Quintessential Listening: Poetry

Women, as the creators of global poetry, embody resilience, compassion, and profound insight. Despite facing adversity, they craft verses that reach beyond borders, resonating with shared human experiences. Through their stories, struggles, and successes, women offer diverse perspectives, encouraging us to value diversity, empathy, and poetry's ability to shape our collective awareness. Across the world, their words echo resilience, urging us to listen, learn, and unite in support of women's enduring influence on the global poetry landscape. Featured poets: Phynne~Belle - United States, Pragya Chakraborty - India, Nayma Chamchoun - England, Anna Maria Dall-Olio - Italy, Nona Lea - The United States, Jennifer M. Garnatz - Jamaica, Somdatta Mitra - India and Marianne Teftt - Canada/Sint Maarten.  Audiogram will be accessible on YouTube 4/20/24 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDuhMdCqUI3cJRKj-Jlgabw

Todd Cirillo was born of bastard lineage. He has many books and misdemeanors. His books include; Sucker’s Paradise, Burning the Evidence, ROXY, Three For the Road, Kisses From A Straight Razor and Disposable Darlings (Roadside Press March 2024). He is co-founder and editor of Six Ft. Swells Press, and his poems have appeared in numerous national and international literary journals, magazines and on cocktail napkins everywhere. Todd lives in New Orleans, Louisiana where he seeks out shiny moments and strange wisdom. He can be found at www.toddcirillo.com. Website https://www.toddcirillo.com Amazon Link https://amazon.com/toddcirillo Social Media https://instagram.com/suckersparadise https://facebook.com/toddcirillo https://youtube.com/toddcirillo  

Bio I was born in Folsom, CA. My childhood was filled with running with the cross-country team through the suburban neighborhoods, trampolining in the backyard, and lots of road trips to LA county. I started writing narrative stories when I was 10 years old. They always told of a tragic hero who died in the heat of action. My poetry started blossoming as a senior in college when I took Poetry 101. The group critique sessions were a place of freedom for me to share my imagination through zany and erratic imagery. My professor urged me to reign in my ideas. Provide a stable field for the reader, she told me. I gained a more precise ear for pleasing phrases by listening intently to my classmates' offerings. Poetry continues to poke in and out of my life. I believe in not holding a knife to my own throat to produce a defined sort of writing. Instead, I allow my writing to wander from poetry to short stories to song lyrics. I want to cherish this explorative phase, allowing a wide range of voices to so

Margaret R. Sáraco is a storyteller writing at the intersection of poetry, fiction, and memoir. Her writing appears in anthologies and literary journals including Paterson Literary Review, Exit 13, The Path Literary Magazine, Book of Matches, Greening the Earth (Penguin Books), Lips, and Kerning: A Space for Words. She is a poetry editor for the Platform Review, has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and twice recognized in the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Contest. Margaret has recorded video poems for Poetry of Protest and Struggle, Writing the Land, and Poets Wear Prada, performs spoken word and leads writing workshops. Margaret also taught middle school students in math and writing for 27 years and recently retired in June 2022. She published her debut poetry collection If There Is No Wind in September 2022, and Even the Dog Was Quiet, thirteen months later in October 2023, both with Human Error Publishing. She lives in Montclair, NJ with her husband Alex, who did the illustrations for her latest book. Amazon.

Celaine Charles is a multi-genre author living in the Pacific Northwest. She balances her dual life writing poetry and fiction by night and teaching elementary students by day. On the poetry side, her chapbook Colors Collected (stemming from her Channillo-hosted, online poetry series, Colors) launched in 2019 (Palmetto Publishing Group). Her newest full collection, Three Hearts Stitched, is forthcoming in January 2024 (Egret Lake Books). Previous works include: Tupelo Press 30/30 Challenge Project, Dime Show Review, Nine Muses Poetry, Spillwords Press, The Seattle Star, and The Sunlight Press, among others. Celaine was a poetry finalist in the PNWA Literary Contest, July 2017. On the fiction side, her YA Fantasy, Seam Keepers, debuted May 2021 (The Wild Rose Press), and her holiday paranormal novella, Stained Glass Secrets and Star Wishes, released November 2022 (The Wild Rose Press). Both have received awards. Celaine has many writing projects in the fire, craves allergy-free chocolate, and thrives taking wa

Love / Character / Art/ Keyana- The Artist: “God gave glory over my life and I’m a walking testimony.” Keyana- The Artist is a self-taught poet from Atlanta GA. She has been writing inspiring, captivating, and educational poems for over a decade. Keyana- The Artist blazed onto writing arena back in 2010 when she was in high school and has performed in conferences, churches, and open mic. She has also performed poems in many cities including Louisville, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois; Richmond, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Atlanta, Georgia; Haiti; Africa; Scotland; London; New York; Arizona; New Jersey; California; New Zealand; and Missouri.Poetry is inspiration when she expresses it through words and dancing. It is amazing when she’s performing to the world what it means to them. Her focus as a new artist is to encourage others to be in touch with their emotions. She strives to be a motivated and inspired  well-known artist around the world. As well because this is my mission. She is composing poems with the

Bio: SCOTT HIGHTOWER is the author of four books of poetry in the US. He has published two bilingual collections in Spain. He is also the editor of the bi-lingual (English/Spanish) poetry anthology 2012 Women Rowing: Mujeres A Los Remos, Mantis Editores, Guadalajara, Mexico. Hightower's awards include a Hayden Carruth Book Award and a Barnstone Translation Prize. Originally from Texas, he has itinerantly sojourned in India, Italy, Spain, and now lives in Manhattan where he teaches at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Scott will have his seventh book of poetry, Imperative to Spare, published by Rebel Satori Press in November of this year. It is a stunning portrait of grief prompted by the loss of his partner of over 40 years. It is his best collection yet and a remarkable contribution to contemporary American and LGBT poetry. Fellow poet and author of instead, it is dark Cynthia Hogue praised: “By turns poignantly honest and sardonically defiant, Hightower chronicles with rare brio the ha

Dane Ince is an internationally published poet, named Beat Poet Laureate for California, and hosts a weekly open mic – Time to Arrive, and founder of EYEPUBLISHEWE.  Book: The Whole Existential Novel Lesley Constable is the author of “Entry Point” and a poet/painter “…the making of poetry is an act of deep and reverent play.” This deeply held belief arises from many influences, and not presented in order here consists of Beat poetry, Jungian views, existentialism, transcendentalism, and visionary art. Lesley holds a B.A. in Arts Journalism and an M.F.A. in Arts Criticism.  Book: A House Without Walls  Mimi German is a poet and an activist/advocate for the houseless living in the Pacific Northwest and is the author of “Beneath the Gravel Weight of Stars.” Book: Where Grasses Bend John Angell Grant is a writer/director from Palo Alto, California. His short film “Two Stoners” won the award for “Best Indie Super Short Film” at the 8 & Halfilm Awards, a festival in honor of Fellini’s masterpiece “8 1/2.”

Jamey Boelhower is a poet and independent author with numerous published works to his name. Not only is Jamey a prolific writer but also he has been an educator for over 20 years. Although his focus is on poetry, Jamey has also made a name for himself with his compelling blogs and popular fictional novel Under the Lights. Jamey’s most recent works include his latest collection While Death Waits (2023), April 2020: A Poetic Time Capsule of Writing and Living During a Pandemic, These Words Believe in Ghosts, and Father and Son: Words Apart, and many others.  Throughout his career, Jamey has delved into a variety of topics, including family, heartache, and the mysteries of life. Jamey is well-known for challenging his readers' perspectives and inspiring them to see things in a deeper way. As a loving husband and father of six, Jamey enjoys spending his free time with his family. Currently, he is working on new works that will be released soon. Book While Death Waits: Boelhower, Jamey: 9798865705642: Amazo

Marie Metaphor Specht is a multidisciplinary artist, poet, and educator living with her partner and son on the unceded territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən- and SENĆOTEN-speaking peoples. She has collaborated with filmmakers, lighting engineers, dancers, and musicians to create immersive and interactive works. A long-time member of the Canadian spoken word scene, Marie is currently serving a two-year term as the 6th Poet Laureate of Victoria, British Columbia. Her work has been featured at festivals, arts events and poetry slams across the country. She believes in the transformative power of this art form and has had the privilege of coaching and creating space for youth poets for two decades. Marie’s poetry has been published in Oratorealis, Untethered Magazine, Chestnut Review, The Hellebore, and Room Magazine, among others. Her debut poetry collection, Soft Shelters (see below), is published with Write Bloody North. Website https://www.mariemetaphor.com/ Book https://writebloodynorth.ca/products/soft-shel

As a result of sound issues, your audio device may need to be turned up to a higher volume. Farastein Mokwenye is an entrepreneur, engineer, freelance writer, poet and the author of the historical romance fiction novel "Tales of Jideofor." The story follows the life of Jideofor during the transatlantic slave trade era, from Illah in Western Igbo lands down to Jamaica, through a rich tale of dreams, death, destiny and the afterlife. The full length novel was expanded from his short story of the same name that had won runner-up at the Goge Africa 20th Anniversary Writing Competition in 2020. Book https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Jideofor-Farastein-Mokwenye/dp/1915161819/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700847340&sr=8-1  

Derek Annis (they/he) is a neurodivergent poet from the Inland Northwest. He is the author of Neighborhood of Gray Houses (Lost Horse Press) and River City Fires (Driftwood Press). They are an editor for Lynx House Press, and their poems have appeared in The Account, Colorado Review, Epiphany, The Gettysburg Review, The Missouri Review Online, Poet Lore, Spillway, and Third Coast, among others. https://derekannis.wordpress.com/ https://instagram.com/derekannis?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng== https://www.facebook.com/derek.annis?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Alexander Poster is a good, grey bureaucrat who works as a historian for a labyrinthine federal agency. He lives less than one mile from the U.S. Capitol and survived a nasty case of COVID-19, none of which inspired his writing one bit. He is a fan of Cormac McCarthy, depressing music from the 80s and 90s, and, surprisingly, marine mammals. He loves his wife, even though she has expressed concern for him being a “cynical bastard.” He began writing poems later in his life and is his first chapbook. He has performed his poems at “Spit That” at the Woolly Mammoth in Washington, DC.  Book: A Refuge For Those Who Like Sad Endings https://a.co/d/6MDsbIn Social Media https://facebook.com/aposter https://www.instagram.com/alex.poster/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-poster-7b7421a

Mike Turner is a songwriter and poet living on the US Alabama Gulf Coast. A retired Federal law enforcement executive, Mike was named 2017 Male Gospel Entertainer of the Year by the North America Country Music Associations International, and was a featured performer at the 2021 Monroeville (AL) Literary Festival. His recordings have received radio and streaming play in the US, UK, Europe and Far East. Mike has had more than 280 poems published in over 50 literary journals and anthologies; his book, “Visions and Memories,” was published in 2021 by Sweetycat Press. When not writing, Mike and his wife Pamela Caudill explore the bays and backwaters along the Gulf Coast aboard their classic trawler yacht. Website http://www.MikeTurnerSongwriter.com Book https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mike-Turner/author/B098BK9SHZ?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Social Media https://twitter.com/schoonerskipper https://instagram.com/MikeTurnerSongwriter https://youtube.

After sharing her first journey back to love in her 2016 #1 bestselling poetry compilation, CHOSEN, Death's breath sent twenty-one-year-old Alyssa on her first meaning-seeking mission around the world. Through her sociocultural anthropology training at UCSD and many seasons of disconnection with her soul and source, Alyssa unearthed some deeper truths behind the human experience and learned to alchemize her own tragedies into a greater sense of meaning and adventure. A poet and novelist, dancer and world traveler, she has been passionately immersing herself in cultures worldwide, studying their traditions and transformations through the lens of meaning and purpose for years. A lover of novelty and a delighter in the extraordinary, Alyssa uses the power of words and stories to romance humans into falling in love with their precious existence. She reminds us of our wild potential, of our hungry spirits, and of the entire world awaiting our unique gifts. As the Founder of Lionheart Creations, and Co-Founder an

BIO: Chris Courtney Martin is a Black Queer multidisciplinary artist and psychic medium originally from Philadelphia. Martin's produced screenwriting credits include short independent projects starring talents such as Sheryl Lee Ralph and Niecy Nash, as well as the animated YouTube series 'SOMETHING SCARY'. After a multi-awarded screenwriting trajectory, the artist pivoted to literature. Their debut poetry/prose chapbook THE BOOK OF I.P. (Idle Poems) is available in print on Amazon, via Alien Buddha Press. A second, full-length collection called SLAM POEMS FOR MY BATHROOM MIRROR...And Other Selected Works... is due to launch in October of 2023. Martin also releases music under the name KWEAN OONTZ and debuted with the 'A KWEAN OONTZ NOVEL' MicroAlbum in June 2023, to positive international critical reception.

Megan Wildhood is a writer, editor, and writing coach who helps her readers feel seen in her monthly newsletter, poetry chapbook Long Division (Finishing Line Press, 2017), her forthcoming poetry collection Bowed As If Laden With Snow (Cornerstone Press, May 2023) as well as Mad in America, The Sun and elsewhere. You can learn more about her writing, working with her and her mental-health and research newsletter at www.meganwildhood.com.

Author/Poet Samuel Rain Benjamin aka Complicated Passions, creator of the Passions Private Collection and Dark Man Blues the series, has written over 40 books including “Love and the Conversation, The Clone in Me and The Foreplay Series.” He has also performed across the country from Los Angeles to New York.  His latest work is from the Dark Man Blues collection,  “An Interview with Love” which is also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for 2024.  Next up “Love Is” a project coauthor by Jah Smalls set to be released in 2024.  https://www.darkmanblues.com/

From an eternal realm, NOUSHKA, was destined to blaze forth, and her ability to was written for her before the beginning of time. As a child, she was often complimented for her beautiful handwriting amongst other things, and though aesthetically pleasing, there were days of old when she naively inscribed her aesthetic; not realizing, everything written and done in this tangible realm has the ability to be trapped in time.  Now that she's met Oneness, whenever her life strikes fire, she does all things from the well of, understanding, truth, and love. 'Refined, Passionate Fire' is the title of her book available at https://www.noushkapresents.com/  

James Mr. Speaker Sears is a highly decorated retired Army officer with four combat tours who is originally from Louisville, KY.  He is an event host, motivational speaker, spoken word artist, track coach, and professional mentor with the Steve Harvey Summer Camp.    He is a highly decorated Soldier, a former adjunct professor for Saint Leo University, the author of two books, (The Heart of a Military Leader and Love Verses Hate).  He has produced five spoken word CDs, and he has co-hosted with BlogTalk and he is the host of Verbal Vibration Podcast.              Mr. Speaker is all about mentoring our youth, supporting veteran’s issues, being a champion for victims, and taking the art of spoken word to the next level.  He has featured and or hosted at the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe, Bus Boys and Poets, all over Europe, and he was a featured speaker aboard the Tom Joyner Cruise. https://mrspeakerink.com/ https://www.instagram.com/mrspeakersears/ https://www.facebook.com/james.f.sears