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—so help me, I like sleep); this is my introduction.

Among my various roles and attributes, I am:

• a self-published poet. I have published nine collections so far; my latest, This Is Not the Book That Will Save Your Life, came out in April 2017. I continue 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 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 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 since I was a kid. These days, I alternate between digital and Polaroids (at present, I’m in a digital phase). You can see examples of my photography (with a few design examples here and there) on Flickr.

I live near Seattle with my remaining cat, Trixie (Lucy, who still serves as the mascot for my self-publishing imprint, Alarm Cat Press, died unexpectedly last November).

Let the countdown begin…

TTFN!
Kevin

(26 July 2017)