January Literary Bridges

“This month ,Literary Bridgges celebrates our sponsoring group, Cracked Wanut”, says co-host/
curator, Stan Kusunoki. “ Cracked Walnut is the performance wing of the League of Minnesota
Poets, and it is time that we give them the spotlight. All the readers are members of Cracked
Walnut. Expect an absorbing, fun afternoon of fabulous writing”

The roster includes:

Tony Plocido is a writer from the Twin Cities in Minnesota.   He has honed his craft both there
and in Kansas City, MO (where he lived for almost 2 years).  He has published three books of
poetry-- Sucker Punch Wisdom (2012, co-written with Jeremy O’Neal & William Peck on Write
the Future Press), Aging and Other Side Projects (2016, self-published), and Felt the So Many
Times (2018, Spartan Press). His latest book, The Conflict that Creates (Luchador Press) was
released on 8/18/21. Tony is also the host/co-curator of Poets & Pints which is in its 7th year of existence. 

Michael Kiesow Moore is the author of the poetry collections What to Pray For and The Song
Castle. His work has appeared in journals such as Poetry City and Water~Stone Review,
anthologies like Among the Leaves: Queer Male Poets on the Midwestern Experience, and
Garrison Keillor’s “The Writer’s Almanac.” Michael is the co-host of the Birchbark Books
Reading Series. When he is not drinking too much coffee, Michael can be found in Saint Paul
dancing with The Braggarts Morris dancers.

Barry MacDonald goes by the dharma name “Tekkan,” which means “Iron Man” in 12th
century Japanese. Tekkan indicates a “settled practitioner of great determination.” He was
given name when he took Buddhist vows. He lived in Japan for 9 years, teaching English at the
Berlitz Corporation in Kyoto. He practiced at the Zen at Hosshin-ji, a Zen temple in Obama — a
small town on the coast of the Sea of Japan.
Micah Ruelle is a queer poet from America's heartland. Their chapbook, Failure to Merge, was
published by Finishing Line Press in 2019. They are currently working on a full length
manuscript, At the their spouse and two cats. Mercy. They teach at Century College and live in
the Minneapolis area.

Dralandra Larkins she/her/hers is a spoken word artist, healer, and community leader based in
the Twin Cities, MN. She began writing poetry at just 10 years old, being influenced by historical
figures and the soulful sounds of R&B. By age 14, she began performing at venues across the
city, including competing in poetry slam competitions. Through creative arts, her mission is to
cultivate a space that leads to radical self-love, liberation, and healing! To support her work,
visit her social media @Dralandra22 for the debut release of her blog, "Revealing is Healing"; in
December 2022.

Patrick Cabello Hansel is the author of the poetry collections The Devouring Land (Main Street
Rag Publishing) and Quitting Time (Atmosphere Press) and the forthcoming Breathing in
Minneapolis (Finishing Line Press). He has published poems and prose in over 85 journals,
including Crannog, Ilanot Review, Hawai’i Pacific Review, Ash & Bones, RiverSedge and Lunch
Ticket, and won awards from the Loft Literary Center and MN State Arts Board. His
novella Searching was serialized in 33 issues of The Alley News.  He is the editor of The Phoenix
of Phillips, a literary journal by and for the most diverse community in Minneapolis. He has
taught creative writing in elementary and high schools, and with seniors and 1st generation
immigrants. His website is: www.artecabellohansel.com 

Donna Isaac is a teaching artist and organizer of community readings and workshops through
the League of MN Poets' chapters. She co-hosts Literary Bridges, a reading series in St. Paul,
MN. She has a B.A. from James Madison University; an M.A. from the University of Minnesota;
and an M.F.A. from Hamline University. Published poetry work includes Footfalls (Pocahontas
Press); Tommy (Red Dragonfly Press); Holy Comforter (Red Bird Chapbooks); and Persistence of
Vision (Finishing Line Press), including many poems in literary journals.

Stan Kusunoki is the author of three collections of poetry; 180 Days, Reflections and
Observations of a Teacher, Items in the News, both published by North Star Press of St. Cloud,
and Shelter in Place—Poems in a Time of COVID-19, (Polaris Press, an imprint of North Star
Press). He has taught creative writing to young people through programs at The Loft, Asian
American Renaissance, Intermedia Arts, and S.A.S.E., The Write Place. He was the recipient of a
Loft & Asian Inroads mentorship, and was awarded a MN State Arts board & Cultural
Collaboration grant. Recently, he was one of 16 regional writers selected for the Anoka County
Library’s “Featured Author Initiative, 2023”. He is the co-host/curator of the Literary Bridges
reading series at Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul. Kusunoki most recently was the High
Potential Coordinator at Red Oak Elementary School in Shakopee. He lives in St. Paul with his
wife, Claudia Daly.

Mugu Ganesan is an emerging poet based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He writes poetry in English and Urdu. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in The Hindu, Burning House Press, Scarlet Leaf Review, Boston Literary Magazine, Last Leaves Magazine and High Shelf Press. He has participated in poetry workshops at the UCLA Extension, The Loft Literary Center and Poetry School. Mugu’s poetry is focused on expressing the strife that comes with being human through his observations and life experiences across cultures and continents.

Bill Anderson writes poetry and non-fiction as William J. Anderson and fiction under the name A. W. Powers.  Bill is the vice-president of the Cracked Walnut chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets and chair of the League's booksale committee.  He is a member of the Loft Literary Center, the Rain Taxi Review of Books and the Sisters in Crime.  Even though he is a cynic by nature, Bill believes the world is full of wonders and small joys and tries to bring that into his writing.