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| Artwork by LaWanda Walters |
Mid-March is off to a great start! Michael Dwayne Smith, March guest editor for Cholla Needles Literary Journal, chose several of my poems to appear in this upcoming issue. I'm honored to share that space with some heavyweights, including:
- Alberto Rios: Alberto Álvaro Ríos is the author of ten books and chapbooks of poetry, three collections of short stories, and a memoir. He was named Arizona's first state poet laureate in August 2013, a position he still holds.
- Kelli Russell Agodon: is the cofounder of Two Sylvias Press and serves on the poetry faculty at the Rainier Writing Workshop, a low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University. She co-hosts the poetry series "Poems You Need" with Melissa Studdard.
- Jeffrey Bryant: Jeffrey lives in Los Angeles and has been published in local and national publications, including anthologies. He is a is a Pushcart-nominated queer poet/writer, and you can also find him on Instagram @jeffreybryant88.
- Kari Gunter-Seymour: is a poet and photographer and a ninth-generation Appalachian. Gunter-Seymour has provided poetry workshops to incarcerated teens, adults, and women in recovery, and taught an ongoing series of virtual monthly generative writing workshops. She founded and hosts the popular seasonal performance series "Spoken & Heard." Kari served as Poet Laureate of Ohio from 2020-2024.
- Donna Hilbert: is an American poet who writes poetry, short stories, plays, and essays. She was a founding member of the "Progressive Dinner Party" in Long Beach, California, and she is also known for her commitment to progressive politics and community arts programs. She describes herself as a "poet & occasional essayist, amateur photographer, beach lover, dog lover, City of Long Beach lover." Her photography is as stunning as her poetry.
- Tim Suermondt: has published six full-length books of poems, and from what I can gather, he's been publishing about one every other year since 2013. His latest, A Doughnut And The Great Beauty Of The World, debuted in 2023 from MadHat Press. He is married to the poet Pui Ying Wong (listed below).
- Pui Ying Wong: Pui Ying Wong's new poetry collection, Fanling in October, came out in 2024 from Barrow Street Press. She has written three other full-length books of poetry along with two chapbooks. She has received a Pushcart Prize, and is the wife of Tim Suermondt (listed above).
- Michael Minassian: Michael graudated from Dumont High School, Fairleigh Dickinson University (BA), and California State University at Dominguez Hills (MA). He was born in New York and has lived in New Jersey, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. A professor of English for 30 years at Broward College in South Florida, he also taught in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Jamaica, and England, and has served as a consultant in Spain and Ecuador. He dislikes adverbs and is a dear, dear friend. His book, A Matter of Timing, won the 2020 Poetry Society of Texas book award.
- Ellyn Maybe: A poet with a huge heart! She has performed her poetry all over the country and in Europe. She opened the MTV "Spoken Wurd Tour" in Los Angeles, and Writer’s Digest named her one of ten poets to watch in the new millennium. Her work has been included in many anthologies, and she was on the 1998 and 1999 Venice Beach Slam teams. She was seen reading her work in Michael Radford’s (Il Postino) film Dancing at the Blue Iguana. She formed The Ellyn Maybe Band in 2010 after releasing the critically acclaimed album, Rodeo for the Sheepish from Hen House Studios.
- Daniel Edward Moore: In his own words, Daniel is "...a poet who believes that the practice of poetry is a cathartic experience..." For decades his poetry has been featured in some of the country’s most prestigious literary journals. In 2017, many of his works appeared in one eclectic, thought-provoking volume: Confessions of a Pentecostal Buddhist. His works have been nominated for Pushcart.
- Kenneth Pobo: Pobo has received many awards for his poetry and fiction, including the 2019 Moonstone Arts Chapbook Prize and the 2011 Qarrtsiluni Poetry Chapbook Prize. Pobo published over 25 poetry and short fiction books, and numerous poems and flash fiction pieces in literary journals and magazines.
The illustrator is LaWanda Walters, and a sample of her artwork is shown above.
I don't need to say how thrilled I am to be on this adventure, do I? I'll let you know when the publication is for sale.
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