Greetings and Salutations! I have signed up for the insanity that is The Poetry Marathon (okay, half the insanity, since I’m planning to do the 12-hour version); this is my introduction.

Among my various roles and attributes, I am:

• a self-published poet. I have published six collections so far; my seventh, This Is Fifty-three, is at the proofing stage. I try to write every day, posting the best (or least horrible) of each day’s poems on my blog, Ordinary Average Thoughts. Also, I regularly participate in several open mics in the Seattle area.
• a freelance copy editor. This is how I make most of the money I don’t have. Fortunately, I have a background as a translator, because most of the documents I edit originate from overseas (e.g., Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ukraine).
• a graphic designer. I don’t do web/UI/UX design/development, but I have designed lots of posters, done some magazine work, album covers, and (shameless self-promotion alert!) do book and cover design. (Needless to say, I do all my own book design.)
• a photographer. Not a professional photographer, but I have been taking photos for over 45 years. You can see examples of my photography (with a few design examples here and there) on Flickr.
• a maker of soup. Before my divorce, my ex-wife taught me how to make this faux gumbo—chicken, sausage, onion, veggies, spices, and seasonings. I have since tried a number of variations, usually with good results. I do not know how to make it in small quantities, though, so I end up freezing most of it; a pot will normally yield enough soup to last two to four weeks.

I live near Seattle with two cats, Trixie and Lucy, who are named after 1950s sitcom characters only by coincidence. Lucy also serves as the mascot for my self-publishing imprint, Alarm Cat Press.

TTFN!
Kevin

(10 August 2016)