Andrew David King

Close Encounters of the Chosen Kind

2010-10-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

I live in a fairly quiet neighborhood in a fairly safe town. The thing is, this fairly safe town has been having a higher frequency of robberies lately, so I’ve been a little nervous whenever I see a van I don’t recognize zip up the dead-end road I live on. Burglars around here have also been known to pose as business people or solicitors, while they knock on a bunch of doors to find out who isn’t home in the middle of the day—prime real estate for theft.

Today, at around 10 AM, I was sitting up in my bed and answering some emails when the doorbell rang. I froze mid-sentence and considered my options. If I got up and answered the door, they—presumably the would-be thieves—would think me more likely to be home during the day, and maybe they’d be less likely to come and victimize my family and I. But if I did that, I would have to be careful not to open the door too wide, lest they see something inside that’s to their liking. Or, I could simply not open the door at all, not even yell from behind it; but the danger would be that whoever it was would think they’ve just found an empty house. For a second, I realize that, like most people, I’d rather have my house robbed while I’m not there. I don’t know what flavors of character these people might be, and I’m not exactly dying to put down YouTube to find out.

After a few minutes, though, whoever is outside decides to take to to pounding on the screen door that covers my heavy oak front door. At this point I decide to get up and go investigate. Through the peephole, I see a middle-aged man and woman, dressed professionally, and carrying a stack of papers. They look patient—eerily patient.

Jehovah’s Witnesses.

I grumble and sigh. No, I don’t want another copy of Watchtower, thank you very much. No, I don’t want to know your version of “the truth,” though I appreciate your willingness to come share it with me. I watch them for probably thirty seconds through the peephole. The woman, wearing a dark purple dress and a black necklace that looks expensive, raises a bejeweled fist and starts shaking the screen door again. I think she might actually damage the screen part, which is very hard to put back in once it’s dislodged. Once I realize these people aren’t going away, I have to figure out the fastest way to deflect them—kindly, of course.

I breathe deeply before taking the plunge and opening the door.

“Hi!” the woman says before I can greet them. Even three feet away, I can smell her perfume, which is churchy but bearable.

“Hi,” I say, my weariness with this whole routine, this dance between prophet and potential convert, quite evident.

“Hi, we’re just stopping by to bring people like yourself the good news,” she continues. I figure this is the beginning of a long spiel, and it must have shown in my face. “We’re trying to be very brief today,” she offers.

I open my mouth to say something, but she holds up a copy of the Watchtower and intervenes with, “Have you seen this before?” It strikes me as odd that her tone is identical to one a mall salesman might use to get me to try some nasty health smoothie.

“Uh, yeah,” I say, sheepishly. “I’ll take one.”

“Only if you’re going to read it,” she says, smiling and holding it back from my extended hand.

At this point I feel like I’m twelve. I’m wondering if I maybe look twelve, not eighteen. I also feel like being a little smart with this lady, which wouldn’t exactly be nice. No, I’m not going to read it, I want to say, I’m going to go use it as fire-starter for a ritual sacrifice, or make paper cranes out of it. Something, anything but reading it.

“Yeah, I’ll read it.” I take the magazine from her. It’s nicely printed, and appears professional. “I’m generally interested in religious literature.”

She ignores my comment and gets on with her pitch. “Would you like to know the truth?” the woman says, like there’s multiple answers to that question.

“Yes, but I—”

“Then read that,” she says, and taps the magazine I hold in my hands.

For a second I’m tempted to cut the cord on this awkward conversation by telling her I’m a Satanist and currently in the middle of building a new altar, just like the one Christine O’Donnell has. I wonder if she’ll know who O’Donnell is, though, so I ditch the joke.

“Yeah, I will.” I turn to close the door.

“Are you a believer in Jesus Christ?”

I stand there and stare at her. I don’t intend to stare, it just happens. This is getting slightly ridiculous. I feel like I’m taking an online quiz where the questions are read aloud to me. I don’t have an answer to her question; there’s no right answer. If I say no, I’m inclined to think I’ll hear pleas to turn away from my own incoming demise, to rescue myself from the fire and brimstone I’m destined to face. If I say yes, then I’m probably opening a door that won’t easily be closed. No pun intended, I think, as I stand in my front door in my pajamas and continue to speak on a deeply personal subject with two complete strangers.

“Can I ask you a question?” I say. I feel I’ve given them a few minutes of painfully uncomfortable speaking time, so it’s my turn.

“Sure,” she says, seeming slightly puzzled by my query.

“You’re a Jehovah’s Witness, correct?”

“Yes,” the woman says, with a subtle hint of pride in her voice. The man nods nobly. “Yes, we are.”

“So, correct me if I’m wrong here, but you guys believe that literally 144,000 people will go to heaven, as the Bible indicates?”

“Of course,” she responds. “Well, that’s only one of our many beliefs. We’re not as simplistic as people like to make us out as. For instance—”

“Well, I’d like to know more about that one, if that’s okay,” I say. “I mean, there are over six billion people in the world. Isn’t 144,000 an awfully tiny number?”

The man and the woman stare at me. The woman’s smile has faded slightly by now. It strikes me that she could wear her outfit to a funeral and fit right in.

“Wait,” I say, “aren’t there more than 144,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses? How can all of you go to heaven? Doesn’t that mean that there are millions of devout Jehovah’s Witnesses who won’t make it to paradise?” [Update: the most recent Watch Tower Society figure is about 7.3 million, meaning that if exactly 144,000 Jehovah's Witnesses are admitted to paradise after they die, that's a slim 1.97% of their total population.]

The expression on the woman’s face is one of annoyance and horror. But I give her credit for still being able to smile, even a little.

“Why would I join your religion if it’s like playing the lottery?”

“Like I said before,” she says, firmly, “there is more to our religion than that. Do you—”

“I understand that, but this is a pretty major thing, I think. Going to heaven and all that.”

“Well, yes, but…” she sighs. At this point I know we’re both thinking it would be easier if her and her companion simply ambled up to another less-informed, more willing doorstep.

“And, I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me, but didn’t an editor of the Watch Tower Society predict that Christ’s so-called thousand-year reign would begin in 1925, and then again around 1975?” [Update: Charles Taze Russell, the founder of the Watch Tower Society, made the 1925 prediction, and the 1975 prediction was a result of general consensus.]

The lady frowns and adjusts her fancy black necklace. “I’m sorry,” she concedes, and sighs, “I really don’t know.”

“That’s okay,” I say, even though it’s really not.

“So,” she opines again, looking a bit more hopeful, “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you before. Did you say you were a believer in Jesus Christ?”

“Which Jesus are we talking about?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” She chuckles.

“There’s only one Jesus,” the man standing behind her declares.

Really? Thanks. Not exactly what I meant. I continue: “There are several incarnations, err, versions of him, actually. All depends on who you ask.”

“I’m not quite sure what you mean,” the lady says, her smile twisted upward in one corner, warped into a not-quite-hidden smirk. For a second I think she’s going to launch into another monologue.

“That’s okay,” I say again, and smile at her. “I’ll just go and read this now.” I hold up my copy of the Watchtower. “I appreciate it.”

“You seem slightly hostile, or, I mean, offended by our gestures,” she says before I can get the door fully closed, managing to sound even more robot-esque than before. “Is there something wrong with us? With what we’re doing?”

Her honesty slightly shocks me, so I respond in turn. “It’s slightly condescending, that’s all,” I say, as kindly as possible. I don’t proffer any other explanation about how deigning to spend your weekday showing up on the doorsteps of random strangers with a “better” explanation as to how they should live their lives and get to “the truth” is offensive. I don’t bring up anything about the other doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses that I find problematic. I don’t make a mockery of their misguided, literal interpretation of the Bible. I don’t mention any of the numerous scandals or widely-criticized activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses or their leaders and organizations. Instead I offer briefly, in as few words as possible, how this whole rigmarole comes off to me.

Her face instantly changes. She seems taken aback that I, or anyone, would resist even a conversation about conversion. But I find it hard to believe that she hasn’t had a door slammed in her face before—something even I wouldn’t do.

“Well,” she says, beginning to turn away, “I hope we’ve been of some assistance. I hope you find the truth.”

“You’ve been helpful,” I offer. “I hope you find the truth, too.”

They say nothing. The man waves and they both step off the porch and begin to walk toward the street.

“Have a good one,” I say, really meaning it, as I close the door. I’ll read the Watchtower later. I’ve had enough of being saved for one day.

For the Common Good: Social Media as a Threat to Individuality and Free Expression

2010-08-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

For a high school history project on the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1937, my classmates and I uploaded three videos we had created to YouTube. Though heart-wrenching, the series garnered thousands of views in its first months alone. A while later, however, I logged in to find that several videos had been administratively removed, with no explanation other than a form notice stating I had violated the user agreement.

Frustrated online searches led me to a forum discussion on YouTube censorship. Besides showcasing examples that demonstrated, at best, a sporadic enforcement of the site's policy, one member pointed out the overlooked truth that YouTube's status as a private company offering complimentary services affords their right to control users and content. This lead me to ask the following question: If censorship in Web 2.0 mediums is swift, silent, and entirely legal, are they appropriate habitats for the incubation of one's identity and free, diverse discussion?

The answer is obvious to me, but for many users of the world's fastest-growing websites, the reality may be less apparent. Concerns over online rights have risen drastically in recent years, with prominent “techies” publicly deleting their social media accounts. And yet, these well-justified reactions are considered statistically insignificant.

Steps away from basic democratic principles and individual privacy, however, may be the cumulative effects of an online culture that emphasizes the “mass” over the depth and relevance of the “media,” and exalts crowd views while denouncing critics as Luddites. In his 2010 release, You Are Not a Gadget, virtual-reality pioneer Jaron Lanier criticizes the internet's current direction as one that stifles innovation, elevates convenience over freedom, and shuns intellectual diversity. Particularly, Lanier is wary of the concept of “lock-in,” the idea that once an element of the online experience becomes the expected norm—for better or for worse—it becomes permanent. Lock-in, Lanier warns, “removes design options based on what is easiest to program, what is politically feasible, what is fashionable, or what is created by chance.”

Modern culture has evolved to treat online presences no longer as additions to identities, but as the identities themselves. Such thinking renders one's reputation, social status, and ability to speak freely in online communities into the hands of invisible puppetmasters—and millions of unknown strangers. In a January 2010 interview, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his company's concurrence with the online masses: “We view it as our role... to reflect what the current social norms are.”

Disillusioned by Facebook's continued disrespect for the privacy of its users, just weeks ago I followed links to the page where I could deactivate my account. Pictures of friends, who I know well enough in person, immediately appeared, along with captions saying they'd me miss me. As if this wasn't offensive enough, my father was among them. Surely a man with whom I share daily conversation won't care about the disappearance of my online profile, but this is how major establishments in our technology-obsessed culture have begun to assert a monopoly on human interaction.

While Web 2.0—and soon, Web 3.0 and onward—technologies revolutionize the way our society communicates and thinks, they also introduce significant threats to the basic freedoms of expression, information, and association. The intricacies of our relationships become more frequently influenced by algorithms, and our pasts reduced to lists of electronic checkpoints. Perhaps it is time to reconsider just who desires such control over our identities and interactions with others—and what they have the power to do once we surrender it.

This post is an entry in the blog contest responding to the new book, New Threats to Freedom, edited by Adam Bellow. The contest is open to all and further information can be found here.

Third Prize in Rider University's 30th Annual High School Contest

2010-05-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

A poem of mine, Permanent, won Third Prize in Rider University's creative writing contest for high school students. I'll post a link to the poem when/if it gets published. More information about Rider University's contest can be found here.

B. J. Rolfzen Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest Finalist

2010-05-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

I was just informed that one of my poems, Rare Birds, was chosen as a finalist for the B. J. Rolfzen Student Prize from the Dylan Days festival, a wonderfully artsy and zany tribute to Bob Dylan in his hometown of Hibbing, MN. For more information about this great contest--for both students and adults--click here.

Op-Ed Column in San Francisco Chronicle

2010-04-04T22:34:00.001-07:00

My commentary piece, An inconvenient objection on global warming, was featured in this Sunday's Insight section of the San Francisco Chronicle. Thanks for looking!

Review of AFI concert up at East Bay Express

2010-03-31T00:19:00.001-07:00

I reviewed AFI's show at Slim's in San Francisco on March 25, 2010, for the East Bay Express. Check it out here.

2010 Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism Scholar for California

2010-02-22T00:33:00.000-08:00

I was recently selected by the Freedom Forum in Washington, D.C., was the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholar for the state of California for 2010. As part of this honor, I'll be awarded a scholarship, but I'll also be flying out to Washington, D.C., in March to partake in a variety of journalism-related activities, including witnessing a taping of Meet the Press, discussing journalism with David Gregory, and meetings with representatives of the First Amendment Center--it promises to be an exciting and fulfilling week!

First Place, Valley Humanities Review High School Essay Contest

2010-02-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

My essay, "The Myth of the Myth: Re-examining Zen in the Art of Archery," was chosen by the humanities faculty of Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania for publication in the Spring issue of their electronic journal, Valley Humanities Review.

The piece explores new concerns regarding the authenticity of Zen in the Art of Archery, a spiritual classic for decades which is read in colleges and schools worldwide. Links to come soon.

Winner of READ Magazine's Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest

2010-02-22T00:29:00.001-08:00

A poem of mine which contrasts the life of my deceased grandfather with my own, was chosen by national student publication READ magazine as one of six winners of their Ann Arlys Bowler Poetry Contest. The poem will be published in an upcoming electronic issue of READ, along with a recording of my recitation of it. I'll post links as soon as possible.

First Place, EPIC New Voices Essay Competition

2010-02-22T00:26:00.000-08:00

Recently, my article, Of West and Wilson: Celebrity Rudeness and the State of Modern Etiquette, won first place in the essay category of a competition sponsored by the Electronically Published Internet Connection. The piece first ran in the October edition of The Explorer.

Second Place in FIRE's Freedom in Academia Essay Contest

2009-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

My essay, In Clear and Present Danger: The State of Personal Liberty in America's Universities, recently won second place in the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's Freedom in Academia essay contest. I was awarded a $2,500 scholarship as well. Thanks to everyone at FIRE for taking the time to read over more than 2,700 submissions and for offering this contest! Read the press release here.

Merit Award from the NFAA for Play/Film Scriptwriting

2009-12-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

I recently received a Merit Award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for several stage scripts I wrote as part of my YoungArts week submission. I'm currently developing several of them to submit to the Berkeley Repertory Theater's Teen One-Acts festival.

First Prize in 2009 Alexander Popoff Youth Award poetry contest

2009-12-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Poets for Human Rights has just bestowed this award on me for a poem of mine. More to come on this as the PHR Annual Awards approaches, on Saturday, December 12 in Clearwater, FL.

Selected as Finalist for National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' YoungARTS Week

2009-12-01T22:36:00.001-08:00

I was recently selected from over 6,000 senior students in the United States to participate in the NFAA's weeklong arts fellowship in Miami, Florida, in January. As part of the fellowship, I will take classes with professionals in the field and workshop my submissions to the program. While the fellowship itself focuses on a wide variety of disciplines including film, dance, theater arts, and visual arts, I was chosen for my poetry as one of twenty young writers to partake this year. In the end of January, the NFAA will forward a smaller portion of artists to be Presidential Scholars in the Arts. Wish me luck!

Honorable Mention in California Hall of Fame Dreamers Challenge 2009

2009-12-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

My essay, Masterpiece Minds: Utilizing Art and Social Justice to Benefit the Lives of Youth won Honorable Mention in the California Museum's contest open to high school students throughout the state. Congratulations to the Northern California winner, Radhika Mitra, of Fremont, my hometown!

Article in The Oakland Tribune/Contra Costa Times: Remembering Kristallnacht

2009-11-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

My first contribution to the Bay Area News Group network of newspapers, detailing the commemoration of Kristallnacht, available here: http://www.insidebayarea.com/bay-area-living/ci_13698396?source=rss

National Winner in Live Poets Society of NJ Contest

2009-11-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

I was just notified that my poem, "Yearbook," is among this year's final batch of chosen submissions, and will be forwarded for consideration for other prizes and will be published in an anthology by the National Poetry Quarterly.

Congratulations to all others who participated in this contest, including my friend Kyle Lensch, with whom I attended the Juniper Institute at UMass Amherst--his poem was chosen as a Topical Winner in this year's contest.

Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award 2009

2009-09-17T00:18:00.001-07:00

I've just been informed that I've again been selected as part of the annual group of youth poets that the Poetry Society of the United Kingdom names Foyle Young Poets.

If you are under 18 and write poetry, or know someone who does, be sure to check out this contest! The judges are top-notch and the contest is very well facilitated.

Poem Featured in San Francisco Examiner

2009-04-19T20:16:00.001-07:00

My poem "Ellipses," which references the recent tragedy in Oakland that claimed the lives of four police officers, was featured in the San Francisco Examiner's East Bay Literary Examiner column.

The page is located at the following address: http://www.examiner.com/x-706-East-Bay-Literary-Examiner~y2009m4d11-Kings-Response-to-the-Deaths-of-Four-Oakland-Police-Officers

Andrew David King wins Gold Key Awards, National Gold Medal in Poetry from Scholastic

2009-04-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was awarded three regional Gold Key Awards, two for poetry and one for screenplay composition, and one National Gold Medal in Poetry by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, a function of Scholastic book publishers.

More information about the program and the national winners is located at the following address: http://www.artandwriting.org.

DeSales University awards Andrew David King First Place in National Catholic Essay Prize

2009-03-04T01:00:00.000-08:00

My essay Principles and Practice: The Dilemma of Faith versus Politics was recently awarded First Place in the National Catholic Essay Prize from DeSales University.

The essay discusses ways in which the modern individual can reconcile his or her existence as a citizen of the world, including political actions, with his or her moral or faith-based principles. By examining and analyzing this issue through the words of philosophers and world leaders, as well as through the context of the individual within modern society, the essay suggests that in order to effectively combine these two spheres of thought, one must establish an internal set of moral guidelines that do not necessarily base themselves off of the external guidelines of any institution. Once these guidelines are established, the issue of dual allegiance to political ideals versus faith-based ideals becomes irrelevant, as the modern citizen's own moral judgment takes precedent when making decisions in both cases.

Along with the title, I have also been awarded a $2,500 scholarship to DeSales University.

Andrew David King named Foyle Young Poet of the Year 2008

2008-10-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 7, I was named a Foyle Young Poet of the Year by the Poetry Society of the United Kingdom in association with the Foyle Foundation.

This prestigious poetry award is given to the best young poets under 18 years old every year, primarily from Britain but also internationally.

I was invited to London to attend the awards ceremony, and was given a yearlong membership in the Poetry Society of the United Kingdom.

In 2008, 5,500 entrants submitted over 12,200 works. Judges Ian MacMillian and Eva Salzman chose 100 young poets to become Foyle Young Poets of the Year.

'Blurred Lines and Battlefields: Perspectives of War' named 2008 Davidson Institute Honorable Mention in Literature

2008-07-05T23:13:00.001-07:00

My first complete collection of work, 'Blurred Lines and Battlefields: Perspectives of War' has been awarded a 2008 Honorable Mention in Literature by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development.

Composed only a few months ago when I was still fifteen, the collection explores the many facets of war's effects on humanity through poetry, fiction, screenplays and essays.

I am very grateful for this acknowledgment and would like to thank the Davidson Institute and the judges. I would also like to reinstate my gratitude to those individuals who helped me pursue this opportunity.

Brian Turner reading at CSUEB

2008-05-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a reading at Cal State University East Bay by Iraq war veteran and poet Brian Turner, whose book Here, Bullet (Alice James Books, 2005) was named a New York Times Editor's Choice Selection. Turner's poetry, often deemed similar to the "poetry of witness" of Wilfred Owen and Yusef Komunyakaa, is extremely affecting and serves as an effective emotional supplement to the factual, statistics-related war news most of us are exposed to. Turner's poetic diction and images are clear, concise, but most of all, they are meaningful without being didactic. His passionate recitations and explanations of his poetry were simultaneously heartfelt and believeable--and, most importantly, they allowed the audience to see into the real man, the writer, underneath. Definitely an unforgettable reading. If you haven't bought Here, Bullet yet, make sure to pick up a copy soon. It is an amazingly human book of poetry that allows its readers to experience one of the most relevant and accurate depictions of that all-too-often unseen side of war: the tragedy deep beneath the chaos.

Below is a video of Brian Turner reading the title poem from his book Here, Bullet at Bowdoin College.

Andrew David King to be featured in RedBubble anthology

2008-05-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Andrew David King's poem "Amaranthine" has received an award of $100 and will be published in the anthology "Gaia - The Living Planet", organized by the art website RedBubble.

The work was chosen out of approximately 7,000 pieces to be featured in the anthology, along with a limited number of other artists and writers. The judging panel consisted of nine judges, all of whom are writers and artists. The judges included Kate Rigby, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Monash University, professional photographer Johan Joubert, practicing artist Marilyn Brown, and Melbourne-based fiction writer and reviewer Annie Condon.

The anthology will be finalized and available for sale within the next month, according to RedBubble.

Andrew featured in The Houston Literary Review

2008-02-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

I was recently invited to submit several pieces of my collage art to be featured in the February 2008 edition of The Houston Literary Review.

Says Jeff Crouch, Editor:

"[Andrew David King's] work gives us a re-articulation of the news, an interruption of images which work together as a jump narrative in a story all juxtaposition. Even his self-portraits speak to portraiture not as a still, but as a composition, a series of movements. King shouts, 'Rip off the mask. Look here! And here! And here!' His images are the grit of black and white blood, fiery tattoos, and gang graffiti; his theme largely that of violence... In of world of mixed signals and words that beg us to look away from history, King gives us collages that recognize the skull beneath the skin as if to say, 'This is the sign of power, this its incarnation.'"

Also, an editorial of mine, entitled Dig Deeper, appeared in The Daily Review today, February 15, 2008.

Andrew featured in Blood and Ink

2008-02-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to be named a contributor to the wonderfully entertaining and informative online community Blood and Ink, maintained by artist and comic-creator Elijah Brubaker and contributed to consistently by my great friend and fellow editor Ray Succre.

I've introduced a new series to Blood and Ink, entitled The Etymologist's Corner. It deals with the history of words, their origins, as well as particular insights I have as to their modern usage.

Andrew featured in The Catholic Voice

2007-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

There's a mention of me and my writing if you scroll down the section entitled "About the Schools".

http://www.catholicvoiceoakland.org/07-10-08/aroundthediocese.htm

The Catholic Voice is a bimonthly publication that circulates Catholic schools and parishes all around the East Bay in California.

Misti Rainwater-Lites

2007-09-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

I've recently had one of my newer poems, In Vain, accepted at the ezine Instant Pussy, which is run by a great fellow poet I know by the name of Misti Rainwater-Lites.

Misti has many books for sale at Lulu.com.

Also, check out her work on Wings of Icarus:
www.freewebs.com/wingsoficarus/poetry.htm

Lisa Zaran

2007-09-06T23:02:00.000-07:00

I've recently been checking out the work of this great poet and writer, Lisa Zaran. Lisa's been published all over the place, including MadSwirl, where some of my works appear also.

If you have some time and want to read some good poetry, check out her work on Lulu.com

The Blondes Lay Content by Lisa Zaran
http://www.lulu.com/content/244982

I recently sent some of my work to Lisa, which she was kind enough to take a look at. Upon reading them she wrote, "[King's] work reads strong and well thought-out." She also had some inspiring words for beginning writers: "I believe that if somebody is writing from the heart and they are taking the passion of writing seriously, they're bound to be successful."

UPCOMING POEMS

2007-09-03T16:49:00.001-07:00

I've recently been informed that some poems of mine have been accepted for publication in the following magazines:

Clockwise Cat

Flutter Poetry Journal

Rattlesnake Review

Chaotic Dreams.net

Poetic Hours

Instant Pussy

Poetic Legacy

Six Sentences

Blue Skies Poetry

The Aggregated Press

David Barringer - The Bush Years Anthology

2007-09-02T01:52:00.000-07:00

David Barringer, a fantastic author, is currently wrapping up the submissions for his Bush Years Anthology - the deadline is soft, but around Sept. 1 is best. Quick! Send some quality work about how you've been affected by something that Bush or his administration did, or anything regarding American culture, or a significant event that happened to you, as long as it happened in Bush's years as President.

For more info, check it out at:

http://www.davidbarringer.com/Bush%20Years.html

I sent some poems to Dave, but apparently the anthology was already mostly full. However, upon reading my work, he said, "...very impressive. [King's] writing mind is on fire..." which is a nice bit of encouragement. I currently have an essay pending consideration for the anthology, entitled "In Search of Light". I'll keep you updated on that as time progresses.

Michael Lee Johnson

2007-08-28T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Lost American:
From Exile to Freedom

By

Michael Lee Johnson

Michael Lee Johnson is a freelance writer and poet, who created over 355 poems published in over 135 journals and online publications to date. He is a member of Poets & Writers, Inc and Directory of American Poets & Fictions Writers: http://www.pw.org/. He is a member of The Illinois Authors Directory. Illinois Center for the Book: http://www.illinoiscenterforthebook.org/directory.html. He has been published in the United States, Scotland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Nigeria, Fiji, India, and the United Kingdom. Michael Lee Johnson’s personal website can be found at: http://poetryman.mysite.com/.

The Lost American: From Exile to Freedom is about one man’s journey into exile over the Vietnam War many years ago, his struggle, his survival, his road to recovery and strength manifesting itself through his prose and poems. Mr. Michael Lee Johnson lives with his best friend, Nikki, the cat, and is content to be living in a small suburb of Chicago.

Recent publications: The Orange Room Review, Bolts of Silk (UK), Chantarelle’s Notebook, The Foliate Oak Online Literary Magazine, Poetry Cemetery, Official Site of Laura Hird, The Centrifugal Eye, Adagio Verse Quarterly, Scorched Earth Publishing, Ken*Again, Miller’s Pond, A Southern Journal, Apollo’s Lyre, Fresh! On Line Literary Magazine, Bewildering Stories, Zygote In My Coffee, Pens On Fire, Black Biro (Africa), Sage Of Consciousness, Prose Toad, Literary Ezine, Cosmopsis Quarterly (Book contributor), Mississippi Crow, New Graffiti, Poetry Super Highway, Ink Sweat & Tears, Taj Mahal Review, Hammered Out (Canada), Stellar Showcase Journal, Aboveground testing, and many others. Published in United States, Canada, New Zealand, Nigeria, India, and United Kingdom. Poets would be nothing without small presses.

Now Listed at iUniverse Publishers:

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-46091-7 The ISBN # is: 0-595-46091-7.

EBook also available at iUniverse at: http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?isbn=0-595-90391-6 The ISBN # IS: 0-595-90391-6

Now Listed at Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-0303976-5247968?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Lost+American%3A++From+Exile+to+Freedom

Now Listed at Target Bookstores:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=8-1/qid=1187989259/ref=sr_8_1/601-9440902-3916960?ie=UTF8&asin=0595460917

Now Listed at Lulu.com

Visit his storefront at: http://stores.lulu.com/poetryboy

Poetry

2007-08-25T23:10:00.000-07:00

Check out this poet. I really dig his words:

Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal

http://www.thehypertexts.com/Luis_Cuauhtemoc_Berriozabal_Poetry_Picture_Bio.htm
http://www.madswirl.com/content/poetry/LuisCuauhtemocBerriozabal.html

Updates.

2007-08-23T20:50:00.000-07:00

Recently I've gotten more poems published by the great Madswirl.com. Go to the site and click on Poetry Forum, where my work is featured, as well as my name, to see some of my newest works.

I'm also currently working out the bugs in my literary and arts journal, Wings of Icarus. I'll post the link to the site as soon as I possibly can. Get some stuff together, guys, I'll accept previously published works and simultaneous submissions.

Also, I should be releasing a chapbook of poetry soon. If I can't find a good small press publisher, then I'll publish it myself, dammit. But look for it. I'll post a link soon.

Also...

Check out Corey Mesler's book Talk for some kickass reading material. A fantastic piece of fiction.

Poems Published

2007-08-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

I've recently gotten some new poems up at the great site MadSwirl.com. I've also got some work up now at the Other Voices International Poetry Project. You can find both of these links in my sidebar under Poetry.

Also, Tony R. Rodriguez was so kind as to post my poem, "In Silence", on his blog. You can check that out by clicking on his name on the sidebar under Supported Authors.

Peace,

ADK

New Poem - "In Silence"

2007-07-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most recent poems I have composed. The original version was written with much more creative spacing, but unfortunately Blogger HTML doesn't support indenting, or tabs.

This piece is written in an experimental style. It blends an abstract sense of thought about the universe with mixed feelings about both the future and the past. I hope you enjoy it.

In Silence
for T.R.

with a shred of hope
my worn being remembers
that in the eternal forest
balance resides
the cycle brings one into another
and the circle is complete
the trunks of great oaks
knotted and tired
wind-caressed
roots morphed into
mouths open wide
but speak no language
human ears may understand

in the dying light of
forlorn incandescents
this cold house breeds ghosts
i write my own obituary
line by line
no sound in my cell, my cage
save for the rushed shallow breathing of the highway
a heartbeat that i know
like all
will one day come to an end

this portrait paints the wrong image
of the future
reflected in shattered glass
the smoke of burned books rising
spelling out each
and every
crucified letter
in ash
so that it may speak again
albeit through a broken and toothless mouth

the skies above offer me no answers
the door ahead offers me one choice
I have been here before in a faded photograph
unkempt thoughts are swarming bees
stingers bared

when the day has ended
when the universe has come to its last and final point
these words shall echo out
spilling into the endless abyss
just as before
their chaos searching for completion
madness, happiness, love, despair, hope
are all pieces of the puzzle
but it seems i will never find the last one: truth

there are two parts of one person
the inside
the outside
one is content to lay beaten into submission
the other is an open mouth greedily devouring
approval
in our world filled with a thousand soundtracks
to a thousand lives
the clash of these two titans
does not go unheard

II.

in the pale quiet of early morning
our bodies content to lay in rest
our minds desiring fulfillment in dreams
with meanings we will never completely understand
and there are so many people out there
this amazing globe of ours
so many voices that
in silence we find
the unspoken words
the hidden deities
the caged soul within us
all come alive

despite such belief
such trust in the unknown
the calculations of doubters
shall always prove me wrong on paper
but in their eyes i was never
pure anyways
i have held up these scars
opened these ears
to the universal heartbeat of humanity
the all-encompassing tongue
a dead language
murdered by
our new ever-changing dialect
of lies and war and greed and money
everything in between what we hoped to be
and what we have become
because of this
we have forgotten
good and evil
light and darkness

as the shadow is cast
and the warmth of the sun
becomes the cold embrace of the night
the statue of destiny weeping
begs us to remember that
this parasite
has written our past
in stone
but our future
in sand