Proud To Be of Rust and Glass

Dr. Tim is a writer, book maker, and English professor at the University of Toledo. A lover of nature, he lives on a farm with his wife and writes poetry about anything and everything.

Brian Lowe is a local artist who specializes in graphite, acrylic abstracts, Fanart and prints, original art, jury-selected art exhibited in select galleries, mixed media art and more. His art saved his life after a series of life-changing events,and now he uses it to help others in recovery from similar situations.

Adrian Lime is a Toledo-area poet and artist who writes love poems. His written work is reflective of his day-to-day life, and his art is in a sense a way to meditate and reflect.

Denise Phillips is a small business owner and supporter of the literary arts. Her Perrysburg-based bookshop, Gathering Volumes, is the perfect place for readers to discover their next favorite author. She hosts book clubs, author events, and festivals, including the Northwest Ohio Teen Book Festival.

Justo Hernandez is the founder of Toledo Buzz, a local news and entertainment platform. He views the digital media sphere as ripe for bringing the type of attention and notoriety Toledo-area artists need.

Leah, once a Toledoan, always a Toledoan, currently resides in Greenfield, IN, where she is the director of the Midwest Writer’s Workshop. She writes primarily creative non-fiction, with a particular passion for discovery through memoir.

Cassandra Morgan (CP Morgan) is an award-winning author, writing coach, and speaker who lives in NW Ohio. She takes inspiration from writers like C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, McCaffrey, and Rice, integrating folklore and mythology—especially where cats are involved—into her stories.

Ohio born and raised, Kerry Trautman is a co-founder of ToledoPoet.com and the "Toledo Poetry Museum" page on Facebook, which promote NW Ohio poetry events. Her poetry and fiction have appeared in numerous international anthologies and journals.

Rachel Boes is a local creative mind who started in Music and Theater at a young age and has since pivoted towards writing. She writes both prose and poetry, whose writing focuses on unpacking light topics such as death and grief.

Jason Webber is a Toledo journalist who spent five years as the publicist for Insane Clown Posse, was the editor for the Toledo City Paper, and who now writes for the Blade. His written work is heavily influenced by pop-culture icon Prince, and he penned the first line of his first memoir, Purple Bananas, upon hearing about the rock star's passing.

Tyler Butler is an artist, poet, and performer, living right here in Toledo, OH. His work is an expression of how he's feeling in the moment, a cathartic outlet to be the most genuine version of himself.

Pella Felton is a writer, performer, and scholar stationed out of Bowling Green, Ohio. As a lifelong actor and performer, Pella values the performance of her poetry much more than publication. On top of regular performances, Pella has a featured TEDx talk from the Bowling Green conference: "Transphilogyny: Flipping the Script on Transfemininity," ascribing language to trans love.

YMR also known as Yvette Michelle Reyes is a self-taught, Mexican American artist hailing from Toledo, Ohio. Their art has mostly been an autobiographical expression, used as a means of escapism and survival conveyed through dreamscapes and surrealism.

Zack Fletcher is a prolific singer-songwriter/guitarist from Ohio and bandleader of Moths in the Attic. The ghosts of his life experience pervade his uniquely crafted songs through poetic lyricism, riveting guitar patterns, and ethereal melodies. This episode includes the worldwide debut of their "Live Sessions II" version of Human Things.

Sandra Rivers-Gill is a multi-talented Northwest Ohio poet whose passion for the rhythm and melody of life permeates through her work. Whether it's her poetry, scripts, spoken word performances, or one-woman shows, creativity is the music that moves her.

Brian Ustaszewski is a Northwest Ohio-based filmmaker and audio engineer who proves you don't have to live in Hollywood to create great films. He takes advantage of the true Midwestern story to create stunning visual and aural art.

Jelani Maliik, aka Knightheart, is the founder of Mvnifvst and a recording/performing artist. He grew up in the music, and like many of us, music saved his life. Now, he encourages others to follow their passions and manifest their dreams. Song: "But Still I Bleed" Artist: Knightheart Guitar: Jesse Reau Producer: InSession

Steven Jay is a mixed bag when it comes to his chosen creative outlet. He’s an artist, a poet, a musician, and he even tried his hat at being a dancer one time. His work is often “punny” and flexes his penchant for wordplay while simultaneously pointing a critical eye at some of life’s mundane intricacies.

E.M. Anderson is a queer, neurodivergent writer and the author of The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher. She writes contemporary fantasy in a queer-normative, disability-friendly world where magic can be found in even the most mundane-seeming moments of life.

Jodie L. Summers, aka J Summers, Child of the System better known as Spoken Truth, is a Toledo area poet, spoken word performer, and artist. He was raised by PBS and performs 350 shows per year, ranging from the big stage, to poetry readings across the world, and even in the backseat of Ubers. J's poetry is his means to understand life and confront childhood trauma.

Jonie McIntire is the first female poet laureate of Lucas County. She is an avid supporter of poetry and art throughout medium-sized Midwest cities and believes in a collaborative effort between members of the creative community. She found poetry early through Alice in Wonderland, and her passion for the English language has only grown from there.

Jim Zalewski is a Toledo area artist specializing in expressionist painting with acrylic on canvas who does two things: he makes great art and encourages others to make great art.

Jodie McFarland is a Toledo-area singer and songwriter, once heralded by American Songwriter Magazine as a valued subscriber. We chat about how music found him, how he overcame personal identity issues, and how he ultimately made music part of who he is rather than something he just does.

Jasmine Townsend is a Toledo-area writer and professor. She was influenced early by stories like The Princess Bride and BBC's Merlin. As she has matured as an author, her work is now more black metal-inspired magical realism with witchy black women, death, and flowers.

Dan Denton is a blue-collar poet, working hard to keep poetry alive in the Toledo-area and beyond. He travels the Midwest sharing his poetry and supporting the poetic journeys of other talented Rustbelt writers. Growing up, Dan confronted mental health struggles, addiction, and homelessness to become the prolific poet he is today.