Belinda Subraman Presents

David Biespiel: Poet, Writer-In-Residence, Editor of Poetry Northwest

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:15:33 GMT

David Biespiel was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1964 and grew up in Houston, Texas. He has degrees from Boston University and the University of Maryland. A former NCAA scholarship diver who competed in the United States National Diving Championships, he continues to coach national, international and Olympic-caliber divers. The recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize, the Individual Artist Award in Poetry from the Maryland Arts Council and a Wallace Stegner Fellowship, Biespiel has taught at several colleges, including Stanford University. He now lives in Portland, Oregon, where he is Director and Writer-in-Residence of The Attic Writers’ Workshop and also teaches at Oregon State University. Biespiel’s second book of poems, Wild Civility, was published in 2003 by University of Washington Press in a new series edited by Linda Bierds. His first book of poems, Shattering Air, was published by BOA Editions in 1996. He writes a monthly poetry column for The Oregonian and edits the recently revived Poetry Northwest, once revered as the longest-running poetry-only journal in the United States, and now back in print in a new format.

Tea With Dante: Poetry by Brian Michael Tracy, Music from Andy Hill, Renee Safier and Marty Rifkin

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:51:33 GMT

Brian had been working on a book of poetry when he attended a Lucinda Williams concert where, between songs, her father Miller Williams read his poetry. Brian thought that Andy and Renee might be the perfect choice to do something similar. The folk/rock duo had carved a niche for themselves in Los Angeles as one of the few acts playing over 200 local and out-of-town dates per year either as a duo, with their band Hard Rain, at their annual Bob Dylan Birthday Party (now in its 17th year), or recreating The Band’s legendary Last Waltz concert. Andy and Renee paired their folk/rock music sensibilities and vast catalogue of favorite tunes and originals with Brian’s poetry. “We began to place songs within the context of the poems to weave themes in and around each piece to create a kind of conversation,” states Brian. This unique performance concept resulted in an Evening of Music & Poetry performed monthly since January 2007 at various venues in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Brian graduated from Harvard University and putting his writing on hold, moved to California to start a career in real estate. When his wife introduced him to yoga several years ago, Brian rediscovered his love of poetry and started writing again. Since then his poems have been featured in Gentle Strength Quarterly and several issues of Yogi Times Magazine. Andy Hill is a student of the folk and rock classics and has won several songwriting awards, including for “Two Trains,” one of the featured songs on Midnight Tea. In 2005 Renee Safier’s blues and jazz vocal chops won the Telluride Blues Festival’s Acoustic Blues Competition. Midnight Tea and Driving With Dante are also available through midnightteapoetry.com and other selected outlets.

From the Gulf War: "Dry Land Drowning" by Jamie Phillips, music by David Rovics

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:25:32 GMT

"Dry Land Drowning" by Jamie Phillips is an incredible and compassionate story about his Gulf War experience published in The Gulf War: Many Perspectives from 1992. Special thanks to David Rovics for use of his stunning, compassionate song, The Firefighter. The Gulf War: Many Perspectives anthology edited by Belinda Subraman ISBN: 0-935839-13-5 1992, perfect bound, glossy three-tone cover, 164 pages, (out of print) A collection of stories, essays, journals entries, letter excerpts and poetry sharing true experiences of the Gulf War, minus media hype and political propaganda. "Again and again, the selections return to the theme of making the war real, of finding an angle that reveals the horrid effects of war in specific human lives." --Jim Sullivan, Coal city Review "…gives us a rare, honest and uncompromising look at the true, agonizing history and devastating personal consequences of our most recent war." --Edward Tick, The Arkansas Quarterly "I appreciate your thoughtfulness." --Joan Rivers

Bryan Appleyard: Author of 8 books, Award Winning Journalist, Columnist for The Sunday Times

Belinda Subraman — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:47:16 GMT

From Bryan's Bio: “Born Manchester. Educated Bolton School and King’s College. Cambridge. Degree in English. At The Times as Financial News Editor and Deputy Arts Editor from 1976 to 1984. Freelance journalist ever since. Three times won Feature Writer of the Year and twice commended in the British Press Awards. Have contributed to, among others, Times, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Spectator, Times Literary Supplement, The Tablet, New York Times, Vanity Fair etc. I am currently a special feature writer, commentator, reviewer and columnist for The Sunday Times. My books are: The Culture Club: Crisis in the Arts, Richard Rogers: a biography, The Pleasures of Peace: Art and Imagination in Postwar Britain, Understanding the Present: Science and the Soul of Modern Man, The First Church of the New Millennium: a novel, Brave New Worlds: Genetics and the Human Experience (winner of a medical writing prize whose name I cannot remember); Aliens: Why They Are Here and How to Live forever or Die Trying. I have lectured, debated or taught numerous universities, including Boston, St Andrews, Glasgow, Leeds, Cambridge, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, London, Liverpool John Moores, Architectural Association, Glasgow School of Architecture and I have been a fellow of the World Economic Forum.”.

Allen Taylor, Iraq War Vet, Poet and Creator of World Class Poetry Toolbar

Belinda Subraman — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:42:21 GMT

Allen says, “While in Iraq, I had a little bit of extra free time on my hands during the summer months and I began to work on the World Class Poetry Toolbar. Also, during the time that I was deployed I managed to write quite a few poems that I am slowly compiling into a book. My wife and I now run an Internet marketing company and I manage the writing process for a team of writers who provide original online content for webmasters who need to build up their web sites.” To Download your World Class Poetry Toolbar click here: http://www.world-class-poetry.com/poetry-toolbar.html You will have instant access to many poetry blogs, poetry radio stations, publications, reviews, etc.

Iraq Yak with RN and activist, Carla Mercado

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:47:10 GMT

In April of last year Carla and I accepted an invitation from Texans for Peace to be a part of a delegation to Jordan. The purpose of the trip was to meet with a variety of Iraqi refugees and to learn firsthand the difficulties they face. Our delegation also met with non-governmental organizations that provide aid to Iraq. Carla and I are both RNs, humanitarians and activists. To read a published journal of my experiences visit http://www.unlikelystories.org/subraman0607.shtml

Kelly Cherry: Poet and Author

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:56:20 GMT

Equally masterful at poetry, fiction, and the essay, Kelly Cherry has published eleven works of poetry, eight of fiction, five of nonfiction, and two dramatic translations. Her collection Hazard and Prospect: New and Selected Poems was published by Louisiana State University Press in 2007. Some of her works include: The Globe and the Brain: On Place in Fiction (Chapbook, 2006); History, Passion, Freedom, Death, and Hope: Prose about Poetry (2005); In the Wink of an Eye, a novel (reissued, 2004); Welsh Table Talk: Poems (2004); We Can Still Be Friends, a novel (2003); My Life and Dr. Joyce Brothers: A Novel in Stories (2002); Rising Venus: Poems (2002); Relativity: A Point of View: Poems (reissued, 2000); An Other Woman, a Poem (Chapbook, 2000); The Society of Friends: Stories (1999); The Poem, an Essay (Chapbook, 1999); Augusta Played, a novel (reissued, 1998); Death and Transfiguration: Poems (1997); Writing the World, Essays about Writing and the Writing Life (1995); Lovers and Agnostics: Poems (reissued, 1995); God's Loud Hand: Poems (1993); The Exiled Heart, an Autobiographical Narrative (1991); and Natural Theology: Poems (1988). Also in print are her translations of Sophocles' Antigone (1999) and Seneca's Octavia (1995). Her fiction has been represented in Best American Short Stories, The Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, and The Pushcart Prize Stories.

Carol Novack: Writer, Publisher of Mad Hatters' Review

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:53:20 GMT

Carol Novack is the publisher of the multi-new media e-journal Mad Hatters' Review, Australian government grant recipient and the author of a poetry chapbook, as well as a one-act play, and collaborative films/video's and CDs. During her many years as a criminal defense and constitutional lawyer, Carol wrote little but briefs and memorandums; her muse returned circa 2004. Past credits include poems in The Penguin Book of Australian Women Poets. Recent prose poems, poems, borderline creatures, and lyrical fictions may or will be found in many journals, including Action Yes, American Letters & Commentary, Anemone Sidecar, Big Bridge, Fiction International, First Intensity, Diagram, Gargoyle, Knock, LIT, Milk, Notre Dame Review, Journal of Experimental Fiction, 5_trope, Otoliths, and in the anthology, Online Writings: The Best of the First Years. See http://carolnovack.blogspot.com for additional details, including links to online publications, interviews and reviews.

Didi Menendez: Poet, Artist, Publisher

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:58:57 GMT

Didi Menendez is a Cuban-born American artist and author. She is also the publisher for MiPoesias, http://www.mipoesias.com ,OCHO and Oranges & Sardines. Her series The American Poet Portraits is gaining momentum. http://americanpoets.blogspot.com/ Her latest book of poetry is WHEN I SAID GOODBYE released by BLAZEVOX.

Gas Facebook Show

Belinda Subraman — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:12:18 GMT

Special thanks to my facebook friends for sharing their talent. In this show we have original poetry and/or music from: Jeremy Hight..........flood, untitled soundscape and Cover Art: Weather Map David Francis...........2 poems with music Larissa Shamailo.......How to Meet and Dance with your Death Valerie Melchioretto....From the Intestines of a Mystical Dog Dave Dembinski........The Fall Carol Novack................Same As Peter Buffett................Where Are You Now Janice Hale-Hobby....If a Button Were More Important than the Pope Penn Kemp...............soundscape "Play Us" Jim Clark......................One Late Night Jessie Randall...........Thank You Note to the Supposed Lesbian Who..... Suchoon Mo................A Song For My Funeral Michelle McGrane......She walks On Water

Andy Thibault: author of LAW AND JUSTICE IN EVERYDAY LIFE

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:17:43 GMT

Thibault is the author of three books, Law and Justice in Everyday Life, the most recent one, was published in 2002. Between 2000-2006, he published the “Cool Justice” column in The Connecticut Law Tribune. He is a regular guest on radio and TV interview shows in Hartford. He served as chief investigator for the Washington, D. C. public interest law firm, Judicial Watch, at the time of its investigation of corruption activities in the U. S. Commerce Department. In 2004, Thibault delivered the Pew Memorial Lecture in Journalism at Widener University in Chester, Penn. Currently, Thibault is an adjunct lecturer in English and a mentor in the MFA writing program at Western Connecticut State University. He is author of The History of the Connecticut State Police and The 12-Minute MBA for Lawyers, a consulting editor of the literary journal, Connecticut Review, and—as an indication of his many outside interests—a licensed professional boxing judge.

Patricia Smith: Four-time national poetry slam winner, author, teacher

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 03 May 2008 21:17:18 GMT

Internationally renowned as a performance poet, Patricia Smith is four-time national individual champion of the notorious and wildly popular poetry slam, an energized competition where poets are judged on the content and performance of their work. She is also regarded as one of the few performance poets whose work translates effortlessly to the page. Indeed, the Small Press Review declares, "Smith writes the way Tina Turner sings." Smith's most recent collection, Teahouse of the Almighty , was chosen by Ed Sanders for the 2005 National Poetry Series, and was published by Coffee House Press in 2006. Her three previous books of poetry are, Close to Death (Zoland Books), Big Towns, Big Talk (Zoland Books), and Life According to Motown (Tia Chucha). She has won the prestigious Carl Sandburg Award, as well as a literary award from the Illinois Arts Council and an honorary degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In 2006, she was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, putting her in the company of Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, and others. She was featured in the nationally-released film "Slamnation", and was a featured poet on the award-winning HBO series "Def Poetry Jam." Smith has shared the stage with Adrienne Rich, Rita Dove, Joyce Carol Oates, Allen Ginsburg, Walter Mosley, Ntozake Shange, Gwendolyn Brooks, Galway Kinnell and Viggo Morgensen. An author of prose as well poetry, Smith wrote Africans in America (Harcourt Brace), a chronicle of slavery in this country and the companion volume to the groundbreaking four-part PBS series.

Michael Neff: writer, editor, publisher and director of WebdelSol.Com

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 16:46:18 GMT

Michael Neff is the founder and director of WebdelSol.Com and it's affiliated literary organizations including the Algonkian Writer Workshops. He is an artist, photographer, also chief editor of Del Sol Review, as well as publisher of the several literary journals including In Posse Review, The Potomac, Perihelion, 5_Trope, and La Petite Zine. His literary work has appeared in numerous publications including American Way, North American Review, Pittsburgh Quarterly, Quarterly West, Conjunctions, and The Literary Review. His book YEAR OF THE RHINOCEROS is forthcoming from Red Hen Press.

Peter Krok: poet, editor and director of Manayunk Art Center

Belinda Subraman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:48:26 GMT

Peter Krok is the editor of the Schuylkill Valley Journal and serves as the humanities/poetry director of the Manayunk Art Center where he has coordinated a literary series since 1990. His poems have appeared in more than seventy publications including the Yearbook of American Poetry, America, Midwest Quarterly, Poet Lore, Potomac Review, and in 2005 his poem "10 PM At a Philadelphia Recreation Center" was included in Common Wealth: Contemporary Poets on Pennsylvania (published by Penn State University). His book Looking For An Eye was published by the Foothills Press.

Maurya Simon, poet and nominee for a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:15:39 GMT

Maurya Simon is the author of The Enchanted Room and Days of Awe (Copper Canyon Press, 1986, 1989), Speaking in Tongues (Gibbs Smith, 1990), which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, and The Golden Labyrinth (University of Missouri Press, 1995). A fifth volume, A Brief History of Punctuation, was published in a limited edition by the fine letter-press book publisher, Sutton Hoo Press, in 2002. Simon’s sixth volume, Ghost Orchid (Red Hen Press, 2004) was nominated for a 2004 National Book Award in Poetry. A new, limited edition, letter-press collection of ekphrastic poems, WEAVERS, based on the paintings of Los Angeles artist Baila Goldenthal, was published by Blackbird Press in October 2005, and Simon’s eighth volume of poems, Cartographies, was published 2007. Simon was the recipient of a 2002 Visiting Artist Fellowship from the American Academy in Rome, a 1999-2000 NEA Fellowship in poetry, a University Award from the Academy of American Poets, the Celia B. Wagner and Lucille Medwick Memorial Awards from the Poetry Society of America, and a Fulbright/Indo-American Fellowship in Bangalore, South India. Simon has been a fellow at Hawthornden Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the Baltic Centre for Writers and Translators in Visby, Sweden, as well as a lecturer at Lund University in Sweden. Her poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Poetry, TriQuarterly, The Southern Review, The Kenyon Review, The Georgia Review, The Gettysburg Review, Grand Street, Agni, Ploughshares, Shenandoah, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, the New England Review, and in more than forty anthologies.

Deborah Bogen: author of Landscape with Silos

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:56:59 GMT

Bogen’s real poetry writing adventure did not begin till she was 47 when she took a poetry workshop run by Doug Anderson. That was followed by summer seminars at The Catskill Poetry Workshop, The Frost Place, Ropewalk and Bread Loaf. Her poems and reviews appear widely in journals including Shenandoah, The Gettysburg Review,The Georgia Review, Margie, Poetry International, and Field. Her work has been featured twice on Poetry Daily and twice on Verse Daily. One of her poems has been chosen by Poetry Daily for inclusion in their new hardcopy anthology. Her chapbook, Living by the Children’s Cemetery, was chosen by Edward Hirsch as the winner of the 2002 ByLine Press Competition and her full-length collection, Landscape with Silos, was a National Poetry Series finalist in 2004 and won the 2005 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize (judged by Betty Adcock). Landscape with Silos, was released by Texas Review Press in August 2006. She runs free writing workshops in her home.

Fleda Brown: Delaware Poet Laureate 2001-2007

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:09:58 GMT

Fleda Brown was born in Columbia, Missouri, and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She earned her Ph.D. in English (specialty in American Literature) from the University of Arkansas, and in 1978 she joined the faculty of the University of Delaware English Department, where she founded the Poets in the Schools Program, which she directed for more than twelve years. Her books, essays, and individual poems have won many awards. Her sixth collection of poems, Reunion (2007), was the winner of the Felix Pollak Prize from the University of Wisconsin. She has read and lectured in secondary schools, retirement communities, libraries, bookstores, a prison for delinquent adolescents, Rotary Clubs, AAUWs, and many universities and colleges, from Oxford University, London, to small liberal arts colleges. She has slept in a bunkhouse and has read with cowboy poets in North Dakota, and she has read for the Governor of Delaware and for the Delaware Legislature. She served as poet laureate of Delaware from 2001-2007, when she retired from the University of Delaware and moved to Traverse City, Michigan. She teaches in the Rainier Writing Workshop, a low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, and she spends summers with her husband, also a retired English professor, at their cottage on a small lake in northern Michigan. Between them, they have four children and ten grandchildren.

E. Ethelbert Miller, Poet, Editor, Activist, Educator

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 19:39:53 GMT

E. Ethelbert Miller is a literary activist. He is a board member of The Writer’s Center and editor of its Poet Lore magazine. The author of several collections of poems, his last book How We Sleep On The Nights We Don’t Make Love (Curbstone Press, 2004) was an Independent Publisher Award Finalist (and number one on our 2004 list of Books to begin your Poeducation now). Mr. Miller received the 1995 O.B. Hardison Jr. Poetry Prize, given by the Folger Shakespeare Library for both teaching and writing excellence. In 1996 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of literature from Emory & Henry College. In 2003 his memoir Fathering Words: The Making of An African American Writer (St. Martin’s Press, 2000), was selected by DC WE READ for its one book, one city program sponsored by the D.C. Public Libraries. In 2004, Mr. Miller was awarded a Fulbright to visit Israel. Poets & Writers presented him with the 2007 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award. Mr. Miller is often heard on National Public Radio (NPR).

Dick Bakken, performance poet

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:26:44 GMT

Dick Bakken began performing his poetry without a manuscript in 1972 and within a year was collaborating with dancers at innovative performance and spoken word poetry events. From 1975 to 1980 he crisscrossed the country giving readings and performances until, during a tour of the Southwest, he settled in Bisbee, Arizona where he still lives. Dick Bakken was the director of Heart of Carlos Spoken Arts, Jump the Border!, and the Bisbee Poetry Festival. He was also poetry editor at The Bisbee News. Dick Bakken's poetry has been published in over 200 periodicals and anthologies, eight books, on two audio cassettes, and two video cassettes. He has won numerous awards and grants, and continues to tour, working with musicians, mimes, painters, sculptors, photographers, and filmmakers. Dick Bakken is "one of the few poets in America whose reputation, a substantial one, rests almost solely on his public readings which are lyrical, dramatic, liturgical and celebratory all at once," wrote Christopher Howell, owner of Lynx House Press.

Peter Buffet: Composer, Musician, Singer

Belinda Subraman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:18:34 GMT

Buffett's full-bodied electronic sound and rock-influenced accessibility make his music a congenial transition between the lighter pop instrumentals that have flooded the market and artists who are pushing the boundaries of modern electronic music with more challenging fare. The Nebraska-born pianist went to Stanford University, where he converted his Bay Area apartment into an efficient recording studio that provides soundtracks for numerous advertising, television, and film companies. Upon hearing of Kevin Costner's plans to create the movie Dances with Wolves, Buffett sent the actor a copy of his album One by One, which featured several cuts inspired by the plight of Native Americans. Costner was impressed enough to use some of Buffett's music in the film. Buffett's four Narada recordings combine a flair for drama and cinematic-style electronic orchestrations with his interest in Native American cultures. His later albums feature a progressively more prominent use of acoustic timbres, both sampled and authentic. ~ Linda Kohanov, All Music Guide

Jerry Wennstrum on The Inspired Heart

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:20:47 GMT

Jerry was trained in art, however. “I went to school for three years at Rockland Community College and the State University of New Paltz, both in New York. One day, the one teacher who believed in me and saw how committed I was as an artist said to me, ‘What are you doing here? Why don’t you just go out and do it?’ He said the one thing that I knew I needed to do, but was afraid to. Even though I had almost completed my degree program, when he said this to me, I walked straight out the door, never to return. I do have an A.A. degree, for those interested in my minimal credentials.” At age 29, he set out to discover the rock-bottom truth of his life. For years he questioned the limits of his creative life as a studio painter. After destroying all of his art and giving away everything he owned, Jerry began a life of unconditional trust, allowing life to provide all that was needed. He lived this way for over 10 years and then moved to the state of Washington, where he married Marilyn Strong and produced a large new body of art. Jerry was approached by the publisher at Sentient Publications and asked to write a book about those years, which he agreed to do. The book was completed in 4 months and titled, "The Inspired Heart," published by Sentient Publications in the Fall of 2002. He and Marilyn have finished an extensive booksigning and lecture tour. (Read sample chapters and foreword by Thomas Moore.) Marilyn and Jerry’s charming Whidbey Island home is now filled with his unique sculptures and paintings. He also built a 40-foot meditation tower, the Flaming Stupa, on his property. A video of Jerry’s life and work, In the Hands of Alchemy, is available from Parabola. Jerry is available for film showings, speaking engagements, and workshops with his wife—singer and adult education teacher, Marilyn Strong. Jerry, Marilyn, and the Flaming Stupa are featured in a chapter of a new book called, "Holy Personal: Looking for Small Private Places of Worship" by Laura Chester, with photos by Dona Demari, and foreword by Thomas Moore (Indiana University Press).

Music of the Universe #1

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:14:02 GMT

Repeat show. Good independent music. QUEENIE (USA) : Dream of Flight, Lost, AMIT ERIZ (Israel): Postcard, Clever and Strong, CONSEQUENCES (Sweden); Wasted Under the Stars, BARRY McLOUGHLIN (Canada); The Most Wonderful Girl In The World, Fifth Avenue.

Lyn Lifshin on a Poet's Life

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 19:53:14 GMT

Lyn Lifshin has written more than 100 books and edited 4 anthologies of women writers. Her poems have appeared in most poetry and literary magazines in the U.S.A., and her work has been included in virtually every major anthology of recent writing by women. She has given more than 700 readings across the U.S.A. and has appeared at Dartmouth and Skidmore colleges, Cornell University, the Shakespeare Library, Whitney Museum, and Huntington Library. Lyn Lifshin has also taught poetry and prose writing for many years at universities, colleges and high schools, and has been Poet in Residence at the University of Rochester, Antioch, and Colorado Mountain College. Winner of numerous awards including the Jack Kerouac Award for her book Kiss The Skin Off, Lyn is the subject of the documentary film Lyn Lifshin: Not Made of Glass. For her absolute dedication to the small presses which first published her, and for managing to survive on her own apart from any major publishing house or academic institution, Lifshin has earned the distinction "Queen of the Small Presses." She has been praised by Robert Frost, Ken Kesey and Richard Eberhart, and Ed Sanders has seen her as "a modern Emily Dickinson."

Rus Bowden on Poetry and Poets in Rags

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 23:51:27 GMT

In 1999, Rus started posting poetry onto online forums. In 2003, he began his column Poetry & Poets in Rags, a Tuesday night weekly that is carried by the InterBoard Poetry Community (IBPC), part of the Web Del Sol site, at http://www.webdelsol.com/IBPC/wire_rags.htm. For the past two years, he has published a companion blog at http://poetryandpoetsinrags.blogspot.com. Poetry & Poets in Rags is essentially a clearing house of links on current poetry articles, keeping the online poetry world informed, connected, represented, and hopefully growing in influence. He blogs his own writings and poetry selections at Clattery MacHinery on Poetry, where his most popular article has been Alley War Poetry: http://clatterymachinery.wordpress.com/2007/09/24/alley-war-poetry. His writing has appeared in online publications such as Aught, Melic Review, The Quarterly Journal of Ideology, and recently in the anthology Best of Cafeâ€ Cafeâ€, Summer 2007. For the past two years, he has been scheduling and inviting the esteemed judges for IBPC's monthly and annual contests. His efforts are for positive change through poetry, and his commitment is to the world community of poets, and specifically online poets, those who participate at the workshops (http://clatterymachinery.wordpress.com/2006/07/19/25-online-poetry-forums-and-workshops), and those who foster the growth of poetry on and through the web.

Najashi of Dread Daze: World Music and Poetry

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:51:54 GMT

DREAD DAZE The sights and sounds of Dread Daze were started by lead vocalist, Najashi. Based in Los Angeles, California, Dread Daze is a multi-racial, multi-cultural group of six dedicated and hardworking, talented musicians, whose positive attitudes and heart-felt honesty are brought to life throughout their poignant songs. They play and write original material, creating an uplifting and new sound, in hopes of touching the world through positive music and always encouraging love and peace within mankind. Dread Daze consists of Najashi(lead vocalist), Ria Daniels(vocals), Brian Ward/Belfast Posse(guitar/vocals), Issac/Dread I(keys/vocals), Toi(drums), Brain C(bass), Together, they have made their mark in the music scene having performed with legends such as Steel Pulse, Arrested Development, Pato Banton, Eek A Mouse,Half Pint,Mikey Dread Wailing Souls, the Abyssinians,Don Carlos and many more. They have also recorded with members of The Black Eyed Peas, Jurassic 5, James Early of M.C Hammer’s first album, and more recently recorded in the infamous Hitsville West, a.k.a. Motown Studios, where legends, Marvin Gaye and The Jackson 5 once created music history. Apart from the band’s official website, www.dreaddaze.com, don’t forget to check them out at www.myspace.com/dreaddaze for updates and music downloads. To date, Dread Daze has had over 76,000 hits and downloads online alone...just a small indication of their worldwide audience and appeal. Made of true substance, their message is pure and their songs are infectious. Prepare yourselves for the new and positive vibration that’s about to explode right through your speakers. Welcome to the future of music…welcome to Dread Daze!

The Reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe with Adrian Finklestein

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:28:34 GMT

In "Marilyn Monroe Returns: The Healing of a Soul," newly released paperback, July 2007, board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Adrian Finkelstein presents astonishing evidence that a patient he has treated over a span of eight years, Canadian pop singer Sherrie Lea Laird, is the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe. In "Marilyn Monroe Returns" takes readers inside Marilyn's world, revealing for the first time the inner thoughts and feelings of the world's most famous sex symbol. You don't have to be a believer to be fascinated by this detective story of a doctor and patient team in search of Marilyn, and even outright skeptics will be intrigued by the eerie similarities between Marilyn and Sherrie Lea and the completely new revelations about Marilyn's life - and death. Adrian Finkelstein, M.D. is a board-certified psychiatrist currently on the teaching staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and in private practice in Malibu, California. He has served as chief of outpatient psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and as an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Chicago Medical School, Rush Medical School, and the UCLA School of Medicine, and received his medical training from the Hadassah Medical School at Hebrew University in Israel and the world-prestigious Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, Kansas. Sherrie Lea Laird, who goes by the stage name Sherrie Lea, is a Canadian pop singer whose dance remix of "No Ordinary Love" topped the charts in Canada and Europe.

Gregg Shapiro: Poet, Writer, Journalist, Activist

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 21:25:42 GMT

Photo by www.feastoffools.net Pop-culture journalist Gregg Shapiro’s interviews and reviews run in a variety of regional LGBT publications and websites. His poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous outlets including literary journals such as Beltway, modern words, Bloom, White Crane Journal, Blithe House Quarterly, Mipoesias, and the anthologies Sex & Chocolate: Tasty Morsels for Mind and Body (Paycock Press), Queer Quarterly 2007 ( and Poetic Voices Without Borders 2 (Gival), Blood to Remember. His collection of poems, Protection, will be published in January 2008 by Gival Press. He lives in Chicago with his life-partner Rick and their dogs, Dusty and k.d.

Antoine Bacha, Former Hostage, Co-author of Cogito,

Belinda Subraman — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:10:46 GMT

Antoine was born in Africa and reared in the South of France. As a young man, he pursued a career as a commercial pilot and earned advanced academic degrees in Economics & Business Administration. After the extraordinary events that he experienced as a hostage in Lebanon, Antoine moved to United States. Following the dictates of a very creative mind, he extended his professional adventures into the filmmaking and real estate industries. Antoine credits his success in these widely divergent fields to a unique mind-set, “My mind interprets all thought the same way: in terms of love.” He attributes his serene existence to his ability to discern what truth is. He focuses on sharing his understanding of reality by not allowing the past to cloud his vision. During a Hollywood event, Antoine met Liliana, the woman that the voice had told him about while he was in captivity. During their first encounters he remained reserved about what he knew of her assignment, he simply answered all her provocative questions with the truth he learned from the voice. Antoine is not required to write. He communicates, listens and reasons with Liliana all the time on the subjects delivered to them. He still resides in Southern Coast of California where he pursues his interest in the real estate industry.

Legendary Billy Joe Royal

Belinda Subraman — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 04:52:23 GMT

Raised in Marietta, Georgia, Royal became a local singing sensation at Savannah, Georgia's Bamboo Ranch in the 1950s and 1960s. He is best known for the 1965 Top Ten pop hit "Down in the Boondocks," which, along with the singles "I Knew You When" (Top 20, 1965) and "Hush" (1967), were written and produced by Joe South. His 1969 single, "Cherry Hill Park," peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. During the 1980s, Royal scored a comeback with several Top 10 country hits, including "Tell It Like It Is," "Burned Like a Rocket," and "I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow." When his rejuvenated career as a country music hitmaker quieted down, he followed up with bookings throughout the 1990s in large country music bars and became a successful act on that circuit. And, he is still making music. His latest release is “Going By Daydreams.” Check http://BillyJoeRoyal.com for more info. Also you could check any of the several million entries on any search engine to learn more about this legendary performer,

Bob Phaup, Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, Genesis.........

Belinda Subraman — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 03:45:24 GMT

“Over the last 30 years, my many journey’s have taken me through almost every aspect of arts and entertainment production at home and around the world. Everything from designing ballet and opera productions to world tours with Genesis and Billy Joel, from major motion pictures to my current spot as Technical Director of the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts in Alto, NM, my world in live stage performances never failed to enrich my life. Growing up as a frustrated performer, I found a great fulfillment in an amazing, behind the scenes world of creativity working alongside such great actors as Jack Nicholson, Jeremy Irons, Nick Nolte and musical artists like Don Henley, John Melloncamp, Alice Cooper and, yes, even Ozzy Ozbourne.”

Sky Valencia, founder of the Vegan Vixens

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:47:24 GMT

Since I was a child I've always had a special bond with animals. For many years I didn't make the connection between all the different kinds of abuse and how it was linked together until I joined PETA and Last Chance for Animals. The fur and factory farms as well as medical research facililties and puppy mills were never a thought in my mind. I never realized how much child and animal abuse was going on. I started rescuing dogs and cats in 1987 soon after my beloved dogs Smoky and Roxy were poisoned. I was angry at the media and the department of animal regulations for giving pit bulls such a bad reputation, with no protection against dog fighters and over-breeders. The other issue that bothered me was that there wasn't a single organization reaching out to the Hispanic community about animal abuse issues.

The Enchanting Music of Keri Tieger

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 21:07:12 GMT

Kari TIEGER is a Singer/Songwriter who writes and sings in both English and French, primarily about spiritual growth and relationships, sharing her unique perspective on life. Her compositions range anywhere from dramatic vampire love songs to songs of hope for the future. She explores life and love, as seen though the eyes of an American francophone. http://www.karitieger.com

Author and Grief Specialist, Sam Oliver

Belinda Subraman — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 03:04:32 GMT

Sam has cared for the needs of the dying in palliative care for over 16 years. During that time, Sam has served as the Chair, and now, Co-Chair of the Hospice Ethics Committee at the Hospice Care Center of VNS in Akron, Ohio. He has served several years as a State Continuing Education Chairperson for the Association of Professional Chaplains. For well over a decade, Sam has been an active editorial review board member and contributing writer for Healing Ministry Journal, The Journal of Terminal Oncology, and The American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care. Sam began his speaking about spiritual care over 15 years ago and continues to speak at public engagements on the local, national, and international levels. He has spoke at several college campuses and keynoted at several Hospice Conferences. His first book of four "What the Dying Teach Us: Lessons on Living" is a National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization selection. Sam's undergraduate study was at Georgetown College with a B.A. in Psychology. He received his Master of Divinity @ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with an emphasis in the Pastor/Teacher track. In 2003, Sam Oliver finished his post-graduate certificate in Healthcare Ethics through Rush University in Chicago, IL. Presently, Reverend Doctor Samuel Lee Oliver is the Chaplain at the Hospice Care Center of VNS in Akron, Ohio.

QUEEN OF MYSELF with Donna Henes

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 13:54:43 GMT

Donna Henes, the award-winning author of THE QUEEN OF MY SELF: STEPPING INTO SOVEREIGNTY IN MIDLIFE.Donna Henes has become known as the “Midlife Midwife," helping women transition into their mature power and fulfill their best potential at this stage of their lives. As the influential “60s generation” reaches their 60s, we are poised to welcome a new era of freedom, profound thought, innovation, and bravery which will have far-reaching effects in the world. Personal, anecdotal, funny, and wise, THE QUEEN OF MY SELF has received praise from Dr. Christiane Northrup, Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Louden, and Susun Weed, among others. And the response from women across the country has been overwhelming. Donna writes a weekly column for UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum. The author of The Moon Watcher’s Companion and Celestially Auspicious Occasions, she maintains a full schedule of workshops, lectures, readings, and retreats, as well as an e-mail newsletter, and has for the past four years been “Visionary in Residence” at the Omega Institute. You can find out more about Donna Henes at her website, www.thequeenofmyself.com.

GAS with Guru Stu

Belinda Subraman — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 14:42:35 GMT

“A Near-Death Experience (NDE) at the age of three began a life-long journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. I am determined to live my life to the fullest and bring that same joy to others. If you're looking for words of wisdom on life, love, relationships, money, sex, whatever motivates you... drop me a line, add me as a friend or stop by my site and sit a spell... My recent article has been published in 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life along side such notable motivators as Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Denis Waitley and my personal mentor and hero, Greg Reid. (It's really a good book, and not just 'cause I'm in it). I have hundreds of articles, cartoons and daily thoughts to help you enlighten up your life at my website Gurustu.com. Come on by and say hi.”