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

Among my various roles and attributes, I am:

• a self-published poet. I am up to twelve published collections of poetry now. My latest, Wishes sometimes have consequences, covers the chapter of accidents that was 2018. I continue to write every day, posting the best (or least horrible) of each day’s poems on my blog, Ordinary Average Thoughts. And I still participate in several open mics in the Seattle area, though the trials of the last year and a half have caused my attendance to be more sporadic than I would like.
• 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 many of the documents I edit originate countries where English is not the primary language (e.g., Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ukraine).
• a graphic designer. I can’t really say I’m a professional anymore (if I ever was—there isn’t much available for designers who aren’t focused on web/mobile/UI/UX design), 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 sort of artist. I have backed off of photography in favor of digital sketches/paintings, which I started doing late last year after I inherited my father’s iPad. You can see some of my work here.

I still live near Seattle, but am now sans felines. My mom keeps urging me to get a new cat right away, but I’m not there yet. When I’m not writing poems, copy editing, attending open mics, or sketching on my iPad, I am looking for that elusive full-time job with actual benefits.

Let the countdown begin…

TTFN!
Kevin

(10 June 2019)