Quintessential Listening: Poetry

Kenneth C. Steven grew up in Highland Perthshire in the heart of Scotland, and now lives in Argyll on the country’s west coast; it’s these landscapes that have inspired the lion’s share of both his poetry and prose. He is best-known as a poet. Fourteen of his collections have been published over the years, and individual poems have appeared in top literary journals across the globe. Much of his poetry is inspired by the wildscape of his native Highland Scotland; much has resulted from his love of the Celtic Christian story whose deepest roots are for him found in the island of Iona off Scotland’s west coast. He and his partner Kristina and lead Celtic Christian retreats each October on the island of Iona seeking to offer a gentle path through the Celtic Christian story. More about them can be found on the website of the Argyll Hotel on Iona.

Kenneth C. Steven grew up in Highland Perthshire in the heart of Scotland, and now lives in Argyll on the country’s west coast; it’s these landscapes that have inspired the lion’s share of both his poetry and prose. He is best-known as a poet. Fourteen of his collections have been published over the years, and individual poems have appeared in top literary journals across the globe. Much of his poetry is inspired by the wildscape of his native Highland Scotland; much has resulted from his love of the Celtic Christian story whose deepest roots are for him found in the island of Iona off Scotland’s west coast. He and his partner Kristina and lead Celtic Christian retreats each October on the island of Iona seeking to offer a gentle path through the Celtic Christian story. More about them can be found on the website of the Argyll Hotel on Iona.

Thandiwe McMillan is a young poet, author, artist and actress from New York City. She’s been writing poetry and short stories since her childhood and her poems were #1 on Teen Ink, during adolescence. She attended Swarthmore College and spent her last semester developing her poetry and writing with Philadelphia Poetry Laureate Trapeta Mayson. After graduating in May 2020 with a B.A in Theater, she joined a fellowship that assisted writers with publishing their first book. Her first poetry and illustration book Flowers In Winter was released in March 2021. This raw and vulnerable compilation explores the self-discovery of a young woman from childhood to present and her experiences with love, loss, and community. Thandiwe’s essays and poetry have been published in Voices, Philadelphia Poets 25 and Under as well as The Phoenix. To connect with Thandiwe, you can follow her on instagram https://www.instagram.com/thandiwe_artist/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thandiweartist

Jacinta V. White is a teaching artist, coach, facilitator, and entrepreneur. She's the founder of The Word Project and the Publishing Editor-in Chief, for the international quarterly, Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing. Her most recent collection, Resurrecting the Bones: Born from a Journey through African American Churches & Cemeteries in the Rural South, published in 2019 (Press 53) has received national attention. To find out more about Jacinta and her work, visit JacintaWhite.com.    

Katarina Canyon is a BIPOC, Award Winning Poet, Best Selling Author, civil rights activist, essayist, and poet. She grew up in Los Angeles and much of her writing reflects that experience.Her first book of poetry, Changing the Lines, was released in August 2017. This work is a conversation between mother and daughter as they examine what it means to operate within the world as black women. Katerina Canyon is a 2020 and 2019 Pushcart Prize Nominee. Her stories have been published in The New York Times,The Huffington Post, and Folks. Her poetry has been published in CatheXis Northwest,The Esthetic Apostle, Into the Void, Black Napkin, and Waxing & Waning. From 2000 to 2003, she served as the Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga. During that time, she started a poetry festival and ran several poetry readings. She has a B.A. in English, International Studies and Creative Writing from Saint Louis University and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. Katerina moved to

Gretchen Primack is a poet, educator, and indie bookseller living in New York's Hudson Valley. She has taught and/or administrated  prison education programs since 2006. Primack has authored three poetry collections: Kind (Lantern Publishing); Visiting Days (Willow Books),  which imagines a maximum-security men's NYS prison like the ones where she's taught; and Doris' Red Spaces (Mayapple Press), a more personal collection. Primack also co-authored The Lucky Ones: My Passionate Fight for Farm Animals with Jenny Brown (Penguin Avery). Primack’s poetry publication credits include The Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, Ploughshares, FIELD, Poet Lore, The Massachusetts Review, The Antioch Review, New Orleans Review, Rhino, Tampa Review, Best New Poets, and many other journals and anthologies.

Gerry LaGuardia Leonard writes in poetic prose, storytelling about the state of today’s world. She claims to have always walked the paths of altruism and artistic pursuits. Today, she defines herself as an emerging poet, adding it to her accomplishments as wife, mother, drama student, pottery artist and a fifteen-year career as a Certified Chemical Dependency/Relapse Specialist, instructing in Northern California jails.  Gerry began writing poetry as a family legacy, then joined Facebook poetry groups. She is a member of the Denver Poetry Society and attends poetry readings around Denver. Her poems have been published in various anthologies, including a peace poem scripted on cloth, for a unique flag exhibition in India. Gerry claims that poetry is perfectly suited for unique artistic presentation, self-publishing an accordion book of poems. After living 35 years in No. California, she now resides in Denver, Colorado, where she was born and raised.  https://www.facebook.com/1261121695/videos/102187253221051

World Poetry Day was adopted as 21 March by UNESCO in 1999. It is an invitation to reflect on the power of language and the full development of each person’s creative abilities. It also supports linguistic diversity through poetic expression and offers endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities (https://globaldimension.org.uk/). Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture. This year's observance will feature the following celebrated and award winning poets: Don Beukes (Pontivy, France), Heath Brougher York, Pennsylvania), Scott Thomas Outlar (Atlanta, Georgia), Archna Sahni (Toronto, Canada), and Sandra Yannone (Olympia, Washington). To read each poet's biography, please visit World Poetry Day 2021.docx.                             

Kelly Bradley is a tech writer and Sr. Product Manager in the Washington DC area where she writes stories and creates apps based on data. She wrote her first poem in Second grade, a requiem to her cat, Petey. Her first collection, published by FootHills Publishing, “love, loss and the enormity of it all” addresses themes of grief, joy, love, heartbreak and perseverance. When not working or writing poetry, Kelly writes songs and rap lyrics, dances to electronic dance music and hikes year-round with her dog, winter. She has co-written two songs are out on all the music platforms. Website: https://www.kellycbradley.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellycbradley/ (@kellycbradley) Purchase book from publisher: http://www.foothillspublishing.com/2021/bradley.html    

Mysti S. Milwee is an International award-winning and published synesthesia artist (paints to music), poetess, writer, screenwriter, book cover art designer, and illustrator from Southside, Alabama. She is the editor and publisher of Sequoyah Cherokee River Journal. She has Native American background and is a Sequoyah-Cherokee translator. Her poetry, writings, and visual art has been published in over 3,000 + publications worldwide and in over 12 countries. She is the “Poet Laureate” of Fire Eagle Ministries, and over 1,000 poems has been written for over 50 ministries and outreach in over 12 countries. Her poetry, writings, and art has been used for academic and ministry studies across the US and abroad. She is the recipient of the 2021 International Cultural Arts & Literature Communications Collaborator Award, 2021 Global Translation Award in Native American Literature, 2020 International Native American Literary Translation Award, 2020 International Key to Success Award, 2020 International Golden Feath

Amy Jean is a dreamer, a poet, a mother, and a writer with compelling stories to share. Her exploratory books peel back the layers of social justice, spiritual awakening, and her quest for an authentic life. As an entrepreneur, Amy spent several years growing a cleaning company in North Carolina. She recently started Jean Publications, LLC, and seeks to share forward-thinking, unique works of art that inspire and propel humanity towards universal liberation. More specifically, creative writing and artistic masterpieces offering bold new thoughts leading society to a brighter future where all lives matter. If you would like to learn more about Amy and her books, please visit www.amy jean.live.

Kim B Miller’s poetry is inspirational, her words are bold and she is unapologetically blunt. Kim is the Poet Laureate for Prince William County. She is the First African American Poet Laureate for PWC, VA.  Her poems have been published in African Voices magazine, a Portuguese book, a DC newspaper, an interfaith anthology and several magazines and books. Kim performed at The National Black Theater, The Atlas Performing Arts Center, Northern Virginia Community College and many other venues. Kim has an online store and her website is www.kimbmiller.com. Her latest book is: My Poetry is The Beauty You Overlook.

BIO Jerry T. Johnson is a Poet and Spoken Word Artist whose poetry has appeared in a variety of literary publications worldwide including: Burning Word Literary Journal, great weather for MEDIA 2017 & 2020 Anthologies, The Long Islander, Straylight Literary Journal, Here Comes Everyone, Drunk Monkeys, Blue Lake Review and many more. In addition to his published work, Jerry also features at many Spoken Word and Poetry venues inthe New York City and Southern Connecticut areas. Jerry lives with his wife Raye in Danbury, Connecticut. You may follow Jerry’s work on the following social media networks: jtjohnpoet.comtwitter.com jetjohn3facebook.com jtjpoetry

Bio: Kay Bell is the author of two poetry collections: Cry Sweat Bleed Write published by Lily Poetry Review Books and Diary of an Intercessor published by Finishing Line Press. She earned a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing at The City College of New York (CUNY) where she also served as a poetry mentor in the Poetry Outreach program. Kay lives in the Bronx, New York and is passionate about bringing the arts back into public schools and issues that affect marginalized communities.

Jackie Oldham is a writer from Baltimore, Maryland, focused on poetry, essays, and short stories. Her poetry and essays appear mainly on her personal blog, baltimoreblackwoman.com on WordPress. These writings led to invitations to read her work at local venues [Ikaros Restaurant, Baltimore, MD (2018 and 2019); Beth Am Synagogue Poetry Shabbat (2019 and 2020], for the Quintessential Listening: Poetry podcast (2019 and 2020), and the Black Poets Matter series, presented by Mad Mouth Poetry (available on Facebook). In 2020, two of her poems were published: “Golem Emet” [September 24, 2020,  https://oddballmagazine.com/poem-by-jackie-oldham/] and “Just Another Covid Saturday” October 9, 2020, https://globalpoemic.wordpress.com/2020/10/10/just-another-covid-19-saturday/]. Her essays have appeared as Editorials and Letters in the Baltimore Sun newspaper. Her first short story, “Age-isms,” was published in midnight & indigo, an online and print literary journal featuring Black Women (2019). She is retired from a

Poet, Novelist, Public Speaker Brian Donnell James is the 2020 "United Nations" FAO World Food Day Poetry First Prize Winner, for his poem ”Testimony” which was read before a virtual audience of nearly a thousand attendants and broadcast worldwide. He is also a 2020 National Poetry Writing Month Award Winner and also placed second in the 2020 Write by the Rails Poetry Contest, sponsored by the Virginia Writers Club. He is a poet, writer, and public speaker that has been published in Africa, Europe, and throughout the United States in several poetry anthologies, journals, and magazines. He has spoken at several universities and colleges including George Mason University, Penn State University, Howard University, Montana State University, and Northern Virginia Community College. His video performances and text has been discussed and analyzed as a part of an honors colloquium sponsored by Dr. Hiram Larew at Oregon State University as well as the University of Georgia. Brian also was a guest commentator for 96.1

John Patrick Robbins, is the editor in chief of the Rye Whiskey Review, Under The Bleechers, The Black Shamrock Magazine, Crossroads Magazine, The Abyss. He is the Author of The Still Night Sessions Published by Whiskey City Press. His work has been published in Fearless Poetry Zine, Punk Noir Magazine, San Pedro River Review, The Dope Fiend Daily, Heroin Love Songs, 1870 Magazine, San Antonio Review, His work is always unfiltered. https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/john-patrick-robbins/the-still-night-sessions/paperback/product-g96w2m.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Join us as we pay special tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King, during his lifetime, confronted many issues that are still with us today. Ever the dreamer, he always taught that hope, courage, truth, service, respect, and dignity have no boundaries despite the obstacles. On Monday, January 18, 2021 at 8:00 PM (EST), please call into the show (646)-787-1631 and share poetry related to peace, justice, and equality for all. Acclaimed poet Joseph Ross will be our special guest. Joseph wrote the seminal new poetry collection, Raising King. Please visit https://willowlit.net/raising-king/ for more information about the book.  The mission of Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio is to provide a live format for emerging, mid-career, and established poets to showcase their work. Whether traditional poetry or spoken word, the show offers an online vehicle for artists to engage in critical dialogue and discussion about poetry. If you would like to be a guest on QL: POR, please

  Shakira Croce is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York.Leave It Raw (Finishing Line Press, 2020) is her debut poetry collection, featuring poems that explore the nuances of sexuality, marriage, motherhood, the arts, and ambition, speaking to relationships’ potential to hurt and heal. Each story offers bits of experience that provide an intimate glimpse of the intricacies of life. Croce’s poetry translations have appeared inBabelmagazine, and her poetry has been featured in several literary magazines and journals, including the New Ohio Review, Pilgrimage Press, HIV Here & Now,Transactions, Ducts, pioneertown, Permafrost Magazine, and Shark Reef. She was a featured reader in the Boundless Tales Reading Series, and she was a finalist in the Linda Flowers Literary Award competition. Croce holds a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Pace University. Born in Geneva, New York in 1987, she grew up in Gainesville, Georgia and later studied in Florence, Ital

  AaronRPoems.com sponsors multiple poetry contests throughout the year. Hilton Lewis won the the December 2020 Poetically Correct contest. The other participants in the contest were Joel “King” Atterberry, Allyson Autrey (First Runner-Up), Farida Aziz, Jerome “J writezzz” Bradley, James Dean, Alatashe Kowale, and Deelynn Leigh.   The mission of Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio is to provide a live format for emerging, mid-career, and established poets to showcase their work. Whether traditional poetry or spoken word, the show offers an online vehicle for artists to engage in critical dialogue and discussion about poetry. If you would like to be a guest on QL: POR, please contact Dr. Michael Anthony Ingram at maingram@gmx.com.