Alisa Dodge recently joined the legion of those unemployed and with her free time has embarked on a self-imposed artistic revival. Placing words in strange configurations and calling the whole mess “poetry,” as well as tickling the ol’ ivories, are thrilling past times of hers, and, so far, this creative reunion has been better than most, with little belligerence and few embarrassing photos. Her work can be found in weathered journals, cryptically-named computer files, and embedded in sultry text messages.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. “Long Way Home,” Tom Waits
2. “Two-Headed Boy,” Neutral Milk Hotel
3. “Angie,” Rolling Stones
4. “California”, Joni Mitchell
5. “Reverie,” Claude Debussy
We are always being, but also in the process of becoming. G Reyes likens himself to water that flows thru cracks & crevices creating opportunities for becoming more than what we are today. He is often seen walking in deep thought through crowded hallways of youth, bouncing to deep beneath slappin beats, sharing passionate secrets and wisdoms on microphones, and guiding youth and teachers towards seeking their own liberation as a warrior using transformative education, words, and concise ideas as weapons in the Oakland public schools, after-school programs, teacher education programs, universities, and in school reform institutions.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. "Rock with You," Michael Jackson
2. "My Cherie Amour," Stevie Wonder
3. "Kiss of Life," Sade
4. "One Love," Bob Marley
5. "Get By," Talib Kweli
Han Wang and Sadie Contini are the core of The Invisible Cities. They met on craigslist. Han has made way more mixtapes than Sadie.
Top Three Desert Island Songs:
1. "Beginning to See the Light," The Velvet Underground
2. "Huffer," The Breeders
3. "Birthday," The Beatles
Cathlin Goulding is fourth generation Japanese-American. Her essays and short fiction appear in the anthology I Saw My Ex at a Party (Kearny Street Press, 2008). She teaches English at Newark Memorial High School and lives in Oakland.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. “When You Were Mine,” Prince
2. “Deceptacon,” Le Tigre
3. “Strange Powers,” The Magnetic Fields
4. “Temptation,” New Order
5. “Tracks of my Tears,” Gladys Knight and the Pips
Curt Douglas dreamed of being a lounge singer in high school, after discovering a copy of Barry Manilow’s greatest hits on vinyl in his parent’s kitchen pantry. He still knows all the lyrics to “Copacabana” and will sing them on demand if you ask. But be prepared to hear all three verses.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. “Optimist Vs. The Silent Alarm,” Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
2. “He Was a Friend of Mine,” Bob Dylan
3. “Smokestack Lightning,” Howlin Wolf
4. “Cretin Hop,” The Ramones
5. “Get Up,” Sleater-Kinney
Vickie Vértiz is a writer from Los Angeles with roots in poetry, working in fiction and playwrighting. Vickie's work can be found in Mujeres de Maiz Zine and in I Saw My Ex at a Party: Traversing the Literary Unexpected (Kearny Street Press), the 2008 Intergenerational Writers' Workshop Anthology. She lives in San Francisco.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. "Brujula sin Rumbo," Astrid Hadad version
2. "Pretty Young Thing" (this choice precedes MJs untimely demise)
3. "Love at First Sight," Kylie Minogue (don't hate, people)
4. "Cada Vez que te Veo," house song, singer unknown
5. "Mi Swing es Tropical," Spanish song from Nickodemus and Quantic Soul Orchestra
Kenji Liu is a 1.5 generation Japanese-born Taiwanese American expatriate of New Jersey suburbia. Arising from his work as an activist, educator and cultural worker, his writing explores the politics of everyday small occurrences. Kenji’s poetry chapbook You
Left Without Your Shoes is available from Finishing Line Press. His writing has also appeared in Tea Party Magazine, Kartika Review, and the 2009 Intergenerational Writer’s Workshop online anthology called Flick of My Tongue. He is currently working on a multi-genre full-length collection of poetry, prose and visual art.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. "Fear of the South," Tin Hat Trio
2. "Little Fluffy Clouds," The Orb
3. "Fiery Crash," Andrew Bird
4. "Living on a Prayer," Bon Jovi
5. "Never Tear Us Apart," INXS
Ava Tong has worked mainly with Bindlestiff Studio for the past 3 years but went on sabbatical for the last 18 months. Bindlestiff has allowed her to take on roles including acting, standup comedy, stage manager, writer, producer, dancer, shadow puppeteer, and director. Her most recent project was last year's Stories High Anniversary Edition where her play, Not Quite Unrequited, was put on by Bindlestiff Studio. This is her first creative project since her play's debut.
Top Five Desert Island Songs:
1. "If You Go Away," New Kids on the Block
2. "Make Me Whole," Amel Larrieux
3. "I Got 5 On It (Remix)," Luniz/Shock G/Richie Rich
4. "Endlessly," Joey McIntyre
5. "Nuthin' But a G Thang," Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg