Misael Juarez is a Los Angeles Zapotec who writes to alleviate the intensity of psychosis and schizo-affective disorder, while achieving a voice for the faceless working-class people, the unjustly caged-up children, the vatos locos coming from the bottom, y las chavas. His works speak to the lonely community of schizophrenics out there. His craft is for those who pay attention to rap lyrics and for lovers of romantic love poetry, barrio ascension, gems of wisdom, and revolutionary and social justice with a touch of wild scenic. My Spoken Word Wife: A Wild, Street, Romantic, and Revolutionary Journey highlights all of these themes and aims, and centers on respect for feminine virtues. He’s the poetic soldier from every dark corner in the city, a true working-class lyricist. My Spoken Word Wife: A Wilde, Street, Romantic, and Revolutionary Journey ishis first publication contract with Barrio Blues Press; it is forthcoming, 2021.
Isabelle Palerma, Author and Artist
Isabelle Palerma lives in the Midwest but fantasizes about running away to Florence. She loves hiking, concerts, and traveling. She's a self-made is an adrenaline junkie. Palerma has been writing since she was seven, but fortunately, most of her early writing about talking dogs and dancing gumdrops has faded into obscurity. You can find out more about her work at www.isabellepalerma.com.
John Drudge, Poet and Martial Arts Expert
John is a social worker working in the field of disability management and holds degrees in social work, rehabilitation services, and psychology. He is the author of four books of poetry: March (2019), The Seasons of Us (2019), New Days (2020), and Fragments (2021). His work has appeared in numerous international literary journals, magazines, and anthologies. John is also a six-time Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee. He lives in Caledon Ontario, Canada with his wife and two children.
Daniel Brooks, Poet, Editor, and Educator
Daniel Brooks is a special education teacher and a poetry editor for Barrio Blues Press. His work has appeared in the Nation, Indianapolis Review, Hawai’i Review, Kallatumba Press, and more.
Anthology Contributors
Barrio Blues Press is grateful to all fiction and poetry writers and artists who make our outstanding anthologies, like Nation and Unity Volume 1: A Magical Realism Anthology, possible! ¡Muchas Gracias!