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Kevin McWha Steele was born in St. Cloud, MN and raised in Baltimore, MD. After formally studying music and poetry in Paris and La Rochelle, France for four years, he relocated to New York City in 1999, as a fellow to Bard College's writing program (MFA candidate, poetry). Subsequently, Kevin has been writing poems and songs in many different styles in both French and English under his real name and several pseudonyms. He has received songwriting accolades from Sting, Pink, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, among others.
To date, he has released five studio albums (3 LPs, 2 EPs) and two written works: a collection of poems and song lyrics entitled, "Medawin," and a book Tanka-inspired poetry,"The 12 Alchemists & Other Poems" - written in honor of Yoko Ono and performed at the 2007 LongHouse Gala. His poems have appeared in Lungfull, Glimmertrain, Lit, and Fence Magazine, among others. He is currently at work on his sixth studio release, "The Nightly Howl!".
Reviewed by Vernita Naylor for Readers' Favorite
Plato, Sir Isaac Newton, Giordano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, Paracelsus, Yoko Ono and Jack Lenor Larsen are all a part of the inspiration behind The 12 Alchemists & Other Poems by Kevin McWha Steele. In this book you will discover a collection of poetry that starts with an introduction to one of the well known philosophers, scientists or mathematicians, then a summary of their various occupations and their countless contributions to the world. Each poem displays an alchemy (a magical transformation) of words, expressions, and the like as they flow steadily across the pages, describing and celebrating that character. This work was created by Kevin McWha Steele in honor of Yoko Ono, who was given a peace medal at the LongHouse in celebration of Jack Lenor Larsen, LongHouse Founder. There is much to explore in this book - besides The 12 Alchemists, you will discover Four Narratives and a children’s collection of poetry, Your Wait In Gold.
This is a unique approach to reading poetry, and there is something for everyone. What is even more interesting is that not only was it written for both adults and children, but it was written in a form to coincide with an attempt to incorporate interpretive dance to the words. To visualize this type of concept and process would have been exciting. For example, imagine Christina of Sweden, Queen of Sweden, who reigned as the successful ruler of Sweden for over 20 years. This interpretive dance would have been a profound moment and engaging for everyone to learn that in the years 1632-1654 a woman led a country. The position Christina held was a male dominated position and to see its interpretation would have been awesome. If you love poetry and are seeking an unique experience, this is it.
