Something more than Gibberish Podcast

Something more than Gibberish Episode 35 - Ms. Ieshya Parker

In this episode Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing Ms. Ieshya Parker. This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week, the amazing Ieshya Parker (IG: @ms.parker_speaks).
Ieshya Parker is a master at weaving poetry that engages the listeners every sense. A native Californian who grew up in the city of Compton and the streets of LA., Ieshya has danced with poetry for many moons.
Early on, Ieshya’s music teacher / grandmother exposed her to the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare encouraging her to memorise their works.
Ieshya’s actual walk with poetry, however, began at the feet of her mother, Yvonne Adams, an amazing yet undiscovered writer; Ieshya’s inspiration and personal favorite.
With so much of her mother’s work unheard before her passing in 2011, in her mother’s honor Ieshya was inspired to create a platform called ” Spoken Word, Voices Heard, Women’s Amateur Poetry Slam ”.
Unfortunately her mother transitioned before being able to grace the stage her daughter secretly created for her but, Ieshya’s work continues as her personal mission. She says, “Through my art it is my goal to encourage, motivate, stand for, and speak loudly for those not ready to speak for themselves. Hopefully through my voice people will find their voice and live out loud.
If you are unfamiliar with Ieshya’s work, check her page @ms.parker_speaks or catch her Instagram Live shows.
Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 34 - Janaya STephens

In this episode Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing Janaya Stephens (aka LG). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week.
Janaya Stephens hails from small town Canadian roots. She  joined Instagram to share her writing under the handle of @throughthelookingglasspoet, which was quickly and endearingly shortened to LG which has become her pen name. You can also find her at @janaya_stephens on IG.She has loved poetry from a young age and began writing very young. In University she played for the Varsity Basketball team, sports were always her passion. Janaya’s Majors were English Literature and Drama; she then went on to Theatre School in Toronto and from there began a successful career in film & TV.Janaya is a Canadian mother, she has a daughter and a son. When COVID hit, she was inspired to start writing once again, and discovered the poetry community on Instagram. It was there she found enjoyment from reading others’ poetry. Her live shows are popular, and her love of entertaining shines through.Janaya’s most poignant pieces seem to stem from her experiences as a mother and her love for her children. Nostalgia and time are recurring themes and also a good dose of self reflection.If you are unfamiliar with Janaya’s work, checkout her pages on IG mentioned above or catch her IG Lives on @glass_of_meadSincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 33 - Jamie Dawson

In this episode Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing Jamie Dawson (aka DawsonTheArtist) This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week.
Jamie Dawson is a professional performer and award-winning spoken word poet who inspires, heals and entertains through poetry and music. Growth and community stay on Jamie’s heart.
From solo stage works Goddess At Your Feet and Feast of Flowers, to projects with esteemed artists such as literary star Rupi Kaur and legendary spoken word cultivators The Last Poets, join the thousands who have been inspired by her journey to be art, effortlessly.
Jamie is also a member of the official tribute to the Motown legacy of The Supremes. For more  transformative power of poetry, listen  to Jamie’s works on her premiere spoken word albums “It’s Hot Outside: Live from Tampa, Florida” and studio recorded work “God Is At Your Feet” now available on all platforms. dawsontheartist.com  / @dawsontheartist on all platformsIf you are unfamiliar with Jamie’s work, checkout her page on IG or other social platforms and her released albums.Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 32 - Ramon Carty & Kheneil Black

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing poets, Ramon Carty (IG: ramrockspeaks) and Kheneil Black. (IG: @kheneilblack). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our special guests.
Previously Ram and Kheneil have featured independently on the show and this time we host them jointly to learn of their friendship since childhood and their collective roles within the poetry community.Ramon Carty is a Jamaican- Canadian Poet from Ajax Ontario. Ramon has been writing from a tender age of 13 in hopes to leave behind a legacy immortalizing his penned poetry. He is the founder of 6ixPoetsSociety and focusses on event curation and inspiring people to scrape away the silence lodged in their throat and mind and put it to paper. "If all I have are my words, then I armed for the worst" - Ramon CartyKheneil is a Jamaican Born, Canadian poet, is a proud father and husband. Founder & Co-Host of Mosaic Mondays and Co-founder of The 6ix Poets Society. He enjoys writing, spending time with his family and many other creative writing endeavours and most things from the nerdosphere, including but not limited to comics, video games, anime and movies. Kheneil loves to foster growth and encourage poets to explore other writing avenues and never stop writing. "The world is too small to make enemies" - Kheneil BlackSincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 31 - Nikki Viveca

In this episode Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing, talented Nikki Viveca. (IG: @nikkiviveca). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week.Nikki Viveca is a slam poet, stand up comedian, actress and burlesque performer.Nikki has been seen most recently in Griffin Theatre’s epic Lewis Trilogy and in cabaret spectacular Gender Euphoria, which received a Community Inspiration Award at the 2023 Victorian Pride Awards and was an official show of Sydney World Pride.Nikki’s poetry is featured in the album “a love is a love is a love”, available through ABC Classic (Australia).Nikki’s Past shows include The Femme Commandments, ACEtravaganza,  Wasp Movie, Three Dollar Bill, The Lazy Show and Asexual Healing. She also scripted Back Pocket, a devised theatre show exploring queer joy, and is currently working on her first full length narrative play script.Nikki brings to the table theatrical talents which enhance recitals of her amazing poetry. If you are not familiar with Nikki’s work, please do check out Nikki’s page on Instagram (@nikkiviveca).Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 30 - Valerie Lorraine

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature Valerie Lorraine (IG: @valerielorraineproductions) who is ever supportive within the poetry community. This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests, extending a warm welcome to our featured guest.
As an advocate, Valerie gently offers her message. She encourages strength & self love for survivors of domestic violence & emotional trauma. It is a message she wishes she didn’t understand, but is well aware it helped create the person she is proud of today.
Valerie is extremely active as a host & mentor. She created a space specifically to support artists called Original Of Thought. This space can be found supporting many genres of shows and hosts on Instagram, Zoom and YouTube. Keep an eye out, there is always more coming!
To find out more, Valerie Lorraine can be found on Instagram @valerielorraineproductionsBooks by Valerie can be found on Amazon.
I am well acquainted with Valerie’s work and highly recommend checking out her books. If you are not familiar with Valerie’s work, please do check out her page on Instagram.
Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 29 - Steve Buttigieg

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing poet, Steve Buttigieg. (IG: @thoughts_by_steve). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests.
Extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week who is none other than the amazing Steve  Buttigieg. (IG: @thoughts_by_steve)Born in the UK, Stephen Buttigieg moved to the island of Malta at the age of ten. He now lives in Belgium.As a young man he worked in a shoe shop, was active in students politics and once cycled up an alpine mountain for a dare. Steve has coached basketball internationally and now works in administration.He is married, has a daughter and still hasn’t really grown up.Steve writes on a wide variety of topics, his work is consistently an interesting read and his recitals are captivating. Steve’s published work includes his recent book “Old & UnWise”. If you are not familiar with Steve’s work, please do check out his page on Instagram (@thoughts_by_steve)Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 28 - Gabriel Ratcliffe

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature the amazing scholarly poet, Gabriel Ratcliffe. (IG: @g.a.ratspeare). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests.
Extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week who is none other than Gabriel Ratcliffe. (IG: @g.a.ratspeare)
Gabriel Ratcliffe is a scientist poet from Indianapolis, IN. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology at Hanover College and completed minors in Creative Writing and Spanish. Gabriel is currently a PhD student at University of Pittsburgh, where he studies biomedical sciences and fuses research with creative writing to enhance science communication. He publishes and posts his content through both print and audio-visual media, which includes his first poetry book “Roaring 20: A Walk with Black Sun.” (link in Instagram bio)
Gabriel’s work is powerful, well researched and thought stimulating. If you are not familiar with Gabriel’s work, please do check out his page on Instagram. (g.a.ratspeare)
Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 27 - Nav Violet

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature the beautiful, soft spoken poetess, Nav Violet. (IG: @navviolet). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests.
Extending a warm welcome to our special guest this week, the beautiful Nav Violet. (IG: @navviolet). Nav Sohi, known better by her pen name Nav Violet, is a writer based in Northern Virginia. “Handful of Violets” is her debut poetry collection. Nav’s poems are deeply emotive, touching on love, longing, grief, and the trials and tribulations of life. 
Nav’s poetry has also been featured in the NoVa Bards 2023 An Anthology of Northern Virginia Poetry, Prosetrics Magazine, and Zhagaram Literary Magazine.  You can find more of her work on Instagram. (IG: @navviolet)
Nav is also a host on the Origin of Thought platform where she hosts monthly Live sessions on Instagram. Nav is most welcoming on her shows and inspires healthy conversations making guests feel safe in delivering their creative work.
If you are not familiar with Nav’s work, please do check out her page on Instagram and keep an eye out for her live appearances.
Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.

Something more than Gibberish Episode 26 - Ty (Tyrone) Black

In this episode, Stephanie and Rainier feature the talented Ty Black (IG: @tyblackatl). This segment expounds on selected poetry by featured guests.
Extending a warm welcome to our featured guest, the amazing Ty Black (IG: @tyblackatl). Tyrone "Ty (pronounced 'TIE') Black" Blackwell is a performing spoken word artist located in the metro Atlanta area. Ty has been gifted with the nickname of "The Walking Volcano" for his explosive and eruptive performing style. Topics upon which he speaks ranges from non-fiction to current social issues affecting the communities.
Ty has been in the metro Atlanta area for more than thirty years performing and supporting the poetry community. Ty is most currently known for hosting virtual open mic shows on several platforms and his association with 'The Galaxy of Poets'; a collective of diverse creatives with the goal of establishing in person and virtual platforms that promote mental health and domestic abuse awareness.
Currently Ty is interested in bookings for feature events and projects which present opportunities for exposure of his talents.
"In the efforts to push my pen, I train my mind to lift this veil of deception to gain the truth and in the discovery of such treasure, I get stronger knowing that the world will be better the moment I move this instrument upon this paper." - Ty Black 
If you are not across the work of Ty Black, do check out his page on Instagram (@tyblackatl) or catch him on ‘The Galaxy of Poets’ IG live shows, you will be entertained. 
Sincere thanks to GeminiFox, always a pleasure hosting the show each week with you, thank you Gemini.