FreezeRay Poetry is my brand and my baby!  We've been putting out quality pop culture themed poetry since 2014 on a mostly quarterly schedule, highlighting so many new and emerging poets along the way.  You can view the current issue and all the archives here:

LET THIS FREEZERAY STOP THE PAIN HERE

...and if you'd like to help us defray the cost of running a lit journal, consider becoming a Patron--our Patreon has a number of fun perk levels to unlock exclusive and first-look content!  The Patreon link IS RIGHT HERE!

INTERVIEWS!
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was blessed to be part of an epic series of interviews conducted by poet/writer/raconteur MATT SEDILLO; In this video, I talk about being a poet in Los Angeles in the early 2000's and the open mic I helped run, Green.  Hashtag MEMORIES!
I was interviewed by UP THE STAIRCASE QUARTERLY about all things FreezeRay here*:

*Some of the info in this one is no longer relevant (i.e. journals that no longer exist, FreezeRay Press has been on hiatus for a while now), but the basics are still solid!
I wrote my geeky origin story, "Revenge of the Nerds", for the Power of Poetry column at THE POETRY QUESTION here!
The NEW YORK TIMES did a nice little article about zombie poetry and quoted AIM FOR THE HEAD a number of times here
Six Question Saturday involved DRUNK IN A MIDNIGHT CHOIR and myself talking about FreezeRay and the currently-on-hiatus FreezeRay Press here

 VIDEOS!

..and then there was that one time that professional wrestler, Santa enthusiast and best-selling author MICK FOLEY asked me to perform my spoken word poem of the same name to his post-show meet & greet line in Oklahoma City (disclaimer: I'd given Mick a copy of said poem about five years previous at San Diego Comic Con which was the same year I ended up performing said poem to a roomful of pro wrestlers from TNA Wrestling which resulted in a hug from Olympic gold medalist KURT ANGLE but who's still reeling from it after all these years?  Not this guy. Okay, this guy)!

Next to that is the original version of my Mick Foley poem that I shot at a friend's house because someone in TNA Creative heard about it and wanted to see it.

The FINAL version was a remixed version that included more of the TNA roster, and was shown on TNA's "Spin Cycle", an early webshow they had on YouTube.  

The other videos are of me reading poems out loud; a few of them are even not wrestling related!
The very beginning of this is cut off, but I think you more than get the idea--my favorite part is me trying to adapt it in mid-sentence to include the peeps in the room. THANK YOU IMPROV TRAINING AND YEARS OF DRUNKEN FREESTYLES!
...and this was basically my "audition tape" to send to the folks at TNA Wrestling. Fun fact: my buddy who helped me shoot this is now one of the co-writers of Marvel Comics' "Werewolf By Night"!
...and the final remix made after some editorial requests by the folks at TNA Creative (more TNA talent and PPV names mentioned, and rocking a Samoa Joe tee). If my one claim to fame is being "that wrestling poem guy", I wouldn't be mad.
"Whatever We Are Not", from my first collection Miles of Hallelujah, published by Write Bloody Publishing. Video  courtesy of Poetry LA.
"Andre The Giant is Alive and Well and Working At The Circle K on 39th and Penn" from my chapbook Why You Tread Water, published by Tired Hearts Press.
OKC had a brief dalliance with being a branch of the multi-media edutainment extravaganza The Encyclopedia Show; "Baby Bear's Letter To Goldilocks" was from our inaugural show about Bears!
"That Kid" from Why You Tread Water.  Shot at Sauced at Paseo.
"Jesus Cuts A Promo" was a fun piece that I drag out every so often when I want to galvanize and/or clear a room. #SpoilerAlertJesusWins
"Another Cyborg Love Poem" is an unpublished poem that I performed for a Red Dirt Poetry team fundraiser. Me crushing on a cyborg lady is consistently on brand.
I titled this inspirational/crush poem "For the Waitress with the Black Key Bangs", written for a friend of mine who had abandoned their piano playing for a 9 to 5.  I kind of dig the phrase "Black Heat Bangs" though, so I may end up keeping it should it find a home on paper.

READINGS!
...and just to prove that some good things happened during the Great Plague of 2020, I was humbled and honored to be a part of this Quartet Reading held by Moon Tide Press to celebrate their authors, present and future!  I shared this time with HanaLena Fennel, Dania Ayah Alkhouli, and Kelly Gray.  My quarter begins around 35 minutes in, but the entire reading is healing and fire.  Fire healing.  I just do my nerdy pop poem thing in the middle.
My long-time friend GILL SOTU has taken this past year with the help of San Diego's Old Globe Theater to have a series of interviews with poets and artists under the branch of the Poet's Tree.  I read a few of my own poems, and Gill and I chop it up about editing and inspiration and why pop culture is such a balm for me.  Check it out!
I feel so blessed to be supported by the amazing team at Moon Tide Press.  Publisher and EIC Eric Morago has kept the SoCal press thriving and expanding and I am beyond thrilled to be a part of that.  This video was from the Zoom party Moon Tide had for me ON MY BIRTHDAY which featured not only my book release but readings by three super special, super nerdy poet friends: Gigi Bella, Billy Tuggle, and SaraEve Fermin bring the pop to this jam!
Theresa Davis has been doing the most during the pandemic to celebrate words and wordsmiths; I had all the fun on this authors' panel with Beau Williams and Jennifer E. Hudgens, talking shop about HEAD V HEART, poeming during a pandemic, and lots more (plus we all read from our new books)!  

Back in July 2021, I got off my computer for a few and sat down with James McGough from Literati Press Comics and Novels (my fave local bookstore) to talk about HEAD V HEART and tell a little bit of my OKC origin story.  Lots of fun and I'm so happy to have such support from Literati and the community!  Full video accessible by clicking on the link below!
Interview - Poet, Rob Sturma

Wow. I just had the pleasure of interviewing the poet Rob Sturma. His poetry has entered my heart and will reside there for awhile. Head V. Heart is his new collection. Join us July 28 at 8 PM at The Paseo Plunge in the Paseo Arts District for a reading and signing.

Posted by Literati Press Comics & Novels on Wednesday, July 14, 2021

...and here are a few places that have been kind enough to publish me online:

 The Nervous Breakdown published my poem "King Of Wishful Thinking" (no relation to the 80s pop song of the same name) and you can READ IT HERE.
Drunk In A Midnight Choir was kind enough to let me share poems a number of times, including this suite of pro wrestling poems that got a little traction when RT'ed by wrestling manager/personality Paul Heyman.  You can read my poetic hot takes RIGHT HERE.
A dear old Los Angeles friend/ inspiring wordsmith Nikki Skies reached out to me around my first year of sobriety and asked if I wanted to share a poem on her blog about writers/writing. I gave her this reflective piece about me using the Lego Marvel Superheroes video game as self-care, AKA "Lego Hulk Teaches Me About Life On The Last Day of 2014" and you can practically hear the nerd sighs RIGHT HERE.
I was asked by a friend to write a poem about whales and so I penned "Jonah Moves Back In" and fittingly, it ended up being published in The Harpoon Review.  You can read what I'm blubbering about RIGHT HERE.
The good folks at Cultural Daily have been so kind to me; they published three of my HEAD V HEART poems ("Sharp", "Stop Me If You've Heard This", and "Color The Night Sky" ) RIGHT HERE.