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I'm a poet and writer, a painter and photographer, a publisher, a creator of games and sculptural installations, a medical text editor, a teacher of writing and critical thinking, a gourmet cook and a gypsy traveler. I believe in creativity as a way of life. I believe in the practical application of creativity. And, while I believe in experience as the best teacher, I am an addicted student who has pursued education with something akin to fanaticism. In the 60's it was psychology. In the early 70's and beyond it was painting, pottery and design. In the 80's it was anthropology, cultural anthropology, sociology, literature and a stint studying theater and criticism in London. In the 90's it became serious language studies in Mexico where I began translating my poems into Spanish. Throughout all of these pursuits, my life as a poet and writer colored my studies. For 5 years I worked with Seattle's Zola Helen Ross as a student of fiction technique. I've written and read poetry since I was 9 years old. In 1986 I began two years of study with poet Gail Tremblay at The Evergreen State College where I wrote an epic poem for my thesis project. Today I continue to pursue graduate level course work with poets like Mark Halperin and Carolyn Kizer. I'm not really interested in another degree; I'm interested in learning from the great poets of our time.
I have taught numerous writing classes as an adjunct faculty member at colleges around the country. These include Antioch in Yellow Springs, Ohio and the Northwest College of Art in Poulsbo, Washington. I have lead poetry and fiction workshops at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference and the Gig Harbor Writers Conference. I run the occasional private workshop as well. These often include what I call poetry hikes – overnight or longer treks into wilderness areas. Hikers are given detailed information on the geology, flora, and fauna of the area as well as assignments on the trail.
Life is a process of discovery and change. The more we experience, the more adaptable we become. The more adaptable we become, the more likely we are to seek out new experience. This is what makes us interesting people. It is also what feeds us creatively. Life as a xenophobe would be limiting, to say the least.
Reading adds to my experience of the world, so I read. I will never live long enough to see or learn everything that peaks my interest, but I am hell bent on trying. Reading is one of the ways in which I pursue this attempt to touch everything the world has to offer. It helps me go places I cannot go physically. It helps me become a better writer, a better poet, a better painter, and a better citizen in the world.
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