Biography

Monica S. Kuebler has been performing spoken word since 1996. The Toronto, Canada-based writer/performer has appeared on stages as far abroad as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and London, England. She is the author of four chapbooks (TWO WEEKS OF SILENCE... OR A JOURNEY INTO CHAOS (1997), LEGACY (1999), BRUISES ON THE INSIDE (2001), THE SOUND OF ONE GIRL SCREAMING (2002) and one full-length collection of poetry co-authored with Cynthia Gould, SOME WORDS SPOKEN (2002). Her work has also appeared on the UNHEARD OF... spoken word compilation album, in the NUIT BLANCHE: POEMS FOR LATE NIGHTS collection, and her poem "Dirty" was sampled by UK's DJ Downfall for his track "Black Pants."

During the day, Monica is Associate Editor/Webmistress of Rue Morgue Magazine, but when the sun goes down, she dons her other hat as Editor-in-Chief of Burning Effigy Press.

Monica is currently working her second collection of poetry (THE SICK AND THE BEAUTIFUL) and first horror novel. She is also midway through recording her first spoken word CD (TATTOOS OF STARS, FAST BOYS AND FASTER CARS).

Samples

BONE DRUM
by Monica S. Kuebler
(appeared in the Aug/Sept 2005 edition of The Dream People)

If you cut me open from
chin to pelvis,
crack my skull,
slice wide my arms
and legs,
if you snip out my
organs one by one
so my heart could no longer pound for you
so my lungs could no longer breathe and gasp for you
so my stomach could no longer hunger for you
so my brain could no longer love and lust for you
so my muscles could no longer tense and thrust for you…

If you boiled what was left,
boiled my body
till the last of the tendons
and tissue and earthly flesh
was worn from the bone
- smooth -
then I'd be the sum of every
human creature and the sum of none at all.
However, if you picked up one of those bones
and struck it against a drum
you would see that even then
I would create music,
art, a beat that can entrance
the living to dance to it.
It was born in my bones.

If you cut me open from
chin to pelvis,
crack my skull,
slice wide my arms
and legs,
if you snip out my
organs one by one,
you would see that
you would feel that
you would know that too.

All poems are copyright of the originating author. Permission must be obtained before using or performing others' poems.