Bonfire Contributors

Our Contributors: Our contributors' backgrounds are as varied as the work they produce. All have at least two things in common: a love of writing and a willingness to share what they know about it. The following is a little information about them provided at the time of publishing. As many of the contact details from that time have changed, we have opted to delete them along with links to defunct sites. If you are a contributor and would like to update your entries in any way, please contact us.
Jeffrey C Alfier	Jeffrey lives in Tucson, Arizona, USA, holds an MA in Humanities, and served as an adjunct faculty member with City Colleges of Chicago - European Division. He is a member of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations. His publication credits include The Columbia Review, Conspire, CrossConnect, Niederngasse, Recursive Angel, Stolen Island Review, and War, Literature and the Arts - An International Journal of the Humanities. His poetry and commentaries are to appear in an anthology to be published by McGraw-Hill.
John Amato	Presently a vice president of the Union City Education Association, John has taught in New Jersey schools for 23 years. He is the founder of the North Bergen Poet's Workshop/Network, and his poetry has been published in numerous venues, including two anthologies: A Tapestry for Thought, and Where Dawn Lingers.
carlos b barrios	Carlos is a student of graphic design and comes from a musical family. With a job in retail and caring for three small girls ranging in age from 1 year to 6, it's a wonder he finds the time to write at all.
Carrie Berry [fandango-vee@ntlworld.com]	Carrie reluctantly ended her year long sabbatical from twenty years in the electronics industry when she accepted a position as a legal secretary in Glasgow at the age of 50. 25 years later she has retired from the rat race and lives with her husband, Jim Murdoch, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, where they both continue to write. She enjoys having the time to pursue her hobbies of bird watching, photography and origami. Her own poetry can be found through the author pages of fvbooks.com
Jack Gregory Bowman	Jack Bowman, 37, is a dark poet living in California, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Behavior Science in 1986 and a Master's Degree in Marriage Family and Child Counseling in 1997. He currently works with chronically mentally ill adults in downtown Los Angeles. He's married, enjoys hiking, painting landscapes, photography and has been a guest vocalist with The Hanley Page band for the last 14 years. His poetry has been widely published in small presses in the states since 1991.
Don "Kingfisher" Campbell	The busy Kingfisher is a winner of the Poetry In The Windows III award, founder of WORDprocess writing workshops, host of Monday Night Poetry in Alhambra, CA and publisher of the San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly. His poems have appeared in numerous periodicals, literary journals and internet publications.
Mark Cassidy	A Brummie by birth, Mark did much of his growing up on the Isle of Wight. He later returned to Birmingham to study where he found many diversions on both sides of the Atlantic before finding his way back to his education and poetry. He has been employed in radiography for the past 9 years. When Mr Cassidy isn't working, you will find him enjoying the company of his wife, son, daughter, six trees and two guinea pigs in his Portsmouth home (the cat died).
Matthew Caverhill	As a writer of both poetry and prose, Matthew is drawn to those works with allegory and deeper thematic structures. He names as influences the poetry of the New York school (Ashbery, K. Koch), Carl Sandburg, D.H. Lawrence, Randall Jarrell and T.S. Eliot and the prose of James Joyce, O. Henry, Flann O'Brien, Terry Pratchett and Carson McCullers. He is the Webmaster/Designer of the newly launched Painted Moon Review which has set itself a high standard in its first issue. Matthew invites you to check out his website, Sonicity-The Art of Listening and we urge you to read his poetry at iguanaland.
C.E. Chaffin	C.E. Chaffin edits the online literary journal, The Melic Review.His first book of poems,Elementary, was published in 1997 by Mellen Press. A book-length collection of his short stories, The Eric Chronicles, is being serialized in Savoy where he also contributes a regular column. Critical essays now appearing in Bonfire have also appeared in The Melic Review, The Cortland Review, Beehive and The Horsethief's Journal and will appear in The Suite 101 Print Anthology.
Nicholas Coleman	Nic Coleman, who now runs a successful contracting business in East Sussex, is a peasant poet to the core. He says he was reared in a "Victorian Time Warp" in the East Sussex village of Selmeston and lives on his own farm in Golden Cross.
Alisa Cox	Alisa Cox is a 29 year old freelance writer living in North Carolina, USA. She has been published in print publications such as YM, Lucidity, and My Legacy. More recently, an essay about Norse mythology appeared in the e-zine, Cauldrons and Broomsticks. Alisa writes her fiction under the name of Morning Glory, a pen name which is evocative of her true nature. (The plant thrives in some of the poorest conditions - a survivor for sure!)
CyberClem (aka John Kilroy)	"And this I believe: poetry is the last place to find the unspeakable wisdom of the individual." An editor of a non-poetry magazine, John Kilroy has published a trilogy of poetry books under the titles of Torque, Proof of Flight and Point B.
L McKenna Donovan [McKennaD18@comcast.net]	McKenna lives near Puget Sound, Washington. A former software engineer, she says, I write from images and emotions, then ferret out the story and characters kind of like bending chicken wire into strange shapes, then placing the right mix of materials to produce something pleasing to experience; something to remember; to ponder. As book review editor, McKenna produces reviews of non-fiction books relating to literature and writing.
Jerry Dreesen	Radiography his vocation for over thirty years, Jerry Dreesen has pursued writing as his avocation for nearly as long. "Writing is the creative outlet which allows me to articulate who I am, who I want to be, define my purpose for being and, when needed, give closure to that part of my life lost, taken, or given away." A few of his poems have been published in small press publications, a few more in electronic journals.
Dave Durham	David lives with his wife, Ann, in Denver, Colorado where he teaches third grade in a public school system. He spends his summers in the mountains where he enjoys hiking in the thin, clean air. A Peace Corps stint in Sierra Leone, West Africa in the 80's is the source of inspiration for a series of poems about these experiences. Some of his more current work is included in the current issue of iguanaland. He says, "I am excited about the potential for poets and poetry with the dynamic medium of the internet."
Anne Forrest	Our good friend and regular contributor to Bonfire and iguanaland, Anne Forrest (also known as Laura Hastings, Anne Lawrence, Silkster or SilkSTRESS) succumbed to the ultimate stresses of the depression she lived with daily as a Bi-Polar sufferer. Unfortunately, her site, Silk's Cocoon, deriving its name from a Tai Chi exercise, is no longer online. We miss her deeply.
Heather Fowler	Heather is a Southern California native, recently relocated to Modesto in the hopes of completing her first two novels, three books of short fiction, two books of poetry, and several screenplays. Short fiction is her favorite genre. She received her M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Hollins University in May of 1997, and alternately teaches part-time at California State University, Stanislaus and Modesto Junior College. Her short fiction has recently been published or selected for publication in the following journals: Exquisite Corpse, Quercus Review, Penumbra, B & A New Fiction, Barbaric Yawp, Zoetrope All-Story Extra and Mindkites.
Em Franco	Em Franco is the pen name of a refreshing young poet who lives in the Phillipines. As she says, "I'm from the Philippines, but I used to live in the States. I'm constantly scrounging for inspiration, anywhere I can find it. I started writing a few years ago, not formally, but just a means of communicating (to myself, mainly) Just this past few months I started sending my work out in the open." Since then, Em has had work published in The Circle Magazine and in the February 2001 issue of Poems Niederngasse. Her work has also been featured in iguanaland.
Jay Frankston	Jay Frankston was raised in Paris, and came to the U.S. in 1942. He practiced law in New York for 20 years reaching the top of his profession and writing at the same time. In 1972 he gave up law and New York and moved to California where he became a college instructor. He is the nationally published author of several books some of which have been condensed in Reader's Digest and translated into 15 languages.
John Gregory	John Gregory is a poet and stay-at-home dad living in Newton, Massachusetts. Previously a high school English teacher in Nashville, Tennessee, his work has been accepted for publication in The Chaminade Literary Review, Art Times, The Abiko Quarterly, Poetalk, The Black Bear Review, Mind Matters Review, River King Poetry Supplement, Baacchor, The Beaded Strand, and Paper Plates.
Paula Grenside	Paula Grenside is the pen name of inspired and prolific English/Italian writer Lori Marchesin (Boer). Paula, who has been writing for 12 years, has published two collections of poetry, one of short stories and a novel in Italian (1996-1998). In the last year, she has found an audience for her writing in the English language on the Internet, where her work has been published on several sites, including Bonfire and iguanaland. She is currently working on a novel in English.
Margaret Hicks	Margaret "was born in the fifties, grew up in the sixties, got depressed in the seventies, got married in 1980"and is now busy living happily ever after. Margaret grew up around South East London where she worked for London Transport in the Computers department for many years. Now, living closer to France, she is a "humble housewife" and able to spend more time with the writing she loves so much. She has been writing poetry since she was in primary school as a means of release, but has only begun to share and get constructive feedback in the past few years, and is finally accepting that she is a poet.
John Horváth Jr	Widely published online and in print since the 1970s, John Horv th, Jr focuses on the strange and stranger among us. He writes about ethnic and regional, private or public identity from 'inside the sinner' where events, experience, history, and memory mingle. His most recent poems appear in Riding the Meridian, The 12-Gauge Review, Arcanum Caf (US), The Inditer (Canada) and Poems Niederngasse (Switzerland) and iguanaland. John is Publisher/Editor of the PoetryRepairShop and Poetry Editor of the Amateur Poetry Journal.
Ian Irvine	Ian is an Australian who has lived in NZ, the US, and the UK. His poetry, short stories and essays have been published in hard copy and electronic presses, and his novel is currently making the rounds of publishing houses. Dr Irvine, who recently completed his PhD in Human Relations, is the editor of The Animist, one of Australia's leading literary e-journals, archived by the Australian National Library as a journal of national cultural significance as part of the Pandora Project.
Dave Johnson	After spending his formative years in Lancashire, Dave studied philosophy at the University of York in the early seventies. He subsequently pursued a hippyish existence before succumbing to gainful employment as an Information Technology consultant in the flat capped Pennine Hills east of Oldham. Dave is currently a member of a local community arts group who specialise in fire shows. Over the years he has written odds and ends for his own amusement but has lately become more curious to find out what else might be lurking in his pen.
David Jones	David Jones, originally from Bangor, North Wales, is a journalism student at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston. His work has previously appeared in Purple Patch, Skald and Voicemag (US). He has also produced his own volume called Corrosive Enzyme (1998). David hopes to 'travel around a bit' then become an on-line sports reporter when his course is finished.
Ward Kelley	Ward's poetry credits include such journals as: ACM Another Chicago Magazine, Rattle, Sunstone, Spillway, Porcupine Literary Magazine, Pif, 2River View, Oblique, Offcourse, Potpourri and Skylark. He has been A Pushcart Prize nominee and has received the Nassau Review Poetry Award for 2001.
Jo Neace Krause	Jo Neace Krause has had fiction published in the Yale Review, the University of Windsor Review, South Carolina Review, River City (University of Memphis), Other Voices, Gambit, Appearances, Buffalo News with forthcoming work in Witness Magazine and Exquisite Corpse. Jo's fiction piece Disgust and several of her poems were featured in the July 2000 edition of Wired Heart
Michael Largo	Michael was born in New York, where he received a B.A. in English from Brooklyn College and an A.S. in Environmental Science. He now lives in Miami with his family. Read more about his career in the commentary on his poem Cheap Sleeping. In addition to numerous web appearances, Michael has published a book of poetry Nails In Soft Wood (Pikadilly Press) and three novels.
Tim Love	Tim is the webadmin and LaTeX maintainer (Don't Ask!) for the Cambridge University Engineering Department. Explore his blog LITREFS for more of his commentary. Some of his poetry can be found in printed form in issues of Rialto and Stand, for starters.
Chris Major	"The small press" says Chris, "appears to be more and more of a closed shop. There is a definite establishment which is difficult for writers to break through. Personally, I was nearly killed off by the weight of rejections slips." His genuine love of reading and writing poetry won out, however and he has been published in many print mags, including Outposts, Poetry Nottingham, Pennine Platform, Poetry Bradford, Sepia, Candelabrium and the White Wings Project. Looking to the web, Chris sees a genuine need for resources such as Bonfire to help the burgeoning poet find his feet.
David S Minjares	David is a writer of poetry, satire and plays, as well as an actor and a spoken word performer around L.A. and the San Gabriel Valley. He has independently published many chapbooks (his last being ...and James Arness is THE THING!! released in late 1999) and is in the midst of developing two new plays aimed for early 2002 completion. David is also a music and film connoisseur, especially jazz, early country, Bossa Nova, blues and foreign/independent film.
Christopher Mulrooney	Christopher Mulrooney's poetry, fiction and translations can be found in many venues such as Fire, Frank, The East Village, Brooklyn Review, The Third Half, Elimae, Shampoo, The Burning Bush, Zine Zone, Breakfast All Day and Poetry and Audience.
Jim Murdoch [jimmurdoch@virginmedia.com]	Jim has been writing poetry since he was 14, and has two plays and four novels under his belt. "Time is the enemy!" claims Jim, who while working full time as a database administrator in Glasgow, Scotland shared the responsibility for editing Bonfire. Now retired with his wife, Carrie, in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, he continues to write poetry and novels. You can buy Jim's books at fvbooks.com.
Bryan Murphy	Bryan Murphy spent many years as an itinerant English language teacher. He is now trying to settle and "get a life" in Turin, Italy, where he works as a translator. Half a dozen of his political poems have recently been published in Mudlark. Brian has also been featured in iguanaland.
Laurence Overmire	Laurence is an actor/director who has worked on the left and right coasts of the US and in-between, on stage, film and television. His poetry has been or will be published in Kimera, The Penwood Review, Nuthouse, Lynx Eye, Emotions, Angelflesh, Maelstrom, The Laire, Uprising, Office Number One, Superior Poetry News, Main Street Rag Poetry Journal, Children, Churches and Daddies, Short North Gazette, Improvijazzation Nation, The Writer's Exchange, Over the Back Fence Magazine, Niederngasse, Apples and Oranges, Pegasus, Blind Man's Rainbow, Wings, L'Intrigue, Mobius, Footprints, Vol. No. Magazine, Transcendant Visions, Art Villa, Horsethief's Journal and others.
Stephen Pain	Stephen Pain, born of Anglo-American parentage in 1956 in London, has lived in England, Germany, Singapore and Japan. Previously working for the Arts Council in East Anglia, he has since relocated his family to Japan, the home of his wife. He has four degrees: three in literature and one in law. Now a freelance writer and teacher, he is working on a novel and has had poems published on the Net and on "real paper".
Ed Petrick	When asked to describe himself, Ed said, "I believe, dear Lady, you are asking the egg to describe the chicken - I only know, it is not who I was a moment ago." Though he claims at times that he is not a writer, any one who corresponds with him knows otherwise. A delightful philosopher from the midwestern United States, in his latest incarnation, Ed is freelancing as an internal auditor/sales director in the bowling/recreation business.
Michael Peverett	Michael is an Anglo-Swedish poet who lives in Frome in Somerset. Writing poetry for ten years, his current work in progress is a collection of poems called FOTO. His PhD thesis was on William Langland and he has also published essays in Lynx:Poetry from Bath. Update 2022: You can read the completed FOTO project on Michael's blog. He is currently the editor of Intercapillary Space a poetry zine with an emphasis on criticism and review culture.
Jonathan Powers	Jonathan is currently pursuing a PhD in Philosophy at Boston College. He recently took two years off from the program to live in Strasbourg, France, where he taught English and found plenty of time to indulge the little writer in himself.
Nathan Pritt	Nate Pritts hails from Lafayette, Louisiana. His chapbook HELLBENT is just out from Lazy Frog Press; an earlier chapbook, FIGURES, was designed as a companion to an exhibition of watercolors by Carlo Pastore Jr.
Thachom Poyil Rajeevan	Thachom Poyil Rajeevan was born in 1959 in Kerala, the southernmost state of India. He has a BSc degree in Physics and a Masters in English Language and Literature. Formerly a journalist with The Patriot, a New Delhi based newspaper, he is now working as the Public Relations Officer of The University of Calicut in Kerala. Apart from his interest in poetry, civil liberty and the environment are his areas of greatest concern.
R. W. Ridley	R.W. Ridley is the author of the novel series The Oz Chronicles, the first two books of which won the IPPY award. The first book of the series, The Takers, also took The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Award in the Middle Grade/Young Adult Category. He has also written The Man Who Saved Two Notch and Lost Days. He lives with his beautiful wife, a hyperactive dog, an arrogant cat, and one ugly mortgage.
David Ritchie	As a resident of Seattle, David finds his surroundings an inspiration to his poetry, which ranges from the primitive simplicity of November at Sneeoosh Beach (spotlighted in Bonfire) to reflections of mental illness on the streets of Seattle. Some of his work has been featured in The Animist.
M.L. 'Max' Roth	M. L. 'Max' Roth believes that as the universe created him, his ability to create is simultaneously a right and a responsibility. Apart from creating a substantial body of written works according to these beliefs, Max Roth has worn many hats: dealer, story analyst, editor, critic, proofreader, textbook author and teacher of literary and entertainment arts writing. Writing credits include THE WHOLE SHEBANG! Writing the Novel and Screenplay Package, California State University, Northridge University Press and numerous poems and prose works in publications such as Zyg Zag, Coyote Madonna Magazine, Modern Rantings, Indite Magazine, Skunk's Magazine and Stirring. Mr Roth has received National Writers Association Awards for his two manuscripts Messiah, Messiah and Promises From The Garden and for two scripts, In A Pig's Eye; A Soothsayer's Tale, and Bear Path Standing. Mr Roth is the Executive Editor of The Success Trust Literary Family.
Harding Stedler	Harding, retired Professor of English at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, OH, had occasion to represent his university in 1989 on a visit to the Lake District of England and St. Andrews University in Scotland. In retirement, he works for a publishing house, designing Language Arts materials for elementary school students.
Les Wicks	Les Wicks first published at age 17. He has subsequently regularly appeared in literary publications in Australia and elsewhere. His four books are The Vanguard Sleeps In (Glandular, 1981), Cannibals (Rochford St., 1985), Tickle (Island, 1993) and Nitty Gritty (Five Islands, 1997).
Janis Wiley	Janis is a primary school teacher in a non-integrated inner-city school in north St. Louis, Missouri. She is also an alternative education counselor for troubled middle school and high school students and in her 'spare time' continues to work towards her doctoral degree and writes excellent poetry, some of which has appeared in iguanaland
Ian Randall Wilson	Ian has published fiction and poetry in such journals as The Gettysburg Review and North American Review and is a contributing editor to 88: A Journal of Contemporary American Poetry. Ian is also on the faculty at the UCLA Extension where he teaches creative writing classes in the short story. His first collection of short stories, HUNGER AND OTHER STORIES has just been released by Hollyridge Press.
Please feel free to write to us at any time with suggestions, questions or to tell us how you can help: fandango-vee@ntlworld.com Thanks! the Editors