Although I have worked as a teaching artist, and lately as an administrator in gun violence prevention, my core work is poetry-writing and performing. I apply my art in various ways to help the movement toward peace with justice and the joy I believe comes with such movement.Since 1995 I have lead Writing Circles, groups for adults using the writing process as mediation-in-community. I've published two books of my own poems (Love Letters, 2007 and Between the Doors, 2005) and co-created two recordings of poetry and song (Unimaginined Possibilities, 1994 and You Know My Name, 2000) and a book of poems with poet Ellen Ford Mason (Already Near You, 2002). A third recording, Refuge for a Soul, was released in December, 2009. In 2012, I published Through the Gates, A Practice for Counting the Omer, an spiritual memoir in daily letters and poems, based in Jewish Mysticism but appealing to an interspiritual audience.Some of my poems have been joined with the work of visual artists, Sare Steele and Alana Lea, to create fine art poem prints, displayed on my website.Three of my poems have been set to music by composer Andrea Clearfield: "Sunflowers" was used as text for "The Shape of My Soul," commissioned by the Anna Crusis Women's choir for their 35th anniversary performance (2005). "Into the Blue" was commissioned by the Rainbow Choir of Delaware for their tenth anniversary celebration (2009). "The Kiss" was set to music for the Grand Rapid Women's Chorus Tenth Anniversary Celebration in 2015.Specialties: teaching poetry writing and comfort with writing process, collaboration within across artistic disciplines, engaging and inspirational poetry performance, creating inspiring and nurturing environments for writing. I also do commissioned work for specific purposes for individuals and groups, and I coach people individually--helping folks of all ages find and say the words that matter to them as they explore the larger purposes of their words.