Rare Bird Radio

Allan MacDonell is the author of the upcoming book 'Now That I am Gone", as well as, 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust'. MacDonell studied creative writing at San Francisco State University. He was a defining contributor to L.A.'s Slash magazine. Since the turn of the millennium, MacDonell has been separating real from fake on Internet platforms like Buzz Media, Spin Media, Participant Media, and marijuana news-and-lifestyle site Kindland. He is currently director of TheSkeeve.com. Jennifer Locke has a dual career path going back more than 25 years as a practitioner of performance video art and as a professional dominatrix. Locke composes physically intense, sculptural actions in relation to the camera, audience, and specific architecture. Within this framework, she plays with viewing structures—redistributing hierarchies between artist, model, camera, and audience—in order to explore intersubjectiv

Heidi Barnes ran her family's Bar Harbor, Maine inn for years, which inspired 'The Bellman' and 'The Bellman's Secret'. She has lived around the world, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, and Canada―and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys outdoor activities, loves animals, and is a devoted mother of three. Chrissy is spunky, comedic and outgoing. She is an American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumna. Chrissy has her hand in many pots- acting, hosting, comedy, producing, radio & writing. Bring her a pot and chances are she'll put her hand in it. Chrissy currently hosts and produces the unfiltered & unscripted comedic entertainment talk show - Females Unfiltered, which shoots on location at Mixology101 at The Grove in Los Angeles.

KAREN STEFANO is the author of the forthcoming memoir 'What A Body Remembers' (Rare Bird Books 2019) and the short story collection 'The Secret Games of Words' (1GlimpsePress 2015). Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, Ms. Magazine, California Lawyer, Psychology Today, The South Carolina Review, Tampa Review, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Epiphany, and elsewhere. She is also a JD/MBA with more than twenty years of complex litigation experience. BRIAN ALAN ELLIS is the author of several books, including 'Sad Laughter' (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2018) and 'Something to Do with Self-Hate' (House of Vlad Productions/Talking Book, 2017). His writing has appeared at Juked, Hobart, Monkeybicycle, Fanzine, Electric Literature, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Funhouse, Connotation Press, Heavy Feather Review, and Queen Mob’s Tea House, among other places, and he lives in Florida.

Allan MacDonell is the author of the upcoming after-death memoir 'Now That I Am Gone.' His previous books are 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust.' MacDonell studied creative writing at San Francisco State University and was a defining contributor to L.A.'s 'Slash' magazine. Since the turn of the millennium, he's been separating real from fake on Internet platforms such as Buzz Media, Spin Media and Participant Media. He is currently director of TheSkeeve.com. Cheyann Benedict is a serial fashion entrepreneur whose creative impulses refuse to be confined to a single discipline. Benedict achieved her first lifetime achievement score by selling her startup women's T-shirt line C&C California to the Liz Claiborne company in 2005. Since then, the search for new challenges, new forms of expression and deeper artistic fulfillment have taken Cheyann around the world, several times, and deep into her punk roc

Emily Strelow, author of 'The Wild Birds', was born and raised in Oregon’s Willamette Valley but has lived all over the West and now, the Midwest. For the last decade she combined teaching writing with doing seasonal avian field biology with her husband. While doing field jobs she camped and wrote in remote areas in the desert, mountains and by the ocean. She is a mother to two boys, a naturalist, and writer. Jacqueline Suskin is the author of 'The Collected', a book of narrative poems paired with found photographs, and 'Go Ahead & Like It', a self-help book that explores the healing power and artistry of positive list making. Known for her multidisciplinary work with a project she calls Poem Store, Suskin composes improvisational poetry for patrons who choose both a topic and a price in exchange for a unique verse. She regularly brings poetry into classrooms around the country and was honored by Michelle Obama at the White House as a Turnaround Artist. Suskin is based in Los Angeles, but considers the entir

Heidi Barnes ran her family's Bar Harbor, Maine inn for years, which inspired 'The Bellman' and 'The Bellman's Secret'. She has lived around the world, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, and Canada―and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys outdoor activities, loves animals, and is a devoted mother of three. Damian Sage is a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, CA. A native of New York, Damian’s music is deeply steeped in the wisdom and experience of someone who has seen it all.

Allan MacDonell is the author of the upcoming novel 'Now That I Am Gone'. His other works include; 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust', 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and was a defining voice of the groundbreaking punk periodical "Slash" magazine. While writing for Slash, he also co-invented slam-dancing. Roger "Buzz" Osborne, also known as King Buzzo, is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. He is a founding member of the Melvins, as well as Fantômas and Venomous Concept.

Janet O'Shea is Professor of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA. Author of 'RISK, FAILURE, PLAY', 'At Home in the World: Bharata Natyam on the Global Stage' and the co-editor of the 'Routledge Dance Studies Reader', 2nd edition, her research focuses on corporeality, interdisciplinary exchange, and the politics of everyday life. She is a practitioner of Filipino martial arts, jeet kune do, Brazilian jiu jitsu, kickboxing, and empowerment self-defense. Cathy Chapaty is a 22-year martial arts veteran and third-degree Taekwondo black belt who specializes in teaching children, many with ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, and other challenges. She is the author of two books: "No Pouting in the Dojo: The Imperfect Journey of Teaching Children Character through Martial Arts" (Sidekick Publications, 2014) and "Sports Planet: Sports Played Around the World" (Steck-Vaughn Publishing Co., 2003). Susan “George” Schorn (the nickname . . . it’s a long story) is a writer, martial artist, and self defense advocate. She lives in

Allan MacDonell is the author of the upcoming novel 'Now That I am Gone', 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust'. MacDonell studied creative writing at San Francisco State University. He was a defining contributor to L.A.'s Slash magazine. Since the turn of the millennium, MacDonell has been separating real from fake on Internet platforms like Buzz Media, Spin Media, Participant Media, and marijuana news-and-lifestyle site Kindland. He is currently director of TheSkeeve.com.

Heidi Barnes ran her family's Bar Harbor, Maine inn for years, which inspired 'The Bellman' and 'The Bellman's Secret'. She has lived around the world, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, and Canada―and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys outdoor activities, loves animals, and is a devoted mother of three. The Bellman's Secret is her second novel. Sarah Tomlinson is the author of the father-daughter memoir, 'GOOD GIRL', published by Gallery Books (Simon & Schuster) in 2015. She has ghostwritten or co-written seventeen books, including the New York Times Bestseller, 'FAST GIRL', with Suzy Favor Hamilton, and four un-credited New York Timesbestsellers. Her music criticism, articles, and personal essays have appeared in publications including Marie Claire, MORE, Publishers Weekly, Salon.com, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Huffington Post. Her fiction has appeared in Vol. 1 Brooklyn. Her personal essays have appeared in the collections 'He Never Came Home' and 'Cr

Heidi Barnes ran her family's Bar Harbor, Maine inn for years, which inspired 'The Bellman' and 'The Bellman's Secret'. She has lived around the world, including Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, and Canada―and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys outdoor activities, loves animals, and is a devoted mother of three. The Bellman's Secret is her second novel. Raised in L.A by his grandfather who instilled in him his Jewish faith, Riley was a multi sport athlete who gravitated to boxing. His passion for the sport took him from the comfort of his Hancock Park neighborhood to train at gyms around L.A, eventually settling at Broadway Gym in South Central where he trained under Bill Slayton. The combination of being a straight A student and the first rate education on the L.A streets caught the attention of Robert "Puggy" Zeichick, one half of a Jewish-Italian bookmaking team. Riley started doing pick-ups and quickly graduated to felonious capers. After a stint in juvenile reform school, Riley

Allan MacDonell is the author of 'Now That I am Gone', 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust'. MacDonell studied creative writing at San Francisco State University. He was a defining contributor to L.A.'s 'Slash' magazine. Since the turn of the millennium, MacDonell has been separating real from fake on Internet platforms like Buzz Media, Spin Media, Participant Media, and marijuana news-and-lifestyle site Kindland. He is currently director of TheSkeeve.com.

Michelle Blair Wilker is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer. Her work has appeared in "Across the Margin", "Whistlingfire", "Hollywood Dementia", and "The Huffington Post". She was a finalist in Glimmer Train’s November 2012 contest for new writers and was short listed for the Fresher Writing Prize in 2015. In 2017, she attended DISQUIET: Dzanc Books International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal, and was featured in The New Short Fiction Series in Los Angeles. TV producing credits include Stand Up to Cancer and The Grammys. Lucy Jane Bledsoe is the author of five previous novels, including 'The Evolution of Love'. Her fiction has won a California Arts Council Fellowship in Literature, an American Library Association Stonewall Award, the Arts & Letters Fiction Prize, a Pushcart nomination, a Yaddo Fellowship, and two National Science Foundation Artists & Writers Fellowships. She’s been a six-time Lambda Literary Award finalist and a two-time Ferro-Grumley Award Finalist. Bledsoe lives in the Bay Are

Lise Arin, author of "Matilda Empress", has a PhD in English Literature from Columbia, and an undergraduate degree in History and Literature from Harvard. She has two children, and lives with her husband in New York City. This is her first novel, although it has been in the making for twenty years. Please follow @lisearin on Instagram and Twitter. David Rocklin is the author of 'The Luminist' and 'The Night Language', and the founder/curator of Roar Shack, a monthly reading series in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in Chicago and now lives in LA with his wife, daughters and a 150 lb Great Dane who seriously needs to stay on his own bed. He’s currently at work on his next novel, 'The Electric Love Song of Fleischl Berger'.

Jacqueline Suskin is the author of 'The Edge of the Continent': a book about California, 'The Collected': a book of narrative poems paired with found photographs, and 'Go Ahead & Like It': a self-help book that explores the healing power and artistry of positive list making. Known for her multidisciplinary work with a project she calls "Poem Store", Suskin composes improvisational poetry for patrons who choose both a topic and a price in exchange for a unique verse. She regularly brings poetry into classrooms around the country and was honored by Michelle Obama at the White House as a Turnaround Artist. Michelle Blair Wilker is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer. Her work has appeared in "Across the Margin", "Whistlingfire", "Hollywood Dementia", and "The Huffington Post". She was a finalist in Glimmer Train’s November 2012 contest for new writers and was short listed for the Fresher Writing Prize in 2015. In 2017, she attended DISQUIET: Dzanc Books International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal, a

Jon Methven is the author of three novels: 'Therapy Mammals', 'Strange Boat', and 'This Is Your Captain Speaking'. His work has appeared in Timothy McSweeney’s, Internet Tendency, the New York Times, New York Magazine, Buzzfeed, The Atlantic, and The Awl. He lives in New York City. Tom Stern is the author of the novels 'My Vanishing Twin' and 'Sutterfeld, You Are Not A Hero', published by Rare Bird Books. He is also the writer/director of the feature films 'Half-Dragon Sanchez' and 'This Is A Business'. Tom's films have played festivals across the United States and in Europe. He holds a BA in Philosophy from Eckerd College and an MFA in Film Production from Chapman University.

Riley Perez, author of 'What Is Real: The Life and Crimes of Darnell Riley'. Raised in L.A by his grandfather who instilled in him his Jewish faith, Riley was a multi sport athlete who gravitated to boxing. His passion for the sport took him from the comfort of his Hancock Park neighborhood to train at gyms around L.A, eventually settling at Broadway Gym in South Central where he trained under Bill Slayton. The combination of being a straight A student and the first rate education on the L.A streets caught the attention of Robert "Puggy" Zeichick, one half of a Jewish-Italian bookmaking team. Riley started doing pick-ups and quickly graduated to felonious capers. After a stint in juvenile reform school, Riley resumed his gambling association, which had grown to working for Matthew "Matty the Horse" Ianniello. He balanced his bookmaking business with his travels as an employee for TWA. Briefly, Riley settled on University studies in Germany, but returned to LA full time after capitalizing on the tech boom of t

Allan MacDonell is the author of the upcoming novel 'Now That I Am Gone'. His other works include; 'Punk Elegies: True Tales of Death Trip Kids, Wrongful Sex and Trial by Angel Dust', 'Prisoner of X: 20 Years in the Hole at Hustler Magazine' and was a defining voice of the groundbreaking punk periodical "Slash" magazine. While writing for Slash, he also co-invented slam-dancing. Kevin Rutmanis is an American bass guitarist. He is of Latvian descent. Before getting into music, he was a student teacher. In late 1985, along with his younger brother Sandris Rutmanis, Thor Eisentrager, and then Jayhawks drummer Norm Rogers, he started the band The Cows. After the dissolution of The Cows, Rutmanis was the bass guitar player for The Melvins from 1998 to 2005. He was also the bass guitarist in the supergroup Tomahawk featuring Mike Patton. Kevin played bass on Tomahawk's first two long play releases, titled Tomahawk and Mit Gas, and played for two world tours supporting those albums. He has recently recorded with H

Karen Stefano is the author of the forthcoming memoir Vigilance (Rare Bird Books 2019) and the short story collection The Secret Games of Words (1GlimpsePress 2015). Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, Ms. Magazine, California Lawyer, Psychology Today, The South Carolina Review, Tampa Review, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Epiphany, and elsewhere. She is also a JD/MBA with more than twenty years of complex litigation experience. To learn more about Karen, please visit: www.stefanokaren.com Dr. Rosenna Bakari is a scholar, motivational speaker, and social advocate. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, her Master's degree in Counseling from the State University of New York and her undergraduate degree in psychology from Cornell University. As a psychologist, writer, black belt, spoken-word artist, and a marathon finisher, she lives life to the fullest. Dr. Bakari has always loved writing and wrote her first book while she was a stay-at-home parent in 1994. Her poetry collection cons

Karen Stefano is Fiction Editor for Connotation Press. Her stories have appeared in The South Carolina Review, Tampa Review, Santa Fe Literary Review, Epiphany, and elsewhere. She was nominated for the XXXVIII Pushcart Prize. To learn more about her work, please visit www.stefanokaren.com. Nancy Stohlman's books include The Vixen Scream and Other Bible Stories (2014), The Monster Opera (2013), Searching for Suzi: a flash novel (2009), Live From Palestine (2003), and Fast Forward: The Mix Tape (2010), an anthology of flash fiction that was a finalist for a 2011 Colorado Book Award. She is a founding member of Fast Forward Press, the creator of FlashNano, the founder and curator of The F-Bomb Flash Fiction Reading Series in Denver, and her work has been recently nominated for The Best of the Web. Kathy Fish teaches for the Mile High MFA program at Regis University in Denver. Her short fiction has appeared in Indiana Review, The Denver Quarterly, New South, Quick Fiction, Guernica, Slice, BEST AMERICAN NONREQU