Anthony Azzarito Bio:

The riveting rebel known as Anthony Azzarito is one hell of a published poet, spoken word performer, and hip hop lyricist. He uses writing rhymes and freestyle poetry as a way to battle every problems and issues, in hopes to help those who share the struggle. Anthony has been apart of the illustrious San Diego poetry/spoken word scene and thrives on performing at any local open mics and headlined at the notorious Poets Underground inside the Acid Vault. A keen man with strong ideas; touching on subjects such as self-abusiveness, mental health, addiction and civil disobedience. Writing and performing his work isn’t just for recreational use, he unequivocally believes through the power of spoken word; how that is the way we are going to save the world. Anthony lives with his partner, the iconic and lovely Sunny Rey, (founder of Poets Underground, Poets Underground Press) and their beautiful family of seven. The humbled pair of poets never stray away from using their expertise writing techniques to continue the good fight.

Episode Blurb

On this episode of the Written Scene, we interview the idealistic, published poet Anthony Azzarito. We dig deep into the consciousness of the writer and ask the hard questions about his writing process, personal beliefs, and how he came to be a poet. He explains what drives him or what has driven him to write and the meaning of his work. What comes with the title of being a poet and how being a poet/lyricist has effected his life in general. Along with diving into his past and unraveling the intellect behind the ink, Anthony shares about his first publication of poetry and individual ideas that are stained on his soul. As a multitude of topics was touched upon, Anthony never sold us short with an abundance of insight and intelligence with being an artist and the root of being vulnerable. 

Kelly Bowen Bio:

Kelly Bowen (she/her/hers) is a longtime musician, turned memoirist, poet and fiction writer. Her penchant for the stage evolved to performing her stories, which in turn spawned publications: speculative fiction - “Bards and Sages Quarterly”; memoir - So Say We All’s “The Whole Alphabet,” poetry - Poet’s Underground “Fuck Isolation”, and “The San Diego Poetry annual 2020-2021.” Clearly suffering from workaholism, she is in the final edits of her first novel, while also writing the second. In her spare time, you can find her behind a pottery wheel. For more info, see Kellybowenarts.com.

Book blurb/description:

“The Transforming” is a new speculative fiction series, exploring life after the strange coma like state that overtook the world simultaneously, and those it Altered and those it seemingly left behind. Book one, “The After,” begins with Skylar, a Grav’er, who’s ability to nearly fly has allowed her to find her niche in the world, preferring life now in the After far more to that of the Before. But the conflict she was oblivious to jeopardizes her new reality and causes her to reassess what is important to her. Book two, “The Taken” (tentative title), sees Skylar as well as multiple other Altered types forced to abandon the new lives they created. In hiding, they work towards understanding the Thuds, those people unaffected by the Transforming, in hopes of ending the conflict. But in the course of doing so, they stumble onto mysterious objects which draw them with an irresistible pull, creating incomprehensible shifts in their abilities. Book three, as yet untitled, will gather up all the loose threads, maybe even leaving the denizens of our world and theirs with an understanding of what spawned “The Transforming.”

Vera Sanchez Bio

Vera Sanchez is the author of two books, Prison Letters: Walking to Honor and Puto. She has been an Amazon #1 Best-Seller and won the Beverly Hills Award for Best Multicultural Non-Fiction for her debut novel, Prison Letters. Her first children's book, Jada's Dance for Chicano Park, won the Best Published Children's Book by the San Diego Book Awards Association in 2021. Sanchez has been featured on local radio stations, the news, and has been published in several online sites including the NAACP, Justified Hype, OB Press, and San Diego Press. She has spoken at multiple educational institutes ranging from elementary schools to college campuses. She is a writing judge for the NAACP high school division contest. She received her B.A. and M.A. at San Diego State University. Sanchez is a native of San Diego and grew up in Logan Heights, where she began dancing ballet folkloric at the age of 3. She painted the mural Women Hold Half The Sky at Chicano Park in 2012.  She currently teaches writing at San Diego City College and creative writing for the non-profit organization, Writer's Ink. If she is not writing, you can find her in the boxing gym. 

Episode Blurb:

On this episode of the Written Scene, we interviewed Chicana writer and professor, Vera Sanchez, a native of San Diego who grew up in Barrio Logan. In this episode, Vera outlines her creative process of writing and hopes to inspire other writers, including women and her Chicano people. She is the author of two novels, the award-winning, Prison Letters, and Puto. Her debut children's book, Jada's Dance for Chicano Park, was the winner of the Best Published Children's Book in San Diego by the San Diego Book Awards Association. Vera's first play is based on her first novel, Prison Letter, which depicts two cousins, Vera and Fernando, growing up in the hoods of San Diego, Encanto and Logan Heights. While Vera goes off to college, Fernando is sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for distribution of drugs. While Fernando is serving his time in prison, he writes to Vera about the hardships of his childhood, winning a CIF championship in football, playing baseball inside the pin, remembering family parties, and ultimately, he promises to leave the life that has cost him his freedom. Prison Letters will debut in 2023. In this episode VeraCruz Sanchez details her creative process of writing her first screenplay

Ted Washington Bio:

Ted Washington is an artist, author and reluctant businessman. He now lives in San Diego, after spending time as an apprentice draftsman for a beer brewery in St. Louis, an Internal Revenue Service employee in Springfield, MO, a retail sales representative in Denver, CO, and temporarily homeless vagabond turned baker on the beaches of Venice, CA. Ted is the founder of Puna Press and the performance group Pruitt Igoe. He hosts Palabra, a poetry reading and open mic held monthly at Bread & Salt in Barrio Logan.

Blurb:

Making a book is easy. Publishing a book is harder. The groundwork and infrastructure need to be done and in place for success. You need ISBN’s, LCCN’s, a reliable printer, a website and a marketing strategy. Know the process and it gets easier but it’s never routine.

 Jonas Royster Bio:

Born and raised in San Diego, Jonas Royster faced adversity like so many other youth and young adults when committed to their homies and their neighborhood. After his sandbox friend was shot in the face and killed at the mall while shopping with the mother of his daughter, Jonas Royster and 12 co-defendants were arrested a year later and faced a life sentence for conspiracy to commit murder on rival gang members. The escape of a life sentence was the wake-up call Jonas needed. Once released from the state penitentiary Jonas made a conscious decision to learn from past mistakes and direct his energy into building a better image of himself by changing numerous bad habits by utilizing certain values he embodied during his all-in mindset when gang banging. It is Jonas’s goal to share lessons learned from his past to mentor youth and coach others who come from similar backgrounds. Currently, Jonas is a mentor with Paving Great Futures in his hometown of San Diego and also contributes daily motivational content to his Facebook group Hood Proverbz. 

If you would like to book Jonas Royster for any speaking engagements please visit www.jonasroyster.com or email jonasroyster@hoodproverbz.com 

Episode Blurb:

Ain’t Nothin’ But A G Thang! On today’s session of The Written Scene, we interview the rugged and renowned novelist, Jonas Royster. The former OG takes us on a walk down memory lane for what it’s like on the streets. As he intuitively shares first hand experiences and what the gang life was all about, we learn how the novelist has emerged. We learn greatly about his debut illustration, Bangin’: The Making of a Y. G., as it is a “fake-tational” novel about a young man working his way through the ranks in a local gang. The hard knock lifer turned motivational speaker/writer gives light to a great monocular view on the opportunity he was provided as a 2nd chance or a rebirth. Jonas, after spending time up state, turned his life around for the best and now uses his experiences to motivate those to stray away from that life style and help those in need. The SD native lives with his wife and kids, always making time for his family and being a profound writer.