About The Punany Poets TM
The Punany Poets TM is not group. It is a Theater Company that employs independent artists and members of our nonprofit affiliate organizations to participate in Theater, Radio, Television and Internet productions. The Punany brand, is a powerful vehicle that publishes written works, audio works and video for entertainment and educational purposes. The Punany Poets TM and Punany TM are the exclusive intellectual properties of Founder & Creator Jessica Holter.
The Punany Poets have worked with more than 50 artists over the years. Some of them have been asked to become members of our non-profit affiliate organization AFACTA.ORG providing AIDS Awareness and Sexual Health Education through Entertainment.
Meet the Players
Honey Taylor
Jessica Holter
Jessica Holter is a public speaker, a writer, a mother, a poet, an activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual abuse recovery and is Founder of The Punany Poets. She is an accomplished theatrical producer and a published author writing under Zane's Strebor imprint (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster). In 1995, Holter, then a hip hop journalist covering music in The Bay Area, responded to the untimely death of NWA rapper Eric "Eazy E" Wright of AIDS with a controversial coffee table anthology complete with erotic images and AIDS awareness PSA's. Long time friend Dwayne Wiggins (Tony Toni Tone') contributed music to accompany the book and some of the strongest Bay Area talents joined forces to make history with a one-of-a kind project Holter named THE "PUNANY" PROJECT. Holter chose the word PUNANY, she says because the Afro-Caribbean euphemism "sounds pretty". But she admits, that it is also a toast to her paternal heritage, though she never even met her Jamaican father, who reportedly has at least 22 other children that she hopes to find one day.
Jessica Holter is a public speaker, a writer, a mother, a poet, an activist for HIV/AIDS awareness and sexual abuse recovery and is Founder of The Punany Poets. She is an accomplished theatrical producer and a published author writing under Zane's Strebor imprint (Atria Books/Simon & Schuster). In 1995, Holter, then a hip hop journalist covering music in The Bay Area, responded to the untimely death of NWA rapper Eric "Eazy E" Wright of AIDS with a controversial coffee table anthology complete with erotic images and AIDS awareness PSA's. Long time friend Dwayne Wiggins (Tony Toni Tone') contributed music to accompany the book and some of the strongest Bay Area talents joined forces to make history with a one-of-a kind project Holter named THE "PUNANY" PROJECT. Holter chose the word PUNANY, she says because the Afro-Caribbean euphemism "sounds pretty". But she admits, that it is also a toast to her paternal heritage, though she never even met her Jamaican father, who reportedly has at least 22 other children that she hopes to find one day.
When the Book Punany: The Hip Hop Psalms was complete and 7 songs had been produced for a CD, Holter along with her artistic friends, DJ Blackmon, Branden Pernell, Eebony Brown, Haneefah & Shyeedah, Gary McCoy, Naffisa Tayebi, Yolanda Stevenson, Traci Bartlow, Mis Little and Myron (among others) produced a performance series in Oakland to raise interest in the book.
Monique Martin caught the show and sent the book to HBO Real Sex Producer Patti Kaplan who used the book as inspiration for HBO Real Sex segments 24 & 26. The internationally televised program launched a theatrical tour for Holter and The Punany Poets under the production of Yulonda Washington, For'Play Productions, created a new genre of erotic open mic around the world and drew attention to the pandemic of AIDS as it was just beginning to spread throughout the heterosexual African American community Read More.
Dwayne Wiggins
Keno Mapp
Mahogany Browne
Empress Freedom
LOVE the poet
Golden
Bo "MF" Ellis
SLAM
The Harlem
Bombshell
To get Punany Tickets. Visit www.PunanyTickets.com
There is a meet and greet after every show and most of the performers offer products. Do support.
There is a meet and greet after every show and most of the performers offer products. Do support.
You are listening to "Come Come Papa",
by Eebony Brown , availaable now on CD
Come Come Papa, Eebony Browne, Lev Berlak, The Grill
DJ Blackmon
Branden Pernell
Krystal Hill
Mis. Little
Lucky Seven
KWEEN
Dheeaba
Michelle Brewer
Jessica Holter, High School Article 1986.
Holter's passion for AIDS awareness is not new. She wrote this article for her high school newspaper in 1986.
Sir FLEX
The Punany Poets Cast of Musicians, Poets, Dancers & Actors since 1995
Gary McCoy
Femi Andrades
Eebony Brown
Traci Bartlow
Legend
Renair
Thembisa MShaka
Yulonda Washington
Nasoan Sheftel Gomes
Rudolph Byars
Producers, Investors & Managers
Lev Berlak
Larry Jaffe
Andrea Kitten
Cait La Dee
Yolanda Stevenson
Myron Glasper
Passion
Body Language
Essence
Aalani Renee
ForPlay
Candy Apple
The Harlem Bombshell from Venus Revolution on Vimeo.
Jessica Holter
Founding Members
The Founding Members of The Punany Poets either joined Holter before The Project came into fruition on HBO' Real Sex, and/or have contributed the art and structural ideas that define and lay the foundation for The Punany Project as a whole. The Punany Project embodies both the AFACTA.ORG Non-profit and The Punany Poets Entertainment, LLC Corporation.
Shaeedah Deal
Hannefah Evans
Lady Nicole
Ghetto Girl Blue
Punany Poets
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