Friday, August 3, 2007

Brunch in honor of Tom Terrell's 57th birthday

Kathleen co-ordinated a brunch so that a group of us (mostly former Howard U. classmates) could help Tom celebrate his 57th birthday. We gathered at Busboys and Poets, trendy new DC restaurant at 14th and 'V' NW on Sunday July 15th, 2007. Here are some of the photos (all photos but one by Jeff the Purple):


Tom leaving the brunch with Kathleen. This should have been the last shot but I'm having trouble importing my photos into Blogger in order. Oh well...


Tom reading from his journal about his fateful experiences as a music promoter in Nigeria.

Kathleen lighting the birthday candles for Tom's birthday sorbet (he wanted sorbet, not cake)



Happy Birthday Tom!!!!!!!!!!!


Roy and Alta


Dera and Roy


Ray, Az, and Tom



Ray, Az, and Tom #2


Tom, Kathleen, and Jeff (photo by Roy)


Tom and Kathleen


Tom and Kathleen



Busboys and Poets (named for Langston Hughes, who used to be both)



Roy, Kay, and D.C. with Tom's photo album of some of his NYC photos
Kay, D.C., and Ray with Tom's NYC photos


L.to R: Az, Ray, Tom, D.C., Kathleen, Kay, and Roy


L. to R.: Roy, Kay, D.C., Ray, Az, Tom, and Kathleen




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great photos, Brother Purple. I can just feel the luv. ;)

I thank you for schlepping your camera and doing the honors -- and for taking the time to put together this photo blog. It looks phenomenal.

The epitome of the village (techno) idiot, I'm duly impressed.

That Sunday at Busboys and Poets was a perfectly lovely time for a perfectly luvly man. :D

It was great, good fun listening and watching as Brother Shutter (Tommy) held court, reading that hilariously profane account of his misadventures in Nigeria (he had us all crackin' up) and pouring over his photos from his time in NYC.

The Tommy I knew from Howard would never have done that; he was wa-aay too shy. So, it was good to see how much Tommy has grown both personally and as a writer. As I told him in a telephone conversation afterwards, he wears his years very well, indeed.

And the company -- I hadn't seen most of these Howard folks, including Tommy, in decades. It wasn't just brunch for me; it was a homecoming. But not in the the football and rah-rah school spirit sense of the term; closer to the joyous, spirit-filled reunions with beloved, extended family I remember as a child in spare, frame churchs on red-dust roads down in Bethany and Greenwood, Louisiana and Greenwood, Texas.

It wuz a bee-you-tee-ful thang. I'm glad we did it.

My favorite photo of the bunch (including those taken at the 9:30 Club) is the one of Tommy cheesin' from ear to ear, holding with his birthday sorbet, he all lit up with love and it all aglow with your "5" "7" candles -- and the one to grow on.

I'm counting on, praying on, rooting for that slender, blue candle burning almost as brightly as Tommy's smile. I'd like to see both a year from now.

We all should be so blessed.

I love you all.

Right on! Be free!

Kathleen

Sean Jacobs said...

I just Greg Tate et al's memorials to Terrell.
On uploading photos easier: One suggestion might be to upload it on Flickr.com (it's easy to join and set-up) -- Sean