Jeri Jones Sparks is a Tamil Indian-Australian poet and writer living on Wangal Country.
She is the winner of the third annual Bright Wings Poetry Contest hosted in partnership with Ekstasis Magazine.
She works as the Outreach Pastor at St James Anglican Church in the Inner West of Sydney.
In this bonus episode, Jeri shares her winning poem, January Born.
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Read MoreWe’re excited to open submissions to our third annual Bright Wings poetry contest in partnership with Ekstasis Magazine!
Our panel judges for this year’s contest are:
Deadline for Entry: November, 25th, 2022
Entry Fee: $20 for up to three poems
Winner will receive a $500 honorarium, read the winning poem on an episode of the Makers & Mystics podcast and have the poem featured in an issue of Ekstasis Magazine.
Second and third prize winners will be featured on Makers & Mystics and Ekstasis Instagram stories and newsletter.
Read MoreMalcolm Guite is an English poet, academic and priest in the Church of England. He is a fellow of Girton College in the University of Cambridge and has published widely in the field of theology and literature.
His research interests include the intersection of religion and the arts and the examination of the works of J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
In this episode Malcolm and I discuss what I’ve termed as the poetics of restoration and how poetry and literature hold keys to understanding and even bridging the gaps between tradition and originality.
Patrons of the podcast can enjoy three additional interview segments with Malcolm, one on the moral imagination (which members of our creative collective will recall from discussions in our last book club.) also Malcolm’s thoughts on imagination as empathy, and practices to can we establish to achieve longevity for the artist and writer.
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Read MoreRachel Marie Kang is a New York native, born and raised just outside New York City. She is an author, poet and founder of The Fallow House online creative community. Her writing has been featured in Christianity Today, Proverbs 31 Ministries, and (in)courage.
A mixed woman of African American, Native American (Ramapough Lenape Nation), Irish, and Dutch descent, she is a graduate of Alliance College with a Bachelor of Arts in English with Creative Writing and a minor in Bible.
In this episode, Rachel and I discuss her book, Let There Be Art: The Pleasure and Purpose of Unleashing the Creativity Within You.
In keeping our season ten theme of Restoration for the heart of the artist, Rachel and I discuss what it is like to create in the space between life and death, joy and grief and how creativity can serve as a bridge between the two poles.
Read MoreRyan Diaz is a poet and writer from Queens, NY. He holds a BA in History from St. Johns University and is currently completing a MA in Biblical Studies. His work has been featured in publications like Ekstasis, Premier Christianity, Dappled Things, and Busted Halo.
In this bonus episode, Ryan and I talk about the relationship between poetry and prayer, cynicism and the sacramental imagination. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy additional conversation segments featuring four book recommendations for poets as well as a recitation of Ryan’s poem For Those Wandering Along The Way.
Purchase Ryan’s latest book of poems, Skipping Stones.
Brightbell Creative: Meaningful Marketing For the Creative Artist.
Read MoreIn this episode, Makers & Mystics Collective facilitator Corey Frey guest-hosts this episode to give us a glimpse into the life and work of the eccentric poet, Emily Dickinson.
Read MoreThea Matthews is a San Francisco born poet, orator and activist whose work centers on the complexities of humanity, grief, and resiliency. In this episode, Stephen Roach to talks with Thea about her debut poetry collection published by Red Light Lit titled, Unearth [The Flowers] and about her journey of finding healing and resiliency through poetry.
Thea's empowering poems provide a path to healing and illustrate how survivors can find a safe place within themselves to reclaim their own identity and sexuality.
Her book has been described as an electrifying letter to family, country, and self, Unearth [The Flowers] is relentless in its journey through stages of grief and healing while celebrating life.
Khalisa Rae is an activist, poet, and educator in Durham, North Carolina, and a graduate of the Queens University MFA program. She is the winner of the 2020 Bright Wings Poetry Contest.
In this Bonus episode, Stephen Roach and Ashley Blake talk with Khalisa Rae about poetry and the importance of telling our story. Khalisa performs two of her poems, including her winning poem, The Way Out and the title poem from her upcoming collection, Ghost In A Black Girl's Throat.
You can read Khalisa's and the other winning poets at: http://www.makersandmystics.com/brightwings
Read MoreThis bonus Episode features a live performance and interview with spoken word artist La’Tasha Strother. La’Tasha threads her relationship with God throughout her life and work and creates poignant imagery about her life experiences. The poem performed in this episode is titled Love Is Not Blind and was performed live at our Art As Healing Podcast in Charlottesville Virginia.
Read MoreTinasha LaRayé is a poet, actress, and filmmaker who has an intense passion to see nations transformed through storytelling. As a spoken word artist, she incorporates her theatrical world of acting to elevate poetry from the page to an encounter. From working with inner city kids, to young women, to budding creatives, she loves empowering individuals to move in their God-given voice, purpose, and power. Tinasha also desires to see the wound of racism healed in the United States and uses her creativity and teachings to equip this generation to walk out healing, justice, and unity. She currently serves as a pastor in Creative Arts at Bethel Church in Redding.
In today’s episode Stephen talks with Tinasha about her work as a poet and actress standing at the intersections of spiritual encounter and social justice. The two also talk about her film, Hope Song which explores the historical experience of Black people in America, and paints a poetic and prophetic vision for racial healing.
Read MoreMatthew Perryman Jones is performing songwriter by trade, though at heart, he is actually a seeker. With each entry into his discography, his musical and moral compass points toward an artistic horizon he has yet to explore. Sometimes, he turns his gaze to examine his own inner world. Other times, he looks to the inspirations found in the letters Vincent Van Gogh penned to his brother Theo, or in the idea of duende as proffered by Federico García Lorca, and in the poetic verses of Sufi poets Hafiz and Rumi.
In this episode, Stephen Roach talks with Matthew about the inspirations behind his songs, the nuances within his art and the signposts along the way which give meaning and direction to his creative path.
Read MoreNadine Ellsworth-Moran is the winner of our first annual Bright Wings poetry contest. Nadine is a Georgia resident where she works in full-time ministry while pursuing her love of writing. Her essays and poems have appeared in Interpretation, The Presbyterian Outlook, Structo, Kakalak, and Saint Katherine Review, among others.
In this episode, Stephen is joined by contest panel judge and poet, Amy Orazio and features a reading of Nadine’s winning poem by the author.
Topics in this episode include resilience, tenacity and constructive ways of handling rejections.
Read Nadine Ellsworth-Moran’s winning poem here.
See all contest winners and runner ups here.
Read MoreTeresa of Avila was a Spanish, Carmelite nun born on March 28th, 1515. She was an avid writer, social reformer and mystic known for her wit, charm and intense spiritual ecstasies. In this Artist Profile, Stephen Roach offers a glimpse into the life of this eccentric and accessible mystic whose life remains applicable for us today.
Read MoreJohn O’ Donohue was a modern-day mystic, philosopher, theologian and poet. He spent his life along the West Coast of Ireland where the solitude and beauty of the land shaped him as an artist and thinker.
Read MoreGerard Manley Hopkins was a Jesuit priest and English poet born July 28,1844. He is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Victorian era although during his lifetime, his poetry was never published. His approach to poetry was deeply enmeshed with his intimate and mystical spirituality. For Hopkins, who was an avid lover of nature, poetry was a means of accessing the Divine and of discovering God within nature.
Read MoreMeister Eckhart was a late 13th and early 14th century philosopher, theologian and mystic born in central Germany. In 1326, he was accused of 150 accounts of heresy and went on to be tried before the Catholic Inquisition. Today, however, Meister Eckhart’s writings have influenced artists and spiritual seekers from most every tradition and walk of life.
Articles and blogs mentioned in this episode:
Read MoreAmena Brown is a poet, speaker, author and event host. Named one of Rejuvenate Magazine's Top 40 under 40 Changemakers, Amena is the author of five spoken word albums and two non-fiction books: Breaking Old Rhythms and her latest release How to Fix a Broken Record.
In this season premiere episode, Stephen talks to Amena about success and failure, the effects of social media on artists and how vinyl records became one of her entry points to relationship with God.
Patrons can listen to an additional interview with Amena Brown on money management here.
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