Back Porch Writer

TRACIE E. CHRISTIAN, Authoress, Poet, On-Air Radio Personality, Playwright, Educator & Motivational Speaker. Born and raised in Detroit, MI Ms. Christian has worked tirelessly in both the arts and education arenas in and throughout metropolitan Detroit. After several years teaching with Detroit & Hamtramck Public Schools, Tracie worked diligently as Children's Fair Coordinator for the Detroit Festival of the Arts, as well as, Mosaic Youth Theater and Girl Scouts of Metropolitan Detroit. 

In 2004, Christian created a non-profit literary arts organization, KTE Foundation for Literary Discovery in an effort to produce youth oriented events designed to rejuvenate excitement around literacy. In 2007, she released the debut installment of her urban fiction trilogy book series chronicling the experiences of four young women during their first year attending a historically black college, The Black College Sabbatical - Fall Quarter. The second installment, The Black College Sabbatical - Winter Quarter was released in March, 2009. The third and final installment of the series, The Black College Sabbatical - Spring Quarter was released January, 2014. Books from the series are available in print on www.amazon.com In 2009, Tracie merged with Literary Partner, Adra Young to create, The Live Ladies of Literature Book Tour, which later morphed into a productive artistic movement where she wrote and co-produced three monologue shows. Tracie has since released updated 2nd editions of The Black College Sabbatical -FALL & WINTER QUARTERS and the 1st edition of SPRING QUARTER via www.createspace.com estore

Adam Falkner is the Founder and Executive Director of the Dialogue Arts Project and a doctoral student in English Education at Columbia University Teachers College. His work has recently appeared in Painted Bride Quarterly, Thrush Poetry Journal, Anti-and elsewhere, and has been twice-nominated for a Puschart Prize.Adam has toured the United States as a featured artist, speaker and trainer at hundreds of colleges and universities, and was the featured performer at President Obama’s Grassroots Ball at the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. His work has been featured on HBO, BET, Michigan and New York Public Radio, in Time Out New York, The New York Times, and elsewhere. He is currently an instructor of English Education at Columbia University Teachers College, and a curriculum consultant for the Academy for Young Writers in Brooklyn. www.adamfalknerarts.com I www.dialogueartsproject.com

Author and teacher, Christine Amsden returns to the Back Porch tonight. We're talking about Gods, Goddesses, and the trouble they cause. 

Kori also tells you what you may have missed and who's coming up on Back Porch Writer next! 

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About the Author:

Mr. Hobbs (Mark Hobson) is from Lincoln, NE, where he competed on the University of Nebraska men's gymnastics team. Following graduation, he coached club level children's gymnastics, where he discovered their love for stories. The name "Mr. Hobbs" comes from a stuffed frog that Mr. Hobson played with as a child at his grandmother's hosue. Mr. Hobbs now resides in a place of honor in the author's home. Mr. Hobson currently lives in Omaha, NE. with his wife Ann and their youngest daughter, Sarah, who paints beautiful pictures with her music. He enjoys continuing to share his love of stories with all ages.

About the Illustrator:

Molly Hobson studied art education at the University of Nebraska where she developed her talent for interpreting children's stories through her illustrations. This is her second book collaboration with her dad, Mark Hobson, and she is currently working on her own writing projects. Ms. Hobson enjoys creating beautiful images that encourage children to both follow and never give up on their dreams.

Get caught up on what you may have missed, and hear who's coming onto the show next!

There are several writing conferences coming up. Which ones are your favorites?

Hugh Howey and others released their new author earning report titled: The Tenured vs. Debut Author Report. You can read it here.

There's quite a bit of interesting, and eye-ooening information included. Kori highlights a few of their findings in today's episode.

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Michelle Troxclair is a mother of three: a daughter and two sons.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Public Administration.  Currently, she is pursuing a second Master’s in Fine Arts in Poetry all from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  She has been writing poetry and performing as a spoken word artist for 15 years. She’s hosted open mics at Cartier’s and Love’s Jazz and Arts Center, and is co-hosting Verbal Gumbo at the House of Loom, with Felicia Webster.  Michelle is a member of the poetry troop The Wordsmiths, a traveling spoken word group performing original works in the African-American oral tradition. Troxclair self-published a book of poetry called The Cleansing in 2006, and was published in 2 anthologies: The Empty Room Poetry From The Series © November 2009 “Gertrude” and Les Femme Folles: Women of 2012 © 2012 “I AM.”  Upcoming projects include a documentary, Grey Matter, discussing and showcasing the plight and experiences of bi-racial people in the US, a verse-play titled “From the Ashes,” highlighting the perception of the role of women in modern society’s roots in Biblical scripture, and a non-fiction  novel titled, “The Skeptics Guide to the Unorthodox Christian.”

Vashti's book titled, The Basement, is a middle grade book filled with, well, just keep reading:

“A kid should not be aware of his own heartbeat”, he thought.

Never forget the unexplored territories in your own back yard, or under your house.  Here, Vashti Quiroz-Vega gives voice to the young inhabitants of one neighborhood where things are more than they seem.

Robbie is an ordinary boy in a normal world, as we first enter the neighborhood and witness an idyllic scene of prepubescent children at play; but what happens in silence and in the dark will amaze you.   Join Robbie as he journeys to explore unknown and forgotten tales of intrigue, fear and blind faith.

Ask yourself:

What kinds of monsters lurk in your world?

What will you do when you can no longer see?

The Basement is a tale of angst, teamwork and solutions, of treasure hunts and adventure, and of facing your fears.  It is a focus on the small- but everything- world of one group of pre-teens and the very real and wondrous world they face, and it is a take-away resource.

What will you take away?

A.K. Kuykendall was born in Albany, Georgia, but grew up as a military brat on the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), and later at the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He is married and is the proud father of three sons. His true passion in life is writing thought-provoking novels that blend the concepts of fact and fiction. Visit the author's website at http://www.thewriterofbooks.com

The Possession is a dark, horror story, a psychological thriller, and a labyrinthine cryptogram that the reader must unravel one scene at a time. With no way to tell what is truth and what is fiction from Gregory’s perspective, the reader is led to wonder how much of this novel is autobiographical information from the real author’s perspective, taking the horror factor from the realm of fiction into the realm of possibility. As part one of the Writer’s Block Trilogy, The Possession leaves the reader on the edge of his seat, chewing his nails, anxiously waiting for a resolution.

Author Mike Robinson returns to tell us about his latest book titled, Too Much Dark Matter, Too Little Gray: A Collection of Weird Fiction. It's available from Curiosity Quills Press. 

All of the stories are of the sci-fi / metaphysical / surreal persuasion. 

It's never too early for a little spookiness! 

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