PB2 BIOS!!

Hello! If you are reading this then (hopefully) you have bought a copy of PB2 in which case thanks a million (genuinely) and well done for having such fine taste in magazines !

Ok I'm a bit late with the bios but what do you expect, Poetry Ireland? Listen,I'm just a pea brained half-arsed agoraphobic spaceman battling with a ten year old obstreperous Dell with all the RAM of a geriatric goldfish so everything takes time,just like a fine wine or assembling Billy Bookcase from Ikea.

I'll keep adding more bios each day so please keep checking.And if you have any feedback on the mag/Cd I'd love to hear it! (I think)

Anyways here they all are (well some of them) In (roughly) alphabetical order

Debbie Newman Amenyo. Debbie is in her senior year, studying Psychology at Western Connecticut State University and pursuing a degree as a Mental Health Nurse. She currently resides in Danbury Connecticut while she is in school, but her real home is with her husband in Jamaica, New York. Debbie has worked with mentally ill patients for five years and after reading, “Hurry Down Sunshine,” she was inspired to write several poems, one of which I am delighted to include in PB2 particularly as I think this may be Debbie's first ever published poem ! Arthur Broomfield Arthur has been published quite a bit over the years ; Poetry Ireland, Cyphers, Sunday Tribune etc. etc. He is a Beckett scholar and is working on a book on S.B.'s works as we speak and his latest poetry publication is newly launched from Lapwing ‘The poetry Reading at Semple Stadium.’ He lives in county Laois. Lesley Carty Lesley Carty lives in Cornwall where she divides her time between writing, gardening and campaigning. She has had poems published in several magazines including Borderlines, The Dawntreader, Ore, Poetry Cornwall and Purple Patch. Sarah Clancy: I haven't got a bio from Sarah yet, but she is a fantastic poet and a real life activist. While I sit on my arse moaning about stuff Sarah gets out there and gets stuck in. She is in Mexico at the moment. Her poetry has been published loads, she is current Cuirt literary slam champ and a sequence from her brillo book Stacey and The Mechanical Bull was shortlisted for the rather long-windedly titled Listowel Writers Week Collection of Poetry Competition 2010 and the Over The Edge New Writer of The Year Award, and why she didn't win either of them is a mystery to me and perhaps one of the world's greatest injustices. A full collection is due from Salmon next year and will be launched at The Cuirt International Literary Festival along with a complete idiot that poor Sarah has to look after. I won't mention his name. I think Sarah is 38 and lives in Galway. I'll put up her proper bio when I get it. Unless she likes this one better. Brenda Cusack Brenda Cusack is a native of the Dublin Liberties, now retired and living in Wexford. She started out as a brewery worker and now brews spells and incantations, some of which have been published in a local newspaper. She likes to walk the beach and play piano.
Kate DempseyHasn't given me a bio yet but for now... Kate has been widely published and has been nominated for, and won many prizes including The Frances MacManus, Cecil Day Lewis and Hennessy awards for poetry and for fiction. She loves to blur the wobbly boundaries between page and stage with The Poetry Diva Collective who perform regularly, most recently at The Electric Picnic. Talking of wobbly go to her excellent and highly informative writing blog http://emergingwriter.blogspot.com/ and you can buy her poetry pamphlet ‘Good Sherry Trifle’ Kate is also the author of the new eBook, The Story of Plan B, "A real find. Funny and poignant at the same time and a page turner" available on Smashwords http://bit.ly/kLDj1R or Amazon http://amzn.to/mG7hJ8 for your eReader or PC. Only $2.99 or less.
Martin Anthony Egan

is an Irish Singer Songwriter who had until March 5th 2010 never released an Album but despite this reached Multi Platinum Status in Ireland and Europe in 1997 and also 2006 writing "Casey" a Song about the adventures and misadventures of the profligate Bishop of Kerry for Christy Moore, 1997 also saw Egan working in Collaboration with the Hothouse Flowers, resulting in “The Making of Us All” featuring on "Your Love Goes On" the first Single from their 2005 "Into Your Heart" Album. While working with the Flowers a number of Songs were written and recorded in Peter OToole's Home Studio in Lacken Co Wicklow. One of these Songs "The Tune" featuring Peter on Bass, Bouzouki and Guitar became the Title Track of his Current Album. Another Co-write "Talking to the Wildman" also ended up on the Album.

The Black Romantics Collective featuring members of Jack's Band, In Tua Nua, The West Seventies and other seminal Dublin Bands recorded Egan's Spoken Word Piece: “The Shepherd and his Maiden” on their Album “Nine Parts Devil" Martin also worked with Poppy Gonzalez (ex Mojave 3 piano player) and her Band Hush Collector for whom he co-wrote the Title Track “Flowby” for their Debut E.P. on Candy Cone Records and the Late Woody Sagoo whom he also managed.

Martin has also worked with Eamon Carr of Horslips and written a number of Songs with Will Merriman of the Harvest Ministers one of which "Ruined Shoes" currently features as part of his Live Set.
He was Nominated along with Mary O'Regan of Draoicht for the German Music Award in 1997 for Mary's Solo Album "Every Punch needs the Kiss" for which Martin wrote the Title Track along with 3 other tracks.
Martin Egan is also a recognised Irish Neo-Expressionist Artist and although he has not produced any new work since 1997 is about to begin a New Multi-Media Project involving Experimental Music, Painting, Spoken Word, and has also completed a Book of Sonnets on the Theme of Grief and Loss which will also be incorporated into the New Project.

Martin Egan returned to the Studio on March 22nd 2010 to complete Recordings begun in Ashtown Studio's in late 2009. having finally released "The Tune" along with a Video of the Title Track on March 5th 2010 on his own Slinky Vibe Label Martin feels that he has at last put his past to rest. The New Album fondly known by the Working Title Part I includes work written with the participation of Brian Conniffe the Sound Sculpture Artist who has worked with a number of highly respected Musicians. Part I features Paul "Binzer" Brennan and Tommy O'Sullivan on Drums and Dara "Dip" Higgins on Electric and Double Bass. Tommy O'Sullivan also contributed Guitar on a number of Tracks. Martin begins work on Part II on January 6th 2011 and Part I will be released in 2011 Creating work in many disciplines is a way of Life Martin and Other Projects which for the moment remain secret are in train and will be brought to fruition over the next few years.

"The Tune"recorded between 1992 and 1997 with a great many Irish Musical Luminaries of that and the current time is now available in a Signed Limited Edition C.D. Format or by Download or atwww.slinkyvibe.com and is Distributed Nationwide by Mail Order from Claddagh Records http://claddaghrecords.com/WWW/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Martin+A.+Egan&x=14&y=14 is available by Download fromwww.itunes.com or on C.D. from City Discs in Eustace Street Temple Bar Dublin, Freebird at the Secret Book and Record Store in Wicklow Street, the Sound Cellar in Nassau Street and also on all the usual Online Outlets. A slide Show of Martins Paintings is available in the Photo Gallery and will also be available to buy with a Price List included.

Rachel FoxBorn and brought up in the North of England Rachel Fox now lives in Angus in North East Scotland. She has worked in journalism, education, market research, shops and nightclubs (5 long years as a DJ in the 1990s) but at present she looks after family full-time - partly because she likes it, partly because it gives her more writing time and partly because she is very bad at keeping regular jobs. Rachel has been writing for years but has concentrated on poetry for the last decade or so. She has published her poems as postcards and in a book called "More about the song". She has done quite a lot of public readings of her own poetry and has organised poetry and music events too. Some of her poems have been made into songs which makes her very happy. She is just back from a 6 month trip in North America and is wondering what to do next.http://www.crowd-pleasers.net/ Lesley Hegarty is 20 years old and lives in Cork where she works as a receptionist. Lesley won the iYeats Poetry Competition 2009 and a Poetry Award at Listowel Writers' Week. Most recently she was shortlisted for the RTE Guide/Penguin Ireland short story competition and has a flash fiction piece forthcoming in the Winter '10 issue of wordlegs.
Paul Michael Keenan was born in Armagh City in 1963. A graduate of St Patrick’s College Maynooth, UEA and the Open University. He is a lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Trinity College Dublin. His poetry has appeared in - Poetry Scotland, Crannog, Studies, Blackwater (Ire), Poetry Greece. The Daily Telegraph (UK), Deep South (University of Otago, New Zealand), Social Alternatives (University of Queensland, Australia) &. the anthology BT1 The New Belfast Poets Code (2005).



Dave Lordan was born. His next two publications will be THE FIRST BOOK OF FRAGS - as Vade Nadrol- due from Wurm Press in November 2011, and OUT OF MY HEAD, short stories due from Salmon Fiction in 2012. he can be contacted at dlordan@hotmail.com
Phil Lynch has performed at many of the structured and open-mic sessions around town since returning here about a year ago (regularly at some), including the Glor sessions, the Brownbread Mixtape, Seven Towers open-mic, the Naked Lunch and Winding Stairs sessions. Over the years, Phil has been involved in organising and participating in poetry and music events both here and in Belgium where he lived for a good while. He has had poems published in various mags etc and some of them featured on RTE Radio as well.
Karen Nowviskie was born and reared in the hills of "Almost Heaven," West Virginia, in the northernmost and westernmost state in the southeastern United States.

Influenced by the legends and lore of her native Appalachia, she comes from a long line of storytellers, rapscallions, and secret Melungeons.
Karen fought against writing poetry for years because of all the bad student poetry she read as a high school literature teacher, but in her old age, weakened and began to produce verse of her own.

She has been published in "Poets for Living Waters," "Breathing Poetry," "Bolts of Silk," "The Poetry Bus Magazine (1)," and "Gangway Magazine. "


Kerrie O' Brien has been published in various Irish and UK literary journals including Southword, Orbis, two issues of Crannóg, Revival, Icarus, The Cathach, College Green, Ropes, Daydreamer, Wordlegs, Minus 9 Squared and Boyne Berries. She will also have poems appearing in the forthcoming editions of The Poetry Bus, Outburst, Raft Magazine and Neon Literary Magazine.

Her poem Blossoms has been chosen as the winning entry in the Emerging Talent category of the 2011 iYeats Poetry Competition.Kerrie's website
Karl Parkinson is a poet from the inner city of Dublin, his work has been published in Babby Beef Heart zine,
Revival poetry Journal, Census the 7Towers anthology and a chapbook of his work 'A Sacrament Of Song' was published by Wurmpress in 2010.
He won the most entertaning act award for 2009 in Dublin at The Balcony TV Awards.
He is the 2010 Leinster slam poetry Champion and has performed at the Electric Picnic and many more top events.
Colm Scully lives and works in Cork. He has been published recently in “Cyphers” and “The Stony Thursday book”.Tom is an active member of O Bheal Open Mic group at the Long Valley in Cork.


Tom Sheehan’s recent books are Epic Cures and Brief Cases, Short Spans, Press 53, NC; A Collection of Friends and From the Quickening, Pocol Press, VA. His work appears in Home of the Brave, Stories in Uniform and Milspeak Anthology, Warriors, Veterans, Family and Friends Writing the Military Experience. He has 14 Pushcart nominations, Noted Stories for 2007 and 2008, Georges Simenon Fiction Award, and is included in Dzanc Best of the Web Anthology for 2009 and nominated for Best of the Web 2010. He has 144 short stories on Rope and Wire Magazine. Print issues include Rosebud (3) Ocean Magazine (7) among others. He has hundreds of internet publications of prose and poetry, and has published 3 novels (An Accountable Death, Vigilantes East, and Death for the Phantom Receiver, a football mystery) and 5 poetry collections including This Rare Earth and Other Flights; Ah, Devon Unbowed; The Saugus Book; Reflections from Vinegar Hill. He served with the 31st Infantry Regiment, Korea, 1951.