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.