TalkWithME

Mish (Eileen) Murphy lives with her husband and three dogs near Tampa, Florida. She takes photos & creates photo arts; writes poetry & book reviews; and teaches literature and English at Polk State College, Lakeland, Florida. Mish graduated with a B.A. from New College, Sarasota, in French and Russian. She has a J.D. degree summa cum laude from Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida. And her M.A. is in Fiction Writing/Teaching of Writing from Columbia College, Chicago. Her recent book reviews are published in Cultural Weekly, BLARB, Tinderbox Journal, Glass, Crab Fat, and Rain Taxi. Find her reviews for Cultural Weekly at https://www.culturalweekly.com/author/eileen_murphy/ Her poetry has been widely published in literary journals including, recently, in Rogue Agent, Tinderbox Journal (nominated for Pushcart Prize), Thirteen Myna Birds, Writing In A Woman’s Voice, Deaf Poet’s Society, The American Journal of Poetry, The Thought Erotic, Yes Poetry, The Open Mouse, and a number of others. Eileen Murphy’s photography has been published in journals such as Peacock Journal, Tiferet Journal, The Indian River Review, and Calyx Journal, and shown in galleries in Florida and New Mexico.

Follow Mish (Eileen) Murphy at https://MishMurphy.com for her blogs about her latest poems, articles, reviews, and photos.

Mish (Eileen) Murphy lives with her husband and three dogs near Tampa, Florida. She takes photos & creates photo arts; writes poetry & book reviews; and teaches literature and English at Polk State College, Lakeland, Florida. Mish graduated with a B.A. from New College, Sarasota, in French and Russian. She has a J.D. degree summa cum laude from Stetson University College of Law, Gulfport, Florida. And her M.A. is in Fiction Writing/Teaching of Writing from Columbia College, Chicago. Her recent book reviews are published in Cultural Weekly, BLARB, Tinderbox Journal, Glass, Crab Fat, and Rain Taxi. Find her reviews for Cultural Weekly at https://www.culturalweekly.com/author/eileen_murphy/ Her poetry has been widely published in literary journals including, recently, in Rogue Agent, Tinderbox Journal (nominated for Pushcart Prize), Thirteen Myna Birds, Writing In A Woman’s Voice, Deaf Poet’s Society, The American Journal of Poetry, The Thought Erotic, Yes Poetry, The Open Mouse, and a number of others. Eileen Murphy’s photography has been published in journals such as Peacock Journal, Tiferet Journal, The Indian River Review, and Calyx Journal, and shown in galleries in Florida and New Mexico.

Follow Mish (Eileen) Murphy at https://MishMurphy.com for her blogs about her latest poems, articles, reviews, and photos.

Joseph Shields was born outside Milwaukee, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later from Loyola University of Chicago. He spent two and a half years in the Peace Corps in Jamaica from 1990-1992 before relocating to Austin, Texas with his wife (also a former PC volunteer). His poems have appeared in a number of different poetry magazines, including Slipstream, Sheila-Na-Gig, Pearl, Chiron Review, among others, and he has a few of chapbooks in print (Wisconsin Daze, No Escape and Other Poems, and W9GRF and the Dance that Never Ends). In spring 1996, Joseph founded Nerve Cowboy Magazine, with a kindred spirit, Jerry Hagins, and 22 years later we are getting ready to release Issue 44. He plays in a band called The Counterfactual, along with three other social scientists (as this is what we do for day jobs). Being involved in art, poetry, and music makes the day job a bit easier to manage.

Nerve Cowboy info at: https://www.facebook.com/Nerve-Cowboy-240567569317649/

Joseph Shields was born outside Milwaukee, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later from Loyola University of Chicago. He spent two and a half years in the Peace Corps in Jamaica from 1990-1992 before relocating to Austin, Texas with his wife (also a former PC volunteer). His poems have appeared in a number of different poetry magazines, including Slipstream, Sheila-Na-Gig, Pearl, Chiron Review, among others, and he has a few of chapbooks in print (Wisconsin Daze, No Escape and Other Poems, and W9GRF and the Dance that Never Ends). In spring 1996, Joseph founded Nerve Cowboy Magazine, with a kindred spirit, Jerry Hagins, and 22 years later we are getting ready to release Issue 44. He plays in a band called The Counterfactual, along with three other social scientists (as this is what we do for day jobs). Being involved in art, poetry, and music makes the day job a bit easier to manage.

Nerve Cowboy info at: https://www.facebook.com/Nerve-Cowboy-240567569317649/

Since 1970 John Yamrus has published 26 volumes of poetry, 2 novels and one volume of non-fiction. He has also had nearly 2,000 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, Estonian and Bengali. His poetry is regularly taught in colleges and universities. His newest book, MEMORY LANE, a memoir looking back at his childhood growing up in a Pennsylvania coal mining community, is already a highly-praised addition to his published work. Buy MEMORY LANE and more at Epic Rites Press, www.EpicRites.org

Follow John Yamrus at www.JohnYamrus.com

Since 1970 John Yamrus has published 26 volumes of poetry, 2 novels and one volume of non-fiction. He has also had nearly 2,000 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, Estonian and Bengali. His poetry is regularly taught in colleges and universities. His newest book, MEMORY LANE, a memoir looking back at his childhood growing up in a Pennsylvania coal mining community, is already a highly-praised addition to his published work. Buy MEMORY LANE and more at Epic Rites Press, www.EpicRites.org

Follow John Yamrus at www.JohnYamrus.com

Jennie Washburn & Talk With ME host Marcia Epstein share their conversation about Gratitude, Planning Goodness, Female Impersonators, the Intersection of Art & Mental Health, Connections, Intentions for 2018, & Love. Jennie is a Licensed Esthetician who hosts The Goddess Within women’s circle in Lawrence, KS www.facebook.com/The-Goddess-Within-252751568549725/ Jennie also enjoys being onstage, including as a two-time contestant in Transformations, a charity gala. Host ME is a social worker specializing in suicide prevention, as well as support for trans and gender nonconforming people. Learn more at https://MarciaEpstein.biz

James grew up in Sweetwater, Illinois. He left home at the age of 13 and quickly learned how to survive on the streets under the guidance of thieves, prostitutes, junkies, con men, drug dealers, murderers and other characters. At the age of 14, he began hopping freight trains across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Soon after he joined a gang and began walking the circle of the revolving door we call the system. It was there he was introduced to literature and poetry by his cell mate who also encouraged him to start writing. Upon his release, six years ago, he began to take writing seriously. He attended open mic’s and met other like minded individuals who shared his passion for the written word. His work can be found online and in print in such places as The blood machine, gutter eloquence, five 2 one, Midnight Lane Gallery, Spokane shorties, Railtown Almanac and most recently Brenton Booth’s Asylum Floor. James also has a chapbook “A city under siege” which is no longer in print. If you would like to contact James Decay, you can do so via Facebook.

James grew up in Sweetwater, Illinois. He left home at the age of 13 and quickly learned how to survive on the streets under the guidance of thieves, prostitutes, junkies, con men, drug dealers, murderers and other characters. At the age of 14, he began hopping freight trains across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Soon after he joined a gang and began walking the circle of the revolving door we call the system. It was there he was introduced to literature and poetry by his cell mate who also encouraged him to start writing. Upon his release, six years ago, he began to take writing seriously. He attended open mic’s and met other like minded individuals who shared his passion for the written word. His work can be found online and in print in such places as The blood machine, gutter eloquence, five 2 one, Midnight Lane Gallery, Spokane shorties, Railtown Almanac and most recently Brenton Booth’s Asylum Floor. James also has a chapbook “A city under siege” which is no longer in print. If you would like to contact James Decay, you can do so via Facebook.

Johnny Longfellow is the editor of the online poetry sites, BAD ACID LABORATORIES, INC, https://badacidlaboratories.wordpress.com/ and Midnight Lane Boutique https://midnightlanegalleryii.wordpress.com/. His own poetry has appeared in a variety of small press journals, including The Barefoot Muse, The Blue Mountain Review, The Five Two, The Literary Hatchet, The Road Not Taken, The Rotary Dial, and other venues. For over twenty years he has served as a mentor to Newburyport, MA high school students through the Poetry Soup reading program, and has also been a featured poet at The Newburyport Literary Festival, The Powow River Poets’ Reading Series, and The Hyla Brook Poets’ Reading Series, as held at the Robert Frost Farm in Derry, NH.

You can find links to some of his published poetry at Heeeeeere’s Johnny . . . Longfellow, That Is https://midnightlanegalleryii.wordpress.com/heeeeeeres-johnny-longfellow-that-is/ and follow him on Twitter @BAD_ACID_LABS.