Durham33

durham3 is excited to kick off its third season with an event featuring both all-stars and new talent at Durham’s friendliest bar, Joe and Jo’s. Three years ago, durham3 wanted to bring artists from the Triangle together and to feature Durham’s burgeoning art scene. On Saturday, November 11th we’ll continue the tradition with the band Sequoya, filmmaker Todd Tinkham, poet Laura Jent, musician Calloused Hands, and, as always, an open mike and door prizes. Open mike signup begins at 7:30 and the fun will begin at 8pm. We’ll mark Veterans’ Day with a special showing of Home For Good, Todd Tinkham’s ten minute short, anti-war drama. There will also be an aftershow, featuring a different version of Calloused Hands starting at 11pm. There is a $2 suggested donation and of course there will be plenty of fabulous food and drink from the Joe and Jo’s menu. (durham3 recommends either the 5 Points burger or the Castro’s Cousin, depending on your preference for consuming animals.) Have questions or need more information? Consult durham3.blogspot.com or email Tanya (olson@vgcc.edu) or Amy amycnolan@hotmail.com

In our third year, durham3 is particularly committed to encouraging the arts scene in Durham. Just as we were three years ago, durham3 is amazed at the sheer amount of talent the Bull City contains, and we hope our events will continue to expose artists to the work of their peers, put them in conversation and collaboration, and assist Durham in defining its own arts goals and identities. In our original manifesto, we stated,

Under a regime driven by a need for conformity and uniformity, durham3 defines
supporting durham3 artists and attending durham3 events as an act of resistance.
Encouraging and participating in Durham finding its own cultural identity and
definition outside of already acceptable boundaries and classifications is a political,
revolutionary act.

We believe that to be true now even more than we did when we originally wrote it; we also believe it to be even timelier at Durham’s current stage of growth. (Read more of the original founding principles at http://durham3.blogspot.com )

durham3 would like to thank Tom Stern and Tema Okun (our first hosts in their public space on Rigsbee), the Know Bookstore, Ooh La Latte (R.I.P.), Baldwin Lofts, Pizza Palace, Joe and Jo’s, the Duke Coffeehouse, 305 South, the Durham Arts Council, Peacefire Gallery (R.I.P.), the Garden Salon, the Transom Gallery, Broad Street Coffee, the green space at Five Points (R.I.P.) and the streets of Downtown Durham (R.I.P. right now), all of who have hosted us at least once. We would also like to the numerous artists who have given their time to perform and everyone who has participated in the open mikes. We would also like to thank the Carolina Wren Press for their sponsorship and support. Most importantly, thanks to everyone who has come out to participate and support the arts in Durham.

durham3
November 11th, 8pm
Joe and Jo’s
427 West Main, Downtown Durham
2$ Suggested Donation



Artists

Todd Tinkham- Todd Tinkham is a local filmmaker who will be showing 2 new shorts, Sadie Turns Seven and Home For Good. Home For Good has screened in ten festivals around the country and recently won two awards, including the Best Drama Award at the Seguin Film & Arts Festival in Sequin, Texas. Todd is also at the center of Tinkham Town Productions. TTP is an independent film production company, specializing in creating short and feature films just outside the norm. Visit them at http://www.tinkhamtown.org/

Calloused Hands- Patrick is 21, and the only permanent member of folk- rock calloused
hands so far. He grew up in Dallas, Texas with brief exposure to piano at age 5. He
started thinking and reading and then moved to Durham, NC to enroll at Duke University
to study philosophy. After traveling the world alone for a year and about 100 songs,
Patrick decided that playing music was what he had to do. He is currently mixing his second effort, The Aging Commoner, at Quetzal Recording studios in Oxford, NC.

Laura Jent- Laura Jent is a tricky person who often tries to get people to call her other things besides Laura Jent. She is 28 years old and has had poetry appear online at Dirt Press and Shampoo Poetry, and in print in the Blotter and the Independent Weekly. She teaches children to speak, sing, move, and doodle. She likes to make little books. She thanks you for smoking.

Sequoya- Sequoya was formed in 1999 by Bonnie Pivacek and Matthew Yearout. In
2003 they moved to Durham North Carolina and now call it home. Their songs muse in
subtle irony and clever storytelling, all driven by acoustic guitar and electric bass. They
are currently working on their third album “Space Walk”. www.myspace.com/sequoya

march durham3

March finds durham3 at 305 South celebrating the madness that is this in-like-a-lion, out-like-a-lamb month. Come check out the homegrown Triangle mad geniuses, poet Laura Jent, spoken word artist Roo, Durham rockers Red Collar, performance artist Mz. Julee, and films from Flicker. We’ll close out the night with a short open mike and music from a DJ. The doors open at 7pm and open mike sign-up will begin at 7:30. There is a suggested donation of 3$-5$ to support 305 South and the great work they are doing bringing music, art, and the funk to downtown Durham. Get directions or check in at http://www.305southdurham.com 305 South Dillard Street in downtown Durham. For more information visit the durham3 blog at www.durham3.blogspot.com or email olson@vgcc.edu. durham3 is sponsored in part by the Carolina Wren Press.

Andrew Farr/Roo- Roo is a local artist, lyricist and spoken word poet living in Raleigh, NC. His work often focuses on political and social issues. He has self-published a collection of poetry titled Boy Parts, and co-produced a demo CD titled “Warble and Rant.” It is Roo’s goal to aid society through art and service, and does so through performance and serving as an Americorps Service Member through Public Allies NC. His work can be previewed at www.myspace.com/warbleandrant and his storefront is at www.lulu.com/roo.

Red Collar- Red Collar are Jason Kutchma – guitar & vocals, Beth-Ann Kutchma, bass guitar & vocals, Michael Jackson-guitar, keys & vocals, Simeon Furman-drums. Four seasoned musicians based in Durham, North Carolina came together in November 2005 to form the layered guitar, working-class sounds of Red Collar. Red Collar strives to bring back the excitement and energy of the live shows they grew up on. In mixing their punk rock roots with blue collar rock and roll, they have developed what they like to call: dance and shout rock and roll. Jason Kutchma’s edgy, gruff vocals are counterpoint to Mike Jackson’s punk rock rants. The Furman/Kutchma straightforward rhythm section keep the loopy guitar licks in check. Red Collar is currently working on an EP for release in the Fall 2006. www.redcollarmusic.com

Laura Jent- Laura Jent lives in Durham, North Carolina where she works as a nanny and a writer, takes far too many self-portraits, organizes knitting nights, and researches autism. In 2005, her convergent text/visual work done with artists from across the U.S. is expected to be hung in North Carolina galleries. Her poetry has appeared online at theatticwhichisdesire.com, scarletletters.com, and shampoopoetry.com. She was the second place finisher in the 2005 Independent poetry contest.

Flicker Film Series- We will be showcasing films from the collection of Flicker, which is a bi-monthly film festival that welcomes short films on super 8 and 16mm.

Mz Julee- Mz Julee has been in Raleigh around 3 years pursuing her performance art/spoken word as well as her visual artwork. She is the moderator/organizer for STAMMER!, an event of spoken word. poetry/performance art/film/ music/ playwrights & more, held at Artspace bi-monthly and other venues in between. Check out her website at www.geocities.com/pbqtest for more info.

Janury durham3 At Broad Street Cafe

durham3 rings in its second year and 2006 with a full evening of the arts on Saturday, January 28th at Durham’s newest coffeehouse, the Broad Street Café. This month we will be celebrating the best the Triangle has to offer with Carrboro poet Brain Howe, NCSU writer Chris Salerno, Kirk Adam of the Glitter film series, and Triangle musician Scott Carey. We will round out the evening with a full hour of open mike. Sign-up will be at the door and slots will be first come, first serve. Doors open at 7:30, the show begins at 8:00, and there’s no cover. Broad Street Café has a full menu of sandwiches and snacks, along with coffee, sodas, and beer. For directions, see their website at http://broadstreetcafe.org/ or call at 416-9707. For other information, contact Tanya Olson at olson@vgcc.edu Amy Nolan at amycnolan@hotmail.com or visit the durham3 website at http://durham3.blogspot.com/ durham3 is sponsored in part by Carolina Wren Press. (http://carolinawrenpress.org/index.php3)

Chris Salerno- Christopher Salerno's first book, "Whirigig," was recently shortlisted for the Walt Whitman Award and is due to be published by Spuyten Duyvil (NYC) in February '06. A Graduate of Bennington College's MFA Program For Writers, he currently teaches First-Year Writing, Poetry Writing, and American Literature at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. His poems can be found in such journals as: Colorado Review, Jacket, The Tiny, AGNI
(online), Spinning Jenny, Free Verse, Forklift Ohio, Carolina Quarterly, LIT, GoodFoot, 5AM, Barrow Street, Can We Have Our Ball Back, River City, and others. Two of his recent poems will be included in the forthcoming anthology, "The Bedside Guide to No Tell Motel."

Kirk Adam- Kirk Adam runs the Kirk Adam Gallery in Raleigh and is the brains behind Glitter films. Come and see what he is going to screen for us and see what else he has in store. Visit him in cyberspace at http://www.myspace.com/kirkadam

Brian Howe- Brian Howe is a freelance writer and poet living in Chapel Hill, NC. He is a contributing writer at Pitchforkmedia.com and a contributing editor at Paste Magazine. He blogs at http://www.moistworks.com/ and http://slatherpuss.blogspot.com/. Howe’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Eratio, Octopus, GutCult and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He is a member of the Lucifer Poetics group.

Scott Carey- PRIMUM MOBILE think radiohead, think lush, think really cool bands from the early 90s (shoegaze) that influenced many of today pop band. Scotty Carey performs on guitar and keyboard while bringing with him his hard disk recorder. It’s truly awesome.

durham3 is a series of multi-media events that bring together a variety of artists. The series is interested in using the physical and psychological thirdspace qualities of Durham to foster collaboration between artistic communities in Durham and the Triangle. Ultimately, this series would also like to aid Durham in defining its own artistic identity. Towards that end, each event will feature poets, performers, spoken words artists, visual artists, musicians, and dancers from across the Triangle.

September durham3

September in Durham means it is time for Pride and no one has more pride in Durham than durham3. We’ll celebrate Pride and Durham with an event that highlights the queerest art scene around at the Duke Coffeehouse on East Campus at 8pm on Saturday, September 24th. The September durham3 will feature music by Rachel Lee Walsh; poetry by Carrboro’s Poet Laureate and Blue Door founder, Todd Sandvik; performance art from artist and activist Randall Williams; spoken word by Sista Rhonda Reese, and film shorts from Todd Tinkham and Tinkham Town Productions. We’ll end the evening with an open mike and a, by now almost mandatory, door prize drawing. Doors open at 7:30, the event gets swinging at 8pm, open mike is first come, first serve, and don’t forget the Duke Coffeehouse is BYOB. There is a 2$ cover and there will be an artist’s table chockfull of brilliance when you like what you hear. The Duke Coffeehouse is located in the Crowell Building on East Campus, right around the corner from the main Pride stage. See their website http://www.duke.edu/web/coffeehouse/directions.html , give them a call at 684-4069 or visit us at the durham3 blogspot http://www.durham3.blogspot.com/ for directions. For other information contact Amy Nolan at amycnolan@hotmail.com or Tanya Olson at olson@vgcc.edu. durham3 urges you to enjoy the day’s Pride activities http://www.ncpride.org/pride/index.shtml before coming out and joining us. Most importantly, during these times, durham3 reminds you that celebrating the work of artists might be the queerest thing you could do. durham3 is sponsored in part by the Carolina Wren Press http://carolinawrenpress.org/index.php3

Rachel Lee Walsh- Drawing on her rock, folk, country, and blues musical influences, Rachel Lee Walsh creates songs that have been cited as beautiful and dreamy, yet dark and gritty. With just her guitar and a powerful and outstanding voice, she casts out compelling songs about her own life and the world around her. Her characters often know the struggles of growing up poor and abused, dealing with crazy families, trying to make ends meet, longing for great love, and trying to find a little place of happiness in the sun. After years of playing guitar and singing in various bands in New York City, Rachel stepped out into the front with her own writing and performing as a singer-songwriter in 2001. New York venues Rachel has performed in include The Williamsburg Public House, The Gallery at CBGB’s, Arlene’s Grocery, The Local, 9C, Superfine, and Freddy’s Backroom. In 2004, she moved her home base back down South to concentrate on touring venues in the region. Currently, she lives in Asheville, North Carolina. Visit her website at http://www.rachelleewalsh.net/

Todd Sandvik- Todd Sandvik is currently the Poet Laureate of Carrboro, North Carolina. He hosts The Blue Door reading series, a nocturnal companion to Desert City Poetry events. He is a member of Lucifer Poetics Group.

Randall Williams- Randall Williams is a freelance reporter, anti-war activist and member of the Lucifer Poetics Group. He lives in Hillsborough, N.C. His articles, poems and literary reviews have appeared or are forthcoming in McSweeney's, Salon, The Independent, Word /for Word, Displayer and Gut Cult. Since 2001, he has taught journalism and creative writing in the Office of Continuing Studies at Duke University. Junk Horse Press published his two chapbooks Empire and 40 Days in 2003 and 2004. His most recent news article dealt with the U.S. Army's tactic of landing Blackhawk helicopters outside high schools as a recruitment strategy.

Rhonda Reese- Rhonda Reese- Sista Rhonda Reese is a local social activist, a spoken word artist and a member of the Bull City Slam team. Her spoken word CD, Neverending, is now available and she is working on her 2nd CD entitled Broken Silence, to be released in Jan. '06.

Todd Tinkham- Todd Tinkham is a local filmmaker and at the center of Tinkham Town Productions. TTP is an independent film production company, specializing in creating short and feature films just outside the norm. Founded in 2004 by a committed group of writers, actors and filmmakers, Tinkham Town Productions strives to create the best in fiction and non-fiction shorts and features. Visit them at http://www.tinkhamtown.org/

durham3 is a series of multi-media events that bring together a variety of artists. The series is interested in using the physical and psychological thirdspace qualities of Durham to foster collaboration between artistic communities in Durham and the Triangle. Ultimately, this series would also like to aid Durham in defining its own artistic identity. Towards that end, each event will feature poets, performers, spoken words artists, visual artists, musicians, and dancers from across the Triangle.

Independent Article 7/13/05

Amy Nolan loves Durham. She loves the community feel of the city and the artists who call it home. Most of all, she loves that Durham's arts scene is growing. Last year, Nolan and her friend Tanya Olson brainstormed over beers about a way to collaborate with other artists in Durham. "Raleigh and Chapel Hill both have these great thriving scenes," Nolan says. "Durham really needed something like this."
Nolan and Olson simply wanted to create a vehicle for people to get together and share their art with the public in a very accessible way. Both women have firsthand experience hosting arts events--Olson, who recently took first prize in the Independent's annual poetry competition, coordinated Politics of Poetry gatherings, and is a solid supporter of the poetry community; Nolan, a photographer, painter and graphic designer, coordinated the stammer! spoken word and poetry series at Artspace in Raleigh for a year and a half.
They came up with durham3, a series of multimedia events where artists can network and audiences are entertained. The events come in sets of three--three showcases in a span of three months at three different places around the city. The number three also represents Durham's place in the Triangle, Olson says. "It was our attempt to highlight Durham's third space qualities in itself and in the Triangle, the idea of being undefined and still in flux. Durham isn't what it is going to be yet."
Nolan and Olson are not trying to reinvent Durham--they say it's fine the way it is. Instead, they aim to make people aware of how many creative people live here. "Other art series had often seemed determined to bring culture to Durham. We believed there was a ton of culture already there, but it just wasn't in conversation with or aware of itself," Olson says.
The durham3 blog includes a manifesto that speaks to the city's undefined nature: "Durham is not simply a professional or factory town, an academic or working class town, a gay or straight town, a conservative or progressive town, a black or white town," Olson wrote. "It is a place that encompasses both sides of these dichotomies and therefore becomes something beyond those pairings, creating and occupying a new, third space."
durham3 doesn't have a permanent venue--so far it has found a home in galleries, clubs and restaurants. This also allows for activities to be held all over town, not just in one place. "No one has said no to us yet," Nolan says. "People welcomed us everywhere we went." Part of the purpose of durham3 events is to get artists who might never have met to work together. "You get to come and be around people who are trying to do the same thing you're doing," Nolan says. "We want people to form networks and form friendships." Never limited in scope or artistic vision, organizers welcome all forms of artists to participate. The spring event featured a fabric art show, two dance groups and films. Nolan says the venue was so full that she had a hard time getting through the crowd at Ooh La Latte to announce the performers as they came on stage.
A beginning-of-the-season potluck in June brought artists to Nolan's home to discuss plans for the next series. Artists navigated plates of Bocca Burgers, hummus and chocolate chip cookies as they talked about the upcoming season.
Poet Paul Aaron identifies with what Olson and Nolan are doing. "This is not the only activity in Durham that unites people, but it is one of the most meaningful," Aaron says. "Business draws Durham together, but that is rarely intimate."
MZ Julee, a performance artist living in Raleigh, currently runs stammer!, sort of a Raleigh sister to durham3. MZ Julee enjoys these events because of the respect new artists get when performing at open mic night. "Sometimes the open mics can be difficult," she says. "It's nice to have an audience that's attentive."
Writer Bill Gural says he appreciates the feedback that durham3 helps generate. Gural is always looking for input from new people, not just his peers. When he performs at group gatherings, he reads his short stories or passages to gauge the reaction.
This exchange between local artists and the public is a big part of what Nolan and Olson were hoping for when they first came up with the idea. durham3 will probably be around for a while, but the goal may already have been reached.
"It's a matter of we just came along at the right time doing the right thing," Nolan says.
The next durham3 cycle starts on July 15 during Durham's Third Friday Culture Crawl. Look for a happening on the green space outside Joe and Jo's Downtown, 427 W. Main St. You'll hear the Bull Durham Slam Team, a slam poetry group including Dasan Ahanu, Langston Fuze, Ms. Mona (Monica Daye), The Original Woman (Nitche Ward) and Rhonda Reese. The team recently placed eighth out of 24 teams at the Southern Fried Southeast Regional Poetry Slam and will be part of the Carolina Circuit Tour, along with other teams from North and South Carolina. They'll be competing in the National Poetry Slam competition this August in Albuquerque, N.M. Visual artist/storyteller/social justice activist Ellen O'Grady and Lucifer Poetics Group member Chris Vitiello will also perform. As night falls, the silver screen will light up with a short film by Bill Weaver and Jason Klarl and a project from the Center for Documentary Studies Audio Documentary Summer Institute.
There will be an open mic, admission is free, and the seats are blankets.
The second and third events are booked for August and September, and a release party for a DVD of short films about the city is planned for November.
Entries for a collection of short films about Durham are currently being accepted. To get involved in durham3, check out durham3.blogspot.com .

july durham3

durham3 ends its spring break and returns on July 15th with an outdoor show during Durham’s third Friday Culture Crawl. Poet Chris Vitiello, members of the Bull City Slam team, and visual artist/storyteller Ellen O’Grady will perform their special brands of genius, we’ll be showing a short film from a local filmmaker, presenting an audio documentary from the Center for Documentary Studies Audio Documentary Summer Institute, and asking the people of Durham to serve as our guest collaborative artist for the month. July’s durham3 will take place on the 5 Points green space outside of Joe and Jo’s and if the city doesn’t move the giant concrete tubes by then, we’ll figure out how to incorporate those into the show as well! Performances begin at 8pm, so be sure to stop by as you make your way around downtown Durham enjoying other Culture Crawl sites. Enjoy a cold beverage from Joe and Jo’s while you enjoy the show and make sure to check out the jazz band they’ll have playing inside. Admission is free, we’ll provide some sheets and blankets to sit on, and be sure to bring your own mosquito spray. durham3 reminds you that sometimes culture can be bitey.

durham3
July 15th (during Culture Crawl)
8pm
green space outside of Joe and Jo’s
427 W. Main Street Durham
No Cover

April durham3

April is National Poetry Month and to celebrate, durham3 is bringing poetry to the people with Call What You’re Thinking Poetry. Poetry is typically thought of as something that exists outside regular life, a special event you go to see, a particular type of book you pick up to read. What if people recognized the ways poetry already exists in life? What would happen if poetry’s daily presence was recognized and valued? How can poetry shape an individual’s life? A city’s future? A country’s politics? A culture’s values? Call What You’re Thinking Poetry will find poets located throughout the April 15th Culture Crawl giving readings, both at Culture Crawl sites and on the streets. durham3 will also be handing out free broadsheets containing poems from participants and hanging posters of poems throughout downtown. Participating poets will include Chris Vitiello, Mz. Julee, Langston Fuze, Randall Williams, Maura High, Bill Weaver, Kim Arrington, Ken Rumble, Debra Kaufman, E.V. Noechel, Rhonda Reese, Carol Lautier and others. Choreo Collective will serve as collaborators with some poets. Call What You’re Thinking Poetry will finish up at the Arts Place building (305 E. Chapel Hill Street) with an open mike at 9:30 and a free reception to which everyone is invited. On April 15th, durham3 urges you to look for poetry everywhere you turn (because that’s where it already is.)

durham3 is sponsored in part by the Carolina Wren Press (www.carolinawrenpress.org). Need more information? Contact Tanya Olson (olson@vgcc.edu), Amy Nolan (amycnolan@hotmail.com), or visit the durham3 website at http://durham3.blogspot.com

Artists
Kim Arrington- Singer-teacher-writer Kim Arrington is deeply committed to her community and is fed by the twin forces of literature and performance. A lifelong resident of Durham, NC, Kim founded a publishing house, greased scalp press, to assist first-time authors and underrepresented voices with the production of their books. The press will release her first volume of poetry, the lapis dwellers, in June 2005. Writer-in-residence for the Wings Community Art Center, she has performed at many events and shared the stage with the legendary Last Poets, Julie Patton, and Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble. She is working on a full-length play, the color of jesus, and teaching youth workshops on cultural awareness using poetry and performance as a lens.

Mz. Julee- Mz. Julee has been in Raleigh around 3 years pursuing her performance art/spoken word as well as her visual artwork. She is the moderator/organizer for STAMMER!, an event of spoken word, poetry/performance art/film/ music/ playwrights & more, held at Artspace bi-monthly and other venues in between. Check out her website at www.geocities.com/pbqtest for more info.

Carol Lautier- Through her work as a spoken word performer, Carol Lautier composes and presents poetry that celebrates women. Her poems present women’s hurdles with unflinching honesty, and then celebrate women’s triumphs over them. A performance poet since 1999, Carol performs at various poetry venues in the southeast as well as national conferences and fundraising events for organizations that serve women in crisis. As a result of her work with abuse survivors and those in recovery, Carol is the recipient of the 2004 Women's Advocacy Award (sponsored by the Carolina Women's Center.) Carol believes that affirmation and wholeness result from sharing the stories of our lives. Her poetry bears witness to the
healing power of the spoken word.

Randall Williams- Randall Williams is a poet, social activist and filmmaker living near Hillsborough, North Carolina. His writing has appeared in Word For/Word, McSweeneys, Salon and the Independent Weekly. He is currently working on the campaign to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq and local efforts to fend off Senate Bill 8 and House Bill 55, two discriminatory pieces of legislation which would constitutionally ban many legal protections for same-sex couples.

Ken Rumble- Ken Rumble is the director of the Desert City Poetry Series and list administrator of the Lucifer Poetics Group. His poems have been published in Parakeet, Word For/Word, Effing Magazine, Sidereality,NoTell Motel, Sugar Mule, VeRT, and others. He collects books of poetry by Leonard Nimoy.

Chris Vitiello- Chris Vitiello lives in Durham, NC and is part of the Lucifer Poetics Group. He has just finished a manuscript entitled Irresponsibility , and his Nouns Swarm A Verb was published by Xurban in 1999. His blog is located at http://the_delay.blogspot.com/

Bill Weaver- Bill Weaver is one of two bassists and the lyricist for the band Section Eight. He’s been involved in music and politics since his early student days, attending protests against the First Gulf War and George Bush I. Bill brings his political and musical passion to the world of spoken word as well.

Debra Kaufman- Debra Kaufman is the author of three books of poetry: Family of Strangers, Still ife Burning, and A Certain Light. She works at Duke University Press.

Langston Fuze- Fuze, whose stage name is derived from the great Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes, has produced several works after a inspiring conversation in 1999 with Black Thought of the Hip-Hop band The Roots. L-Fuze’s first three albums (The Poetic / 2000 * Inkwell Skripturez / 2001 * LYRITOGRAPHY / 2002) are a meshing of poetry, spoken word rhythms, and rap lyricism. In 2003, Fuze was awarded the United Arts Council Literature Grant for his first book of poetry and social commentaries entitled Plasma Succotash. Within that same year, he also released two more books: To Be The Sun / A Ghetto Story. These titles were followed by the release of his fourth book in 2004 – The Poetic Biography Of Langston Lyricai Fuze. Book number five, Real Men Have Love Handles, was released in January of 2005.

Maura High- Maura High volunteers for The Nature Conservancy's prescribed fire program and edits books for a living.

Rhonda Reese- Sista Rhonda Reese is a social justice poet and spoken word artist from Durham. She is always active on North Carolina’s spoken word scene.

E.V. Noechel- As the daughter of a travelling salesman, E.V. Noechel spent her early years touring the Southeast, gaining extensive knowledge of motels and public restrooms. Lower education took place in a small town in the trailer park belt of Florida, followed by a BA from the University of Georgia. She currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina where she works as a bookseller and dog biscuit baker. Her recently completed novel, Sanitized, is a Southern suburban coming of age novel and reflection on what she refers to as Shakespeare's "Teen Angst Trilogy": Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and Henry IV. It is currently available for publication.

Choreo Collective- Choreo Collective is a collective of local modern dancers and choreographers committed to exploring the creative process and increasing the presence of the performing arts in the Triangle community. Choreo Collective works throughout the Triangle and is based in Durham. Visit their website at http://www.choreocollective.org/