Contact Steven at: sjs@stevensher.net
Visiting writer (colleges): SUNY-New Paltz (The Louis and Mildred Resnick Institute for the Study of Modern Jewish Life), City College of New York, Linn-Benton Community College (Valley Writers Series), Southwestern Oregon Community College, Peninsula College (Foothills Poetry Series), Seattle University, Willamette University (visiting scholar), Northern Michigan University.
Poetry and prose have appeared in over 200 publications, e.g.: American Book Review, The Anthology of Magazine Verse & Yearbook of American Poetry, Ariel, Blood To Remember: American Poets On The Holocaust, Clackamas Literary Review, Confrontation, European Judaism, The Georgia Review, The Greenfield Review, Jerusalem Review, Jewish Quarterly, Kansas Quarterly, Kerem, The Louisville Review, Midstream, Mudfish, The Nebraska Review, Olam, The Oregonian, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, Proposing On The Brooklyn Bridge: Poems About Marriage, Santa Barbara Review, Solo, Talking River Review, Tar River Poetry, Tiferet, With Signs And Wonders: An International Anthology Of Jewish Fabulist Fiction, Witness.
Writer residencies were received from Tumble Words (Poets & Writers/Western States Arts Federation/California Arts Commission/National Endowment for the Arts) and the Weymouth Center.
Presentations include: co-authored “Hyam Plutzik’s Horatio as Post-Holocaust Poem,” Jewish American & Holocaust Literature annual (2008) symposium, American Literature Association; panel moderator for “Hyam Plutzik: American Poet” screening/discussion, Larchmont Public Library/Plutzik Goldwasser Family Foundation; California readings, Poets & Writers: Lila Wallace Readers’ Digest Fund; short course, “A New ‘Golden Age’ of Jewish Poetry,” Contemporary Jewish Literature & Popular Culture series, Jewish Association for Services for the Aged, Institute of Judaic Studies; “Writers Talking,” Multnomah County Central Library; “Words of Healing, Words of Hope,” ArtCentric/Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center/Arts in Medicine Program; short courses, “Poetry and Spirituality” and “Images and Poetry,” Oregon State University Academy for Lifelong Learning; Jewish Book Month, annual Portland writers series; developed post-9/11 interfaith program, “Poets of Faith”; featured writer, ALEPH Kallah 1999; developed centennial program, “100 Years, 100 Writers: Celebrating Past and Present Corvallis-Benton County Writing”; featured speaker, National Council of Teachers of English Northwest Regional Conference: “The Art of Teaching the Language Arts”; featured writer, “Celebrating Cultures, Celebrating Life,” Western Oregon University; Developed Oregon writers series, “Diverse Voices”; featured speaker, “Freeing the Human Spirit” Conference, Spalding University Summer Institute; “Teaching Creative Writing,” Louisville high school English teachers in-service program. More than 100 readings at colleges, writing conferences and festivals, libraries, literary series, radio programs, etc.
Literary journal involvement includes Pembroke Magazine (guest editor, literary portfolio), Prairie Schooner (guest editor, literary portfolio), Observer Quarterly (poetry editor), Junction (co-editor), The Wilmington Review (fiction editor), Bitterroot (guest editor).
Media/editing experience includes: president, Willamette Literary Guild; freelance editor, Jason Aronson; technical editor/media consultant/writing seminars instructor, CH2M Hill; consultant/reporter seminars instructor, The Wilmington Star-News; editorial board, Oregon State University Press; literary board, Louisville’s Metroversity; production editor, Appleton-Century-Crofts (Prentice-Hall); editor, Swan Publishing; copy editor, The Sunflower; proofreader/staff writer, Courier-Life newspaper group; editor/staff writer, People & Places; staff writer, The Daily Iowan; editorial assistant, Finance Magazine.
M.F.A., Creative Writing (poetry), Brooklyn College.
M.A., Journalism/Mass Communications, University of Iowa.
B.A., City College of New York.
Please also visit Steven's page at Poets & Writers.
Steven's 13 books are The Skipping Stone (poetry, Finishing Line Press, forthcoming 2010); The House Of Washing Hands (poetry, Pecan Grove Press, forthcoming 2010); Where The Shouting Began (short fiction, Montemayor Press, January 2009); At The Willamette (poetry, Solo Press, 2003); Thirty-Six (poetry, Creative Arts Book Company, 2002); Flying Through Glass (poetry, Red Hill/Outloudbooks, 2001); Traveler's Advisory (poetry, Trout Creek Press, 1994); Man With A Thousand Eyes And Other Stories (short fiction, Gull Books, 1989); Northwest Variety: Personal Essays By 14 Regional Authors (essays, co-editor, Arrowood Books, 1987); Trolley Lives (poetry, Wampeter Press, 1985); Caught In The Revolving Door (poetry, Love Street Books, 1980); Persnickety (poetry, Seven Woods Press, 1979); Nickelodeon (poetry, Gull Books, 1978).
He continues to lead poetry workshops for organizations/conferences such as Poets House (Poetry in the Branches, Poetry Westchester, NEA's Creative and Aging Initiative), Coos Head Writers Workshop, Outloud Festival, Oregon State Poetry Association and Catskill Poetry Festival. He has also taught workshops for prison populations through The College Initiative (Prison and Re-Entry) and Bakersfield College Arts in Corrections (California Men’s Colony). Featured writer (conferences): San Luis Obispo Poetry Festival, Jewish Oregon Writers Conference, Oregon State Poetry Association Conference, Louisville regional writing and small press conference (“A Day with Writers”).
Writers-in-the-Schools experience includes The Rural Readers Project (Story Line Press: various Oregon high schools), San Luis Obispo H.S. and Literary Arts, Inc. (Portland high schools).