Present Poetry

H.L. Dowless has been a writer for more than 30 years. He also enjoys traveling, writing, and living life on the edge.

"My name is Jacob Phillips. I am thirty three years old. I’m born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. I enjoy fishing, thrift stores, estate sales, vintage clothing and antiques. I love old items because I myself am an old soul. My friends call me papaw. I’ve been writing for about fifteen years now. I have never been published. It’s always been such a good outlet for me. I struggle with bi polar disorder. Writing is a great coping mechanism for me. I have recently just started to look into getting published. "

Ant Mac has been a poet/writer for over thirty years. He writes for both adults and children.

He has been published in a number of poetry magazines, journals and anthologies, including: The Coffee People, The Pavement magazine, Eclipse Lit, ANU, Open Door, The Wise Owl and The Space Cadet Review.

He has written two children's books: The Tale of Little Beak and Toby and Ben. He has also published two poetry collections: When Nature Calls: Sea, Air and Land and more recently, Down the Hatch: A Rhyming History of Drinks.

J. Matthew Giles (or Gillespie) is a Canadian/American author, artist and musician.

He has a BS in Language Arts and MS in Education, and he started his career with crayons and worked his way up to arts editor for the early midwestern literary newspapers: Sound and End Process.

When not teaching, he enjoys spending long evening in his studio with family and friends. He currently resides in Little Canada; or as most know it, St. Paul, MN.

Faiza Anum is a poet and occasional translator from Lahore, Pakistan.

Her work has appeared in RAFT Magazine, The Pinch Journal (US), Transnational Literature (Australia), Stoneboat Literary Journal (US), The Stonecoast Review (US), Essential Voices: A Covid-19 Anthology (West Virginia University Press), The Ghazal Page, Eastern Structures, and elsewhere.

Her poem “Travelling Tales” was a finalist for Open Road Review Poetry Prize 2015.

Tom Ward (often credited as Thomas Ward) is a writer living in Atlanta, GA in the Kirkwood neighborhood.

A major theme of his work is the deconstruction of faith, breaking free of evangelicalism, and mental health.

He wrote the screenplay for the independent film INTERNATIONAL FALLS starring Rachael Harris and Rob Huebel.

His first self-published collection of poetry, BICENTENNIAL BABY is available online at Barnes and Noble.

Tamer Said Mostafa (he/him/his) is a therapist, poet, and storyteller from Stockton, California.

His work has appeared in literary journals and magazines such as Guernica, Confrontation, Prairie Schooner, and Freezeray, among others.

Tamer is a Best of the Net and Pushcart nominee, and a graduate of the Creative Writing program at University of California, Davis.

Come hear some poetry from this year's edition of the Talon Literary Journal! Read by members of the publication team.

"Infested" by Lily Miller

"Trapped in My Bed" by Eleanor Manning

"What is Fear" by Alayna Nightingale

"Skin and Bones" by Maddie Barnes

"Unvisited Mentors" by Laurence Foshee

"Advanced Composition: by Kathleen Garrison

"In Cedar" by Liam McAlpin

"Gadu" by Paden Weavel

"From the Dirt" by Natalie Parker

Born and residing in Greece, she holds a degree in English Literature, has completed postgraduate studies in Ethics, and earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Her literary work includes poetry, prose, and theatrical plays that explore deep existential themes.

A.S. Coomer is a writer & musician. He was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel for his social & creative work. Books include BIRTH OF A MONSTER, THE FETISHISTS, SONGS FOR LEAVING, FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, SHINING THE LIGHT, MEMORABILIA, & many others.

He runs Lost, Long Gone, Forgotten Records, a "record label" for poetry.

Follow him at ascoomer.com

We're reading poems from Songs for Leaving, Flirting with Disaster, and Other Poems.