Throughout the past few years, writing has been my creative go-to. After losing my job as a newspaper reporter in 2016, I began to write creatively. I lost that reporting job after pursuing an investigative story that was at odds with my newsroom's business interests. Details aside, the experience taught me something I've firmly come to believe: Truth isn't found in headlines, it's transcended through art.

Therefore, I tried to make the most of the situation by writing daily and starting a few personal projects. The first project I completed was a short, Shel Silverstein-style poetry book called "uberXnight" (Uber By Night). The project was well-received for the most part, at least from my Uber passengers, which lead to the creation of "uberXnight Vol. 2." These two zines were my first attempt at self-publishing, and I have learned a lot from the experience.

Early on in 2019, I spent a few months down in Texas to escape the Midwest cold and to do some personal exploration and reflection. From that experience, I was able to review and sort through some of my earlier writings to produce four more chapbooks. This haiku series is comprised of the following titles: "HAIKUnamatata," "stARTing," "heARTache" and "Who ART in Heaven?"

The most recent zine I've released, "Teasing the Tao," is a compilation of 81 haikus reflecting the 81 versus of the Tao. Currently, I'm working on a couple of other creative writing projects, which include "FREE (ex)PRESS(ion)" (an examination and commentary on the state of local media) and "A Decade Sped By" (a personal recap and reflection upon time). These two projects are more expansive and experimental in form--not confined to poetry.

My Etsy shop serves as a platform to gain traction, inspiration and motivation. At the moment, I primarily use Etsy to help sustain my creative habits. All support and sales enable me to keep printing, producing and publishing. Thank you for taking the time to explore this listing and my shop. :)

So to recap, this self-published poetry bundle comes with the following seven zines:

1. "uberXnight Vol. 1"
2. "uberXnight Vol. 2"
3. "HAIKUnamatata"
4. "stARTing"
5. "heARTache"
6. "Who ART in Heaven?"
7. "Teasing the Tao"