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Ascent Aspirations Magazine Print Anthology Five Spring 2008
Contributors

Becky Alexander is a Cambridge, Ontario poet. She has been published in
Pegasus, Country Woman, Tower, People’s Political Letter, Zygote, Canadian
Writer’s Journal, The Amethyst Review, and many other journals. She has four
poetry publications. Her work has won many awards and has been included in
national and international anthologies. In 2000 she founded Craigleigh Press,
which has published eight collections to date. Becky has edited books for fellow
writers, and served as a literary judge for various groups. She was the 2002
recipient of the Bernice Adams Cultural Awards for the City of Cambridge, and
won for best poem in the 2004 One Book, One Community writing contest for
the Kitchener Waterloo Region, based on Jane Urquhart’s book, The Stone
Carvers.

Richard Arnold lives on a modest acreage near Errington, BC. He teaches English
at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo. Besides writing and reading poetry,
he likes spending time with his family, hiking, canoeing, and camping. His work
has been published in many print and electronic places across North America. He
has two collections of poetry to his credit: a chapbook from Leaf Press (2002) and
a haiku pamphlet from Island Scholastic (2003).

http://www.ascentaspirations.ca/anthologycontributorsfive.htm 4/11/2011


Janet Barkhouse’s recent publishing credits are for non-fiction, as she has just
retired from teaching English: curriculum for the Nova Scotia Department of
Education (new English courses English 10 Plus and Advanced English 11), and
articles for CRN (Child Research Net), a scholarly website that publishes in
Japanese, Chinese and English. Earlier credits include a short story, “The Snare”,
which she read for CBC Radio’s Atlantic Airwaves, and poems in magazines such
as Atlantic Advocate. In 2007 a group of her poems placed second in the Atlantic
Writing Competition sponsored by the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia.

Helen Bar-Lev was born in New York City in 1942. She has lived in Israel for 36
years. She holds a degree in Anthropology from California State University,
Northridge, 1972. Since 1976 Helen has devoted herself to art: painting, teaching
and writing poetry. From 1989 until 2001 she was a member of the Safad Artists’
Colony in the Upper Galilee where she had her own gallery. In January 2007 she
and Johnmichael Simon moved to Metulla, the northernmost town in Israel. Helen
is a member of Voices Israel English Poetry Society and The Israel Artists’ and
Sculptors’ Association, of the Canadian Federation of Poets and Canadian Poetry
Association. She is the global correspondent in Israel for the Poetry Bridge and
Editor-in-Chief of the Voices Israel annual anthology.

Doug Beardsley was born and raised in Montreal. He has published seven
volumes of poetry and three books on the game of hockey. Recently retired
from the University of Victoria, he is currently doing a Masters of Theological
Studies and working on a new book of poems entitled A Certain Truth.

April Bulmer has four books and a chapbook. She holds graduate degrees in
creative writing, religious studies and theology. She is interested in women’s
spirituality. She recently won first prize in the TOPS, “Second Time Around
Contest.” April lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her puppy, Lichee.

Linda Lee Crosfield's poetry and fiction has appeared in Room of One’s Own,
Horsefly, The New Orphic Review, Ascent Aspirations, WordWorks, and in several
chapbooks and anthologies. She lives and writes in Ootischenia, in South East BC.

Caroline H. Davidson has been living and daydreaming story plots for more than
half a century. She recently moved from Ontario to Ladysmith, BC to live in the



pleasant climate. Her life is full of music, writing and friends.

Tatjana Debeljaèki is a member of the Association of Writers of Serbia UKS and
the Haiku Society of Serbia HDS Montenegro - HUSCG & HDPR, Croatia. She has
published three collections of poetry: A House Made of Glass, published by ART
Uzice, Yours, published by Narodna Knjiga, Belgrade and Vulcano by Haiku Lotos,
Valjevo, as well as a CD-book, A House Made of Glass by ART,Uzice. Her most
recent book is AH-EH-EEH-OH-OOH! is published by POETA Belgrade.

Linda Diver resides in the Comox Valley and is the present winner of
the Pacific Region Arts Council award for short fiction. She is
completing the final draft to her first novel but admits that poetry is
her passion. When she is not writing she reads avidly and her book
reviews have been featured in the Island Word.

Trisia Eddy lives and writes in and around Edmonton, Alberta. Her work has
appeared on radio, in print, and online, most recently with Existere, fait accomplit,
ditchpoetry.com, and Perspectives Magazine. She is the founding editor and
publisher of red nettle press. Her chapbook, what if there’s no weather, was
released in 2007.

Peggy Fletcher, a native of Newfoundland, now living in Sarnia, Ontario, is
widely published in Canadian and international journals and has six poetry books,
a short story collection and a play published. She recently won second prize at the
Elora Writers’ Festival.

Joanna Gale is a pen name. In the past, under her other name, she published in an
Alberta Chapbook, Tale Spinner, as well as co-authored lyrics on a CD which was
nationally distrbuted. As Joanna Gale, she has been published in various
newsletters, Poetry Cafe (Oakville, Ontario) and through TOPS (The Ontario
Poetry Society), and also in anthologies. Recently she has published her first
chapbook, Workshop Sketches, Beret Day Press. Joanna was born in Sudbury,



Ontario and currently lives in Toronto.

Katherine L. Gordon lives to write in a secluded river valley in Ontario. She has
two full collections, many chapbooks, and is an award-winning poet whose work
has been published in many languages. Her latest book Myth Weavers, a collection
of Canadian myths and legends, Serengeti Press, was released in April, National
Poetry Month, 2007. She is the resident columnist for Ancient Heart Magazine,
England. Katherine believes that poetry is the link uniting all cultures.

Greg Gregory works in educational media although his first love is language
and the printed word. He was raised in Los Angeles, but now resides in
Sacramento where he loves the seasonal changes, especially in the bird-rich
marshes and rice fields that still haven’t yet been developed. He has been
published in California Quarterly, Rosebud, Windsor Review (Canada), Poetry
Depth Quarterly, Amherst Review, Poetry Nottingham (UK), and others.

Andreas Gripp is a London, Ontario poet who works at the University of
Western Ontario. He is the author of 8 books of poetry and 7 chapbooks. His
website can be found at http://www.andreasgripp.com

Jill Meriel Harrington-Fox’s poetry has been published in more than 30
anthologies and periodicals and has won prizes and honourable mentions. She
works for the Region of Waterloo and lives in Cambridge where she has been
an active member of the Cambridge Writers Collective for many years. Her first
poetry chapbook is Where the Tide Changes (2005) Serengeti Press.

Sterling Haynes is a retired urban and country medical doctor. Mostly he writes
humour. This summer a poem called “The Postal Telephone Blues” was published
by the New Quarterly. A short story called “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” was
published by The Medical Post. The two poems, “Touretting” and “Dementia
Praecox” are dark. For fourteen years he looked after people who were mentally
challenged, some in A.A. He sometimes writes about these people in his poetry and



creative non-fiction. Perhaps the public, politicians and the legal profession will
soon realize that addiction, mental aberrations and schizophrenic problems have to
be dealt with in an understanding, humanitarian, non-criminal way.

Selections of Cuba Journal (Black Moss, 2003) as well as Cornelia Hoogland’s
second and third books of poetry, You Are Home (Black Moss, 2001) and
Marrying the Animals (Brick Books, 1995), and most recently Crow (2007), were
shortlisted for the national CBC Literary Awards. Founder and artistic director of
Poetry London (www.poetrylondon.ca) and 2006 guest editor of Descant’s Cuba
Inside/Out, Hoogland also writes plays and fiction. http://publish.edu.uwo.ca).

I.B. Iskov is the Poetry Editor for The Outreach Connection Newspaper,
sold by the homeless and the unemployed in Toronto. She is also the
Founder of The Ontario Poetry Society, Ontario’s only provincial, grass
roots, democratic, poetry friendly organization. Visit www.mirror.org/tops

Karen Luke Jackson is an educator and retreat leader who offers Connecting Role
and Soul programs and retreats throughout the American southeast. Through these
programs, teachers, nonprofit practitioners, human service providers and community
leaders learn ways to integrate outer work and inner lilfe. Karen is on the faculty of
Duke University’s Nonprofit Management Program. Being a grandmother and
hiking in the mountains of Western North Carolina are two of her greatest joys.

In 1989, Harvey Jenkins moved from the Prairies to the beauty of Vancouver
Island which inspired him to start writing haiku. He has published in the
Western Producer and Manitoba Myriad. He received an honourable mention
in the Word-Fires Literary Contest and an honourable mention for a haiku
submitted to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival in 2007.

Marcelle Kasprowicz was born in Niort, France and lives in Austin, Texas. She
received an M.A. from UT at Austin (Foreign Language Education Department) in
1983. She was awarded first prize for her poem “House of Bones”, in the Austin
International Poetry Festival Anthology Di-verse-city 2001. Marcelle also won an



honorable mention in the Tri-language Poem Contest 2001 from Gival Press. In
2005 she was awarded second prize in the Ascent Aspirations Magazine for her
poem “The Seer”. Her poem “Field Hospital” was published in the 2005 Texas
Poetry Calendar. Organza Skies, her first book, was published in 2005.

Barbara Lefcourt grew up in New York City. She migrated to Canada with her
family in 1963. A former teacher of Literacy and Basic Skills, Barb started writing
poetry as she neared retirement. Her poems have appeared in a number of juried
anthologies, chapbooks and magazines. She is a member of The Cambridge
Writers Collective and The Ontario Poetry Society. In 2005, "The Power of
Penmanship" won third prize in the T.O.P.S. Food For Thought Chapbook
Anthology Contest and "Treasure" won Honourable Mention in their Simply Good
Poetry Contest. Barb's muse quickens, particularly, during summers spent on
Manitoulin Island (Lake Huron) and travels in Australia when she periodically
visits some of her family there.

Bernice Lever, member and past executive on national writing organizations, has
been publishing poems for decades, but she still gets high on words. From 1972-
1987, she edited WAVES in Ontario; now she enjoys life on Bowen Island, BC.
BLESSINGS, Black Moss Press, 2000. Find more about her on
www.colourofwords.com

Paul Liddy has been published in several magazines such as Quill, CV 2, and an
Irish magazine, Existere.

Norma West Linder was born in Toronto, spent her childhood on Manitoulin Island,
and her teenage years in Muskoka. She is a member of The Writers’ Union of Canada,
PEN, The Canadian Authors Association, The Ontario Poetry Society, The Canadian
Federation of Poets and WIT(Writers in Transition). Linder is the author of 5 novels, 9
collections of poetry, a memoir of Manitoulin Island, a children’s book and a
biography of Pauline McGibbon. For 24 years she was on the faculty of Lambton
College in Sarnia, teaching English and Creative Writing. For 7 years she wrote a
monthly column for the Sarnia Observer, and she is a regular contributor to
“Daytripping in Southern Ontario”. Her stories have been published internationally
and broadcast on the CBC. Her poetry has been published in Fiddlehead, White Wall



Review, Room of One’s Own, Quills, Toward the Light, Prairie Journal, FreeFall
Magazine, R & M Journal, Mobius, and other periodicals. In 2006 she compiled and
edited Enchanted Crossroads for The Ontario Poetry Society. She has two daughters
and a son.

Irene Livingston has been published in many lit mags, and has received awards
such as the Leacock for Poetry. Her Finklehopper Frog books are published by
Tricycle Press. Her website is www. irenelivs.com

Ellaraine Lockie writes poetry, nonfiction books and essays. Recently, she has
been to Kenya on a poetry fellowship, to Centrum in Port Townsend, WA, for a
poetry residency, has received her tenth Pushcart Prize nomination and has won
the 2007 Elizabeth Curry Prize from SLAB at the University of Slippery Rock.
Forthcoming are a Rooftop Chaplet from Adrienne Lewis’ series and a fifth
chapbook, PWJ Publishing.

Eric Akbar Manolson is a composer, musician and poet living in the beautiful
Eastern Townships region of Québec. His acclaimed CD of solo piano music,
Healing Piano:The Aramaic Prayer - music to energize & restore balance is
available at AkbarsMusic.com.

Stella Mazur Preda, a retired elementary teacher, is owner and publisher of
Serengeti Press, now based in the Hamilton area. Her poetry has appeared in many
Canadian literary journals and anthologies. Her poem “My Mother’s Kitchen” was
purchased by Penguin Books, New York and published in an anthology entitled In
My Mother’s Kitchen, which was released in May 2006. Stella’s first book of
poetry, Butterfly Dreams, was published in 2003 and she is working on getting her
second book out. Stella is the past-president of the Tower Poetry Society and a
member of the Cambridge Writers Collective. She also serves on the Advisory
Committee of the Kairos Literary Society in Hamilton.

Susan McCaslin is a poet and educator, the author of eleven volumes of poetry,
including her most recent, Lifting the Stone (Seraphim Editions, 2007). She also
edited the anthologies A Matter of Spirit: Recovery of the Sacred in Contemporary
Canadian Poetry and Poetry and Spiritual Practice: Selections from Contemporary
Canadian Poets, is on the editorial board of Event: the Douglas College Review,
and the advisory board of The Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion (Harvard



Divinity School). Susan lives in Fort Langley, BC. She is a full-time writer, giving
poetry workshops and readings.

Michelle McLean currently works as a night auditor at the Howard Johnson hotel
in Woodstock, N.B. While she has written poetry her entire life, it has only been in
recent months that she began sending some of it out into the world. A collection of
her children’s poetry placed second in the 2007 Writers Federation of New
Brunswick literary competition, and she received third place in the fifth annual
Open Minds Quarterly BrainStorm Poetry Contest (2007). Michelle and her
husband live in Lower Brighton, New Brunswick.

Adrienne Mercer is a former journalist and a member of the Nanaimo-based Big
Picture Window Writers’ Group. She is the author of a young adult novel, Rebound
(Lorimer, 2002) and has been published in Monday Magazine, Lost Magazine, and
the poetry anthology Sincerely, Elvis (Hot Biscuit Productions, 2005).

Claudia Meyer is a new writer. She is perfecting her craft at The Writers’ Garret, a
literary center in Dallas, Texas and is working on her first chapbook. She also enjoys
the visual arts and working in watercolor, pen and ink, printmaking and ceramics.
When not reading, writing or painting, she is involved in environmental issues.

Mary Ann Moore is a poet, writer and creativity facilitator in Nanaimo, B.C. A
single word, a book title or lunch with a fellow poet can bring on a poem.

Don Mulcahy: Born, Clydach (Swansea), Wales. Canadian citizen since 1969. A
late (literary) developer, having taken up writing following an academic career in
an applied science field. Previously published in technical journals, The
Edmonton Journal, the CHS Newsletter (Wales), The Prairie Journal, Matrix,
Coffee House Poetry (U.K.), iota (U.K.), Verse Afire, fait accomplit, The
Antigonish Review, blood ink, Tower Poetry, the anthology Butterfly Thunder and
in countless letters to editors. His immigration anthology, Coming Here; Being
Here, in which 59 diverse authors write on themes involving immigration and
Canada, is under consideration by two publishers at present. He is founder of the
new Strathroy Writers Group. He also paints, and had a show in the Strathroy
Public Art Gallery in August, 2007.



Annebelle Murray lives, works and writes in Uxbridge, Ontario. She is a graduate
of Queen’s University. Her poetry has received recognition and awards in Canada
and overseas. A number of her poems were performed in the play Musings on
Motherhood (Ontario/2006).

Madeleine Nattrass has been a full-time mother, a full-time student, a full-time
teacher and is now a full-time poet. Her work has been published in Tower Poetry,
Other Voices, Quills and on the internet. Her poetry has been short listed and
honourably mentioned in various competitions.

Martina Reisz Newberry is the author of a collection of poems Running
Like a Woman with her Hair on Fire, published by Red Hen Press 2005.
She is also the winner of i.e. magazine’s Editor’s Choice Poetry Chapbook
Prize for 1998: An Apparent Approachable Light. She is the author of Lima
Beans and City Chicken: Memories of the Open Hearth — a memoir of her
late father—published by E.P. Dutton and Co. in 1989. She is also the
author of The Star Jasmine Club - an Adult fable, a novel purchased by
E.P. Dutton & Co. She has written four novels and several books of poetry
and has been widely published in literary magazines such as: 5 AM,
Amelia, Atom Mind, Bellingham Review, Black Buzzard Review, Cape
Rock, Caprice, Catalyst, Connecticut Poetry Review, Context South,
Descant, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Hob Nob, i.e.,Innisfree,
International Poetry Review, Iowa Woman, The Ledge, My Legacy, New
Laurel Review, Passages North, Piedmont Literary Review, Snake Nation
Review, Sonoma Mandala, Sonora Review, Rectangle, Southern Review of
Poetry, Touchstone, Visions International, Willow Review ,Women’s Work,
Yet Another Small Magazine, and many others. Martina lives in Los
Angeles, California, with her husband Brian and their benevolent dictator
and cat, Gato.

Debbie Okun Hill Since the fall 2004, Debbie Okun Hill has had two short stories
and over 60 poems published in over 25 different Canadian and US publications
including Quills, MOBIUS, North American Maple, Rhyme and Reason: Modern
Formal Poetry, Reportage (Cranberry Tree Press), and all print editions of Ascent
Aspirations Magazine. Her poems have won awards from The Ontario Poetry
Society, the Canadian Poetry Association, the 2006 Toward the Light Poetry
Contest, and most recently the 2007 WCDR Dan Sullivan Memorial Poetry
Contest. Read her most current work in the chapbook Executive Sweet: A
Collection of Poetry by TOPS Executives.

Diane Attwell Palfrey Diane Attwell Palfrey was born in Toronto and has lived in



Cambridge for the past sixteen years. She is a poet and prose writer. Diane is a
member of the Cambridge Writers Collective and has poetry published by the
Waterloo-Wellington CAA, Serengeti Press, Craigleigh Press, Hammered Out, The
Ontario Poetry Society and Ascent Aspirations.

Amy Postma is currently a 3rd year English student at Mcmaster University. She
has been featured in the University’s literary paper twice, once as a second place
winner in their poetry contest. She lives in Burlington, Ontario and currently works
part time to support her studies. She hopes to enter the publishing field or write
professionally when she graduates.

Born and educated in Ireland, Nora Ryan immigrated to Canada with her
husband and two small children in 1981. She spent sixteen years in rural
Manitoba working as an educator and health promotion specialist. Her special
interest area is in mentoring and family life. Two years living on a small island in
the Caribbean provided the inspiration for Ryan’s first two works. Cracked
Conch, a collection of short stories and poems delivers a series of vignettes into
the lives of a colorful cast of misfits and mischief-makers all shaped by that
exquisite tapestry of life woven on sun-drenched islands. Across the Great
Divide, a novel set in the same landscape examines the divide caused by race and
socio-economic circumstances and the ability of the human spirit to bridge the
divide. Ryan’s second novel, Marie’s Story, is told in the first person, through
the eyes of a child. This story puts a human face on AIDS and brings the reader
into the lives of children, illuminating their struggles and triumphs in a
haphazard and uncertain world. Ryan’s ongoing research and travels in Haiti and
her love and concern for the plight of children in this the western hemisphere’s
poorest country is the motivating influence behind her latest work. Nora Ryan is
a pen name. The author has chosen this name to honor her paternal grandmother
who was born in an age when women did not have a voice.

Alan Scott is a native and continuing resident of California. The serpentine
course of his life has wound from honor student to hippie dropout to office
worker to science student to political activist, and most recently taken the form
of unemployed non-profit administrator. He has been a closeted writer all the
while, and Ascent Aspirations is the first to publish his work.

Florentia Scott spent many years of her life masquerading as a public relations



specialist while secretly pursuing her passion for poetry and fiction. She now
lives in Port Alberni, BC where she writes for the Westcoaster.ca news web site
and continues to indulge her secret passion, most frequently with the Rainwood
Writers Group. Her poetry and fiction has appeared in various local publications,
with one poem being reproduced on the Canada.com website. In July 2007, she
performed at The Spoken Word Festival at Forest Fest.

Johnmichael Simon was born in England in 1938 and raised in South Africa
from the age of ten. He has been living in Israel almost continuously since
1955. He currently lives in the village of Metulla, Israel on the border of
Lebanon, with fellow poet and artist Helen Bar-Lev, their cats and a dog. John
writes poetry every day; some of it wins prizes and honorable mentions in
anthologies in Israel and abroad. He is a member of the board of ‘Voices’ the
Israeli English speaking poetry group and has published several illustrated
books of poetry including Silly Wishes, a book of children’s verse and
Cyclamens and Swords and Other Poems About the Land of Israel (Ibbetson
Press, Boston, Mass., USA) in collaboration with Helen. John has been guest
poet at readings in England, the US and Canada and contributes to numerous
Internet publications and print Anthologies. He is member of the Voices Israel
Anthology editorial board and also a member of the Canadian Poetry
Association and the Canadian Federation of Poets.

K.V. Skenehas appeared in numerous Canadian, U.K., U.S., Irish and Australian
publications. Two of her chapbooks, Only a Dragon (2002) andA Calendar of Rain
(2004), won the Shaunt Basmajian Chapbook Award . A further chapbook Edith (a
series of poems on Nurse Edith Cavell) was recently published by Flarestack
Publishing (UK). A long-term expat Canadian, K.V. Skene grew up in Lachine
Quebec and has lived in various parts of Canada as well as England and Ireland.
She is presently ensconced in Oxford.

Nellie P. Strowbridge is a free lance writer and former newspaper and magazine
columnist. She is the author of two collections of poetry: Shadows of the Heart and
Dancing on Ochre Sands (short-listed for the E. J. Pratt Award 2005). She is also
the author of a story collection Widdershins, a novel Far from Home (short-listed
for Newfoundland’s Historic Award 2006), tri-author of a story and essay
collection Doors Held Ajar and a story, essay and poetry collection The Gift of
Christmas (2006).

Lynn Tait lives in Sarnia, Ontario. Her work has appeared in numerous journals
and anthologies including Lichen, Windsor Review, Quills, Contemporary Verse 2,
Carousel, No Love Lost III, and Ascent Aspirations Magazine Anthology Two,
Windfire. She has published a chapbook titled Breaking Away, 2002.



Sheldon Thomas was born in Winnipeg and has been writing for seven years. His
work has appeared in the Collective Consciousness and Open Minds Quarterly as well
on the Open Minds Website.

Wendy Visser lives in Cambridge, Ontario. She has been published recently in
Ascent Aspirations Anthology Three, AguaTerra,2007, Hammered Out # 11, Peter
Street Publications, Hamilton, On. Street # 5, Serengeti Press, 2007, Myth
Weavers: Canadian Myths and Legends, Serengeti Press, 2007, Tower Poetry, Vol
56, No.1, Tower Poetry Society Press, Summer 2007, and in Cloud Shine, launched
in 2007 by Craigleigh Press. Wendy’s haiku are currently featured on the
dailyhaiku website where she is one of six contributors for the spring/summer
sessio, 2007. Her book, Riding A Wooden Horse, Craigleigh Press recently won the
WRAC (Waterloo Regional Arts Council) best book award.

S. J. White is a retired photographer. He writes non-fiction, short stories and
poetry. He has published three books and is published here and there in the North
American literary press. He lives with his wife in Brantford, Ontario, and is a
member of the Cambridge Writers’ Collective and the Hamilton Poetry Centre.

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