Michele Seminara is a poet, editor and yoga teacher. After studying English and Australian Literature at the University of Sydney, she travelled extensively through India and became interested in Buddhism and yoga, which she has since studied and taught. After returning from her travels, Michele settled down in Sydney to raise her family of three children.
Michele is a relatively new poet whose poems have been published widely in the last few years in journals such as Tincture, Seizure, Verity La, Bluepepper, Social Alternatives, Transnational Literature & Regime. Michele is an active member of the Australian literary community, reviewing poetry collections and interviewing authors for journals such as Mascara, Plumwood Mountain and Verity La. She has also performed her poetry at and helped to organise the Blue Stocking Poetry Jam & the Women’s International Poetry Festival in Sydney.
In late 2014 Michele took over the role of managing editor at creative arts journal Verity La (http://verityla.com). She blogs at TheEverydayStrange
(https://wordpress.com/stats/micheleseminara.wordpress.com) and is on Twitter @SeminaraMichele.
Engraft (Island Press, 2016) is Michele’s first full-length collection and will be launched by Martin Langford (along with Les Wicks’ 13th book, Getting By Not Fitting In, launched by Chris Mansell) on 6 February, 2.30 – 5 pm, at the Friend in Hand Hotel, 58 Cowper St, Glebe. Engraft (along with other Island Press titles) can be purchased at http://islandpress.tripod.com/ISLAND.htm.
Some comments on Engraft:
“Engraft is a masterwork. Seminara’s deep gift lies in her fusion of the viscera of life with a transcendent poetic vision. By turns terrifying and tender, loving and lost, Seminara is a major new voice in contemporary poetry.” – Charles Bane, Jr
“Michele Seminara’s analytic prayers, domestic fables and eloquent centos work their ludic wit and charms in the house of loss and disturbance. She is not afraid to say ‘beauty’ in the language of economy engrafted with careful flourishes.” – Michelle Cahill
“There is a great restlessness in this collection – the poems grumble, push on, then soar. The reader is drawn progressively into that fascinating morass called life… It is no small treat to immerse oneself in this collection: let yourself in.” – Les Wicks
“Engraft is chock-full of tender, brave poems with emotional depth. Seminara’s work displays control, deft pacing, and a fierce commitment to witness with clear eyes the horrors we commit upon ourselves and each other. A book filled with variety and surprise which you will want, and need, to return to many times.” – Melinda Smith
Interviews:
Michele Seminara interviewed by Stuart Barnes in Tincture Journal
http://tincture-journal.com/2015/02/28/michele-seminara-interviewed-by-stuart-barnes/
Michele Seminara interviews David Stavanger in Verity La
http://verityla.com/success-smoke-and-joy-boats-an-interview-with-david-stavanger/
Michele Seminara interviewed by Nathan Hondros and Robbie Coburn for The Australian Poetry Podcast: https://medium.com/the-australian-poetry-podcast/show-notes-interview-with-michele-seminara-feat-stuart-barnes-b4fec1fe8fba#.6v1hjmj3w
Reviews:
Michele Seminara reviews Distance by Nathanael O’Reilly http://mascarareview.com/michele-seminara-reviews-distance-by-nathanael-oreilly/
Michele Seminara reviews Fixing the Broken Nightingale by Richard Allen http://mascarareview.com/michele-seminara-reviews-fixing-the-broken-nightingale-by-richard-allen/
Michele Seminara reviews Before Bone and Viscera by Robbie Coburn http://plumwoodmountain.com/michele-seminara-reviews-before-bone-and-viscera-by-robbie-coburn/
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