Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke's Page

Follow Ananda's creative adventures on Youtube.com, Twitter, and Utterz.


Watch Ananda as she takes viewers on a walking tour of places featured in her debut novel, Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One. Washington, DC's historic U Street neighborhood is featured. Ananda also shares her original artwork featured on the book cover. She closes the video with a reading from her book.
Watch Ananda's interview with CBS - WUSA Channel 9 Morning News Anchor Andrea Roane on March 11, 2008, in Washington, DC. During the interview, she discusses the importance of Women's History Month and the meaning of art and creativity in women's lives. She also shares information about her novel Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One and the orginal artwork on the book cover. In addition, Ananda discusses her novel's connection to the Haitian goddess of love - Erzulie, HIV/AIDS awareness, The Women's Collective (www.womenscollective.org), and historic U Street neighborhood. For more information, visit www.lovestroubadours.com.

Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke (www.anandaleeke.com), a lawyer turned entrepreneur, used her background in law and business to become President and CEO of Kiamsha.com, LLC. Through Kiamsha.com, LLC, Leeke shares her gifts as a writer, blogger, artist, creativity coach, workshop facilitator, yoga teacher, Reiki Master practitioner, radio host, social media strategist, online content publisher, and social networking site community manager. She created a diverse portfolio of social media projects to promote her healing arts services and commitment to volunteerism, green living, yoga, and community building. They include:

1) kg yoga life practices' blog
http://kgyoga.blogspot.com

2) kg yoga life practices' Kind and Gentle C-OM-MUNITY Yoga Meetup Group http://yoga.meetup.com/584

3) Go Green Sangha Social Networking Site
http://gogreensangha.ning.com

4) Go Green Sangha Radio
www.talkshoe.com/tc/21325

5) Go Green Sangha on Twitter
www.twitter.com/gogreensangha

6) Go Green Sangha on Utterz
www.utterli.com/gogreensangha

7) Go Green Sangha Facebook Group
www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=47505072491&ref=ts


Currently, she works as an artist-in-residence for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts (www.smithfarm.com) at Howard University Hospital. She has held this position at Howard University Hospital since 2003. As an artist-in-residence, Leeke engages patients and medical staff in creative expression, guiding them to tap inherent creative and cultural roots through breathing, relaxation, and Reiki healing touch exercises; and a variety of mediums including visual arts, music, storytelling, and creative writing.

Since 1995, Leeke’s mixed media collages, wire sculptures, and paintings have been exhibited in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Her artwork was featured in Heart and Soul Magazine in 2001. Leeke's work often reflects her passion for issues affecting people of color and women. In 2002, she created and donated Our Womanist Spirit wire sculpture collection and signature poem to The Women’s Collective, a direct services organization that serves women living with HIV/AIDS. Her concern for people living with HIV/AIDS motivated her to create Ask The Troubadours Who Have Come From Those Who Have Loved, a wire sculpture collection dedicated to African Americans and World AIDS Day. The collection was donated to Howard University Hospital in 2003.

In 2007, Leeke's debut novel Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One (www.lovestroubadours.com) was published by iUniverse, Inc. Her novel tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething Oakland-born BoHo BAP (Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. The novel begins with Karma's life in an uproar. Her relationships and the museum curator career that she struggled to form in New York City have crumbled, leaving no viable options to rebuild. Relocating to Washington, DC, Karma struggles with denial, depression, and debt. A lack of full-time employment opportunities forces her to craft a gypsy existence as a Jill of Many Trades: yoga teacher, art consultant, and freelance curator at Howard University Gallery of Art. Unable and unwilling to appreciate these jobs as gifts, she wallows in a pool of lost identity-and doesn't see a way to keep from drowning. When she looks in the mirror, Karma sees a woman whose choices have dishonored her true character. Now, for the first time in her life, Karma must learn to see herself for who she really is. Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One is available on Amazon.com and at Howard University Bookstore.

In response to positive feedback from Love's Troubadours' readers and to honor women who share the life experiences of the main character in her novel, Leeke created BAP Living social networking site (http://baplivingforbapsandebw.ning.com/), BAP Living Radio (www.talkshoe.com/tc/18598), BAP Living Facebook Group (www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15124364305), and BAP Living Myspace Group (http://groups.myspace.com/bapliving). These social media projects celebrate and connect women of African descent who self-identify as Black American Princesses (BAPs) and educated Black women (EBW). They also offer BAPs and EBW an opportunity to build online communities that function as sacred space where they can tell their stories, affirm each other, dream out loud, laugh, learn, and discuss issues of concern.

Leeke's poetry was featured in Beyond the Frontier: African American Poetry for the 21st Century edited by E. Ethelbert Miller. She also published several books of poetry and women’s creativity workbooks that are used in her workshops and creativity coaching practice. They include My Soul Speaks (1992), I am my sistas keeper (1994), Baby I got it bad for you blues (1995), Feminist Soul (2000), Monday Morning Meditations (2000), Be Fearless and Choose Love (2000), Blessed is the fruit of thy womb (2001), La Bohemienne (2001), and Our Womanist Spirit (2002). In addition, Leeke has facilitated expressive arts and self-care workshops for women of color living with HIV/AIDS; cancer patients, their caregivers, and health care providers; interfaith communities attending the Washington National Cathedral’s women’s spirituality conferences; children with unique learning styles; and lay ministers.

Leeke is a graduate of Morgan State University (B.A. in French, 1986), Howard University School of Law (J.D., 1989), and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation, 1991). Her memberships include the National League of American Pen Women, Yoga Alliance, Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington’s Business Volunteer Program, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., All Souls Unitarian Church, and Insight Meditation Community of Washington’s People of Color Sangha. Leeke lives and plays in Washington, DC’s historic U Street neighborhood.