinity, especially from the gaze of a woman?
 
Britney: Because I think that it’s important that men know what influence they have on women and the relationship dynamic between men and women. I also really think that if a group of men did this I would be happy as well because we need to understand each other better so that we can communicate and break through walls and break the generational curses and learn to love each other. But it’s especially important as it is multifaceted. Writing informs. Writing educates. Writing enlightens. Writing exposes. But writing also heals for the writer. And so, a part of exposing and enlightening and educating men on these subjects is that the women that are writing are also healing themselves. And that too is why it’s important. In order to inform and to show that this is what this behavior is doing to us. This is how your behavior has influenced my life in this way but also because I’m writing this, I’m healing myself.
 
Flowered Concrete: How did you and Eniola meet? How did your connection or relationship with her lead to you contributing to her project?
 
Britney: I can’t think of the first time I met her. I know I met her at school in regards to North Carolina A&T State (both writers attended the institution). But what I can remember is that every time we talked on the phone or we were in each other’s presence, we vibed. We’re brainstorming, we’re poppin’ off ideas. We’re iron sharpening iron.  It’s always a vibe and it always leaves any experiences we have together feeling more empowered and more confident in my work as an artist so I appreciate her for that so much and also she actually shot my "Rebirth" video and a couple of other blog poems that we created last year. So we’ve worked together on the creative and professional level but we met initially at school. But on a personal note, she is fuel to my creative flame every time we talk. And when she brought up the idea I was just like, “just let me know when buddy.”
 
Flowered Concrete: Why is it important for you to do the work of an educator? Do you ever feel as if it fuels you and how you create your art or does it hinder your ability to work because of the amount of time it requires?
 
Britney: It’s both. On one hand, the kids inspire me. Like the things that they say, the things that they come with inspires me. But then there are moments where I’m like but God why would you give me this voice, give me these skills, give me these visions where I’m supposed to be a teacher. But what leads to that mindset is that the education system is so corrupt and so it’s like, “Yo, I’m participating in this? I’m a part of this machine that's preparing these inner-city kids moreso for prison than it is for life? I’m a part of this? Really?” So, it becomes an ethical thing. It’s so layered. I don’t think I’ll ever completely leave the classroom but I definitely want to try my hand at these other things that also fuel me.
 
Flowered Concrete: Are there any projects you have coming up that we the public should be aware of? Any past projects too? Books or visuals?
 
Britney: I’m relaunching my blog formally in January.  I’m also gonna start YouTubing where I’m basically going to share my blog to film. So that’s upcoming and outside of that I have some other things forming but I’d rather keep it to myself until I actually put pencil to paper and it becomes something. Also, I’m starting my second Women’s Circle open mic in Greensboro and I’m expanding to Charlotte as well at the end of February.
 
Flowered Concrete: Bird, where can the people find you online to follow you and check out more of your work?
 
Britney: They can find me on IG and Pinterest. Same for YouTube and Facebook as well as beingclassic.com
 
Flowered Concrete:  Britney, thank you for allowing me to conduct this interview. The public will greatly appreciate it.

Britney Nichelle Newton is a black writer and educator providing raw and uncut social commentary, inspiration, and experiences of love, life, and faith as she evolves and voyages towards her dreams. 

Connect with her online: 
Twitter & Instagram: @bn_classic__
YouTube Channel
Website: www.beingclassic.com