Kefilwe was born Kera Linette Woodard, September 12, 1975 under the sign of Au’set in Long Island New York. As a child of this creative moon, Kefilwe began her exploration into creative endeavors while in grade school as a student in the gifted and talented program. Her exploration into poetic thought came while she was in high school, where she had the opportunity to hold the offices of Editor and Co-Editor of the schools creative writing magazine. After graduating from Huguenot High School in Richmond, VA, Kefilwe obtained a BA in Business Administration/Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. During her years as an undergrad, Kefilwe continued to hone her creative writing skills by reading her poetry in public venues such as her church and the "Underground Lives" held at Morehouse College.

Kefilwe is currently a second year law student at the University of Richmond School of Law. She is focusing her legal education on international commercial law. On being a legal mind and a creative, Kefilwe says that each skill compliments the other and broadens her scope of thinking, enabling her to more creatively use the law and analyze her writing style. She will be studying abroad in Leiden, The Netherlands for the Spring 2000 semester. Besides her studies, Kefilwe aspires to have her first collection of poetry published by the Summer of 2000. If you would like to contact Kefilwe, feel free to email her at kefilwe@makeda.com

April White

April is a daycare provider and mother of three who enjoys writing poetry in her spare time. In her words.."Poetry speaks for pains unspoken, poetry wakes dead hearts unwoken, poetry weeps for hurts unwepted, exposes secrets, best unkept..poetry, is life..

BLACKSWAN --Age 28…….work for a major mutual investment company by day……one of the editors/contributors/founders of DYME magazine WWW.DYME.ORG……..manager of up and coming rapper Shaka Pitts…..mother of seven year old daughter, Imani……..much love to authors James Baldwin, Zora Neal Hurston, Tina McElroy Ansa, J. California Cooper, bell hooks, and numerous others…..lover of all types of music; current favorites include: Santana, Mary J. Blige, Esthero…….constantly listening to Marvin Gaye, Maxwell, Stevie Wonder, r& b classics ……..enjoy reading, culture, traveling, laying on the beach, intelligent stimulating conversation with down to earth people…….Missing club music (it’s time for the perculator, let’s get happy in the rain, devotion,)…..can’t stand: non thinkers, non doers, no lifers,…….can’t get enough of Iyanla and ambitious people really making power moves and not in constant "getting ready to make power moves" mode…………..one of my favorite things to say: suck it up, persevere, move on….shouts to my love SAG, Mom, family, Towanna, Lotus, Mahogany Queen, Brooklyn Storm, Steph G, Steph D, Snoop, Newark, NJ…RIP Keith Douglas Burton-I miss you

B-Diggy, is a 23-year-old sistah who resides in Dorchester, Mass. She is completing her bachelors at UMass Boston and is also the co-founder, with her partner Dena DeGraffenreid, of P.R.O.P.S.-Peers Reaching Out for a Positive Society.

ERNEST B. WASHINGTON, III

I consider myself to be a poet at heart who loves to be the brush in this so called paint of life. I am 23 years old and I reside in the Northern Virginia area, along the outskirts of DC. Writing has been one of my greatest vices and passions for a number of years and I hope to continue it. Currently I am revamping my first poetry book soon to be hitting a book store near you. No title as of yet, but it promises to be a work that satisfies poets and non-poets alike.

VL2

Thais Spencer is a 28 year old emerging writer living in the Metro Atlanta area. She has been writing poetry for a number of years and has recently embarked on the journey of becoming published. She has been featured in a few local poetry readings and is currently working on publishing an anthology of poetry.

Gail F. Johnson

I am 44 years old and live in Brooklyn, NY. I am a mother, a daughter, a lover, a thinker, a writer, a musician, an artist. In my heart beats the soul of creative expression in many forms. I believe life is what you make it. Make it meaningful; make it stand for something eternal so that in the end the world is a richer place for your having been in it.

Jamall Ellzy, a native of Wilmington, Delaware, has writing poetry and prose for the past twelve years. Since moving to Atlanta, Georgia in 1996, Jamall has blessed the mic at numerous sets sponsored by 4Kings Entertainment. He was a regular at The Web in Midtown Atlanta. Jamall is working on a compilation of his writings which he plans on titling," Evolution and Revolution: Intimations of a Divided Soul." He also is working on an audio version of his select works entiled, "Prometheus."

Valerie E. Spikes

Valerie E. Spikes is a twenty-something closet writer who enjoys penning African-American romance novels. She began writing fiction at the age of six with her first writing series, "Tall Tales Museum."

She developed her writing skill through creative writing assignments and Advanced Placement English courses throughout her academic career. It was not until college that her disgust for the lack of African-American romance novels propelled her to begin writing such short stories of her own and to eventually completing two full-length novels: "The Tutor" and "They All Serve Their Purpose."

She completed her first novel, "The Tutor," after graduating from the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Workshop in March 1999. Currently, she is in the editing mode with the intent of eventually submitting her novel for publication.

Joyce L. Brown is a 6th generation Canadian of African American descent. She is both a performance poet and playwright. In 1992, she was the first Black person to have a text-based installation at the Hamilton Art Gallery. In 1993, Joyce founded the "Common Bond Collective", a group of performing artists and musicians. The collective performed their work at numerous venues in southwestern Ontario. Later she branched out on her own reading her poetry at universities, cafes, and festivals. She is the recipient of a special Award of Recogniton from the Hamilton Wentworth Board of Education for ongoing contributions to Black History Month in the public schools. Each year Joyce reads at City Hall for the official commemeration of Black History Month.

In 1996, she was the recipient of "Woman of the Year in Arts and Culture" from the Status of Women for the city of Hamilton. The same year she designed and implemented an Arts Incubation Centre for business training of emerging artists. The project, the first of its kind in Canada was funded by the federal government. 1997 was the year she received a "Reverend John Holland Award in Arts and Culture" from the Black History Month Committee for the city of Hamilton.

Joyce is a featured poet at Kookamonga Square, a guest poet at the Poetry Factory, poet of the month of December at the Poetry Corner. She has several online publications of her work.

da Poet Joyce Brown web site has a new look.
http://www.geocities.com/joycebrown
Come in and see the updated poetry page with more to read. The Webshop offers online purchasing opportunities at a discount...stores like Barnes and Noble. Read what others think of my poetry. For those looking to submit poetry online there are links available.

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson, currently resides in Austin, TX, grew up in Pine Bluff, AR where he first discovered his passion for writing. He was often found looking out of his dining room window at a vacant lot and writing about his impressions of what he saw, felt and dreamed. In college at Arkansas AM&N / UAPB, he was encouraged by a professor who pushed him to express his feelings on paper and often gave him assignments to flex his creative writing ability.

Kizzy Green is a Senior at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, majoring in Public Affairs-Urban Affairs with minors in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

She has been writing poetry and short stories since she was seven years old and was first published at the age of eight (first in a church program, secondly a creative writing program). She was the Facilitator of the IU-South Bend Poetry Jam/Slam component of it's Social Action Project. Additionally she designed and editted two Chap books that resulted from the Poetry Slams.

She loves reading, writing, and appreciates all forms of art (spoken or otherwise). She strives to understand the complexities of life and all of the intangibles it has to offer. Ultimately, however, she endeavors to attain peace of mind, body, and soul. She hopes to have her first book of poems, thoughts, and short stories published the year of her graduation-2001.

She is a Pisces, single, and childless. She can be contacted at klgreen@iupui.edu.

Sinsualmind aka Renee' Johnson

I am from Texas and have enjoyed writing from a very young age, but it hasn't been until recently that I've taken it seriously....I'm a marketing/advertising agent and I will be going overseas in July in relation to my job. (Europe) I love going and participating at spoken word venues, and a dream of mine is to grace the stages of the Nouyorican Cafe' of New York. I'm also starting a web design business. I love poetry, and all the people I've met in relation to poetry. It allows me to have a place where I can escape, dream, fantasize, and express myself any way I choose. I'm very honored to have my site chosen as your hotsite (Feb2000 Issue), because I truly admire everything that TNC represents. I love it when Black people come together and make dreams come true. I plan to do it myself when I get to Europe. I am working on a book of collected poems, and also thinking of doing a CD. If all goes well, I will also be featured on a CD coming out in March by MentalFood. (excellent couple of Black men/poets)

Miguel A. Wilder -- I am 31, soon to be 32, my birthday is Feb. 21, 1968.(Pisces) I was born and raised in Hamilton Ohio, 30 miles outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, where I currently reside, working as a grocery store manager.

I have been writing poetry since I was a small boy, and have recently gotten into short stories. I am working on my first novel, many on going short stories, and my own personal thoughts. My first book of poetry "Life Expressions" will be released summer 2000.

I like to think of myself as a very compassionate person inside, and out. Poetry is my way of expressing all my emotions, and at the same time bringing a little love to the rest of the world. I want my poetry to take you to places in your heart you've never been.

"Life is all about intentions, and compassion is the key to poetry."

My personal quote:
"Both the past and the future mean nothing. All that matters is the here and the now. If you already know that's where you'll end up...why not just start there?"