The Mad Poets Society is proud to partner with Raven Rabbit Ram to bring you OK Zoomers, a virtual event that features readers from near and far. This first event will include readings by

Chris Courtney Martin
Emily Murtoff
Christine O’Leary-Rockey
Fereshteh Sholevar

This event will take place on Monday September 19th at 7 PM. It will be hosted by Maria Masington. An open mic will follow.

In order to join the meeting, you will need to register for the event by clicking HERE. Once registered, you will receive an email confirmation along with the link to use for the reading.

Bios:

Chris Courtney Martin is a Black Non-Binary/Queer writer-producer-psychic medium originally from Philadelphia, PA. In 2014, they graduated cum laude from Drexel University with a degree in Screenwriting & Playwriting and dual Minors in Film & Video and Art History-- among the first class to receive the school’s prestigious Liberty Scholarship. In 2019, Martin co-hosted Best Sellers Production’s AFRO HORROR podcast in its inaugural season alongside creator Sade Sellers. Martin's screenwriting credits include PALE HORSE-- the upcoming feature directorial debut of Gabourey Sidibe, produced by Gamechanger Films and Wellington Love. Martin’s short Horror work has also appeared on the animated YouTube series SOMETHING SCARY created by Sapphire Sandalo and hosted by Markeia McCarty. Their unproduced screenplays boast a laundry-list of accolades such as Grand Prize at Urbanworld, 5th Prize at Emerging Screenwriters, spots on the Young & Hungry and Bitch Lists, plus ISA’s Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2019 and Development Slate. Martin sees a return to poetry and other literature to be the next test of their writing. Their collection THE BOOK OF I.P. (Idle Poems) is available on Amazon via Alien Buddha Press.

Emily Murtoff - Emily Murtoff is a Harrisburg-based poet and writer and founder of the Harrisburg Writers Group, which holds weekly workshops and various poetry and music events throughout the year. Emily is also a co-host of the Blacklisted Poets, a long-standing poetry open mic in Harrisburg. Emily's current creative focus is on building a platform and community for young and upcoming writers and musicians in her city. You can read more of Emily's poetry on Instagram at @Emily_Murtoff.

Christine O’Leary-Rockey - Christine O’Leary Rockey is a philosopher, artist, performance poet, and a founding member of the (almost) Uptown Poetry Cartel in Harrisburg, Pa. She is the author of three books, including two books of poetry, “A Human Auction” (Run Amok, 1993) and “The Three Faces of Brahman” (PostDada Press, 2003) and in the editing stage of her third. She has performed her poetry in venues across the East Coast, but has been quiet lately as she only recently completed her doctoral studies in the Social Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) examining the epistemology and application of arts-based research in the social sciences. 

Christine is a former professor of Humanities and has degrees in philosophy, religion, and humanities, although she’ll tell you that her primary field of study is-- still-- comparative religions and esoteric studies. Christine continues to muddle under the belief that poetry and truth exist somewhere together in the same archetypical house- no doubt from reading too much Plato. While the concept is not accepted by peers- particularly within the current post-modern/post-structural climate of scholarship- she’s still willing to arm wrestle about it.

Fereshteh Sholevar, the Iranian American poet and writer, immigrated to Germany in 1978 and later to USA in 1990. She got her Master’s degree in Creative writing at the University of Iowa and Rosemont College, Pa. She writes in four languages and has authored 6 books of poetry (two of which are bilingual: English German and English Spanish), a novel, and a children’s book. She won two awards in Philadelphia Poets, Pa Poetry Society second prize in 2004. She also won three prizes in Pennsylvania Poetry Society in March 2019. Her new bilingual poetry book (English French) Of Dust And Chocolate is out and available @ Amazon. com