Bios

Mark Abley is an acclaimed Canadian Programming. He co-edited the recent “Bohemian Veneer,” for New York’s Paper journalist and poet. He is a winner of a The Collected Poems of Ted Berrigan with Magazine. Guggenheim Fellowshop, and author of a his mother, Alice Notley, and his brother, Robert Bly is a renowned translator and recent book of poems, The Silver Palace Edmund Berrigan. He is in his third year of author of numerous poetry collections, in- Restaurant, and Spoken Here: Travels an already remarkable tenure as Director cluding Eating the Honey of Words, What Among Threatened Languages. of the St. Mark’s Poetry Project. Have I Ever Lost by Dying? Collected Prose Dr. Oluseye Peter Adesola from Nigeria Ann Biersteker teaches African studies Poems, and Meditations on the Insatiable is a Professor of Linguistics and Yoruba and African literature and languages at Soul. His cultural criticism includes the at Yale University. He was the Assistant Yale University. She has written extensive- bestseller Iron John, which launched the Director for the African Anaphora Project ly on literature in Swahili and Gikuyu. Her men’s movement to national fame. and has worked as a Yoruba translator publications include Kujibizana: Questions Carmen Boullosa is the Distinguished for the Women’s International League for of Language and Power in Nineteenth and Lecturer at City College in the Foreign Lan- Peace and Freedom at the United Nations. Twentieth Century Poetry in Kiswahili; guages Department and is one of Mexico’s Mashairi ya Vita vya Kuduhu: Poetry of Gratien Alfaro was born in Urepel, leading novelists, poets, and playwrights. the Battle of Kuduhu (with Ibrahim Noor France and came to the U.S. at the young Her latest book of poems, Salto de man- Shariff) and Masomo ya Kisasa: Contem- age of 16 years old as a sheepherder tarraya (y otros dos), was named as Best porary Readings in Swahili. She has also to Los Banos, California. Today he is an Book of Poetry published in Mexico for published poetry in English and Kiswahili. accomplished landscaper in the San Fran- 2004 in El Reforma. Her latest novel in cisco Bay area. He is a well-known bertso- Black 47 espouses an unblinkingly politi- English is Cleopatra Dismounts. lari who continues to perform at Basque cal and thoroughly Irish form of rock ‘n’ Charles Cantalupo is a poet, scholar, festivals throughout the western U.S. roll, with songs covering topics from the critic, editor and Penn State professor, Northern Ireland conflict to civil rights and Miguel Algarín is the founder of the who recently authored the book of poems, urban unrest in contemporary New York. Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City. Light the Lights (Red Sea Press, 2004) Larry Kirwin, their lead singer, is a poet in He is the author of eight collections of — ”a startling and revelatory encounter his own write. poetry and co-editor of Aloud: Voices from with the very idea of Africa”; and Who the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which won the Toni Blackman is a rap lyricist-writer- Needs A Story?: Contemporary Eritrean American Book Award. performer revered in the African American Poetry in Tigre, Tigrinya and Arabic (Hdri, community for her freestyling. She works 2006)—translations that “testify to the in- Michael Alpert is a pioneering figure with hundreds of inner city youth, many of domitable nature of the human spirit.” He in Yiddish music in America. He is the them master freestylers themselves – and wrote and directed the new documentary, Emmy-award winning director of Itzhak none ever goes away without amazement Against All Odds: African Languages and Perlman: In the Fiddler’s House, a musical at her mastery of rhythm and rhyme. She Literatures into the 21st Century. tour, as well as a series of related CDs. He has traveled all over the world and been is a member of the renowned klezmer en- Cliar are Arthur Cormack, Ingrid Hender- dubbed the U.S. “Ambassador for Hip semble, Brave Old World, and performs at son, Mary Ann Kennedy, Maggie MacDon- Hop.” the Gathering with the Heymland (Home- ald, Hector Henderson, and Chaz Stewart, land) Ensemble. Max Blagg is the author of several books, a sextet of singers and musicians based most recently Pink Instrument, a collection in the Highlands who play traditional and Anselm Berrigan is the author of Zero of poems; a novel, Diving for Blondes; and contemporary Gaelic song and Highland Star Hotel, Integrity and Dramatic Life, the forthcoming book-length poem Auto- music, often featuring unusual or forgot- and the brand-new Some Notes on My bio-a-gogo. He writes a monthly column, ten material. Their close harmony vocal

Michael Alpert Toni Blackman Robert Bly Clair 20 The Dauenhauer’s Matthew Fitt Edward Hirsh sound backed up by a fiddle-led power- and Culture at the University of Alaska She is a teacher and speaker of several house has been described as “one of the Southeast. languages of Southeast Queensland most beautiful sounds in 21st century including Turrbul, Wakka Wakka, Gubbi Rosa Elena Egipciaco is from Moca, Scotland.” Their albums include the self- Gubbi and the languages of the Maranoa Puerto Rico. She practices and gives class- titled Cliar and Gun Tamh. and Dawson Rivers. Her works are held in es on the art of mundillo, bobbin lace. She the collection of the National Museum of Carolina Conroy, author of a book of po- was President of the Cultural Center in Australia, the Queensland Museum, and ems, The Beauty Wars, facilitates a month- Moca and traveled throughout the island other major museums. ly memorization circle at Poets House and giving lectures at various festivals and helps create special events at Teachers & universities. She currently teaches at Bo- Matthew Fitt, born in Dundee in 1968, is Writers Collaborative. ricua College and likes to recite poetry. currently National Scots Language Devel- opment Officer and has been a Browns- Jean Curutchet (Kurutxet) was born Gil Fagiani co-hosts the monthly open bank Fellow. He has lived in Pribram in in San Francisco and two years later reading of the Italian –American Writer’s central Bohemia. He writes in Scots and his parents moved back to Ezterenzubi, Association at the Cornelia St. Café. He English, his most recent publications be- Behenafarroa, their hometown in France. has two chapbooks of poetry, Crossing ing the novel But N Ben A-Go-Go (Luath, A gardener in San Francisco, he has been 116th Street: A Blanquito in El Barrio 2000), and his second poetry collection, improvising poetry for over 30 years. In (Skidrow Press, 2004) and Rooks (Rain Kate o Shanter’s Tale and Other Poems 2003 he received the National Endowment Mountain Press, 2005), the latter which (Luath, 2003), also available on CD. He of the Arts National Heritage Fellowship won Honorable Mention for both the Allen is also a founding editor of Itchy Coo, a for his work as a bertsolari. Ginsberg Poetry Award and the Bor- press for children’s books in Scots. dighera Prize. This year he translated nine Nora Marks Dauenhauer was born in poems of Cesare Fagiani written in the Martin Goicoechea was born in the Alaska and her first language is Tlingit. Abruzzese dialect which will be published small town of Gorriti, in the province of She has a degree in Anthropology and is in the premier issue of The Journal of Ital- Nafarroa. When he was 18, Martin came internationally recognized for her field- ian Translation. to the United States—Rock Springs, work, transcription, translation, and expli- Wyoming to work for a sheep ranch. cation of Tlingit oral literature. She is the Al Filreis is the Kelly Professor of English From the age of 8 years old, Martin had winner of many awards including the 1991 at the University of Pennsylvania and a great interest in bertsolaritza. When Before Columbus Foundation’s American the Faculty Director at the Kelly Writers the bertsolaris were singing on the radio, Book Award. She is featured in the PBS House. He is a specialist in modern and nobody could move him or persuade him series, The United States Of Poetry. contemporary American poetry and the to turn off the radio. In 2003 he received literary politics of the American 1930s Richard Dauenhauer was born in Syra- the National Endowment of the Arts Na- and 1950s. He is the author of Modernism cuse, NY and has lived in Alaska since tional Heritage Fellowship for his work as from Right to Left. 1969. From 1981 to 1988 he served as a bertsolari. the 7th Poet Laureate of Alaska, and has Vanessa Fisher is a visual and perform- Jesús Goñi was born in Oronoz, Naffar- focused much of his professional work in ing artist and storyteller. She was born roa. He came to live and work in Arizona applied folklore, linguistics, and teacher- and raised in an all-Aboriginal community, in 1965 as a sheepherder. He served a training in the areas of Alaska Native Cherbourg, Queensland and is descendant brief stint in the Spanish military where he languages and oral literature. From 1983 of the Dungibara/Garumgar, Jiman and would sing poetry with a fellow bertsolari to 1997 he was Director of Languages Ewamin peoples. The cultural practices of in his military camp. In 1970 he returned and Cultural Studies at Sealaska Heri- song, dance, art, music, and language are to the United States where he started tage Foundation in Juneau and in 2005 a part of her daily life as well as the prac- improvising bertsoak (verses) in public. He he accepted the position as President’s tices shared for survival and living off the takes part in bertsolari events throughout Professor of Alaska Native Languages land for hunting and spiritual purposes. the American West and in Eutope as well.

21 Jarlath Henderson Kewulay Kamara Galway Kinnell Iwan Llwyd In 2003 he received the National Endow- in more than 40 anthologies. He is the edi- awarded the distinction of State Poet of ment of the Arts National Heritage Fellow- tor of Hanging Loose Press and publisher Vermont and has been the recipient of the ship for his work as a bertsolari. of Hanging Loose magazine. prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman is a Yid- Tuomas Hil, a native of Finland, recently George Kovach is a poet and entertainer dish poet, songwriter, traditional singer, graduated from Columbia University from Philadelphia. He is deemed by many and teacher, and a winner of the National where he was studying drama. a literary phenomenon as a result of his Heritage Award from the National Endow- claim to be the incarnation of Edgar Allen Edward Hirsch is the author of numer- ment for the Arts. Born in Vienna, Austria, Poe and William Shakespeare in spon- ous books of poetry and criticism, includ- Ms. Schaechter-Gottesman emigrated to taneous literary pieces. He also has the ing On Love and How to Read a Poem and the United States with surviving family ability to spontaneously create verse and Fall in Love with Poetry. A 1998 MacArthur members after the Holocaust. Singing had prose using any word or topic that he is Fellow, he is currently President of the always been her family’s great pleasure, presented. Guggenheim Foundation. inspiring her later work in music and po- Mark Kurlansky is the New York Times etry. Her compositions have helped spur a Bob Holman is a founder of the NYC Po- bestselling and James A. Beard wining revival of Yiddish song. etry Calendar and the former coordinator author of 1968, Cod, A Basque History of of the St. Mark’s Poetry Project. For seven Itzik Gottesman is the Associate Editor the World, and a collection of short sto- years he was the slam impressario at the at the weekly Yiddish-language Forward. ries, The White Man in the Tree. He lives in Nuyorican Poets Café. He founded Mouth His latest book is, Defining the Yiddish Na- New York City. Almighty Records, the all-poetry label, tion: the Jewish Folklorist of Poland, from and produced the PBS series, The United Denizé Lauture, first born of 13 peasant Wayne State University Press. States of Poetry. His most recent collec- children, migrated to the United States Suheir Hammad is the author of “Born tion of poetry is The Collect Call of the from Haiti in 1968. Lauture writes in Cre- Palestinian, Born Black,” “Drops of This Wild. He is a visiting professor of poetry at ole, English and French. His most recent Story,” and “ZaatarDiva.” She is the origi- Columbia University, and proprietor of the book is The Black Warrior & Other Poems nal writer and cast member of the TONY Bowery Poetry Club. (Subpress:2006). Award-winning Russell Simmons Presents Pierre Joris left Luxembourg at nine- Tato Laviera is a Puerto Rican poet, Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. teen & has since lived in the US, Great playwright, and composer. He has taught Jarlath Henderson has been playing Britain, North Africa and France. In 1992 at Rutgers University and directed the the Uilleann pipes since he was 10 years he returned to the Mid-Hudson valley and Prep School at University of the Streets. old. He learned to play the pipes from teaches poetry and poetics at SUNY-Alba- He has published several volumes of po- Armagh Piping Club teachers Brian Val- ny. He has published numerous books of etry including, La Carreta Made a U-turn lely, Mark Donnelly, Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn poetry — most recently Poasis: Selected and AmeRican. and Eamonn Curran. Jarlath also plays Poems 1986–1999. David Levering Lewis is Julius Silver whistle, classical and traditional flute and Kewulay Kamara comes from the Koi- University Professor and professor of his- guitar and has a keen interest in tradition- naduga District of Sierra Leone and is of tory at New York University. He has twice al song. In 2003, at the age of 17, he won the KurankBa Mandeng ethnic group. His won the Pulitzer prize for biography, for the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Musician of family is part of the finenu group, who are W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868- the Year Award, dazzling the audience and poets, emissaries, mediators, and masters 1919 and for W.E.B. Du Bois: The Fight judges alike with his piping prowess and of ceremony at important occasions. for Equality and the American Century, easy stage presence. He is a three times 1919–1963. ‘All-Ireland Champion’ Uilleann Piper. Galway Kinnell won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his Se- Robert Hershon is the author of 11 lected Poems in 1982. He teaches Creative books of poetry, most recently The Ger- Writing at New York University. He was man Lunatic, and his work has appeared 22 Gwyneth Lewis is Wales’ first National formance recording, Stream Of Tongues/ an associate editor for the monthly Zavia Poet. She has published six books of Sruth Teangacha, received the Michael literary magazine. poetry in Welsh and English. Her first Hartnett Award, among others. His recent Robert Minhinnick is the editor of the collection in English, Parables & Faxes book, Rakish Paddy Blues, paid homage to international quarterly, Poetry Wales, a won the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival Prize. the great travelling musicians of Ireland. translator, and a poet. His poetry collec- Y Llofrudd Iaith (The Language Murderer) Aonghas MacNeacail was born on tions include A Thread in the Maze, The won the Welsh Arts Council Book of the the Isle of Skye. He is a well known Dinosaur Park, and Hey Fatman. A Se- Year Prize. Scottish poet, writing in the Gaelic lected Poems was published by Carcanet Tsaurah Litzky has lived in New York language and also works as a journalist, in 1999. His translations from the Welsh, City since she was three weeks old and broadcaster, researcher, scriptwriter and The Adulterer’s Tongue: An Anthology of currently lives on the Brooklyn waterfront. librettist. In his works he addresses the Welsh Poetry in Translation was published Her poetry collection, Baby on the Water, problematic history of Scotland, the state in 2003. Robert Minhinnick lives in Porth- was published by Long Shot Press (2003). of the Gaelic language as well as depicting cawl, South Wales. Tsaurah’s erotic novella, The Motion of the human relationships. His works include: Mick Moloney combines the careers of Ocean (Simon and Schuster, 2004), was Gollancz (1976) Seeking Wise Salmon folklorist, musicologist, arts presenter published as part of the Three the Hard (1983), Oideachadh Ceart — A Proper and advocate, record producer and profes- Way, a series of erotic novellas edited by Schooling (1996). sional musician and college professor. Susie Bright. She teaches erotic writing at Joxe Mallea-Olaetxe has received de- In 1999 he was awarded the National Heri- the New School. grees in History from the University of Ne- tage Award from the National Endowment Iwan Llwyd writes in Welsh. He was born braska, Lincoln and the University of Ne- for the Arts — the highest official honor in Camo, Mid Wales in 1957 and lives vada, Reno. He has conducted extensive a traditional artist can receive in the in Talybont, near Bangor in the North, research on Basques during the period of United States. with his family. He won the Crown at Spanish colonization and in the American Elisa New is Professor of English at Har- the National Eisteddfod in 1990 with his West. His publications include The Power vard University and author of The Line’s sequence of poems Gwreichion (Sparks). of Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Ig- Eye: Poetic Experience, American Sight. He has published numerous collections, nacio “Idaho” Urrutia (2000) and Shooting one of which, Far Rockaway, appeared from the Lip: Bertsolariak Ipar Amerikan Cathal Ó Searcaigh was born in bilingually. Improvised Basque-Verse Singing. Donegal and lives at the foot of Mount Errigal. His collections of poetry include Philip Lopate is the Adams Chair at Hof- D.H. Melhem is a poet, novelist, and Homecoming/An Bealach ‘na Bhaile (Cló stra University, where he is Professor of scholar. Her most current work is her sev- Iar-Chonnachta, 1993); Na Buachaillí Bána English. He is an essayist, novelist, poet, enth collection of poetry, New York Poems (Lagan Press, 1995); and An Tnúth leis and memoirist. His latest book is Water- (Syracuse University Press, 2005). She has an tSolas (Cló Iar-Chonnachta, 2001), for front: A Journey around Manhattan. numerous awards for poetry and prose which he received 2001 The Irish Times including the American Book Award. Gearóid MacLochlainn’s work has been Irish Literature Prize for the Irish language. described by The Irish Times as “per- Ashraf Mian was born and raised in He has been awarded the Seán Ó Riordáin formance poetry for the 21st century.” Pakistan where he practiced law until leav- Prize for Poetry in 1993 and the Duais Gearóid writes in Irish and English and his ing for New York in 1986. He now works Bhord na Gaeilge in 1995. dual-language book, complete with per- for the weekly New York Awam, and as

Gwyneth Lewis Aonghas MacNeacail Mick Moloney 23 Edgar Oliver Sekou Sundiata Ulali Edgar Oliver is a writer and performer Blind. Her novel Push won the Book of the Cecilia Vicuña is a Chilean poet, editor, who resides in the East Village. He has Month Club Stephen Crane Award for First artist, and filmmaker who works in the written numerous plays, including The Fiction. Her work has been translated into oral tradition of the High Andes, forging a Poetry Killer, Chop Off Your Ear, and twelve languages. poetic universe in which ancient wordplay Mosquito Succulence. His novel, The meets modern linguistics and contempo- Judith Sloan and Warren Lehrer are Man Who Loved Plants, was published by rary realities. coeditors of Crossing the Boulevard: Panther Books. Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New Matvei Yankelevich is the editor of Ishle Yi Park is the Poet Laureate of America, a pioneering volume of oral the Eastern European Poets Series at Queens, New York and a star of Def Poetry histories with new immigrants in Queens. Ugly Duckling Presse, and co-edits 6x6, Jam. Her first book, entitledThe Tem- Judith is a performance artist, oral histo- a poetry periodical. His translation of perature of This Water, won the 2005 PEN rian, and audio artist; Warren, a graphic Vladimir Mayakovsky’s “A Cloud In Pants” America Beyond Margins Award and the designer, writer, and photographer. was recently published in Circumference 2005 Members’ Choice Award of the Asian Magazine. Jimmy Smith is an internationally recog- American Literary Awards. nized didgeridoo player and teacher and Ofelia Zepeda is Professor of Linguis- Bushra Rehman was born and raised a descendant of the Wiradjuri people. He tics at the University of Arizona and the in New York City, but has also lived in regularly teaches in primary and second- Director of The American Indian Language Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Bushra is co- ary schools as well as at universities in Development Institute. She is a MacArthur editor of Colonize This! Young Women of Australia. Fellow and Poet Laureate of Tuscon, AZ. Color on Today’s Feminism (Seal Press, Her books published in Tohono O’odham Sekou Sundiata is a poet who writes for 2002) and author of the collection of po- and English include, Jewe I-hoi/Earth print, performance, music, and theater. He etry, Marianna’s Beauty Salon (Vagabond Movement: O’odham Poems and Ocean was featured in the Bill Moyers PBS series Press, 2000). In her work, Bushra tells Power: Poems form the Desert, and she on poetry, “The Language of Life,” and stories of her immigrant upbringing in is the author of the only pedagogical text- has recorded two CDs, The Blue Oneness Queens, the aunties, bodegas, stray dogs book on the Tohono O’odham language, A of Dreams and longstoryshort. He is a and street life of children. Papago Grammar. professor at The New School, where he Keith Roach is a poet born in Sydenham also produces the Talking Book Festival of Other Artists: Gaetano Cipolla (Sicilian Hospital, who has since taken a vow of Literary Arts. Poetry); Kumalo South African Band amnesia. (Tongue Tripping); and Yoel Matveyev, Ulali features Soni (Mayan, Apache, Ya- Charles Nydorf, Mindl Rinkewich, Jerome Rothenberg is the author of qui), Jennifer (Tuscarora.), and a roster of Leah Robinson, Albert Rosenblatt over 50 books of poetry and the co-editor, guest artists. Founded over fifteen years (Yiddish poetry); Dr. Gaetano Cipolla, Pres- with Pierre Joris, of the two-volume Po- ago, Ulali created a new and influential ident Arba Sicula, Nino Provenzano, Vice ems for the Millennium. He has received genre of Native American music. Their President Arba Sicula, Joseph Turriciano, a Guggenheim Fellowship and several sound encompasses an array of indig- Gaspare Pipitone, Antonina LiCastri, and awards from the National Endowment for enous music including Southeast choral Frank Piazza. the Arts. For over three decades he has singing (pre-blues and gospel) and pre- been a literary radical and a prominent Columbian (before the borders) music. influence on the American avant-garde. Ulali has performed and recorded with He teaches at the University of California Robbie Robertson, Buffy St. Marie, Floyd at San Diego. Westerman, Miriam Makeba, John Trudell, Sting, Richie Havens, the B-52’s, Bonnie Sapphire is a poet, writer, and perform- Raitt, and the Neville Brothers. ing artist. Her two books of poetry are American Dreams and Black Wings &

24