Activities

I believe that having life obligates people to participate in that life, whether by dedicating oneself to family or friendships, creating opportunities, or volunteering time, financial support, or knowledge to organizations that make life matter. I do a little of all of these things--naturally, with a focus on writing:

City of Corvallis, Committee on Citizen Involvement

I have been asked to serve on the Committee on Citizen Involvement for the City of Corvallis. I anticipate being appointed to this committee and beginning my service in July 2010.

Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services

I am the Resident Services Coordinator for Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services. This is more than a job to me. Having been a beneficiary of WNHS's programs, I know the power that this organization has to help families make long-lasting changes that ultimately lead to a better life.

The Externalist: A Journal of Perspectives

Since April 2007, poet Gary Charles Wilkens and I have edited this online journal with a mission to publish and market socially conscious literature.

Writers on the River

I began serving as the chair of Writers on the River in July 2009. We meet monthly in Corvallis and currently have more than 50 individuals on our membership roster.

The Academy of American Poets

Beginning as a volunteer moderator in November 2006 and as the volunteer site administrator since mid-2008, my work at the poets.org discussion forum is a rewarding way to help learn more about poets and poetry while helping others at all stages of their poetic journey.

Twitter

Twitter? Really? Yes, really. Twitter is the single best social networking site for any socially-conscious writer. I tweet writing-related events and/or contests, as well as politics and current affairs, all the while keeping an eye on my favorite socially-conscious writers. Through The Externalist, I tweet writing prompts based on news articles/current events, our contributor readings, awards, and publications, and socially-conscious book recommendations.

Significance & Inspiration

As I move my more personally-related blog posts over here, S&I will revert to what it was originally intended to be--a collection of reviews on books, movies, and other media with an eye toward their level of social significance and their inspirational (i.e. call-to-action) ability.