Fevers of the Mind Issue 11: the Lone Road



My mediation on childhood, a summer day & my Amish mother is published in Fevers of the Mind Poetry, Art & Music Issue 11: The Lone Road - NOW AVAILABLE!  

#PlainRainbows


 * I was honored to finally meet in person and co-present with my Plain Rainbows podcast co-host Mary Byler at the 15th Annual Champions of Children Conference on Amish issues (presented by the Children's Advocacy Center of Illinois). 



March 5-7, 2024 15th Annual Champions of Children Conference Speaker Spotlight 

Mary Byler, Born Amish, is the CEO of The Misfit Amish, an organization they founded to create and provide meaningful and educational resources for survivors, medical and legal support systems. They are certified in social and behavioral research by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative and serves as a researcher and cultural advisor for the Lock Haven University study on child sexual abuse in conservative Anabaptist communities. They are actively working on publication of a peer reviewed study on Amish and Anabaptist Child Sexual Abuse with Tara Mitchell PHD, Lock Haven University, presenting educational information to Healthcare Providers, Domestic Violence Advocates and CYS/DHS to bridge the cultural gaps, while collaborating with The Plain People’s Podcast, other professionals and experts to continue creating resources that will enable Amish and Mennonites to access information that meets them where they are.

As an educator and advocate for Amish children, they collaborate with other organizations and agencies to provide research supported and evidence-based best practice-based resources for Amish / Plain communities and survivors. A medical coder by profession, Byler also holds a Master certificate in life coaching, multiple certifications in trauma awareness, and specializes in working with survivors from cults and conservative sectarian religious groups. Byler was a co-creator of an exhibit in Lancaster County on Amish/Plain clothing and sexual assault. They produce audio and video recordings of Amish / Plain survivor stories, focusing on LGBTQ survivor stories.

WITNESS PODCAST

SOFT WHITE UNDERBELLY  

Psychedelic Healing Shack Poetry Pop-Up!



Come through for my poetry reading! I will be joining a great lineup of Detroit talent on Sunday March 3rd, 2024 (4:20 pm) at the Psychedelic Healing Shack!  


Soft White Underbelly meets Plain Rainbows!

Bravo and thank you to to my fabulous Plain Rainbows: LGBTQ Amish and Anabaptist Stories co-host Mary Byler for sharing her truth with Soft White Underbelly! This is a beautiful interview. 

“Resurget Cineribus”

 Early in the year I try to post my plans for any new / forthcoming work or book. After 2 fiction novellas my attention is returning to poetry although I do not have plans for a book as of now.


As you may know from my Instagram I survived a building fire in Dec. which caused me to lose everything but my life. 

In 1805 the entire City of Detroit burned down. 

The Detroit flags Latin inscription reads “Speramus meliora, resurget cineribus” translating to “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes.” Detroit rose from the ashes symbolizing rebirth / resilience. 

There are always lessons to learn from history. 

My latest Detroit inspired "Night Portrait of The Fisher Building" is in Roi Fainéant Press' issue 56: Bag of Tricks and can be read here.  

Best of 2023 📚 🧛‍♂️

 My thanks to Alien Buddha Press for my poem / photo in the Best of 2023 anthology, dropping Dec. 30!

#FREETHEBOOKS


The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America 

One happy day in my childhood I received my first public library card. It unlocked the wider world apart from my rural Amish existence allowing me to travel the world and across time. Since childhood I have always loved to read and still do today. 

In our current age of book bans the world's libraries are as vital as ever.

In addition to housing the knowledge and wisdom of the ages libraries serve as a community resource hub and where people can attain resources.

My books are banned by the Amish church for their secular (aka gay) content so I can personally attest to book bannings. 

To that end I have placed copies of my recent novella Long Lost Friend (Alien Buddha Press) with various libraries: 


                                            The American Library in Paris 





Little Free Library - 6 Mile & Woodward Ave, Highland Park, MI. 

Loving You... After Dark



The Alien Buddha Loves You anthology is now available for purchase via Amazon! Includes my poems Unbutton the Shirt Slowly, After Hours and The Italian Bed

IceFloe Press: Motown Love Poem

My MOTOWN LOVE POEM has been published via IceFloe Press Geographies series (You can also find the poem in my collection Motor City Mix)!

Art: “detroit glitch & glitter” a visual poem by Robert Frede Kenter   

Not A Tame Lion (2022) documentary


When I was in my 20s clubbing I met someone who had known John Boswell and gave me a copy of his book. Probably the most important book I have ever read, really. 

Alien Buddha Zine #56 - Now Available!

Alien Buddha zine #56 is now available via Amazon

Fevers of the Mind Issue 8: Inspire Me


FEVERS OF THE MIND ISSUE 8: INSPIRE ME NOW AVAILABLE!

 Poetry & art inspired by Prince, Lana Del Rey, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Ava Gardner, Iggy Pop, Jack Kerouac, Meat Loaf, Portishead, John Keats, Gregory Corso, Beth Hart, The Cure, Morrissey, Bruce Springsteen, Buddy Holly, The National, Nick Drake, Syd Barrett, KD Lang, Monet, Picasso, Walt Whitman, Burroughs, Joni Mitchell & more.


Interviews with Damon Krukowski (Damon & Naomi/Galaxie 500/Magic Hour), Jolie Holland, Britta Phillips (from 2022 Dean & Britta, Luna) Frank Watkinson (from 2022) & Franz Nicolay (Hold Steady,World/Inferno Friendship Society)

Contributors include: David L O'Nan, HilLesha O'Nan, Geoffrey Wren, Carla Sarett, Giuseppina Brandi, Margaret Vibolsittiseri, Jennifer Patino, Marisa Silva-Dunbar, rp Verlaine, Jackie Chou, Adrian Ernesto Cepeda, Sarah Wallis, Pasithea Chan, Monica Sharp, Matthew Freeman, Margaret Royall, Shine Ballard, Merritt Waldon, Mukund Gnanadesikan, Laura Grevel, Jeremy Limn, Dunstan Carter, Jared Morningstar, Ryan Keating, Lawrence Miles, Kevin Hibshman, Christina Strigas, James Schwartz, Nick Lacke, R.G. Evans, Clive Gresswell, Norb Aikin, Stephen Kingsnorth, Ethan McGuire, John Donley, Elizabeth Cusack

Plain Rainbows: Seth


A special episode of Plain Rainbows: LGBTQ Amish and Anabaptist Stories with special co-host Sam and guest Seth on his new book Finally Free!  

Roi Fainéant Press Merch! 👕 ☕


 I was honored to find a home for my poem "Birds" with Roi Fainéant Press back in April (issue 36 - Hips). Support indie lit! 

La Petite Bête   

#LGBTHistoryMonth

 Happy LGBT History Month! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ #makinghistory #PlainRainbows 

#librarycardsignupmonth


Happy to donate a copy of 'Long Lost Friend' to the Detroit Public Library today! 

Happy Birthday to "Sunset in Rome"!

 

Released a year ago today from Alien Buddha Press  - Happy 1st birthday to my novella Sunset in Rome

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"The Literary Party: Growing Up Gay and Amish in America" Book Reviews + Media Highlights

THE LITERARY PARTY: GROWING UP GAY AND AMISH IN AMERICA  (EBOOK)   BOOK REVIEWS:   As a country boy in Kentucky, I’m acquainted with the Ami...