The Poets

Just keep swimming 

Nyx C

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Mitch here. Heads up that for a lot of this episode—basically all of it—Nyx and I discuss our experiences growing up in and leaving the LDS church (Mormons). We hit on some heavy topics, and we express our unedited thoughts and feelings about the kind of abuses of power that, again and again, are seen as direct results of organized religion. I speak only for myself here, though I think both of us express in this episode feeling that it is necessary to talk openly about our experiences in the hopes that good can come of it. If you're in the LDS church and happen to come across this, know that there is a lot more love in the world that does not come from the church. Those are my thoughts on the matter.

In the red corner, weighing in at 80 Serbian Kilos, the champion of humor and heartache, a Poet who’s never afraid to throw a punchline—ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Sasha “Max Jaw” T.!

He writes short stories, comedy, poetry, film reviews, and draws comics like a pro. The northwestern sky, just after sunset, is his favorite. He’s got a knack for expression in verse and always spells “Love” with a capital L.

Comedy is his mistress, Poetry his wife, and creativity his life. When he’s not creating, it’s like taking a body blow: sickness in the stomach, misery in the veins, and depression in the air. He’s not always the easiest to get along with, and he’s been known to say some stupid shit, but hey—he’s here to learn, even if it means risking sounding like a fool.

Stepping into the ring with a pen in one hand and a wild imagination in the other, ready to deliver the knockout prose… Sasha “Max Jaw” T!

Check out maxjaw.com for my work

@maxjawofficial (for social.)

Girl “i have a haiku about this” Harbor is a poet now based in Chattanooga, TN. Girl Harbor is not sad. Any small thing in life will likely fill her with great joy. In this episode, you will hear her write out many of her issues, but you should know she’s just happy to be here. Girl Harbor loves to sing, write, meet new folks, and hang out with old friends. A dabbler at the core, she can tell you about any of her abundant hobbies, if you ask. If you would like ask, you can find her on instagram at er5in_

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**Mitch here. Some more recording woes—we were using a video meeting to record this episode, and I accidentally had my webcam selected for my audio instead of my mic. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Girl Harbor sounds good though, and that's what matters.

Photo to come! (I forgot to ask Ira for one and am scheduling this to post late at night, sorry)

For almost 40 years, Ira Liss has performed as actor, improviser, pianist, singer, songwriter, show host, interviewer, performance poet, entertainer and more.

He began his onstage career in NYC, doing standup comedy, singing his original songs at cabaret venues, joining  several theater improv companies, and working as an improv actor/company member of a murder mystery dinner theater that presented shows at dozens of venues all over Manhattan.

He has acted in several plays in Colorado, most notably as co-creator, co-director, and actor in an original musical, Breaking Open, which was performed on the Front Range and in NYC.

He’s performed his one-man shows, Piano, Poetry & Passion, on the CU-Boulder campus, at the Dairy Center, and as part of the Boulder International Fringe Festival, where he won an Audience-Choice Award.

Currently, he hosts a monthly variety-talk show called,  Boulder Tonight (directed by Hektor Munoz), featuring guest artists who perform their original works and are interviewed about their life and art. The show also features house band, Black Market Translation – the band of Punketry, a monthly, musical/poetry event.

He performs his original works, mostly improvised, with freestyle musical band, Art Compost & the Word Mechanics, in a Sunday evening time slot called, the Jam Before the Slam, at the Mercury Café in Denver.

On Sundays, he can be seen playing piano and improvi–sing arrangements of American Songbook melodies of the last century in the Mercury Café’s main dining room.

He has served as piano accompanist for Red Thread Playback Theater as well as several musical improv theater groups.

Video recordings of his various performances can be seen on his YouTube channel, @TheIraLissShow (https://www.youtube.com/
@TheIraLissShow/playlistb).

MWB (Mark Boczar) is a poet seeking to understand, and in the process, be understood. His work explores themes of love, identity, resilience, and the beauty to be found in every person, place & experience. Drawing inspiration from living remotely while traveling the United States and the rich tapestry of human emotion, his poetry blends his optimism for growing into the humans we are called to be with a deep sense of vulnerability. Since arriving in Denver, MWB has been a regular performer at the Mercury Café’s legendary Friday night poetry open-mic, using poetry as a way to connect and to navigate both the personal and the universal. If you relate to his words or simply wish to connect, he can be reached at: [email protected].

Setlist:

Uche Ogbuji, more properly Úchèńnà Ogbújí, is a poet, spoken word performer and DJ. Author of two award-winning books of poetry, Ndewo, Colorado, 2013 (Colorado Book Award Winner), and Ńchéfù Road, 2022 (Christopher Smart Prize). He fell in love with poetry, spoken word and DJ crafts while studying engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, a campus legendary for its artistic movements. His work connects many immigrant and cross-cultural threads, including Igbo culture, European classicism, American Mountain West setting, Hip-Hop and afrofuturism. He has settled near Boulder, Colorado after much world wandering, serves on the board of the Colorado Poets Center, and as Boulder County Arts Fellow for Literature and Music.

Uche is also a software engineer and entrepreneur at the forefront of implementing AI, and often ponders that intersection of his creative career with the emerging technology he builds for work. You can catch him on the AI DIY podcast show.

With the given name Kaelie Barcus, I am here to express my spirit to you. "Old Turtle" is the umbrella artist name I've chosen to encompass all of my offerings and outlets for creative healing. 

1:1 and group offerings embody the practices of Yin Yoga, Plant Communion & Vitalist Herbalism, and Re-Wilding.

My chosen outlets for creative healing include: Writing poetry and stream of consciousness prose, music, symbolistic Universal flatwork creations in the form of paintings, ink, pastels, and more, Wild Feminine magic, wilderness exploration, shadow + light work, solo ceremonial entheogenic traveling, elemental play and becoming (communing with the four directions + Fire, Water, Wind, Earth), walking alongside others as we find our way back home to the Earthly Cosmos; all in devotion to truth and wonder.

Today The Poets change it up by featuring the show's first guest host, Racine Frank, interviewing Deneishia LeArtiste.

Deneishia LeArtiste is a performance artist embracing the storytelling traditions of her multi-cultural lineage — drawing from the Western European bard, West African Griot, and Ogallala teachings. She unites communities by exploring ancestral experiences through poetry, visual arts, music, movement, and culinary arts. LeArtiste hosts the podcast, "From Heart to Art," delving into the connection between creativity and holistic well-being. She has produced a short film and soundtrack titled “Origin Story” and authored two books: *Everything Hurts* and *Fu*k The Fairy Tale: The Art of Living Happily Ever After*.

Find Deneishia's works and more info here.

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Racine Frank began writing poetry in December 2019 during her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ethiopia. She started by writing haikus and then branched into free verse poetry incorporating rhyming schemes. From an early age, she traveled to and lived in multiple countries with Ethiopia being a time of tremendous growth and transformation. Her writing surrounds the power of love – not only for others, but for oneself. With love being the core of her creative writing, Racine explores other aspects of life that aid in the self-discovery and evolution of individuals. She recently shared with the world her first ever self-published poetry chapbook titled Conversations with Self. She is enthusiastic about creativity, whether that be in the form of dancing, singing, writing, or inspiring others to live life to the fullest.

Follow the link to purchase Racine’s book, Conversations with Self.

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]

Micah Aaron Ferguson is a Texan-born poet who lives and writes in the suburbs of Denver. He has published one collection of poetry in 2016 under the name Micah-Nahum Ferguson entitled Brighter This Time (iUniverse Publishing) and is currently crafting pieces for a new collection. He performs at The Mercury Cafe and other spaces in downtown Denver. He can be reached at [email protected]

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Questions? Comments? Want to be featured? Email [email protected]