All the Cold Stars Are a Million Degrees

Poem published in World of Myth Magazine

2012-01-15T15:00:00.004-05:00

"The Goblins Came" has been published in Issue 51 of The World of Myth, a quarterly "fantasy, horror and humor electronic magazine" from the US. Thank you to the editors for accepting this poem. To read it, click here and scroll down to the poetry section.

Poem published in Nomad's Choir

2012-01-15T11:40:00.000-05:00

"These Things" has been published in the Winter 2012 issue of Nomad's Choir, a free quarterly magazine that has been publishing poetry for over twenty years. Copies are available for $1.50 by sending a check to Editor Joshua Meander at Nomad's Choir, c/o Meander, 30-15 Hobart Street, F4H, Woodside, NY 11377.

Poem online at Bright Light Café

2012-01-11T09:42:00.001-05:00

"Pulse" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. You can read it here.

2 flash fiction stories published in Deadman's Tome

2012-01-09T13:16:00.002-05:00

"Deal Down at the Hospital" and "Red Icicles" have been published in the January 2012 issue of Deadman's Tome," a horror ezine. Thank you to Editor Jesse Dedman for accepting these stories.

Download and read the PDF version by clicking here. A Kindle version will be available soon.

Poem online at Bright Light Café

2012-01-02T11:22:00.003-05:00

"Morning Rain" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. You can read it here.

Short fiction published at Bright Light Café

2011-12-22T10:30:00.001-05:00

"Emma's Favorite Thing to Look At" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. You can read it here.

Poem online at Bright Light Café

2011-12-16T11:34:00.003-05:00

"These Things" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. You can read it here.

Poem online at Bright Light Café

2011-12-15T10:43:00.001-05:00

"Though Unseen, Her Soul is Lucid" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. You can read it here.

Soul in the South

2011-12-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

I’ve been forced to address my soul in these tree-covered hills, this region of NASCAR and Civil War ghosts. Guitars, banjos and fiddles saddled to the wind. Mockingbird mornings. Moonshine sunsets. Do I miss Chicago, with all its steel beams and fragmented forest? Car horn mornings? Cell phone sunsets? Where I was constantly jabbed in the sides by strip malls and cars breathing down car’s necks? The patchwork wildness seemed okay at the time because it’s all I’d known. But now I live where it spreads out like a big whoosh against the horizon. So what’s more to say? The soul’s no longer jabbed.

Short story published at Flashes in the Dark

2011-12-09T10:14:00.000-05:00

What happens when hungry birds are denied access to their favorite birdfeeder? Find out in my short tale "Red Icicles," now posted at Flashes in the Dark. Thank you to Editors Lori Titus and Robert C. Eccles for accepting this story. To read the story, click here.

Poem published in IMPpress Magazine

2011-11-21T11:14:00.000-05:00

"Stopwatch" has been published in the second issue of the IMPpress, a magazine based in Wiltshire, England that publishes quality poetry and art together. It is available to view online for free and can be purchased in print or digital formats. Thank you to editor John Richardson for including my poem in this excellent magazine.

Click for free online version
Click for print version
Click for PDF version

Poem accepted by Mythic Delirium

2011-11-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

"Time to Grow Up Where There's No Time at All," has been accepted for issue 26 of Mythic Delirium, a highly-regarded "biannual journal that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, surreal and cross-genre poetry." Thank you to Editor Mike Allen for accepting this poem.

The magazine should be out in early 2012. I'll post an update then.

Poem published in love anthology

2011-11-07T09:30:00.000-05:00

"Holding Hands (a simple pleasure)" has been published in the anthology, Speaking of Love - Positive and Uplifting Short Stories and Poems about Romance, Marriage and True Love.

The book can be purchased at Amazon or the publisher's website. Kindle Edition available here.

Poem published in anthology

2011-11-06T20:40:00.000-05:00

"Below Zero" has been published in the anthology, PaniK: Candid Stories of Life Altering Experiences Surrounding Pregnancy. This book of true stories and poems was compiled by Melissa Ferina for the Help Inspire Others Project.

To purchase a copy of this inspiring compilation, click here.

Poems published at Daily Love

2011-11-06T20:19:00.001-05:00

Eight of my old love poems have been published online at Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting these poems.

"Moonshadow" (October 24, 2011; click here to read)

"A Moment is Riding Time" (October 28, 2011; click here to read)

"A Poem to My Dead Love" (November 1, 2011; click here to read)

"Heart-shaped Cocoon" (November 5, 2011; click here to read)
"My Clearest Day" - (November 8, 2011; click here to read)
"Only A Dream?" - November 23, 2011; click here to read)
"Outside, the Silent Garden" - December 3, 2011; click here to read)
"Words are All I Have" - December 9, 2011; click here to read)

Poem published in Space and Time Magazine

2011-10-19T23:01:00.000-04:00

"Dryad Weeping on a Fallen Tree" has been published in the Fall 2011 issue (#115) of Space and Time Magazine, a publication founded in 1966 that features "the best in fantasy, horror and science fiction." Thank you to Poetry Editor Linda Addison and Editor-in-Chief Hildy Silverman for accepting this poem.

Copies are available via the official website and may also be on the shelves of your local Barnes & Noble (in the US). A digital version is also available.

Click for print version

Click for digital version

Sidney Sime's artwork for Time and the Gods (1906) by Lord Dunsany

2011-09-27T11:53:00.003-04:00

The Opulence of Yahn (frontispiece)

Inzana Calls Up the Thunder

Kai Laughed

How Shaun Found the Ultimate God

Departure of Hothrun Dath

Lo! The Gods

"Yazun is God"

The Tomb of Morning Zai

The Dirge of Shimono Kani

Pattering Leaves Danced

Poetic fragment from my notebook

2011-09-20T23:15:00.000-04:00

There was once a connection with daylight, to the night sky; all the stars. There was space beneath trees, under falling leaves, to sleep. Dreams could hold a river, picnics on the bank. Romance was like an ocean, with love on the shore.

Poem nominated for Best of the Net 2011

2011-09-16T12:46:00.001-04:00

The editors at Thick With Conviction have kindly nominated my poem "The Props at My Funeral" for Best of the Net 2011, a yearly anthology that "continues to promote the diverse and growing collection of voices that are choosing to publish their work online . . ." The poem doesn't stand a chance, but sincere thanks anyway to Arielle Lancaster-LaBrea, Kayla Middlebrook and Kristina Blanton for nominating it.

Sidney Sime's artwork for The Gods of Pegāna (1905) by Lord Dunsany

2011-09-13T11:02:00.003-04:00

The Gods of Pegāna

The Dreams of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI

Slid

Mung and the Beast of Mung

Ranorada

Hish

Of the Thing That Is Neither God nor Beast

The Ship of Yoharneth-Lahai

Lord Dunsany on the poets's function

2011-08-29T14:34:00.004-04:00

Photo of the Lord Dunsany portrait
(painted by Alfred Jonniaux) in
Dunsany Castle, County Meath, Ireland
© 2009 Jason Sturner

"For what is it to be a poet? It is to see at a glance the glory of the world, to see beauty in all its forms and manifestations, to feel ugliness like a pain, to resent the wrongs of others as bitterly as ones own, to know mankind as others know single men, to know Nature as botanists know a flower, to be thought a fool, to hear at moments the clear voice of God."

-- Lord Dunsany

Poem published in Symmetry Pebbles

2011-08-25T21:10:00.001-04:00

"Stopwatch" has been published in the inaugural issue of Symmetry Pebbles, a magazine based in Devon, England that takes an interest in "new, exciting, edgy, risk taking poets." Available as a free PDF download by clicking the link below. Thank you to editor and performance poet Richard Thomas for including my poem in this excellent magazine.

Click here for a free PDF version of Symmetry Pebbles, Issue 1 (you'll need to click the Subscribe button; or, if you're not interested in receiving future free issues of the magazine, then just contact me directly by clicking here and I'll email you the PDF)

Poem published in IMPpress Magazine

2011-08-17T12:25:00.001-04:00

"The Pace of Waiting" has been published in the inaugural issue of the IMPpress, a magazine based in Wiltshire, England that publishes quality poetry and art together. It is available to view online for free and can be purchased in print or digital formats. Thank you to editor John Richardson for including my poem in this excellent magazine.

Click for free online version

Click for print version

Click for PDF version

2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry

2011-08-08T10:18:00.005-04:00

Wavelengths, the 2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry is now available from Amazon.com and Savant Books. There are 16 poets featured in this collection with three of my poems included. Edited by Zachary M. Oliver.

Other poets: Michael Shorb, Jean Yamasaki Toyama, Jeremy Ussher, J. R. Coleman, Nadia Cox, Helen Doan, Four Arrows, Erin L. George, I K O, Daniel S. Janik, Vivekanand Jha, Alex Kelley, Cara Richardson, and Zachary M. Oliver

ISPS 20th anniversary anthology

2011-07-28T13:02:00.003-04:00

Distilled Lives - The Illinois State Poetry Society 20th Anniversary Anthology is now for sale at Infinity Publishing and Amazon.com. There are 75 poets featured in this collection, and two of my poems are included. A very fine book.

You can order copies through me at a discounted rate or pay $13.95 at the following websites:

Infinity Publishing

Amazon.com

Poems published at decompression

2011-07-13T00:38:00.000-04:00

"In Spite of Candlelight" and "Denied" have been published in the July 2011 issue of decompression, a poetry e-zine about the female experience. Thank you to editors Taylor Copeland and Katie Barnett for publishing these poems.

Click here to read them.

Poem published at Voices on the Wind

2011-07-06T11:11:00.000-04:00

"The Pace of Waiting" has been published in the Summer 2011 edition of Voices on the Wind poetry journal. Thank you to Leslie Clark for publishing this poem.

To read the poem, click here.

Flash fiction published in State of Imagination

2011-07-01T10:02:00.008-04:00

Cover art by David Whitlam.

My flash fiction story "The Unfortunate Heartbreak of Faritook the Earwig" has been published in Issue 3 of State of Imagination, a Canadian literary e-zine that publishes eclectic, weird fiction. Thank you to editor-in-chief Shaylen Maxwell for accepting this story. A special thanks to Lee Kuck and Kelly Sturner for their feedback on the manuscript.

To read "The Unfortunate Heartbreak of Faritook the Earwig" click here.

Poem published at Thick With Conviction

2011-06-15T09:18:00.000-04:00

"The Props at My Funeral" has been published in the June 2011 issue (#23) of Thick With Conviction, an online poetry journal. Thank you to editors Arielle Lancaster-LaBrea, Kayla Middlebrook and Kristina Blanton for publishing this poem.

Click here to read it.

Poem published at Pond Ripples Magazine

2011-05-26T11:44:00.000-04:00

"Psalm of My Own" has been published in today's edition of Pond Ripples Magazine, a Knoxville-based "Christian literature and visual art e-zine that publishes art, poetry, photography, short stories, essays, resource recommendations, as well as spotlights for authors, artists, and photographers every month." Thank you to editor and writer Rebecca Burgener for publishing this poem. Click here to read it.

Short fiction published at Pond Ripples Magazine

2011-05-11T11:33:00.001-04:00

My short fiction piece, "Emma's Favorite Thing to Look At," has been published in today's edition of Pond Ripples Magazine, a Knoxville-based "Christian literature and visual art e-zine that publishes art, poetry, photography, short stories, essays, resource recommendations, as well as spotlights for authors, artists, and photographers every month." Thank you to editor and writer Rebecca Burgener for publishing this piece. Click here to read it.

Poem published at Long Story Short

2011-05-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

"subtlety" has been published in the May 2011 issue of Long Story Short, an "e-zine for writers." Thank you to editor and writer Amy S. Pacini for publishing this old poem. To read it, click here (and scroll down).

3 poems published at Catfish Gringo River

2011-04-19T09:45:00.002-04:00

"Can You Dig It, Girl?" "Ted," and "Man at the Window" were published on Friday April 15 at Catfish Gringo River, the blog of poet and writer Catfish McDaris. Catfish has been writing for over 20 years and once published a chapbook with Jack Micheline & Charles Bukowski. Thank you Catfish for publishing these poems.

Can You Dig It, Girl?
Ted
Man at the Window

Poem published in Chantarelle's Notebook

2011-04-18T10:43:00.005-04:00

Photo by Jaime Farreh

"Below Zero" has been published in the April 2011 issue (#23) of Chantarelle's Notebook, an online poetry journal "featuring the best the web has to offer." Thank you to editors Christinia and Kendall A. Bell for publishing this poem.

Click here to read the poem.

Flash Fiction story published in Black Petals

2011-04-15T10:41:00.008-04:00

My first flash fiction piece "Penumbra" has been published in the April 2011 issue of Black Petals, an online horror and science fiction magazine. Thank you to editors Kenneth James Crist and Anne M. Stickel for accepting this piece. A special thanks to Lee Kuck and Kelly Moran for their feedback on the manuscript.

To read "Penumbra" click here.

Poem at ISPS website

2011-04-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

"About Love" is now online at the Illinois State Poetry Society website. To read the poem, click here.

Poems published in DuPage Valley Review

2011-04-06T15:37:00.003-04:00

Benedictine University's Procopian Press has just printed and made available the 2010 issue of DuPage Valley Review. Five of my poems -- "Somewhere," "Whispers," "Love and Words," "My Morning Sickness," and "Before the Storm Wet the Earth" -- are included in this issue alongside many other artists, writers and poets.

To obtain a free copy of the magazine, contact Managing Editor Noe Aratani-Mandiberg at Noe_Aratani-Mandiberg@ben.edu

Special thanks go to Zubair Amir, Noe Aratani-Mandiberg and the rest of the editorial staff for putting out such a beautifully done magazine.

Spring poetry exhibit in Lisle

2011-04-03T11:41:00.001-04:00

In recognition of National Poetry Month, The Illinois State Poetry Society has put together a spring-themed poetry exhibit at the Lisle Public Library (777 Front Street). My poem "Spring" has been included in this exhibit. Other featured poets include Wilda Morris, William Marr, Barbara Eaton, Alan Harris, Marilyn Huntman Giese, Donna Pucciani, John J. Gordon, Caroline Johnson, Michael Galati, Ruan Wright, and Tom Roby.

2 poems published at Voices on the Wind

2011-04-01T14:17:00.003-04:00

"Crestfallen" and "The Hawk" have been published in the April 2011 online issue of Voices on the Wind poetry journal. Thank you to editor and writer Leslie Clark for publishing these poems.

In addition, two friends and fellow members of the Illinois State Poetry Society – Wilda Morris and William Vollrath – also have poems in this issue. See links below.

After the Biopsy by Wilda Morris
Diagnostic Mammogram Waiting Room by Wilda Morris
Masks by Wilda Morris

Foreboding by William Vollrath

Crestfallen by Jason Sturner
The Hawk by Jason Sturner

4 poems published at Death Head Grin

2011-04-01T09:31:00.003-04:00

"The Impatient," "Somewhere," "Killing a Man on a Bridge for Pleasure", and "Each Second that Passes" have been published in the April 2011 issue of Death Head Grin, "an online e-zine striving to bring its readers the best it can in horror, sci-fi and fantasy artwork, poetry, and short stories." Thank you to editor and writer Larry Green for publishing these poems.

To read the poems, click here.

Digital versions of poetry books now available

2011-03-19T12:20:00.001-04:00

E-book versions of Kairos, 10 Love Poems, Selected Poems 2004-2007, and Collected Poems are now available for 99 cents at the following sites:

Amazon.com
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords.com
Diesel
iTunes
Kobo
Sony

Other formats, including free PDF's, are also available:
Google Books, Archive.org, Free-eBooks.net, Feedbooks.com, Myebook.com, Scribd.com

If you'd rather have an actual book, simply email me here with your selections. Each title is $5 (shipping included) but note that Kairos is currently out of print (available online or at libraries; click here for more info). You can also get 3 books (excluding Kairos) for $12.

Poetry books

2011-03-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

KAIROS is my first full-length book of poetry. Ebook versions are available at a variety of locations. Click here for details. Hard copies can be found at ~~Town House~~ ~~Books~~ ~~in St. Charles~~, Amazon.com, and the public libraries of Batavia, Geneva, North Aurora, and St. Charles (call # 811.6 SCH or 811.6 STU, possibly under the name Schlismann). It is also on the shelves of the Chicago Underground Library, The International Poetry Library of San Francisco, The Poetry Library in England, and the Dromahair Branch of the Leitrim County Library in Ireland (call # 821 Schlismann Hason E).

SELECTED POEMS 2004-2007 is a collection of poems written after the publication of Kairos. Ebook versions are available at a variety of locations. Click here for details. Hard copies can be found at ~~Anderson's Bookshop~~ ~~in Naperville~~, ~~Town House Books~~ ~~in St. Charles~~, ~~Geneva History Center~~ ~~in Geneva, and~~ the public libraries of Batavia and St. Charles (call # 811.6 STU). It is also on the shelves of the Chicago Underground Library, The Poetry Library in England, and The International Poetry Library of San Francisco. To receive a copy for $5 (shipping included), email me here.

10 LOVE POEMS is a collection of my most romantic poetry. Ebook versions are available at a variety of locations. Click here for details. Hard copies can be found at ~~Anderson's Bookshop~~ ~~in Naperville~~, ~~Town House Books~~ ~~in St. Charles~~, ~~Geneva History Center~~ ~~in Geneva, and~~ the public libraries of Batavia and St. Charles (call # 811.6 STU). It is also on the shelves of the Chicago Underground Library, The Poetry Library in England, and The International Poetry Library of San Francisco. To receive a copy for $5 (shipping included), email me here.

COLLECTED POEMS is a collection of my previously published poems. Ebook versions are available at a variety of locations. Click here for details. This book is not available in stores or libraries. To receive a copy for $5 (shipping included), email me here.

Fragment of an abandoned poem

2011-03-15T10:36:00.001-04:00

You found me, rebuilt me,
When I was in pieces, my shapes abstract
When the hole in me
Was the whole of me

Untitled poem (unpublished)

2011-03-09T15:38:00.004-05:00

All the right words
have gathered on my tongue to form a parade
but my teeth are the walls
and my fractured ego
is the rain.

Photo manipulation

2011-02-28T11:37:00.007-05:00

As a lover of all things prehistoric, especially dinosaurs, I was thrilled when artist Thomas E. Rice chose to use one of my redwood forest photos to create the following:

How cool is that?

Click here to see the original image at ArtZone.

Click here to see a speed painting style version of the image.

Thomas is also a musician, independent filmmaker, 3D content creator, and freelance graphic designer, among other things. You can learn more about him and his work by visiting his website at http://www.terice.weebly.com/

Thomas also has some amazing science-fiction artwork for sale. See the Zazzle Store on his website for details.

8 poems published at Alternative Reel

2011-02-21T08:55:00.004-05:00

"Man at the Window," "Ted," "The Props at My Funeral," "Hubristic," "Stopwatch," "The Pace of Waiting," "Kicking Sand in the Face of Indolence," and "Can You Dig It, Girl?" have been published at Alternative Reel, a website that is "Quietly Redefining the Internet..." Thank you to Bill Chinaski for accepting these poems.

Read the poems by clicking here.

Poem published at Mad Swirl

2011-02-19T09:10:00.002-05:00

"Stopwatch" has been accepted as a featured poem at Mad Swirl. Thank you to poetry editor MH Clay for accepting and commenting on this poem.

Read the poem by clicking here.

Poem posted at WARpoetrywritersZONE

2011-02-18T10:49:00.001-05:00

"The Pace of Waiting" has been added to the War Poetry 2011 section of WARpoetrywritersZONE, a UK-based "free access site for any war poet writing in English." Click here to read the poem. Note: The poem lacks its original structure due to formatting.

Two poems accepted by Long Story Short

2011-02-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

"Heart-Shaped Cocoon" and "subtlety" have been accepted for an unspecified issue of the ezine Long Story Short. Thank you to poetry editor and writer Amy S. Pacini for accepting these poems.

In America we're allowed to sue compulsively, so...

2011-02-16T10:35:00.007-05:00

I’d like to sue my OCD for harassment.

Beauty Effect (unpublished)

2011-02-10T17:37:00.004-05:00

Her soft, careful soul

shines through translucent blue eyes,

her brunette curls long to be kissed.

When she cries, her heart aches—

and all around her the flowers bloom.

Thoughts

2011-01-30T14:04:00.001-05:00

I grieve for the great storytellers of yesterday, and I morn the loss of their magic.

Interview with Artist and Performer Kyle Sturner

2011-01-25T14:12:00.015-05:00

Actor, writer, painter, musician, comedian, and photographer Kyle Sturner is one of today’s most talented up-and-coming artists. Born in North Carolina and spending much of his life in and around Chicago, Kyle recently relocated to Seattle where he wasted no time in immersing himself into the local art scene. I caught up with Kyle recently to discuss his background, his work, what inspires him, what pisses him off, and what we might expect from him in the future.

Kyle, what is your background? Give us a little personal history.

A woman, Nancy and a man, Gary decided to make love again. I won the race and was birthed into an old fashioned working-Daddy and stay-home-Mommy kind of family in North Carolina. Along our family journey things got less and less old fashioned. We moved to a small corn town, Sycamore, in northern Illinois a few hours outside of Chicago. My parents stopped making love completely, or at least with each other and separated. Eventually I lived with my mother and her streak of burger-gulper-husbands and my two brothers lived with our father for the remainder of my stay. I did fairly well in school as far as grades go, but all I could think about was how I needed to get out of there and fast. I took a part-time job when I was young to start saving for my get away, and when I realized that I hadn’t saved enough upon graduating high school I took a second job in my first year of college. After a single year of community college I realized there were no excuses left. I wasn’t happy and I needed to start living the way I wanted. I moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College for a degree in Photography. Moving to the city sent me on a spiral of realizations that I was living in a tightly concealed box for a long time. As I let go of anxiety and self-consciousness from my past I began to see waves of inspiration headed in my direction. Apparently those waves were fast, unpredictable and eventually headed for Seattle where new waves awaited.

How long have you been involved in the arts? What drew you to the arts?

Whenever someone asks me this I always think back to the 5th grade. I was the new weird kid in school and did not have any friends, but I was the first student to win the Artist of the Week award. I felt like a star, for at least ten minutes. The actual artistry started much earlier I’m sure, but that was when the ego jumped on board.

Who or what influences you most and why?

If I need some serious inspiration I tend to go for a walk or a hike in an area with a good amount of trees, or even just doing an impromptu dance in the middle of the room can help. It’s good to get the mind and the body on some sort of agreeing playing field before going at it. If I want to do something funny then all I have to do is read some headlines, some classifieds and listen to a few current top 10 pop songs, good to go. Politics and Pop Culture in our country has become so ridiculous that it’s hard not to mock.

You’re engaged in several different forms of artistic expression: acting, writing, drawing, painting, music, photography. Why is that? What form do you most enjoy?

One thing always leads to another, basically that seems to be how it has all happened. I started off painting which inspired me to take photographs as references for my pieces. I realized that the actual process of taking a photograph was another art form all on its own, and I was very intrigued. While studying photography in college I felt motivated to do several character-study projects, using myself as a model in many of them. Along this path I remembered how much I enjoy acting, something I always loved as a child but had not gotten back into for silly self-conscious reasons. The acting guided me toward the comedy which guided me to the music and back to the painting. Full circle. Art is clearly interconnected. I love each art form for what they are, and my favorite changes quite frequently.

You’re currently involved in live comedic/musical productions with your friend Sara Powers, called A Good Shit in the Morning. Tell us a little more about that.

This is something that started off as a bit of a joke really. I wrote a British rap based on a documentary the two of us had watched together. Before I knew it, it was a full on song we were doing at parties for our friends. While we were still in Columbia College we both enrolled in the same Biology of Human Reproduction class. The final was a creative project based on what we had learned throughout the semester. So, naturally, we put on our first A Good Shit in the Morning performance. Yes, in the class room in front of the teacher. Yes, there was a song about testicles. It went over well so we continued to write music and skits and eventually we drunkenly talked our way into getting a slot in the popular variety show, "Entertaining Julia" put on by the very entertaining Puterbaugh Sisters and Beth Stelling. We are currently getting our foot back in the door here in Seattle while we record a few songs for an EP and music video release in the near future.

You currently live in Seattle, Washington. What’s the art scene like there? How has it influenced you?

I haven’t been here for too long but I have definitely noticed some big differences in the two cities. Chicago has a certain unmistakable aggressive energy to it, and it’s perfect for releasing into the comedy scene and performance arts, which is very popular there. In Seattle things are much more laid back (silly stoners), so there is a great deal of 2-D art and all kinds of great music. Maybe it’s all the clouds, but I have felt inspired more with painting and playing the guitar since moving here.

You must collaborate with some pretty interesting people. Feel free to talk a little bit about them.

Last year I did the improvisation program at Second City in Chicago and got to work with an amazing ensemble. It was such a diverse group of people, and we were all forced to open up with one another and become vulnerable. It sounds scary but once you get there mentally it becomes so much fun. While finishing up in Chicago I was lucky enough to tag along with the sketch-comedy troupe, Brown Line to the Loop, on their first full improvisational courtroom mock-drama called Justice of the Peace. These individuals were absolutely hilarious to perform with and surprisingly professional behind the scenes so it made for a very enjoyable experience that I would love to do again if we are ever reunited. Then of course there is my wonderful A Good Shit in the Morning partner, Sara Powers. She’s a very goofy and high spirited character who happens to have an amazing singing voice and great stage presence, and it’s all packed tight in a 5’1” frame, so cute. Since moving to Seattle I have gotten to collaborate with dancer/actor, Amanda Oie on a dance video that I did some voice-over work on as well as a photography project that is still in the works. You won’t find me on a dance stage with her any time soon, but look out for some exciting projects in the future with our names on it.

What goes through your mind when you’re in the creative process or performing?

Performing is sort of strange for me in the sense that, before going on stage I am typically a little nervous. The adrenalin is pumping, and sometimes I want to run off and barf. But then I get out there and I seem to somehow separate from myself in a way. It’s hard to explain. I’m there, but I’m also watching myself to make sure I don’t act a fool. Then after it is over I feel like I’ve just had an amazing multi-orgasmic experience. I give myself a lot of credit because in high school I couldn’t even talk in front of a classroom without shaking and turning bright red. With creating, it is a completely different experience. I try and make sure that I have a good amount of time to myself, because it becomes very personal and I probably would look insane to an outsider. Typically I am either feeling very relaxed and peaceful while I am painting or I am having an intense inner monologue, and that’s how I decide which piece is right to work on at the time. Painting is more like a gentle massage than the full-on orgasm, but rewarding nonetheless.

Do you have a favorite performance or piece of artwork (created by you)?

Whatever I am working on at the time quickly becomes my new favorite. I easily discard pieces mentally after I’m finished with them, too eager to start something else and see what is next.

Are you a romantic?

I’ve never thought of myself as a romantic, but have been told that I am on occasion. I have always made sure I have that one person in my life that I can share everything with. Even when I was a teenager I had no interest in having a bunch of friends and being popular. I just need that one special individual I can dig deep with. Then I am good and happy.

What pisses you off?

Capitalism. Factory Farms. Chicago Police Department. Sycamore Shool District. Whaling. Sarah Palin. When people whip out their mePhones while you’re attempting to have a real live conversation. Working in the food industry. Money. Allergies. Fur Coats. Student Loans. Banks. Mainstream Pop. Hot Dogs. Prison System. The list could go on, I am quite sensitive.

What are your plans for the future? What are your long-term professional goals?

If I’ve learned anything in the past four years it is that you can really only plan so much for yourself. Things happen, things don’t happen, people leave, people show up and everything you thought was right is suddenly up in the air for questioning. I plan on trusting myself enough to stop the inner censor when I am creating. My main focus right now is painting and getting that out there for everyone to see, but I am most happy when I’m also doing some kind of performing as well. A Good Shit in the Morning seems to be gathering real live fans, so I want to kick that into full gear and let it take off before anyone forgets about us.

If you were not an artist/performer, what might you be doing?

A gardener…or maybe a park ranger. A traveling gypsy quite possibly. My father has always, always told me I should have a back-up plan to art. When authority figures tell me to do one thing, I always want to do the opposite and that feeling seems to be growing with age. I always thought it was suppose to be the other way around. I have tried to do a few other things but the interest is always forced and the universe directs me back to the artistic process anyway.

Coffee or tea?

I want to say tea so badly, but it’s coffee. Get’s the body moving, inside and out.

Cubs or White Sox?

Because I lived in Wrigleyville for over a year I have got to say the White Sox. In actuality I could not care less about baseball, but masses of Cubs fans are not the most pleasant bunch to be face humping on jam-packed Chicago transit, they reek of cheep beer and cigars.

Does music play a role in who you are as a creative person?

Most defiantly, music is the universal language after all. My next scary goal is to write some non-comedic songs of my own and see where that takes me. I’ve become so obsessed with my little acoustic guitar in the past year or so that it only feels natural to add it to my artistic endeavors. I don’t look to the music for the inspiration directly, but music is like a good friend there for comfort and support along the way. I tend to obsess over just a few albums or artists at a time, and maybe it is to get that familiar comfort feeling. Right now you can hear Giant Drag’s “Heart’s and Unicorns” and Liz Phair’s “Exile in Guyville” on repeat in my selection, followed by reggae for the mental cool down.

What does fame mean to you?

That word sort of scares me actually. I’m not sure I could handle mass fame, because I love my privacy. Then again, I also secretly love being the center of attention. I like the idea of being looked at with a curious appreciation, but I want the main focus to be on my random creations not necessarily on me specifically.

If you could create an image of yourself at the moment of death, at any age, of any death, what might that image look like?

I will be in my 60’s feeling lively, wonderfully eccentric, and totally satisfied with my life when suddenly Sara and I are, ‘accidently’ fed a large dose of hallucinogenics by some young hooligans. We have about five hours of serenity before we die peacefully in the woods where vultures and wolves eat our wrinkly flesh for nourishment and use our left-over’s as jewelry for fine occasions. You can pick any image from that strain of events. They would all be magical.

Sasquatch sightings are relatively common in the Pacific Northwest. If you came across one while hiking in the woods and he stopped for a quick chat, what would you ask it?

Oh wise Sasquatch…could you spare some change for a starving artist?

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts, Kyle. I wish you much success on your creative path!

You can see more of Kyle's work by visiting his website: http://www.kylesturner.com/

I Know a Girl (unpublished)

2011-01-14T16:59:00.017-05:00

This is one of my old unpublished poems. Posted just for the heck of it. Hope it’s worthy of a read or two!

I Know a Girl

I know a girl

Who frames us

In her mind

I know a girl

Who thinks love

Is a waste of time

I know a girl

Who brings musicians

To their knees

I know a girl

Who stays busy

To avoid things

I know a girl

Who should be singing

As a fulltime job

I know a girl

Who knows glory

Only through God

I know a girl

Who turns her cheek

When kissed

I know a girl

Who has a boy

That’s fatherless

I know a girl

Who can’t live

Far from the sea

I know a girl

Who is better off

Without me

I know a girl…

So many it seems

But the one I really need

Remains faceless

In my dreams

Poem published in SpokenWar

2011-01-11T13:03:00.001-05:00

"Stopwatch" has been published in the current issue of SpokenWar, a "trimmed down site focused on contemporary poetry, spoken word, and performance poetry without any distractions," as summed up by their tag line: "No Banners, No Bios, No Bullshit." Thank you to Editor Greg Stant for accepting this poem.

Read the poem by clicking here.

An unexpected visitor

2011-01-10T20:53:00.004-05:00

We had a beautiful Eastern Towhee visit our back deck today. He came by to eat some seeds buried in the snow beneath the bird feeder.

Public domain photo of an Eastern Towhee

My interview with PoetrySpeaks.com

2011-01-06T08:45:00.000-05:00

What follows is an informal interview with PoetrySpeaks.com from 2010.

PoetrySpeaks: Why Poetry?

Me: I’m not sure. But just imagine if I snapped my fingers and all the poetry ever written suddenly disappeared from existence. That means beautifully written books, speeches and music lyrics too. Would you want to live in that world? Not me. It would truly be a flat world.

PS: Which of your poems should be on your fan's must-experience list?

Me: Well, poetry is subjective. You might hate what I recommend, or love what I don’t. Just start at the top and work your way down. None of the poems are very long anyway.

PS: Favorite Poem (yours)

Me: I honestly don’t have a favorite poem. However, I kind of feel sorry for (and in turn, have an affection for) my unpublished poem “Dryad Weeping on a Fallen Tree.” It has a quality.

PS: Favorite Poem (other than yours)

Me: “The Cap and Bells” by William Butler Yeats

PS: Favorite Poet (other than yourself)

Me: I haven’t read nearly enough poets. I currently like William Blake, W.B. Yeats, Ted Hughes, Arthur Rimbaud and Mary Oliver. I also just discovered Francis Ledwidge.

PS: Favorite Performance (other than your own)

Me: I’ve seen Billy Collins and Mary Oliver perform in Chicago. They were very good. I also really admire some of my poet friends: Bill Robertson, Nicole Manisco, Ruan Wright -- all very talented at the performance level.

PS: What's the best advice you've ever received?

Me: The best advice I ever received is my own: Forget what the academics and scholars say. Write what comes naturally and let regular people decide if it’s good or not.

PS: What advice would you give poets starting out?

Me: Other than reading a lot of poetry, any beginner would do well to affix “show, don’t tell” firmly onto their brains. Then, with experience, they will learn how and when to break this and other such “rules.” Breaking rules often leads to great works of art.

PS: Why are you passionate about poetry?

Me: To be honest, I don’t understand or even like some of the poetry I read. I’m a simple guy. But when a poem does speak to me in that special, profound way, it’s like a butterfly landed on my shoulder. The heart goes pitter-patter. It’s a great feeling. It’s an addictive feeling.

PS: How did you discover poetry?

Me: My first memory of poetry is from the fourth grade. We had to write a short poem and mine was about a catbird. I no longer have the poem, but I do remember how it goes:

The catbird is a strange bird
When it sings, it sings a word
Meow, it sings
Meow, it sings
Recognize that?
It’s the sound of a cat!

PS: How did you first fall in love with poetry?

Me: I wouldn’t say that I’m in love with poetry. Rather, I just sort of fell into a symbiotic relationship with it.

PS: What is the best way to read a poem?

Me: The best way? Read the poem out loud to a loved one, e.g., a sibling, spouse, child or friend. It’s fun, romantic, and makes a lasting impression that way.

PS: Any messages to your fans?

Me: I’m poor. If you like my poetry then put me in your will!

PS: Any upcoming events?

Me: Hmm, because of anxiety issues I no longer do poetry readings or any type of event that requires being in front of a crowd. Maybe one day I’ll get over it.

PS: Thank you for your time.

Me: Thank you!

"Time," what a laugh

2011-01-06T03:14:00.026-05:00

At 3:14 AM I became aware that time truly does not exist.

"Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion" by Salvador Dali

And he did

2011-01-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s; I will not reason and compare: my business is to create.

--William Blake

Poem published in Daily Love

2011-01-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

"Whispers" has been published in today's online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Poem published in Thirteen Myna Birds

2011-01-01T22:14:00.002-05:00

"The Impatient" has been published in the current issue of Thirteen Myna Birds, "an online poetry publication seeking the evocative, the connotative, the creepy, the odd, the paranormal, and the dark." Thank you to writer and editor Juliet Cook for accepting this poem.

Read it here.

Poetry (all)

2011-01-01T17:00:00.101-05:00

2012: Time to Grow Up Where There's No Time at All (Mythic Delirium, Issue 26, forthcoming)
2012: Each Second that Passes (The World of Myth Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: Arachnophobia Cured! (The World of Myth Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: The Impatient (SNM Horror Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: Heart-shaped Cocoon (Long Story Short, forthcoming)
2012: These Things (Nomad's Choir, Winter 2012 issue)

2012: The Goblins Came (The World of Myth Magazine, Issue 51, forthcoming)

2012: Psalm of My Own (Sacred Journey, forthcoming)
2012: Pulse (The Bright Light Café, January 10, 2012)
2012: Morning Rain (The Bright Light Café, January 2, 2012)

2011: Stopwatch (the IMPpress, Issue 2, November 2011; print or PDF versions) Buy at the IMPpress

2011: Dryad Weeping on a Fallen Tree (Space and Time Magazine, Issue 115, Fall 2011) Buy at S&T website or e-version here

2011: These Things (The Bright Light Café, December 16, 2011)

2011: Though Unseen, Her Soul is Lucid (The Bright Light Café, December 15, 2011)

2011: Stopwatch (Symmetry Pebbles, Issue 1, August 2011; PDF)

2011: The Pace of Waiting (the IMPpress, Issue 1, August 2011; print or PDF versions) Buy at the IMPpress

2011: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Wavelengths: 2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry) Buy at Amazon or Savant Books

2011: Fresh Morning (Wavelengths: 2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry) Buy at Amazon or Savant Books

2011: Morning Rain (Wavelengths: 2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry) Buy at Amazon or Savant Books

2011: Below Zero (Anthology - PaniK: Candid Stories of Life Altering Experiences Surrounding Pregnancy) Buy at Lulu

2011: Stopwatch (Distilled Lives - The Illinois State Poetry Society 20th Anniversary Anthology) Buy at Amazon or Infinity Publishing

2011: Morning Rain (Distilled Lives - The Illinois State Poetry Society 20th Anniversary Anthology) Buy at Amazon or Infinity Publishing

2011: Holding Hands (Anthology: Speaking of Love - Positive and Uplifting Short Stories and Poems about Romance, Marriage and True Love) Buy at Amazon or Bright Light Multimedia; also available: Amazon Kindle Edition

2011: In Spite of Candlelight (decompression, Issue 5, July 2011)

2011: Denied (decompression, Issue 5, July 2011)

2011: The Pace of Waiting (Voices in the Wind, Issue 46)

2011: The Props at My Funeral (Thick With Conviction, Issue 23, June 2011) Nominated for Best of the Net 2011

2011: Below Zero (Chantarelle's Notebook, Issue 23, April 2011)

2011: Psalm of My Own (Pond Ripples Magazine, May 26, 2011)

2011: subtlety (Long Story Short, May 2011)

2011: Man at the Window (Catfish Gringo River, Friday April 15, 2011)

2011: Ted (Catfish Gringo River, Friday April 15, 2011)

2011: Can You Dig It, Girl? (Catfish Gringo River, Friday April 15, 2011)

2011: Crestfallen (Voices in the Wind, Issue 45)

2011: The Hawk (Voices in the Wind, Issue 45)

2011: Words Are All I Have (Daily Love, December 9, 2011)

2011: Outside, the Silent Garden (Daily Love, December 3, 2011)

2011: Only A Dream? (Daily Love, November 23, 2011)

2011: My Clearest Day (Daily Love, November 8, 2011)

2011: Heart-shaped Cocoon (Daily Love, November 5, 2011)

2011: A Poem to My Dead Love (Daily Love, November 1, 2011)

2011: A Moment is Riding Time (Daily Love, October 28, 2011)

2011: Moonshadow (Daily Love, October 24, 2011)

2011: Whispers (Daily Love, January 3, 2011)

2011: Stopwatch (Mad Swirl, February 19, 2011)

2011: The Impatient (Thirteen Myna Birds, January 2011)

2011: The Pace of Waiting (WARpoetrywritersZONE, War Poetry 2011)

2011: Stopwatch (SpokenWar, January 2011)

2011: Stopwatch (Alternative Reel)

2011: The Pace of Waiting (Alternative Reel)

2011: Man at the Window (Alternative Reel)

2011: Ted (Alternative Reel)

2011: The Props at My Funeral (Alternative Reel)

2011: Hubristic (Alternative Reel)

2011: Can You Dig It, Girl? (Alternative Reel)

2011: Kicking Sand in the Face of Indolence (Alternative Reel)

2011: The Impatient (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Somewhere (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Killing a Man on a Bridge for Pleasure (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Each Second that Passes (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2010: Could You Stay the Night, Forever? (Love's Chance Magazine, Summer 2010) Buy from Suzerain Enterprises

2010: Promise of an Eagle, to a Friend (Nomad's Choir, Spring 2010, Vol. 18, Issue 2) Buy issue

2010: Stopwatch (nthposition, February 10, 2010)

2010: The Pace of Waiting (Poets Against War, February 2010)

2010: Hubristic (River Poets Journal, Summer 2010, Volume 4, Issue 3; PDF)

2010: Morning Rain (River Poets Journal, Summer 2010, Volume 4, Issue 3; PDF)

2010: Arachnophobia Cured! (SubtleTea.com, May-July 2010)

2010: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (SubtleTea.com, May-July 2010)

2010: A Tree (Sacred Journey, April/May 2010)

2010: Imperfection (Sparkbright, Issue 4, Summer 2010; PDF)

2010: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (A Prairie Journal, Spring-Summer 2010)

2010: Spring (The Bugle newspaper, April 9, 2010; print and PDF versions)

2010: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Prairie Light Review, Spring 2010)

2010: Somewhere (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: Whispers (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: Love and Words (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: My Morning Sickness (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: Kicking Sand in the Face of Indolence (Message in a Bottle Poetry Magazine, Issue 5)

2010: Pulse (Lunarosity, Vol. 8)

2010: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Lunarosity, Vol. 8)

2010: I Love You (Daily Love, June 25, 2010)

2010: Broken Hearts in Paris (Daily Love, June 28, 2010)

2010: Though Unseen, Her Soul Is Lucid (Daily Love, July 2, 2010)

2010: When I Am Loved By You (Daily Love, July 5, 2010)

2010: Denied (Daily Love, July 7, 2010)

2010: Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi-ece-s (Daily Love, July 10, 2010)

2010: My Love, My Dream (Daily Love, July 13, 2010)

2010: The Existence of You (Daily Love, July 17, 2010)

2010: About Love (Daily Love, July 20, 2010)

2010: Stopwatch (Poetry Monthly International, Issue 21, July 2010)

2010: Holding Hands (a simple pleasure) (The Bright Light Café, September 2010)

2010: Shadows Falling From the Heart (Ancient Heart Magazine; September 11, 2010)

2010: Promise of an Eagle, to a Friend (joyful!, December 2010)

2010: Psalm of My Own (joyful!, December 2010)

2010: Could You Stay the Night Forever? (joyful!, December 2010)

2010: Walking Into Yesterday, Tonight (Word Salad Poetry Magazine, Vol. XVI, No. III, Fall 2010)

2010: Morning Rain (The Shine Journal, November 2010)

2010: Imagining a Change in Form to Establish Roots in Meaning (Naturewriting.com, November 2010)

2010: Little Fawn (Naturewriting.com, November 2010)

2010: Seasonally Home (Naturewriting.com, November 2010)

2010: Beneath the Waves (Daily Love, December 15, 2010)

2010: Sentimental Blue (Daily Love, December 18, 2010)

2010: The Key to a Woman’s Heart is Within the Man (Daily Love, December 25, 2010)

2010: To You (Daily Love, December 31, 2010)

2010: Morning Rain (Prairie Light Review, Fall 2010; print and PDF versions)

2010: The Props at My Funeral (Prairie Light Review, Fall 2010; print and PDF versions)

2010: Hubristic (Prairie Light Review, Fall 2010; print and PDF versions)

2009: Love and Words (Love's Chance Magazine, Fall/Winter 2009) Buy from Suzerain Enterprises

2009: Stopwatch (Down in the Dirt, June 2009 - v071)

2009: The Hawk (Down in the Dirt, July 2009 - v072)

2009: 14 April 2005 (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2009: Arachnophobia Cured! (Spaceports and Spidersilk, March 2009)

2009: A Tree (The DuPage Valley Review, 2009 issue) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2009: Kiss Me Hello (The DuPage Valley Review, 2009 issue) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2009: Pulse (The DuPage Valley Review, 2009 issue) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2009: Stopwatch (The DuPage Valley Review, 2009 issue) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2009: These Things (The DuPage Valley Review, 2009 issue) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2009: Stopwatch (Crawling Through the Dirt compilation/Scars Publications, Summer 2009) Buy at Scars Publications

2009: The Hawk (echo compilation/Scars Publications, Fall 2009) Buy at Scars Publications

2009: These Things (Ancient Heart Magazine, October 30, 2009)

2009: Winter Vacation (Autumn Leaves, Volume 13, #24, December 15, 2009)

2009: The Props at My Funeral (Poetry Super Highway, December 7-13, 2009)

2009: Last Words (Eye on Life Magazine, December 10, 2009)

2009: Winterbloom (A Prairie Journal, Fall-Winter 2009)

2009: Trout Swimming Upstream for Nickels and Dimes (Wilda Morris's Poetry Challenge, 1st place: December 2009)

2009: Winter Vacation (Poet's Ink, December 2009)

2008: Fresh Morning (Write On!! Poetry Magazette, January 2008)

2008: 7 New Stars (Write On!! Poetry Magazette, January 2008)

2008: A Tree (Write On!! Poetry Magazette, January 2008)

2008: Could You Stay the Night, Forever? (chicagopoetry.com, CRAM Volume 1)

2008: Love and Words (Kane County Chronicle, April 15, 2008)

2008: The Pace of Waiting (Kane County Chronicle, April 18, 2008)

2008: What We Are (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2008: Eidolon (Kane County Chronicle, July 12, 2008)

2008: Holding Hands (a simple pleasure) (Kane County Chronicle, August 2, 2008)

2008: Fresh Morning (Poet's Haven)

2008: It isn't her fault… (Poet's Haven)

2008: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Poet's Haven)

2008: The Empty Thrush (Poet's Haven)

2008: Shadows Falling from the Heart (Kane County Chronicle, October 25, 2008)

2008: Untitled "song of toads" (Poet's Ink, October 2008)

2008: Waking (Poet's Ink, December 2008)

2007: Kicking Sand in the Face of Indolence (Languageandculture.net, Winter/Spring 2007)

2007: Could You Stay the Night, Forever? (Long Story Short, Spring 2007)

2007: Below Zero (again) (Long Story Short, Spring 2007)

2007: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2007: These Things (Kane County Chronicle, May 12, 2007)

2007: Seasonally Home (Kane County Chronicle, November 10, 2007)

2007: Eidolon (Insight: Waubonsee Community College, December 2007: Vol. 46, Issue 4)

2006: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #1; online only)

2006: Love and Words (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #1; book/online)

2006: My Unread Poetry (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #1; online only)

2006: Pulse (Kane County Chronicle, January 7, 2006)

2006: Promise of an Eagle, to a Friend (WestWard Quarterly, Spring 2006; print and PDF)

2006: The Hawk (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #2; online only)

2006: Can You Dig It, Girl? (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #2; book/online)

2006: In Spite of Candlelight (American Open Mike: The New American Voice #2; book/online)

2006: Pulse (The Penwood Review, Volume 10, #2, Fall 2006) Buy from The Penwood Review

2006: Spring (Kane County Chronicle, June 10, 2006)

2006: Could You Stay the Night, Forever? (Kane County Chronicle, August 5, 2006)

2006: Psalm of My Own (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2006: Arachnophobia Cured! (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2006: Could You Stay the Night, Forever? (Arts Beat/Fox Valley Arts Council, Winter 2006-2007)

2006: Below Zero (Long Story Short, December 2006)

2004: The Key to a Woman's Heart is Within the Man (Skyline Magazine, March-April 2004, Spring Edition)

2004: A Lament for Sylvia (Skyline Magazine, March-April 2004, Spring Edition)

2004: Fresh Morning (Londonart.co.uk, the art of love anthology, Feb. 2004; online only)

2004: Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi-ece-s (Londonart.co.uk, the art of love anthology, Feb. 2004; online only)

2004: The Existence of You (Londonart.co.uk, the art of love anthology, Feb. 2004; online only)

2004: About Love (Londonart.co.uk, the art of love anthology, Feb. 2004; book/online) Buy book at LondonArt

2004: The Key to a Woman's Heart is Within the Man (Londonart.co.uk, the art of love anthology; book/online) Buy book at LondonArt

2004: Imperfection (Small Brushes/Adept Press, #18, October 2004-March 2005)

2004: Twelve and 12 (Small Brushes/Adept Press, #18, October 2004-March 2005)

2004: Hubristic (Red Owl Magazine, Issue XVIII)

2004: The Hawk (Red Owl Magazine, Issue XVIII)

2004: Fresh Morning (Kane County Chronicle, June 5, 2004)

2004: Sentimental Blue (Kane County Chronicle, August 28, 2004)

2004: Twelve and 12 (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2004: Moonshadow (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

2004: A Tree (Morton Arboretum; printed on a sign along Meadow Lake)

2004: A Tree (partial) (Morton Arboretum Plant Health Care Report, April 24-April 30, 2004, Issue 2004-04)

2003: Fresh Morning (Love's Chance Magazine, Winter 2003-2004) Buy from Suzerain Enterprises

2003: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Tryst, Issue VI, September 2003)

2002: Fresh Morning (The Pink Chameleon, Issue 3)

2002: Alone (The Pink Chameleon, Issue 3)

2001: Below Zero (The Blind Man's Rainbow; Summer issue, Vol. VI, Issue 4)

2000: Before the Storm Wet the Earth (Best of the 5th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, 1st Place: Poetry)

2000: Fresh Morning (Best of the 5th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, Finalist: Poetry)

1999: Somewhere (Best of the 4th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, Honorable Mention: Poetry)

1999: Little Girl (Best of the 4th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, Finalist: Poetry)

1999: White Truth (Songs of Innocence, Issue One, Summer 1999)

1999: Each Second That Passes (Penny Dreadful, Issue Eleven, Autumn 1999)

Flash Fiction

2011-01-01T17:00:00.092-05:00

2012: Red Icicles (Deadman's Tome, January 2012) Kindle version available soon.
2012: Deal Down at the Hospital (Deadman's Tome, January 2012) Kindle version available soon.
2011: Emma's Favorite Thing to Look At (The Bright Light Café, December 20, 2011)
2011: Red Icicles (Flashes in the Dark, December 9, 2011)
2011: The Unfortunate Heartbreak of Faritook the Earwig (State of Imagination, Issue 3, July 2011)
2011: Emma's Favorite Thing to Look At (Pond Ripples Magazine, May 11, 2011)
2011: Penumbra (Black Petals, April 2011)

Short Stories

2011-01-01T17:00:00.084-05:00

1999: The Dead Man Who Appears (Songs of Innocence, Issue 2, Fall/Wynter 1999-2000) Nominated for Pushcart Prize
1999: The Third Layer (nonextant) (Best of the 4th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, Finalist: Short Fiction)
1998: The Dead Man Who Appears (Spire, Volume XXVI)

Anthologies (poetry)

2011-01-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

2011: Speaking of Love - Positive and Uplifting Short Stories and Poems about Romance, Marriage and True Love (Bright Light Multimedia)

2011: PaniK: Candid Stories of Life Altering Experiences Surrounding Pregnancy (Help Inspire Others Project)

2011: Wavelengths: 2011 Savant Anthology of Poetry (Savant Books)

2011: Distilled Lives - The Illinois State Poetry Society 20th Anniversary Anthology (Infinity Publishing)

2009: Crawling Through the Dirt (Scars Publications)

2009: echo (Scars Publications)

2008: CRAM: Volume 1 (Chicagopoetry.com; out-of-print)

2006: American Open Mike: The New American Voice, Volume 2 (Chicagopoetry.com; out-of-print)

2006: American Open Mike: The New American Voice, Volume 1 (Chicagopoetry.com; out-of-print)

2004: the art of love (Londonart.co.uk)

2000: Best of the 5th Annual Skyway Writers Festival (out-of-print)

1999: Best of the 4th Annual Skyway Writers Festival (out-of-print)

Books (poetry)

2011-01-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

2010: Collected Poems (chapbook)

2008: 10 Love Poems (chapbook)

2008: Selected Poems 2004-2007 (chapbook)

2008: The Interzone Poets 5 (event chapbook; out-of-print)

2006: The Interzone Poets 4 (event chapbook; out-of-print)

2006: The Interzone Poets 3 (event chapbook; out-of-print)

2006: The Interzone Poets 2 (event chapbook; out-of-print)

2005: The Interzone Poets 1 (event chapbook; out-of-print)

2004: A Walk Through the Arboretum (chapbook; out-of-print)

2004: Kairos (Adams Press)

Poetry (science fiction, fantasy & horror)

2011-01-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

2012: Out of the Ad Space (Aoife's Kiss, forthcoming)
2012: Time to Grow Up Where There's No Time at All (Mythic Delirium, Issue 26, forthcoming)
2012: Each Second that Passes (The World of Myth Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: Arachnophobia Cured! (The World of Myth Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: The Impatient (SNM Horror Magazine, forthcoming)
2012: The Goblins Came (The World of Myth Magazine, Issue 51)

2011: Dryad Weeping on a Fallen Tree (Space and Time Magazine, Issue 115, Fall 2011) Buy at S&T website or e-version here

2011: The Props at My Funeral (Thick With Conviction, Issue 23, June 2011) Nominated for Best of the Net 2011

2011: Ted (Catfish Gringo River, Friday April 15, 2011)

2011: The Impatient (Thirteen Myna Birds, January 2011)

2011: Ted (Alternative Reel)

2011: The Props at My Funeral (Alternative Reel)

2011: The Impatient (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Somewhere (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Killing a Man on a Bridge for Pleasure (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2011: Each Second that Passes (Death Head Grin, April 2011)

2010: Arachnophobia Cured! (SubtleTea.com, May-July 2010)

2010: Somewhere (The DuPage Valley Review 2010) FREE print copy of the magazine here

2010: The Props at My Funeral (Prairie Light Review, Fall 2010; print and PDF versions)

2009: Arachnophobia Cured! (Spaceports and Spidersilk, March 2009)

2009: The Props at My Funeral (Poetry Super Highway, December 7-13, 2009)

2006: Arachnophobia Cured! (Kane County Chronicle, publication date unknown)

1999: Somewhere (Best of the 4th Annual Skyway Writers Festival, Honorable Mention Poetry)

1999: Each Second That Passes (Penny Dreadful, Issue Eleven, Autumn 1999)

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-12-31T10:08:00.000-05:00

"To You" has been published in today's online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Whispers: 1/3/11

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-12-25T13:52:00.002-05:00

"The Key to a Woman’s Heart is Within the Man" has been published in today's online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

To You: 12/31/10

Whispers: 1/3/11

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-12-18T10:49:00.004-05:00

"Sentimental Blue" has been published in today's online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

The Key to a Woman’s Heart is Within the Man: 12/25/10

To You: 12/31/10

Whispers: 1/3/11

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-12-15T09:02:00.006-05:00

"Beneath the Waves" has been published in today's online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Sentimental Blue: 12/18/10

The Key to a Woman’s Heart is Within the Man: 12/25/10

To You: 12/31/10

Whispers: 1/3/11

3 poems published in The Prairie Light Review

2010-12-14T09:34:00.002-05:00

"Morning Rain," "Hubristic" and "The Props at My Funeral" have been published in the Fall 2010 issue of The Prairie Light Review, a Liberal Arts magazine for the College of DuPage. Copies are available at the school, and a PDF version should be available soon.

Poem on ISPS website

2010-12-11T22:30:00.004-05:00

"Winterbloom" is now online at the Illinois State Poetry Society website. To read the poem, click here.

3 poems published in joyful!

2010-12-07T21:47:00.004-05:00

"Promise of an Eagle, to a Friend," "Psalm of My Own," and "Could You Stay the Night, Forever?" have been published in the December 2010 issue of joyful! online magazine. Thank you to writer and Editor Pamela Tyree Griffin for purchasing these poems. Click here and scroll down to read the poems.

joyful! also nominates for the prestigious Pushcart Prize. Nice!

Kairos available at library in Ireland

2010-11-30T15:00:00.002-05:00

A magical library in the beautiful village of Dromahair, County Leitrim, Ireland, has added Kairos to their humble collection. Perhaps some of the wee folk will read it?

Books available at CUL

2010-11-30T14:39:00.005-05:00

Three of my poetry books are now available at the Chicago Underground Library. Click here.

Chicago Underground Library

621 W. Belmont, 2nd Fl

Chicago, IL 60657

Tuesday, 6-10pm

Saturday, 1-5pm

Sunday 1-5pm, and by appt.

Poem selected for love anthology

2010-11-09T11:18:00.001-05:00

"Holding Hands (a simple pleasure)" has been selected to appear in a love anthology out of Queensland, Australia. The book will be available some time within the next 12 months. Details forthcoming.

Poem published in The Shine Journal

2010-10-31T10:30:00.010-04:00

A poem I wrote for Kelly, "Morning Rain," has been published in the November 2010 issue of The Shine Journal. Thank you to writer and Editor Pamela Tyree Griffin for purchasing this poem. The Shine Journal also nominates for the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

To read the poem, click here.

Poems published at naturewriting.com

2010-10-30T15:05:00.010-04:00

"Seasonally Home," "Little Fawn," and "Imagining a Change in Form to Establish Roots in Meaning" have been published online at naturewriting.com, "a safe, non-commercial, free place for people of all ages and talents to interconnect in kind and creative ways around a common interest--writing and reading about nature." Thank you to Ron Harton for accepting these poems.

To read a poem, click its title:

Seasonally Home

Little Fawn

Imagining a Change in Form to Establish Roots in Meaning

Poem published in Word Salad

2010-10-12T10:32:00.005-04:00

"Walking into Yesterday, Tonight" has been published in the Fall 2010 issue of Word Salad Poetry Magazine, a quarterly online magazine that has been "publishing original poetry on the web since 1995." Thank you to editors/poets Jean Jones and Bruce Whealton for accepting this poem.

To read the poem, click here.

Poem on ISPS website

2010-10-08T13:03:00.003-04:00

"Arachnophobia Cured!..." is now online at the Illinois State Poetry Society website. To read the poem, click here.

Poetry Exhibit in Evanston

2010-10-04T17:06:00.002-04:00

The Illinois State Poetry Society has a new exhibit at the Evanston Public Library (1703 Orrington Ave) which includes my poems "Her Day" and "A Glimpse of Where I'm Going."

Other featured poets include Beth Staas, Bakul Banerjee, John Gordon, Robert Klein Engler, David La Rue Alexander, Wilda Morris, Susan T. Moss, Susan B. Auld, IF Miller, Chris Holaves, Stanley Victor Paskavich, Usha Mahisekar, William Vollrath, Lois Barr, Ina Perlmuter, and Joanne Blakley.

Poem published in Message in a Bottle

2010-10-01T12:56:00.006-04:00

"Kicking Sand in the Face of Indolence" has been published in the Autumn 2010 issue of Message in a Bottle Poetry Magazine, a quarterly online magazine from the U.K. that seeks to publish poems "…whose subject matter brings to our attention the unusual, the unsung and the overlooked…." Thank you to editor and poet Fiona Sinclair for accepting this poem.

Click here to read the poem.

Poems published in River Poets Journal

2010-09-25T12:23:00.005-04:00

Editor, poet and artist Judith A. Lawrence has published "Hubristic" and "Morning Rain" in the Summer 2010 issue of her online literary magazine River Poets Journal. This issue is available as a free PDF file by clicking here. Printed copies are also available; see website bookstore. Thank you to Judith for accepting these poems.

Poem published in Ancient Heart Magazine

2010-09-15T16:05:00.000-04:00

"Shadows Falling from the Heart" has been published in the Australian online magazine Ancient Heart Magazine. Read it here.

Poem online at Bright Light Café

2010-09-08T21:30:00.001-04:00

"Holding Hands (A Simple Pleasure)" has been published at the Australian website Bright Light Café, an online source for "free, positive entertainment" and "a showcasing centre for wonderful new and established talents." The poem is also under consideration for professional voicing by Bright Light Multimedia.

Thank you to Barbara Ann Llewellyn and Rod Kirkham for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-20T09:36:00.002-04:00

"About Love" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-17T10:32:00.004-04:00

"The Existence of You" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

About Love: 7/20/10

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-13T07:39:00.002-04:00

"My Love, My Dream" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Prose poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-10T10:00:00.003-04:00

"Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-07T03:23:00.003-04:00

"Denied" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s: 7/10/10

My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-05T12:48:00.002-04:00

"When I Am Loved By You" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Denied: 7/7/10

Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s: 7/10/10

My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-07-02T08:21:00.008-04:00

"Though Unseen, Her Soul Is Lucid" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

When I Am Loved By You: 7/5/10
Denied: 7/7/10
Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s: 7/10/10
My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10
The Existence of You: 7/17/10
About Love: 7/20/10

Poem published in Poetry Monthly International magazine

2010-07-01T10:16:00.008-04:00

"Stopwatch" has been published in the July 2010 issue of Poetry Monthly International, an online magazine from the UK which "...is free as a PDF file in the interests of bringing the best in contemporary poetry to as many world-wide readers as possible." The PDF can be downloaded by clicking here (download, then scroll to page 24). Thanks to Editor Martin Holroyd for accepting this poem.

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-06-28T23:51:00.001-04:00

"Broken Hearts in Paris" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Though Unseen, Her Soul Is Lucid: 7/2/10

When I Am Loved By You: 7/5/10

Denied: 7/7/10

Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s: 7/10/10

My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Fiancée/friends published in Seeding the Snow

2010-06-28T21:57:00.008-04:00

Editors LeAnn Spencer and Erin Tuttle have published Kelly Moran’s wonderful poem "Into the Soil" in the Spring-Summer 2010 issue of Seeding the Snow, "a print journal offering women the opportunity to express their love for the natural world."

My talented and beautiful fiancée is not the only great writer included in this issue. Poet friends Wilda Morris and Marilyn Peretti are also featured. A highly recommended publication.

Copies of Seeding the Snow can be purchased at the Arboretum Store or by mail. Click here for details.

Poem published in Daily Love

2010-06-25T07:30:00.009-04:00

"I Love You" has been published in today’s online issue of Daily Love, a "love story and romance poetry site that provides a daily dose of love, 365 days a year." Thank you to editor and author E.S. Wynn for accepting this poem. Read it here.

Daily Love will publish more of my poems on the following dates:

Broken Hearts in Paris: 6/28/10

Though Unseen, Her Soul Is Lucid: 7/2/10

When I Am Loved By You: 7/5/10

Denied: 7/7/10

Love Will Glue These Br-oken Pi–ece-s: 7/10/10

My Love, My Dream: 7/13/10

The Existence of You: 7/17/10

About Love: 7/20/10

Article about friend and poet Bill Robertson

2010-06-24T06:54:00.017-04:00

Click below to read an article about Illinois poet Bill Robertson in the Valley Free Press.

Bill's poetry is a great pleasure to read. I highly recommend checking it out (see below for a link to his free, online manuscript of poetry).

Link to article: Local poet always seeking inspiration
Link to "Ordinary Things" by Bill Robertson: www.archive.org/details/OrdinaryThings_335
Bill's blog: willjrob3.blogspot.com

Poem on ISPS website

2010-06-19T12:58:00.003-04:00

"Morning Rain" is now online at the Illinois State Poetry Society website.

Poem published in Sparkbright magazine

2010-06-02T20:31:00.001-04:00

"Imperfection" has been published in the June 2010 issue of Sparkbright, "...a free, online literary magazine featuring new poetry and prose from all over the world." This issue is available as a free download by clicking here. Thanks to editor and poet Emily Smith for accepting this poem.