Margot Brown: Pushcart Prize nominee Margot Brown writes from her home in the woods of rural Illinois where she lives with her husband, Michael Morrison. Rescued felines (Marco and Crystal) claim partial authorship of her work by virtue of their frequent random steps across the keyboard of her laptop. Margot migrated from Massachusetts to the Midwest to attend Marquette University. Decades later, cleansed of her Boston accent, she still misses the ocean and compensates by putting too much salt on her food. Margot’s poetry has been published in a variety of journals, including The Boston Literary Magazine, Verse Wisconsin, The Linnet’s Wings (UK), Underground Voices and Gutter Eloquence Magazine. Her first chap book, Leave of Absence, was published in November, 2011 by The Pink Petticoat Press.
Mike Daniels: Mike traces his influences back to a grandmother that recited poetry at will, seeming to have a quote for all occasions. Only later in life did he realise how false this impression, as her quotes were often based on the misinterpretation of the poem concerned. He wrote between the ages of 14 and 24 before giving up, though he can no longer remember why, only starting up again about ten years ago. At sixty years of age, he is finally beginning to understand. Major influences on his poetry would be his family, music – definitely music – and poetically, think two Thomas’, a Patrick and an Owen – RS Thomas, Dylan Thomas, Patrick Kavanagh and Wilfred Owen. There are others of course and from many cultures. He has three rules of writing – KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid (refers to the level of language). Concrete not abstract – refers to the imagery. The Devil’s in the Detail. (Call the thing by its real name, be specific.) He fails repeatedly with all three rules, but he promises to get it right one day.
Arthur Durkee: Arthur Durkee has finally woken up to the truth that his purpose in life is to Make Things: be an artist, a composer, poet, musician, painter, photographer, songwriter, landscape sculptor, book artist, videographer, etc. This realization came on the heels of a long illness, near-death experience, surgery, and recovery. Creative work is what he does best, and best loves doing; in fact, it’s the only thing he’s really good at. He’s tried a lot of other jobs, from corporate to retail, and never excelled at any of them. He does still dabble for fun in freelance design and illustration for books and magazines, and creating art for musicians, such as posters and CDs. He observes the world from a slight angle, with an artist’s eye and a bard’s ear, and gives it back within new frames of focus. We are but mirrors and we marvel.
Dan Flore: Dan Flore is the author of several poems published both online and in print. In the past, his work has appeared in Many Mountains Moving, Quantum poetry magazine, red lightbulbs magazine, short, fast, and deadly, blue and yellow dog press, eunoia review, victorian violet press and others. Earlier this year he published his first collection of poems titled lapping water. http://lappingwater.weebly.com
Paul Goggins: Lonely/lonelyas, sometimes known as paul goggins, resides in Bishopbriggs, Dunbartonshire in the Strathclyde region of Scotland, but would rather stay in the south of France. My poems have diminished in size over the years, which I had initially put down to laziness, but probably due simply to enjoying the challenge of brevity; senryu being my favourite form.
Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas: Carol Lynn Stevenson Grellas is a six-time Pushcart nominee and Best of the Net nominee. She is the recent winner of the Red Ochre Press Chapbook contest with her entry Before I Go to Sleep. She has authored several chapbooks along with her latest full-length collection of poems: Epistemology of an Odd Girl, newly released from March Street Press. Her work has appeared in a wide variety of online and print magazines including: The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine, Able Muse, Poets and Artists, The Foliate Oak and many more. According to family lore she is a direct descendent of Robert Louis Stevenson. Look for her upcoming collection from Kattywhompus press, The Nightly Suicides, or visit her blog at www.clgrellaspoetry.com
E.R. Hohenstein: Eric lives in western New York, USA.
Eli Holley: I have not heard from Eli since a note dated September 4th, 2011, after initiating talk about wanting certain poems for this (obviously overdue and belated) issue, in which he replied: “I’m a little in shock that an editorial board has been discussing my poems. Could you maybe send me the versions being looked at? Much appreciated. Flattered,” He has not responded to my latest emails. I am confident this has nothing to do with anything other than moving on in life, being a poet, and life and priority changes. Certainly nothing so petty or personal as the belatedness of publication, since that to him was so unexpected and he is nothing if not understanding. He’s out there somewhere, and happy and still writing, I hope and trust. If you read the poems and want more personal information, check the “Letter from the Editor.” I could have made up a little contributor note for him but decided to let the poems alone speak for him. My only regret is that he may never know he’s been featured or published here, but that too sort of figures and fits, doesn’t it?
Jan Iwaszkiewicz: Jan is an Australian of Anglo-Polish heritage. He writes both free and formal verse with a preference for the latter. Jan runs a horse stud in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales together with his wife Christine.
Dustin Junkert: Dustin started writing in order to impress girls. Most girls aren’t all that impressed by writing, he has found. But here’s hoping. Dustin lives in Portland, OR. He recently had an essay published in the New York Times, and poems in The Journal, South Carolina Review, the minnesota review, Weber, Georgetown Review, GW Review and New Delta Review.
Rhonda C. Poynter: Rhonda has had poetry, essays and other writings accepted through Frontiers, Wascana Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, Freshwater, Pebble Lake Review, Minnetonka Review and other journals and anthologies; the Tipton publication was nominated for a Pushcart (2009), and Minnetonka awarded her their Editor’s Best of lssue, for a set of three poems (2009). She recently returned to writing full-time, following a year’s hiatus due to health issues.
Zeke Sanchez: Zeke Sanchez has been previously published by Triggerfish and placed third in the IBPC poetry horse races. Early in his career he committed two years of his life to writing proposals for migrant farmworkers in Washington state, and then became a technical editor for Westinghouse. Mr. Sanchez himself was a migrant worker domiciled in a boxcar, a firefighter in the Rocky Mountains, expert marksman in the army, Black Belt, soloed in a light aircraft, and has become a fierce advocate for the humane treatment of animals, both tame and wild. Mr. Sanchez retired recently to try to rework earlier things he’d written, and to work with the local animal shelter.
Ed Wickliffe: Ed is a self-taught writer and a former administrator of a popular poetry workshop. He has lectured in poetry and creative writing at a university writers conference, been approved as a cultural-center poetry instructor, and served as poetry judge for an annual, metropolitan writing contest. His work has appeared in print and electronic publications.