A new beginning ...

Hello everyone! Here is a new place for me to write out my thoughts and share my opinions with the world.

For those who don't know, I am Greg Frankson, a.k.a. spoken word artist Ritallin. I am based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and I am a columnist for the Black community newspaper The Spectrum. I also have a bi-weekly arts and entertainment column in City Journal, Ottawa's urban newsweekly. I am a published author and my voice is featured on two solo projects and two compilation CDs produced in the last two years.

For three years I have been a performer, writer, organizer/promoter and speaker in the National Capital Region. My work has taken me coast to coast and I absolutely love the life of an artist. Currently I am working hard on two main projects. The first involves working with youth as an arts educator, visiting schools and community centres in different parts of the country. I am also the National Director of Spoken Word Canada, and through that volunteer position I am leading the effort to create a community of performance poets from across the country, as well as building the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word (which will have its fourth installment in October 2007 in Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Why a new blog? Well, the old one has been dormant for a long time as I sorted through the deep bag of wrenches thrown my way during the last twelve months. The year 2006 will be remembered as a time of trial for me. But at the same time, a lot of positive things have happened that help to focus my mind on the tasks ahead.

So strap in for a wondrous ride. I plan to write here about politics, community life, poetry, working with youth, the state of the world -- whatever happens to pass through my mind and motivates me to write. I hope you enjoy the words that will grace this site. Comment freely and engage in a discussion on whatever you might happen to read here. But most of all, I hope my raging will tickle your brain just enough to elicit contemplation of the world in which we live ...