TalkWithME

Jeanette Powers, Writer-Editor-PerformanceArtist

Jeanette curates the generative performance art venue, Uptown Arts Bar, and is the Acquisitions Editor for KC based, indie press EMP Books. She also co-directs the arts non-profit Chameleon Arts with legendary print-maker Hugh Merrill and is Treasurer/grant-writer for KC’s annual small press fest. She is the author of six books of poetry, including her newest release “Don’t Lose Your Head” through EMP in 2017. She is an alumni resident of Osage Arts Community and The Lemon Tree House and can most often be found riverside with her hound dog, Olly Mas.

“Don’t Lose Your Head” is an experimental book of poetry and drawings which revolves around the concept of childhood trauma and its effects on adult life. The genesis of the book was 40-year-old Jeanette’s discovery of the truth of how her father died when she was four years old and follows the trajectory of family secrets, dysfunction and alienation. This work of art is raw, vulnerable and reaches deeply into the often untold shards of what is swept under rugs and kept folded in the back closets of family shame.

Follow Jeanette Powers’ art & adventures on Facebook & on Twitter @jeanettepowers & at www.JeanettePowers.com

Alexis Rhone Fancher, Poet and Photographer

Alexis creates art full of beauty, light, darkness, life, death, sex, and personal power. Alexis is the author of How I Lost My Virginity To Michael Cohen and other heart stab poems, (2014), State of Grace: The Joshua Elegies, (2015), and the brand new, erotic, LA-centric collection, Enter Here (2017). She is published in The Best American Poetry 2016, Rattle, Slipstream, Plume, Nashville Review, Diode, Glass, and elsewhere. Her photos are published worldwide. Since 2013 Alexis has been nominated for 11 Pushcart Prizes, 1 Best Small Fiction, and 4 Best of the Net awards. She is Poetry Editor of Cultural Weekly and lives in Los Angeles.

Find Alexis Rhone Fancher’s art & event schedules at www.facebook.com/alexis.fancher & www.AlexisRhoneFancher.com

Mercedes Lucero, Writer

Mercedes is the author of the chapbook In the Garden of Broken Things (Flutter Press, 2016, available at www.Lulu.com) and winner of the Langston Hughes Creative Writing Award for Poetry. Her writing has appeared in New Orleans Review,Curbside Splendor, Paper Darts, The Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Journal, The Pinch, Heavy Feather Review, and Whitefish Review among others. She is a recent Glimmer Train “Short Fiction Award” Finalist and has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is currently the Fiction Editor of Beecher’s and curates a collection of works dedicated to the experiences of autism and developmental disabilities through the online literary magazine, Spectrum Extract. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Northwestern University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Kansas. Follow her work on Twitter @loose_arrow and at www.MercedesLucero.com

The Transformational Jennie Washburn V.2017.6

Each month, the Transformational Jennie Washburn joins Talk With ME host, Marcia Epstein, for real life conversation. This Month: Community Fun & Goodness. Jennie is a Licensed Esthetician & a member of Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Pryor Transformation, Shift 2 Degrees, Lawrence Women’s Network, & One Hundred Good Women. She also enjoys being onstage, including as a two-time contestant in Transformations, a charity gala. Find Jennie on the stage at Mic Drop for Willow Domestic Violence Center & at https://skincarebyjennie.net

Emmett Phillips, Rapper-Actor-Activist-Speaker

Emmett has tenaciously pursued his passions as a performance artist and youth developer since leaving the military in 2014. Since high school, he has been an avid lyricist and battle rapper, and now performs his original style of Hip Hop in his hometown Des Moines and major cities such as NYC, San Antonio, and St. Louis. He discovered his affinity for working with youth working at a Boys and Girls Club, and currently at Children and Family Urban Movement (CFUM) where he is a program coordinator for a group of young men called the Backyard Boyz. Emmett also is a teaching artist with Harding Middle School where he conducts a weekly writing workshop through a program called Movement 515. He proudly represents a New York based NPO called ASTEP (Artists Striving to End Poverty) as a Fellow and founder of the Des Moines ASTEP chapter where he collaborates with other local artists and community members to use the power of the arts to empower youth and provide a platform for self-expression and contributing to society through creativity. And Emmett is the Cultural Agent for the U.S, Department of Arts and Culture – Des Moines, http://usdac.us

Follow Emmett Phillips on Instagram @EPizFree & Twitter @TheRealEPizFree & https://EPizFree.com

Michael Timothy Dieker, Performer & Writer

Michael is a singer, songwriter, playwright, actor, and distance runner based in Lawrence, KS. He also serves as a support person with the Sexual Trauma & Abuse Care Center there. Michael grew up playing all the sports, but his light really shone when he was performing music or theatre. As soon as he was old enough, he brought his original music into area drag shows. Through his art, Michael shares his story and inspire others to live authentically and joyfully, even with all the challenges.

Michael’s original musical, RUN, debuts in July 2017. RUN is a never before seen take on the classic hero’s journey, with colorful comic book settings and characters, as well as plenty of nods and winks to some of your favorites in tights (with or without capes). RUN tells an unforgettable story about a group of regular people learning to survive, create, and fall in love in the aftermath of traumas past and present, and trying to be or become heroes in their own lives.

Follow Michael Timothy Dieker at www.facebook.com/michael.t.dieker & on Twitter @MichaelTDieker

Annette Hope Billings, Poet

Annette is an African-American, a Kansan, a poet, a playwright, an actress and a nurse, based in Topeka, KS. Since 2015, Annette has immersed herself in the boundless waters of writing and sharing her poetry and prose, and inspiring others. She has written two collections of poetry, and numerous one-act plays and short stories. Known for her performance delivery style, she has been received enthusiastically in many diverse venues.

Those who have experienced Annette’s words on the page or on the stage have dubbed her “The Maya of the Midwest,” a moniker she allows with all due humility and gratitude. To ME, Annette will always be The SuperModel Of Love. Her first book of poems, A Net Full of Hope, garnered the Topeka, KS 2015 ARTSConnect Arty Award for Literature. Her second book, Descants for a Daughter, is a very timely collection of affirmations/meditations.

Follow Annette & Buy Her Books at http://anetfullofhope.com & www.facebook.com/ANetFullOfHope

Brandon Whitehead

Brandon is originally from Oklahoma, where there are generally only two accepted ways in which a man may express himself: silence or rage. Brandon studied violin at the U of KS. Yes. Violin. He lives in KC, KS, in a tiny apartment that doesn’t adhere to normal Euclidian geometry. Brandon likes to drink beer, smoke cigarettes and play role-playing games. He is one of the last of the old time film projectionists, plus he has a really cool collection of robot and spaceship toys, which you are not allowed to touch. He spends his nights writing poems and stories while listening to the strange old man that lives above him play the violin. Brandon is the author of Thieves, Pharaohs, and Mexican Daredevils (Spartan Press, 2015) and is featured in several poetry collections. His is one of the organizers of the KC Small Press Poetry Fest, formerly the KC Poetry Throwdown. Learn more at

www.facebook.com/KCPoetryThrowdown/ Find him performing at select poetry events across the country, and in “Project 4000.”

Buy Brandon’s Books by emailing KingInYellow.BW@gmail.com

Kat Giordano, Poet & Musician

Kat is a native of Pennsylvania. She is the former poetry editor of Lake Effect and the former managing editor of Lit.cat. Her work appears in The Cincinnati Review, Up The Staircase Quarterly, Rat’s Ass Review, and Menacing Hedge, among others, and in 2016, she was one of five finalists for Erie County (PA) Poet Laureate. In 2017, Kat received a BFA in Creative Writing from Penn State Behrend in Erie, PA. She has since returned to her hometown in the Philadelphia area to finish her first manuscript.

Follow Kat on Twitter @GiordKat

Taurean LaCharles, Actor, V.2017.6

Taurean LaCharles is a native of Lawrence, KS and a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied classical theatre. As an androgynous gay African-American male, Taurean has known discrimination throughout his life. Taurean and host Marcia Epstein engage in a lively conversation about Being Your Authentic You & Getting Out To Build Community.

B. Diehl, Poet

B. is a New Jersey native who has been writing since he was a kid. He started writing poetry in 2013 after he finally found some good poetry to read. B. is the author of the poetry collection Zeller’s Alley (White Gorilla Press, 2016). Starting in 2014, his work has been published by Hobart, BOAAT Press, FLAPPERHOUSE, Words Dance, and other venues. Every other Sunday, he hosts a reading series in Catasauqua, PA, called I Hate Poetry. When he is not writing, reading, hosting, or breathing in dust at his warehouse job, he is usually hanging out with his cats.

You can find him on the web at www.facebook.com/B.DiehlPoetry & at www.MyNameIsB.net

Iris Craver, Poet-Storyteller-Teacher

Iris is a gifted writer, teller of tales, and teacher. Her passion is helping people, including herself, heal. One of the ways she does this is by leading expressive writing groups. Iris offers these in a variety of settings ranging from the county jail, to a residential treatment program, to the Lawrence (KS) Public Library., to her dining room! She is a nationally certified journaling and poetry therapist through the International Federation of Biblio-Poetry Therapy. Iris is grateful to serve as a professor for online courses through Washburn University & elsewhere. She lives and gardens just a block from the banks of the Kaw River. Oh, and she has some poems published here and there. Her newest book, Write To The Source ~ A Journaling Guide For Recovery is available at Raven Book Store in Lawrence, KS. She can be reached at IrisGarden9@gmail.com and soon at her author’s page on Facebook.

Ryan Quinn Flanagan, Poet

Ryan is a Canadian-born author residing in Elliot Lake, Ontario, Canada with his other half, bears, and mounds of snow half the year. His work can be found both in print and online in such places as: Evergreen Review, The New York Quarterly, Word Riot, Your One Phone Call, In Between Hangovers, Red Fez, and Horror Sleaze Trash. Ryan’s work is included in the anthology Resurrection of a Sunflower, which celebrates Vincent Van Gogh. Follow him on Facebook and through http://RyanQuinnFlanagan.yolasite.com/

Johnna M. “Johnnie” Gale, Poet & Storyteller

Johnnie is a self-published Poet, Spoken Word Artist, Zinester, Videographer/Photographer, and generally an Artist-Type. He is a transplant from the Sonoran desert, where he spent much of his writing time overlooking desert mountains and watching saguaros grow. The desert is where much of his childhood trauma was healed. Johnnie has a new-found passion for storytelling and is bringing it to Topeka, KS. He is fostering relationships with other poets and artists from Topeka, Lawrence, Kansas City, and beyond.

As for culinary arts, the Kitchen Shaman blog was born in 2005 to showcase Johnnie’s talent, experience, and extensive food knowledge.
www.kitchenshaman.com

Johnnie has four poetry books and two zines for sale through his artist website. “Catharsis” is the collection dealing with trauma, healing and moving beyond. www.artisticnomads.com/diecast-poetry

Follow Johnnie on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jmgale and on other social media @johnnagale

The Transformational Jennie Washburn V.2017.5

Each month, Jennie joins Talk With ME host, Marcia Epstein, for real life conversation. This month: Flowers, Kansas Day Trips, New Experiences, Connections and Kindness

Jennie is a Licensed Esthetician & a member of Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Pryor Transformation, Shift 2 Degrees, Lawrence Women’s Network, & One Hundred Good Women. She also enjoys being onstage, including as a two-time contestant in Transformations, a charity gala, and on June 24 at Mic Drop for Willow Domestic Violence Center at Liberty Hall in Lawrence. Find Jennie at https://skincarebyjennie.net

Scott Wozniak, Poet

Scott is a poet, short story writer, chaos enthusiast, and champion monkey wrench thrower, living in Oregon. He is an award winning spoken word artist and creator of “The Acoustic Tongue Sessions,” which weaves together spoken word poetry and acoustic music. It has been performed from NYC to Chicago. He has also opened for numerous bands nationwide.

His poetry can be found at Red Fez Magazine, Carcinogenic Poetry, Midnight Lane Boutique, Flash Fiction Magazine, Mad Swirl, The Five-Two, Dead Snakes and Horror, Sleaze, Trash, for starters. His chapbook “Bumrush The Fantasy,” was published by Flying Wrench Press in 2014. Scot’s poetry is also in anthologies by Lummox Press and Svensk Apache Press. In May 2017, Moran Press released his first full length poetry collection, “Crumbling Utopian Pipedream.” www.moranpress.com/store/p35/Crumbling_Utopian_Pipedream.html

Watch for a Scott Wozniak & Janne Karlsson project to be released later in 2017. Follow Scott on Twitter @ScottEWozniak

Ralph Adamo, Poet

A native New Orleanian, Ralph Adamo is a poet, papa, and a professor at Xavier University of Louisiana. He is also editor of Xavier Review http://www.xula.edu/english/publications/review.html . Ralph has published seven collections of poetry, most recently Ever: Poems 2000-2014. He received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in Creative Writing in 2003, a Louisiana Division of the Arts Individual Artist Grant in 1998, and the first Marble Faun award in poetry from the Faulkner Society in 1997. Recent reviews of his work can be found in The Hollins Critic (April 2015), Rain Taxi (August 2015) and in Today’s Book of Poetry. In 2006, the Open Society Institute awarded him a Katrina Media Fellowship to pursue investigative journalism on the state of public education in the city. Before coming to Xavier, where he has encountered amazing students and brilliant colleagues, he taught creative writing at Tulane, LSU and Loyola (where he also edited New Orleans Review for five years), as well as journalism at UNO. He and his wife Kay have two children, Jack and Lily. Find Ralph Adamo on Facebook and at http://www.lavenderink.org/content/authors/276

Amy Hammer & Josh Reese of the Bert Nash Center

Amy, Josh, & ME talk about supporting our Transgender & Gender NonConforming Friends-Family-CoWorkers-Neighbors

Amy Hammer, LSCSW is a crafty seamstress, dog-lover, gardener, & is the therapist who

provides Transforming Our Lives, at BNCMHC https://bertnash.org/new-therapy-group-offers-support-system/ Josh Reese, LSCSW is a bow-tie wearing husband, dad, & weight lifter who supports & supervises therapists at BNCMHC who provide outpatient therapy to adults. Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center serves the Douglas County, KS community https://bertnash.org/

Additional resources for & about trans folks:

Resources for and about Transgender People

Amelia, Rowan, Harper & Coach Martin of Lawrence Free Poetry team

Lawrence Free Poetry team members Amelia Peters, Rowan Plinsky, Harper Schoenfeld, plus coach Andrew Martin joined ME for conversation and original poetry. LFP is the Slam Poetry Team of Lawrence (KS) Free State High School.

The team began during the 2014-15 school year, changes each year as students graduate or move on, and has consistently placed in the top 4 teams at the Louder Than A Bomb annual youth poetry festival http://youngchicagoauthors.org/louder-than-a-bomb. LTAB feeds into Brave New Voices. Lawrence Free Poetry qualified for Brave New Voices in San Francisco July 19-22, 2017. BNV http://youthspeaks.org/bravenewvoices/festival/ is the largest spoken word event in the world and is comprised of teams from all over the globe. In addition, some of the teams may be featured on HBO’s Brave New Voices program http://www.hbo.com/russell-simmons-presents-brave-new-voices

Support Lawrence Free Poetry’s trip to Brave New Voices through faculty sponsor Andrew Martin at AMartin@usd497.org or at www.GoFundMe.com/send-lawrence-free-poetry-to-bnv Follow Lawrence Free Poetry at https://www.instagram.com/lawrencefreepoetry/ & https://Twitter.com/LFreePoetry

Barbara Higgins-Dover of Kansas Riverkings Museum

Barbara is founder & Director of the Kansas Riverkings Museum in Lawrence, KS. She also acts as Administrator for the Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum & teaches college classes. Ms. Higgins-Dover has conducted many research projects, published books based on that research, designed music and historical curriculum for young learners. Higgins-Dover is a life long Lawrencian, granddaughter of a Kansas Riverking.

The Kansas Riverkings Museum opened in 2015 in Abe & Jakes Landing on the banks of the Kansas River. The museum tells the story of the Kansas River commercial fishing industry in the Lawrence area from 1870-1970. As Director of the museum, Higgins-Dover & a talented group of young professionals created the documentary “When Kings Reigned.” The film tells the story of the lives of these men and the legal battles they faced. View the film trailer at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIEMoV-tBfw and the film at screenings Summer 2017. Also, the Kansas Riverkings Museum is partnering with KU Spencer Art Museum for the Living River Festival on July 22, 2017.

For more info, follow www.facebook.com/KansasRiverkings/​

Scott Thomas Outlar, Poet & More

Scott is a Best of the Net and three-time Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has appeared in hundreds of literary venues, both in the United States and internationally. Scott is a member of the Southern Collective Experience, appearing regularly in many of the group’s events such as: Dante’s Old South radio program with NPR/WUTC out of Chattanooga, Tennessee; Visions of Verse poetry reading in Jasper, Georgia; and Collective Sessions open mic held at Good Acting Studio in Marietta, Georgia. Scott also serves as an editor for Walking Is Still Honest Press, The Blue Mountain Review, The Peregrine Muse, and Novelmasters. His latest full-length poetry collection, Happy Hour Hallelujah, was released in 2016 through CTU Publishing. Follow Scott Thomas Outlar on Twitter @17numa & on Facebook at www.facebook.com/17numa & at https://17numa.wordpress.com/

Jennie Washburn, V.2017.5

Each month, the Transformational Jennie Washburn joins Talk With ME host, Marcia Epstein, for real life conversation. SelfCare, Fun, Expressing Expectations, Getting Involved in Community, & Goodness. This month our message is Have Fun In Community! Jennie is a Licensed Esthetician & a member of Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Pryor Transformation, Shift 2 Degrees, Lawrence Women’s Network, & One Hundred Good Women. She also enjoys being onstage, including as a two-time contestant in Transformations, a charity gala. Find Jennie at Mic Drop for Willow Domestic Violence Center, & at https://skincarebyjennie.net

Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW of Speaking of Suicide

Stacey Freedenthal has worked in the field of suicide prevention since 1994, when she first volunteered at a suicide prevention hotline. She is now an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, where she teaches courses on mental health assessment, counseling, and suicide risk assessment and intervention. Her website, speakingofsuicide.com, receives 70,000 visitors a month. Her book, Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals, will be published Fall 2017 by Routledge. Follow Stacey at www.StaceyFreedenthal.com & www.SpeakingOfSuicide.com

Sunrise Project, with Emily Hampton & Melissa Freiburger

In Lawrence, KS, Sunrise Project connects people of all ages & backgrounds to good food, community & the environment. 4 core programs: Lawrence Fruit Tree Project, SunRISE Youth Activists, Food Rocket, & Healthy Sprouts farm to preschool. Programming is expanding with the move into the former Sunrise Garden Center which creates a safe, fun and inclusive neighborhood center for shared community learning. More info at www.sunriseprojectks.org

Emily Hampton, ED & co-founder, has provided organizational leadership for Sunrise Project for 2 years. Previously, Hampton served as Development & Communications Manager at Communities In Schools of Mid-America; Lead Coordinator for the Farm to Preschool program in Douglas Co; Vice Chair & member of the Douglas Co Food Policy Council. She isChair-Elect for the Healthy Kids Workgroup of LiveWell Lawrence.

Melissa Freiburger, Director of Programs, has experience coordinating & directing health initiatives. Previous roles include Farm to Preschool Educator & Technical Assistance Specialist for the CDC’s National Early Care and Education Learning Collaborative Project. Freiburger is a member of Healthy Food For All, of LiveWell Lawrence; co-chair of Cordley Elem School’s Farm to School committee; and is founder & Site Leader for Hollaback Lawrence.

Damian Rucci, Writer & Poet based in NJ

Damian is sometimes a poet, sometimes a writer, and most times a mad man. He is the host of Keyport, NJ’s the Poetry in the Port reading series. Damian and Ezhno Martin just released the poetry collection, The Former Lives of Saints through EMP Press https://empbooks.com/home/books/ *** Listeners: around 18 minutes into the show Damian reads ” I Knew Superman” which includes images of his dear grandfather’s death by suicide. *** Follow Damian for his blogs, poems, performances & more at www.twitter.com/damianrucci/ & www.facebook.com/dfrucci/ & www.damianrucci.net/

Wolfgang Carstens of Epic Rites Press

Wolfgang Carstens is the author of numerous poetry collections and publisher at Epic Rites Press. He is organizer and host of Poets Underground, a poetry show that celebrates and showcases the best and brightest authors currently working the marrow of contemporary poetry www.youtube.com/channel/UCjJ58uQGzVqXjOyIlOTRpMQ/ Wolfgang lives in Canada with his wife, five kids, grandson, dog, mortgage and death. His poetry is printed on the backs of unpaid bills. More info at www.WolfgangCarstens.com & www.facebook.com/TheBloodMachine & at www.EpicRites.org

K.W. Peery, Songwriter & Poet

K.W. “Kevin” Peery is the author of 3 collections of poetry: Tales of a Receding Hairline, Purgatory & Wicked Rhythm. He is a regular contributor in Veterans Voices and the Australia Times Poetry Magazine.

Kevin writes about his personal life experiences. Grappling with morality and mortality, the unvarnished truth is breathtakingly obvious. His unapologetic vulnerability is neatly embedded within each work. He has an innate ability to dig up his past and offer it to the reader as if they were sitting across the table having a conversation with him.

Credited as a lyricist and producer, Kevin’s work appears on more than a dozen studio albums over the past decade. He is most well known as a founding member of the Marshall/Peery Project. This collaboration produced four critically acclaimed studio albums from 2005 to present. The Marshall/Peery Project frequently appear on the Roots Music Report and Americana Charts. Their songs are in regular rotation in the U.S., Germany, Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Much more music and poetry to come! So follow K.W. Peery on Twitter @KWPeery & at K.W. Peery – Lyrics & Poetry on Facebook www.facebook.com/KW-Peery-Lyrics-Poetry-522754801227864

Christine Waisner, of Active Minds of KU

Christine is a senior at Kansas U, and serves as President of the KU chapter of Active Minds, a national mental health advocacy group. After struggling with an eating disorder, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, she found a passion for mental health advocacy & got involved in Active Minds. She is a psychology major, graduating in May 2017, who plans to work with youth in residential treatment for mental health challenges. Later, she will pursue graduate training in Marriage and Family Therapy, to help families, including children affected by abuse and/or violence.

Alyse Bensel, Poet

Alyse & ME talk about Alyse’s writing & about the 4th Annual Poetry Fair in Lawrence, KS on April 15, 2017! The fair includes readings, networking & books to buy. Info at https://lawrenceartscenter.org/event/poetry-fair-2017/

Alyse Bensel’s poems have most recently appeared in The Adroit Journal, New South, Quarterly West, Tinderbox, The Collapsar, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, and elsewhere. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks: Not of Their Own Making (dancing girl press, 2014) and Shift (Plan B Press). She serves as the Book Reviews Editor at The Los Angeles Review, a literary journal from Red Hen Press. Alyse is also a PhD candidate in Literary Studies & Creative Writing at the U of Kansas, where she is a 2017-2018 Richard & Jeannette Sias Fellow in the Humanities, and will be in residence at the Hall Center for the Humanities Fall 2017. Follow Alyse at twitter.com/leaseandleaves & http://www.alysebensel.com/

Charles Clifford Brooks III, Poet & Southern Collective Experience founder

Cliff made a career out of telling the truth, but not outright. His first book of poetry, The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, first published by Gosslee Books, was nominated for a Pulitzer and Georgia Author of the Year. In April 2017, his second collection of verse, Athena Departs: Gospel of a Man Apart, plus a re-release of The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, both hit the shelves thanks to Backlash Press www.backlashpress.com In 2018, his epic poem, The Salvation of Cowboy Blue Crawford, will be available with special editions that include a CD of original songs and readings from the book.

Cliff’s biggest achievement in recent years has been the creation of The Southern Collective Experience. The SCE is a cooperative of professional artists who have the right-and-left-brain ability to keep a business in the black, meet deadlines, and still be pure artists. Four times a year, the SCE publishes a journal of culture, The Blue Mountain Review, and more often hosts open mic/lectures in a variety of places. NPR releases their radio show, Dante’s Old South, every month with a fifth Sunday.

Follow Charles Clifford Brooks III on Twitter, Facebook, www.SouthernCollectiveExperience.com & www.CliffBrooks.com

Mark Statman, Poet & Poet-Translator

Just listen! For Mark’s stories and poetry. For his respect and love for humanity. Be inspired!

Mark comes from a large family with 3 languages: Spanish, Yiddish, & also English. He studied with Poet & Professor Kenneth Koch who introduced Mark to the love of poetry & to the love of his life, Katherine Koch, Kenneth’s daughter. After many years living & parenting & teaching & writing in Brooklyn, Mark & Katherine moved to Mexico. His poetry collections include That Train Again (Lavender Ink, 2015), A Map of the Winds (Lavender Ink, 2013) and Tourist at a Miracle (Hanging Loose, 2010). Other books include Black Tulips: The Selected Poems of José María Hinojosa (University of New Orleans Press, 2012), the first English language translation of the significant poet of Spain’s Generation of 1927, and, with Pablo Medina, a translation of of Federico García Lorca’s Poet in New York (Grove 2008), His next translation collection, Never Made in America; Selected Poetry of Martín Barea Mattos, will appear with Lavender Ink/diálogos in April 2017. A former Associate Professor of Literary Studies at Eugene Lang College, The New School, he currently lives in Oaxaca, Mexico. Follow Mark Statman at twitter.com/statmanm & http://markstatman.com/

Katie Winter of The Lawrence (KS) Laboratory

Katie grew up in Lawrence, KS & lives there now. Between then & now she has lived, worked, & studied in Chicago, CO, Seattle, NY, & Taos. She has an MA from the U of CO in Education Foundations, Policy & Practice. More important, she has a passion for helping people of all ages and backgrounds learn & grow, including through arts and creativity. She has worked with youth in foster care, people experiencing homelessness, & immigrants. Currently Katie’s life is rich with family, friends, and her work guiding The Lawrence Laboratory, where diverse teachers from the community teach topics they are passionate about. 60-90 minute classes are hands-on or discussion-based to engage diverse adult learners. Follow Katie & The Lawrence Laboratory at www.facebook.com/The-Lawrence-Laboratory-1713296055603635 & www.thelawrencelab.com

Tiffany Burba

Tiffany is a poet and photographer living in Vancouver, WA. She is frequently found at poetry readings there & across the river in Portland, OR. But she loves family & NYC most of all. Tiffany’s work has appeared in Ghost Town Poetry, Volume Two (Printed Matter Vancouver, 2014); in the windows of local businesses for Poetry in the Shops in Vancouver, WA; The Poeming Pigeon A Journal of Poetry and Prose: Doobie or Not Doobie (The Poetry Box, 2016); and on C-Tran buses from January – June 2015 for Poetry Moves. Her first full length book of poetry & short prose “Meet Me Where I Left You” was recently released by Printed Matter Vancouver. Buy the book at http://www.createspace.com/6452675

Daniel Xaysongkham, Dancer-Photographer-Videographer

Daniel is a Laotian-Thai-American, a dancer, a former US Marine, a videographer & much more. He loves singing in the shower, playing video games, teaching dance, and eating pineapple, but NOT on his pizza. Daniel has been dancing contemporary hip hop much of his life. During his 4 years of professional training at KU, his favorite dance has become ballet. In May 2017 Daniel will be awarded his BA in Dance from Kansas University. Next, he heads to family in Salina, KS and then to Sacramento, CA to pursue film and dance as his new career. Follow Daniel & Dxpert Image at https://www.facebook.com/dxpertimage/ & https://www.instagram.com/dxpert_image/

Casey Pycior, Midwest Writer

Casey tantalizes you with some readings from his new book, The Spoils. And through conversation with host Marcia Epstein about: The Midwest, Stories, Men, Books, Fathers & Sons, & PS: Writing Well Is Work.

Casey Pycior (pitcher) was born and raised in Kansas City. He earned his MFA in fiction writing at Wichita State University & his PhD in creative writing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He was awarded the Charles Johnson Fiction Prize at Crab Orchard Review. His stories have appeared in numerous journals, including Beloit Fiction Journal, Midwestern Gothic, Harpur Palate, Yalobusha Review, and Wigleaf. His debut short story collection, The Spoils, was just released by Switchgrass Books. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, with his wife & son. Follow Casey onTwitter @CaseyPycior and learn even more at www.CaseyPycior.com

Ronda Miller, Poet of Life

Ronda enjoys wandering the high plateau of northwest Kansas where the Arikaree Breaks whisper late into the sunset and scream into blizzards and thunderstorms. She is District President and State Vice President for Kansas Authors Club. As a life coach, she specializes in working with those who have lost someone to homicide. She also provides care for young children, specializing with those who have special needs. Ronda has poetry in numerous online and hard copy publications as well as at The Smithsonian Institute Archives. Miller’s books of poetry include “Going Home: Poems from My Life, “MoonStain”, and soon to be released, “WaterSigns” (Meadowlark Books, June 2017). Find Ronda Miller online or at one of the many Midwest poetry events where she is featured and/or she is enjoying the poetry of others.

Jennie Washburn, V.2017.3

Each month, the Transformational Jennie Washburn joins Talk With ME host, Marcia Epstein, for real life conversation. SelfCare, Fun, Expressing Expectations, Getting Involved in Community, & Goodness. Jennie is a Licensed Esthetician & a member of Spiritual Entrepreneurs, Pryor Transformation, Shift 2 Degrees, Lawrence Women’s Network, & One Hundred Good Women. She also enjoys being onstage, including as a two-time contestant in Transformations, a charity gala. Find Jennie at the annual 100 Good Women Clothing Exchange, hopefully at Mic Drop for Willow Domestic Violence Center, & at https://skincarebyjennie.net

Julie Unruh, Writer & Activist

Photos, journals, and poetry ARE memories, for people who have experienced brain trauma or other memory disorders.. Writer Julie Unruh is one of those people. Julie and partner Oliver A. Hall co-founded Global Green Publications, producing books and films. March 2017 they released the book “Silence,” with poetry & photography by Julie, plus additional photos by Oliver. Julie is also the author of “Vegetable Garden: A True Story,” an illustrated story of Julie’s recovery since her brain injury sustained in a car crash while on a family trip. Julie Unruh’s books are available by contacting her through www.facebook.com/julie.unruh.7

Matt Galletta, Writer of Poetry & More

Matt lives in upstate New York with his wife and daughter. A collection of his poems, The Ship Is Sinking, is available from Epic Rites Press. His fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of places, both print and online. Yep, that about covers it. Well, to clarify… “upstate New York,” it’s the Albany area. And unrelated to writing: he gardens, occasionally makes a batch of homebrew, & he’s been known to mow the lawn with a scythe. So listen, laugh, & hear some awesome poetry. Then follow Matt at twitter.com/MattGalletta Find out more at www.MattGalletta.com

Misti Rainwater-Lites, Writer & Visual Artist

Misti is the author of Bullshit Rodeo, on Epic Rites Press, and several other novels & poetry collections. Misti’s most recent chapbook is No Guns No Knives No Disco Biscuits, creative nonfiction flash published in 2016 by DevilHouse Press. Misti resides in rural Texas with her ex-husband and their son. Signed copies of Misti’s books and her original art are available via PayPal Roxixmas@gmail.com Follow her art blog at http://dondeestaeldiscochupacabra.blogspot.com

Kevin Rabas & Dennis Etzel, Jr., Writers & Friends

Dennis Etzel, Jr. lives with Carrie and the boys in Topeka, Kansas where he teaches English at Washburn University. He has an MFA from The University of Kansas, &an MA & Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies from KS State U. He has two chapbooks, The Sum of Two Mothers (ELJ Publications 2013) and My Graphic Novel (Kattywompus Press 2015), a poetic memoir My Secret Wars of 1984 (BlazeVOX 2015), and Fast-Food Sonnets (Coal City Review Press 2016). His work has appeared in Denver Quarterly, Indiana Review, BlazeVOX, Fact-Simile, 1913: a journal of poetic forms, 3:AM, Tarpaulin Sky, DIAGRAM, and others. He is a TALK Scholar for the Kansas Humanities Council and leads poetry workshops in various Kansas spaces. Please feel free to connect with him at dennisetzeljr.com www.DennisEtzelJr.com & http://DennisEtzelJr.blogspot.com

Julio Montalvo Valentin, Poet-Publisher

Julio is the author of two chapbooks, Don’t Give up the Ship & Ship Lost. He is an editor and founder of CWP Collective Press < www.cwp-press.com >, which also runs a Podcast called The Process  http://www.thinktwiceradio.com/cringers/cringers.html   He is a Blogger for Plurality Press  http://www.pluralitypress.com/julio-valentin  Julio is also an editor for Mutata Re, Erie Community College literary journal. He has been a featured reader from New Jersey to New Mexico and many a town in between. Julio has two forthcoming chapbooks in 2017, Ships and Giggles and Craigslist Diaries. He was recently published in an anthology called Recession in Neverland, The Le Mot Juste, and is currently revitalizing Buffalo State College's original literary magazine, Portrait. Julio is also a reluctant heart who’ll be reading at the April 2017 Kansas City Throw-down.  Follow Julio's adventures at www.facebook.com/CringeWorthyPoetsCollective

Diane Silver: Writer &amp; Political Activist

Diane Silver is a writer, political activist, & spiritual seeker who speaks about hope & an atheist’s faith to a variety of audiences. She has served as communications director for a candidate for Congress, a press secretary in a gubernatorial campaign, championed equality for LGBTQ people in bright red Kansas, & helped raise hundreds of millions of dollars for two Midwestern universities. Her writings have appeared in Ms., Salon.com, The Progressive, & many other venues.

Diane talks about her new book Your Daily Shot of Hope: Meditations for an Age of Despair, exploring the lived reality of hope, an emotion that both powers & heals. Hope provides us with the fuel we need to transform ourselves and our world, but in these unsettling times, hope can be difficult to find. Diane discusses a path to hope that is one part mindfulness, one part humor, and one part affirmation and audacity. As far as Diane is concerned, real hope provides room to grieve and acknowledges pain. Real hope recognizes challenges even as it thumbs its nose at the conventional wisdom that claims we can’t succeed.

Your Daily Shot of Hope: Meditations for an Age of Despair is available from Diane & at Amazon. Follow Diane Silver at www.HopeAndPolitics.com & www.DianeSilver.net

Jillian Armstrong, Dancer-Choreographer-Student

Jillian is Co-Producer, with Emily Holloman, of the dance performance, Elementum Show on March 10-11, 2017 at Kansas University. Jillian is currently a student of Dance at KU, heading toward a career as a Choreographer. She has studied both dance & tumbling since the age of 5; and has many years experience teaching these arts. The Elementum Show is a set of dances celebrating what is important in different people’s lives, in honor & memory of loved ones who have died of suicide, or who are struggling. The messages: you are not alone, it is ok to feel, it is ok to move on, and it is ok to focus on the positives, even as one who is grieving. Learn more at www.facebook.com/ElementumShow

Taurean LaCharles, Actor, V.2017, No.2

Taurean is a native of Lawrence, KS and a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied classical theatre. As an androgynous gay African-American male, Taurean has known discrimination throughout his life. Taurean and host Marcia Epstein engage in a lively conversation about Activism in Oscars Speeches & Films; Danger from Gender & Other Stereotypes; #LoveWins. Follow Taurean at www.facebook.com/Taurean.LaCharles

Matt Amott, Poet-Musician-Painter-Photographer-Publisher-Wanderer

Matt rambles around the Pacific Northwest, except when he’s ramblin’ around New Orleans. He is co-founder of Six Ft. Swells Press, which specializes in After Hours poetry. He has been published in numerous collections & his own books of poetry including The Coast Is Clear (Six Ft. Swells Press) & Get Well Soon (Epic Rites Press). He has read at events in CA, WA, OR, WA, & Louisiana. Matt favors the short poem, as most of his writing is done on cocktail napkins while exploring bars & taverns across the country looking for music, love, lust, heartbreak, whiskey, beer, & that perfect jukebox. Photos & paintings by Matt at
www.etsy.com/shop/ArtByAmott Follow Matt’s writing at Six Ft. Swells Press on Facebook or https://AfterHoursPoetry.com

Transformational Jennie Washburn, V.2017.2

About Russian Gypsy Fortune Telling Cards, KS Weather Is…, Transformations 2017, One Hundred Good Women, Death Is…, & more. All with love & laughter!
One Hundred Good Women Accessories Exchange – 2/26
Sunday the 26th 1-4pm at Eagles Lodge #309, 1803 W. 6th
www.facebook.com/events/1747736208888948/
Find Jennie & friends-family out & about for: music, burger specials, camping, any event with Brandon Eisman &/or Loretta Martin, & other goodness.
Or, yes, at the work she loves! https://SkinCareByJennie.net/

Jay Wachs, Founder &amp; Owner of LawrenceHits.com

Jay is a 33 year broadcast radio & television veteran on-air personality, voice-over artist & station manager. Jay moved to Lawrence in 2011 to be the General Manager of KLWN & its related stations. He founded LawrenceHits.com in 2013 as a community based Oldies radio station that focuses on growing the profits of locally owned & operated Lawrence businesses. He now also owns stations in Cleveland, Chicago, LA & Yuma, Arizona. Jay believes “As it is good in the community, so it is good with you and me.” Follow Jay’s adventures through http://www.LawrenceHits.com

Wachs discusses his relocation back to Lawrence, establishing Lawrence Kansas as the permanent corporate headquarters for Wachs Media and his plans for HITS locally as well as an update on the company.

For more information contact Jay at 785-764-8380 or jay@lawrencehits.com

John Yamrus, Poet of Pennsylvania

Since 1970 John Yamrus has published 25 volumes of poetry and 2 novels. He exploded onto the national poetry scene after winning the prestigious Wakefield Poetry Prize. He has had more than 1,800 poems published in print magazines around the world. Selections of his poetry have been translated into several languages, including Spanish, Swedish, French, Japanese, Italian, Romanian, Albanian and Bengali. His poetry is taught in a number of colleges and universities. I ADMIT NOTHING from Epic Rites Press is his newest book. John’s advice to poets: read, write, read, edit, read, send for publications, read, and most of all, persist. Follow John, and buy the books, at http://www.johnyamrus.com

Huascar Medina, Poet-Playwright-Actor-Singer-Artist

Huascar has lived artfully in Topeka, Kansas since 2001. His hometown was San Antonio, TX but he does not miss things that do not fit in his ticket pocket. Huascar’s work encompasses deep imagery and metaphor. His time is well spent performing theater, singing and writing. He is a member of Topeka’s Speak Easy Poetry Group and the Red Tail Collective in Lawrence. His first published poem appeared in HomeWords: A Project of former Kansas Poet Laureate Wyatt Townley. Huascar’s words can be found in Reverberated Echoes: A Kansas City Reader (Asinimali Publications) and Prompts! : A Spontaneous Anthology by the poets of Poetic Underground (39 West Press). How to Hang the Moon, his first published collection of work was published by Spartan Press in February 2017 as part of their POP! Poetry series. Follow Huascar at http://www.facebook.com/huascar.medina