On the latest episode of Songs of Selah I had the pleasure of interviewing the publishers of Transcendent Zero Press, Dustin Pickering and Z.M. Wise. An archive of that conversation can be listened to here…

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/17numaradio/2018/12/11/songs-of-selah-with-scott-thomas-outlar

Dustin Pickering is the founder of Transcendent Zero Press and editor-in-chief of Harbinger Asylum. He won a poetry contest in 5th grade and was introduced to Shel Silverstein by his teacher. He came to writing naturally. He is the author of several poetry collections including Salt and Sorrow, The Daunting Ephemeral, The Future of Poetry is NOW: Bones Picking at Death’s Howl, Knows No End, The Alderman: spurious conversations with Jim Morrison, and a work on aesthetics called A Matter of Degrees. His favorite poets and writers are Frederico Garcia Lorca, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Henry Miller, W. H. Auden, Frank O’Hara, Audre Lorde, Langston Hughes, among many others.  He reads books on many subjects including history, political science, genetics, philosophy, psychology, and theology. He started playing guitar at age 13 and still enjoys it. After learning every Nirvana song, he turned to inventing his own music. He has also illustrated for two books released by Alien Buddha Press.  He edited the bestselling Selfhood: Varieties of Experience with Kiriti Sengupta. Currently he is preparing a collection of love poetry called Epiphanies and Sudden Realizations of Love with the editor, Claudine Nash.

Z.M. Wise is a proud Illinois native from Chicago, poet, essayist, co-editor and poetry activist, writing since his first steps as a child. He is co-owner and co-editor of Transcendent Zero Press, an independent publishing house for poetry that produces an international quarterly journal known as Harbinger Asylum. He has published four full length books of poetry, including: ‘Take Me Back, Kingswood Clock!’ (MavLit Press), ‘The Wandering Poet’ (Transcendent Zero Press), ‘Wolf: An Epic & Other Poems’ (Weasel Press), and ‘Cuentos de Amor’ (Red Ferret Press). Other than these four books, his poems have been published in various journals, magazines, and anthologies. Besides poetry and other forms of writing, his other passions/interests include professional voice acting, singing/lyricism/songwriting, playing a few instruments, fitness, and reading. 

Check out Transcendent Zero Press at these spots:

Website

Facebook 

Twitter

On the latest episode of Songs of Selah I had the pleasure of interviewing a good friend and great poet, Don Beukes. Please listen to an archive of the episode here…

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/17numaradio/2018/11/21/songs-of-selah-with-scott-thomas-outlar

Don Beukes, originally from Belhar, Cape Town in South Africa is the author of The Salamander Chronicles (Creative Talents Unleashed) and Icarus Rising- Volume One (Alien Buddha Press), which is a unique ekphrastic collection written in collaboration with artists from South Africa, America and the UK. His poetry has been anthologized in numerous collections and translated into Afrikaans, Persian, French, and Albanian. He was nominated by Roxana Nastase, editor of Scarlet Leaf Review for the ‘Best of the Net’ in 2017 as well as the Pushcart Poetry Prize in 2016.  His debut South African Publication was published in August 2018 by Libbo Publishers with three prominent SA poets in a unique anthology reflecting on experiences of Apartheid and other global themes. 

Find out more about Don’s work here at his website, The Salamander Chronicles.

A past interview with Don featured in the Showcase Spotlight series here at 17Numa can be read here…

https://17numa.wordpress.com/2017/02/12/showcase-spotlight-6-don-beukes/

Light from the stars is not dampened by a canvass of clouds during autumn. Faith that they shine alive through the night behind a curtain of gray. Even the orbs of God are allowed to rest, still in their sleep, glowing warm with each sigh, dreaming of new worlds to brighten.

I’m stoked to have four poems included in the new winter 2018 print edition of Otherwise Engaged Literature and Arts Journal. 

Thank you to everyone who has picked up a copy of my latest book, Abstract Visions of Light, from Alien Buddha Press. Your support of independent artists and publishers is greatly appreciated!

For anyone interested in picking up a signed copy directly from me for the holidays, please contact me via email at 17Numa@gmail.com or through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The collection is also available on Amazon at the link below…

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1984155911

A new episode of Songs of Selah can now be listened to here on 17Numa Radio where I interviewed Peter Roets and Peter Norman from the Atlanta-based band, Spectralux…

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/17numaradio/2018/11/13/songs-of-selah-with-scott-thomas-outlar

I also read a selection of work from my most recent book, Abstract Visions of Light, as well as from my forthcoming collection, Of Sand and Sugar.

Today I received word that my writing has been published in the 300^th literary venue since beginning to send out submissions in 2014.

And earlier this month my 1,500^th poem was published during that same span of time.

Two nice milestones to reach.

My motto remains the same. One step and then the next. Always looking forward.

I sat on the front porch this morning watching the rain fall along with the leaves, and I thought about my amazing family and friends who have supported and encouraged me during this life. I am truly a lucky man.

I honestly believe that the real work has only just begun. I have big dreams, and I know that in order for them to be achieved my actions must follow suit.

I am more excited than ever about the possibilities of what the future holds.

Above all, I am extremely thankful.