My Word Wizard Poets

Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing.

I have been into writing since four years. I believe you should always try to define yourself with your work, so it’s necessary to do what you love.

Describe your writing process? Is there anything unique about it?
Writing has always given my thoughts a patron. I believe art is something you can utilize to inspire and heal people.

Have you published any books or do you have a desire to do so?
My first debut poetry collection, Mirror of Emotions was published back in 2021.

Do you have any favorite poets or authors?
As far as inspiration is considered: I believe it to be something that comes from within only.

Do you have a favorite book of poetry or poems?
Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd

What are you reading now?
I am reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Full-time job, pets, hobbies?
Apart from writing, I am a nature lover so hiking indeed is fun for me… I am also a football aficionado.

Are you working on a current project?
I am currently working on my second poetry collection.

Ali Ashhar’s Social Media Links
Twitter Profile

Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing.

I have been writing since I was a kid. I’d say about… eight years old. So, I think it was mostly boredom or the idea of creating my own escapist universes.

Describe your writing process? Is there anything unique about it?
I have a highly instinctual writing process. I’m a “pantser” by nature. But I came up with playwriting (and later, screenwriting) traditions where that was highly discouraged. For those particular processes, I outline as expected. But for everything else? I hear it in my head and I put it on a page. It’s quite stream-of-consciousness, usually. I’ve come to view it as a psychic/spiritual channeling process that way.

Have you published any books or do you have a desire to do so?
I have two collections out right now, both with Alien Buddha Press. ‘THE BOOK OF I.P. (Idle Poems)” contains a poem that received a Pushcart nomination in its first year and is now being worked into a university syllabus. I can hardly believe it, myself. It’s also being processed by a couple of libraries for inclusion in their catalogs. The Schomburg Center and my alma mater Drexel University will be among the first libraries to house it.

“SLAM POEMS FOR MY BATHROOM MIRROR…And Other Selected Works” just dropped in October. That one is the first that I’ve put up for awards consideration, myself. With the surprise positive reception of my debut chapbook, I figured I’d shoot my shot with my first full-length. Fingers and toes crossed on that one.

I also submitted a third manuscript to Alien Buddha, called “FALDER-ALL & THE PROVERBIAL NATURE OF EVERYTHING.” I’m not sure when that one will be out. I’m also working on a novella-in-verse based on a Black/queer-centered interpretation of the (African) princess Andromeda from Greek myth. That one seems like it’ll be a bit of a magnum opus and take me a while to complete.

Do you have any favorite poets or authors?
I really love Christopher Paolini. His books have been to me what “HARRY POTTER” seems to have been to the rest of the world. I love a good dragon.

Toni Morrison is a literary ancestor to me. In terms of poets, I love Emily Dickinson, Sonia Sanchez, and Gil Scott Heron… I’ve had to come to terms with my childhood love of Edgar Allan Poe, given the reality of his marriage to Virginia Clemm. I can’t undo the artistic influence, even though I wish I really could.

Do you have a favorite book of poetry or poems?
Does the lyric sheet to Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” count?

What are you reading now?
I’ve been going through a lot of old stories due to my screenwriting life. It’s somewhat expected for us to come to meetings with “I.P.” in mind. My first chapbook talks enough about my feelings on that… But I’ve been re-reading some interesting tales like “The Lady or the Tiger” and similar.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Full-time job, pets, hobbies?
I make music. I just began releasing it under the name KWEAN OONTZ and I have an EP/MicroAlbum out now. It’s in all digital music stores, and my first full-length album is coming up soon. Other than that, I love watching movies. I’m pretty boring that way. Don’t get out very much…

Are you working on a current project?
Aside from the album and the next book, I’m trying to figure out what I want to work on next. I don’t know if it’s another screenplay or what. I have some projects that I’ve stopped and started.

I’m also in pre-production on a documentary that will be my first real screen directing adventure. I’m working on it with a brilliant friend of mine who is a leading expert in how spiritual phenomena can emerge in people. She has introduced me to some of the most respected people in the discipline. So, it’s going to be paradigm-shifting. We’re calling it “MANIC PIXIE PANIC” right now.

Poet Website and Profiles
Chris Courtney Martin’s Amazon Profile

Chris Courtney Martin’s Social Media Links
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Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing.

my name is logan robinson, i’m eighteen years old and i was born and raised in brooklyn, new york.

it all happened suddenly. i remember being in class in middle school and my teacher handing me a notepad to doodle on because i would do it too much in my workbooks. one day, in some fateful, cataclysmic moment. i had this idea for a song and it was called ‘unknown.’ it was this song about ridding negative things out of my life no matter how painful to allow myself to grow. i originally wanted to be a singer/songwriter, something along the lines of taylor swift or maggie rogers, it had a melody and structure but i could never finish the song fully. more ideas kept landing on my brain at a steady pace, and that’s when it all started. songs of heartbreak, mental health struggles, even growing pains, they all came to me like feathers from a broken pillow floating through the air. starting off a lot of my writing was non-descript, i was younger and far more uneducated on how to express my feelings, but each day i kept writing more and more, and details from my life poured out like red wine, and writing them out would be the stain remover to come after. in 2020, the pandemic hit and i couldn’t go out, the world was shut down so abruptly. i remember feeling lost and but so much more connected to writing, it was july, when taylor had dropped folklore, tales about fictional characters and stories summed up in one glorious, vivid concept album. that took me by storm, and even better, was so freeing to my mind. i didn’t have experiences because i was out of school in that moment, so home became stories and poems of far away worlds. i enjoyed songwriting, but after reading a myriad of poems from websites and random books, i found a passion for poetry and writing that surpassed any threshold songwriting ever reached. delving into subjects i thought i couldn’t because there was age limits. stories suffused with romance, heartbreak far beyond anything i’ve experienced, self-care, and grief, told from perspectives of people i’ve known, my family, friends, ex-friends, even myself. bits and pieces of real life dousing itself in this pool of characters from my mind. it coalesced and ended up allowing more creative freedom in myself when i shifted back to autobiographical writing. the world had reopened anew, and so did my heart and mind. at that time i was very secretive with my writing, even my family had no idea of what i was creating. i had a fear that the world would judge me, and i would only have to seclude myself. i only ever shared it with my friends. as the world reopened i started experiencing depression and anxiety in a whole new light, my writing became solely about how bad i was hurting, and how i needed to come back from it all. therapy, some psychiatrist visits, and tears later, i started to feel like myself again. as i got older i started to suppress my feelings, about the past, present, and even the future. that was one of the main causes of an almost total meltdown. i was scared to trust people due to some bad experiences in high school, but they ended up being my heroes. i knew that’s what i wanted to do with my writing. help myself by sharing my experiences, not to be someone’s hero, but for them to find it within themselves to be vocal and honest about their feelings and experiences, and in 2022, that’s when the first iterations of my first book started to creep in my mind. i was writing details from my life through metaphors, similes, and analogies that were vivid, and being straightforward about it too, showing that i wasn’t going to sugarcoat.

Describe your writing process? Is there anything unique about it?
i wouldn’t say that there’s anything remotely unique about it, i almost always start off with a title for a poem, and i’m always listening to music. each story has a song that influences it.

Have you published any books or do you have a desire to do so?
yes, I have a book of poems published. it’s called helplines. it’s a coming of age story of autobiographical poems of my life from ages 7-17.

Do you have any favorite poets or authors?
shel silverstein because he was one of the first people to influence me to start writing poetry. my favorites book of his are the giving tree and a light in the attic. my friend karlie’s ability to storytell through her art leaves me awestruck every day. Her instagram is @reminderstomyfutureself

Do you have a favorite book of poetry or poems?
i was reading an anthology of poems from local authors in newark, nj. that was the first place i was able to find my voice. i was welcomed in a way that i never imagined.

What are you reading now?
red, white, and royal blue by casey mcquiston

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Full-time job, pets, hobbies?
i’m an avid concert-goer. most recently, i was able to see one of my heroes, beyoncé in concert. her performances have given me the confidence to perform my poetry in front of people. i’m always spinning vinyl records, listening to music, going to the park, collecting tote bags.

Are you working on a current project?
maybe. maybe not. i create with the flow of the weather, and wherever that takes me, i promise to take everyone along with me on the journey.

Poet Website and Profiles
Logan Robinson’s Website
Logan Robinson’s Amazon Profile
Logan Robinson’s Author Profile Other Book Seller

Logan Robinson’s Social Media Links
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Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing.

The first poem I remember writing was in third grade, it was a poem about the Rocky Mountains (I’m a Colorado native). We had a poetry reading amongst all the students and parents and my poem was voted most well performed and written. From that point forward, I began to see the world through a much different lens. The world seemed full of metaphors waiting for me to weave into poetry. Although I didn’t get serious about publishing up until a couple of years ago, I still used writing as my medium of expression.

Describe your writing process? Is there anything unique about it?
I think there’s this really weird thing I do. I keep this running list of words I find intriguing and satisfying. Okay, have you ever heard someone say clementine, for example, and go, “Wow it sounds like a poem just dripped from their tongue?” Just me? That’s okay. Anyhow, I find inspiration in words and all of their unique sounds.

Have you published any books or do you have a desire to do so?
Yes, I have! I published my first poetry collection a year ago. “(Un)Wholesome” is a compilation of heartache, toxic relationships, growth, and healing. It’s a transparent 250 pages of my healing journey because I believe honesty is the access point to our highest selves.

My second poetry collection will be releasing on November 1st. “Honeycomb Heart” is a very important project for me. It has been a matter of taking the things that were unhealed or hiding and exposing them, in order to make honey of them. “Honeycomb Heart” is proof that the things that sting still have the capacity to make us sweet.

Do you have any favorite poets or authors?
Absolutely, my favorite poets are Morgan Harper Nichols, Alison Malee, and Janne Robinson.

Do you have a favorite book of poetry or poems?
Ooo that’s a tough choice! I would almost have to say Blue. by Baeley Hathaway or This Is For The Women Who Don’t Give A F*ck by Janne Robinson.

What are you reading now?
I am currently reading Alison Malee’s “This is The Journey.”

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Full-time job, pets, hobbies?
I LOVE hiking, playing volleyball, traveling, and watching horror movies. My boyfriend and I will be traveling to Australia come the first of November, it’ll be my first time out of the country. I can’t wait!

Currently, I do have a full-time job as a receptionist at a family-owned company. But, I would like to transition into teaching online courses about emotional responsibility and development. I have been extremely fascinated by the human mind as long as I can remember, plus I also feel as though I am a navigator by nature.

Also, I have two cats. Their names are Pumpkin and Pistachio. Pumpkin looks like Garfield (and he’s getting as chunky as him) and little Pistachio looks like a small cow. They’re the sweetest.

Are you working on a current project?
At the moment, I’m trying to get everything lined up for “Honeycomb Heart” marketing and release wise. Beyond that, I don’t have a book-related project. I’d like to spend my time putting together some online courses!

Poet Website and Profiles
Chelsea Bartell’s Website
Chelsea Bartell’s Author Profile Other Book Seller

Chelsea Bartell’s Social Media Links
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Tell us about yourself and what inspired you to start writing.

I know most writers say this, but I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I was constantly writing short stories as a child, but I only really started getting serious about being published a couple years ago. I don’t know what inspired me to start writing poetry, but one day I decided to start a blog and write a poem a day for an entire year. Since successfully completing that year, I fell in love with writing and reading poetry more than ever.

Describe your writing process? Is there anything unique about it?
I draw inspiration from typical things–memories and past journal entries, for example. I also find inspiration in watching people, which I promise is a lot less creepy than it sounds. I like being able to look at a stranger and guess what their life is like, based on who they’re with, what they’re doing, how they interact with people and things. In the year I wrote a poem a day, I also received messages from readers of my blog who asked me to write about a specific topic, so a portion of my poems are about requested topics.

Have you published any books or do you have a desire to do so?
My first poetry anthology, It Starts Like This, is a collection of my (and my reader’s) favorite poems from my year of poetry writing every day. The book contains 61 poems that I narrowed down from 365. It begins with love and then travels through a variety of emotion: heartbreak, loss, grieving, closure, and hope. The majority of these poems come from personal experience or the experience of others, so it is my hope that many people can relate to these poems in their own way.

Do you have any favorite poets or authors?
Absolutely. My favorite novelist is Khaled Hosseini. Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace are two of my favorite poets at the moment.

Do you have a favorite book of poetry or poems?
I don’t think I can pick a favorite poetry book! I’ve read too many, and I’m constantly stumbling upon self-published poetry books which are my favorite finds.

What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing? Full-time job, pets, hobbies?
Currently, I’m a college student studying communications and professional writing. My time is usually divided between class/studying, reading books, and writing. However, over the next few months, I’ll be traveling abroad which I’m really looking forward to!

Are you working on a current project?Yes! I would love to publish another poetry collection, but I also have some fiction novel ideas running around my head that I would love to explore. So we’ll see what I decide to do next!

Poet Website and Profiles
Shelby Leigh’s Website
Shelby Leigh’s Amazon Profile
Shelby Leigh’s Author Profile Other Book Seller

Shelby Leigh’s Social Media Links
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