POETRY
Publications
My work has been published in various journals and two chapbooks, Blue Sirens, Dancing Girl Press (2017) and numinous, Finishing Line Press (2014). As a joint project with my web series, Verse- A Murder Mystery, I wrote a full-length book of poems, Drunken Oasis, Rattapallax Press (2011) under the nom de plume, Claire Wilks, the mysterious poet character from the web series.
“Susan has the guts to dig into joy even amid the disaster and weirdness of life in a human body.” ~ Kazim Ali
“…songs of urban troubadour of mud and earth and sex.” ~ Dan Nester
“…join Susan on this poignant, deep and strangely warm quest.” ~ Steve Dalachinsky
“…the quintessence of New York poetry - fierce, enraged, ecstatic, iconoclastic.” ~Bob Holman
“…onomatopoeic mystery, metaphoric wildness…”
~ Anne Waldman
“ …like all remarkable art, it somehow becomes your story…” ~Jon Sands
Readings
I have participated in decades of poetry readings - including a Haiku Series at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Sakura Festival, Aerial Text Experiments, Circus Warehouse, and Split This Rock Poetry Festival. In addition, I have organized and co-curated, and/or recorded many poetry readings, including the series, The World’s Oldest Ship, hosted by myself, Pete’s Candy Store, hosted by Joelle Hann, and Pete’s Big Salmon, hosted by Jen Knox and Ada Limon.
Radiopoetique (poet interviews on PennSound)
After earning my masters in poetry from NYU, I wanted to connect with poets living in my neighborhood and ask them about their process. The questions turned into interviews, and I wandered the Brooklyn earth searching for poets to record at their most beloved spaces. Brooklyn Bridge, stoop, pizza joint, bar, DUMBO factory, Prospect Park, living room, coffee house, futon, YMCA - I explored the borough, the vibe, and wonderings of poets at the dawn of the aughts in Brooklyn. Over a five year period I collected over 50 interviews with poets including Ada Limon, Anselm Berrigan, Matvei Yankelevich, Charles Bernstein and Sarah Gambito.
Parachute Literary Arts
What a thrill to join forces with Amanda Deutch’s organization, Parachute Literary Arts, which conceives one-of-a kind site-specific public poetry performances in Coney Island and offers free writing workshops by esteemed NYC writers for the public in Coney Island. Together, we launched the first and only (so far) poetry reading on the Wonder Wheel! We also pulled together a star-studded poetry reading in honor of Walt Whitman’s 200th birthday. Walt Whitman would have been proud to see poets with sandy feet and drink in hand calling out their poems across his beloved Coney Island waves. Parachute Literary Arts has received support from NYSCA, Brooklyn Art Council, Poets & Writers and more.
Poetry Bio
PUBLICATIONS:
Education for Girls - What Rough Beast, Indolent Books, 2018
Blue Sirens - (chapbook) Dancing Girl Press, 2017
Ode to Turquoise - HIV Here & Now, 2016
The Untouchable Windchime; At First You Hear the Hum of Invisibility; Bikes; Diligent Dreaming; You’re Wrong Ode; Frogs Thrown WelI; The Invisible Forest Rules the Apocalypse; Lost in the Air - Lotus Magazine, 2016-24
numinous - (chapbook) Finishing Line Press, 2014
Poets Against the War - Split This Rock, 2014
The Fool; Two of Swords; Chromoluminarism; Moon; Kite - staged for aerialists at Circus Warehouse, NYC, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 for 100,000 Poets for Change
Last Prayer of the Day - Pilgrimage, 2013
The Astronomical Clock - staged for Puppets & Poets, NYC, 2012
Drunken Oasis - Rattapallax Press, 2011
Maps; guided thought tape #30 - the light produces in the shattering; guided thought tape #5,723 - these planes, these heavy angels - Lazuli Literary Group, 2017, Pushcart Nomination
numinous - Arc Magazine and postcard, 2009
Indictment - Grand Jury Duty - Foreign Policy in Focus, 2007
Barely Epic Thoughts that Cross My Mind; Pirate Puer - Painted Bride Quarterly, 2006
Yemeya - Calabash, a Journal of Caribbean Arts and Letters, 2004
Daniel, I Hardly Knew; Haunted Mansion; Ocean City Boardwalk - translated in Terra Incognita, 2004
Morning Bird; The Blue Hole; Blind Swimmers; Cruelty Sea Maid; Island Haikus - Calabash, a Journal of Caribbean Arts and Letters, 2004
Ignition; My Roommate’s Box of Worms; Eddie & the Rabbits - Caketrain, 2004
Homicide - Show World 42nd Street Dancer; The Gifted Child; Interview @ Columbine - Ganargua Review, 2003
Afternoon Bomb - MARGIE, Vol. 2, 2003
Hungers - (chapbook) Lunar Offensive Press, 1994
Gingerbread Girl - Rain Dog Review, 1993
POETRY CONTESTS:
numinous – semi-finalist Tupelo’s First/Second Book Award, 2011
Thinking of West Virginia while in Berlin – finalist, Split This Rock Poetry Contest, 2011
The Revolution Is…, Lying on the Grass – finalist in Winning Writers War Poems, 2011
Gifted Child, Heart Taken Twice, Last Prayer of the Day finalist in Malahata, 2010
Sweet Demons manuscript nominated as finalist for POL Poetry Prize, 2008
Speaking in Stars manuscript nominated as finalist for Anhinga Poetry Prize, 2004; finalist for Winnow Open Book Poetry Award, 2004; semi-finalist for Nightboat Books, 2003
FILM CONTESTS:
Verse, A Murder Mystery - screenwriter for web series produced by Rattapallax 2011 and winner of LA Webfest best dramatic script, 2011
Doggy Bags - Winner of My Movie Pitch Tribeca/American Express contest 2011
Vegas, Based on A True Story - co-authored script for feature film, screening in competition at the Venice Film Festival, 2008
short scripts: Incidents and Accidents - Golden Brad 2010; The Boost - Vegas Cine Fest official festival selection, 2011; Let It Walk - semi-finalist in First Glance Screenwriting Contest, 2011
AWARDS & HONORS:
Panel Presentations:
AWP: The Dynamic Interplay between Healthcare, Healing, & Poetry, organizer and presenting lecture, Chicago, 2004; Poetry’s First Webseries: Verse, A Poetry Murder Mystery, Chicago, 2012
Split This Rock: Yogic Path to Poetry & Conscious Action and Off the Page and Into the Streets, 2008; Yoga as a Personal, Artistic and Political Practice, 2014
Awards:
National Federation of Community Broadcaster’s Silver Reel Award for drama, Bruce Bennet Theatre Scholarship 1986, special Shakespeare performance for Derek Jacobi; NYU grant, Center for Teaching Excellence & NYU, Presidential Award, 2003
"Neon Crow" - Silver Reel Award for drama, Neon Crow
Affiliations: Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honors; Film Fatales, NYC; Collapsable Giraffe (performer); Theater for the New City (performer)
Internships: Wooster Group; Community Word, NYC; Why Not a Woman, NYC
Education/Training: NYU, MFA Creative Writing; BA SUNY, New Paltz, Cum Laude, Theatre Arts; Jivamukti Yoga Center Teacher Training