Corridor, Celebrating Creativity and Freedom of Expression

Here we are, May 2025, and the world feels upside down and sideways. Despite all this, poets are going to poet, and artist are going to art. Creative people will continue to do their part to express themselves in word and splashes of color on a palette. I’m thankful to live in a country where freedom of expression is still available to its citizens. I am proud to be out with the 50501 folks peacefully declaring our freedoms in the streets.

In April’s 50501 “Hands Off” demonstration, I took the city bus down to Bellingham’s city hall. For me, that is about a 30-minute bus ride and a short walk. The bus picked up other demonstrators along the way, signs in hand. Corridor is not a political publication, or is it? The Collective has guidelines. All poems and art must be friendly to all lifestyles and age groups. Simple message: be nice. No sour grapes. Don’t eat dirt. Is it radical to imagine a country, a planet, where simple kindness is rule number one? It can happen. If we can dream it, we can live it.

Great contributions this month. The cover is by Crash Solo, his first of a series of four. Thank you, Crash, for this eye-catching art. Please check out more information about the contributors below. Look for your copy of May’s edition!

BIOS BIOS BIOS
POETS
Taya Sanderson Kesslau believes that beauty will save the world, and poetry,
cookies, and kindness. She lives in Fairhaven with her sweet husband and their many
4-legged creatures.

Candice James is a visual artist, poet, musician, and songwriter. She is a League
of Canadian Poets and Royal City Literary Arts Society member, and the author of 21
books.

Shoshana D. Kerewsky is the author of “Cancer, Kintsugi, Camino: A Memoir” and “50
Days in May: Reflections Along the Camino de Santiago.”

Elizabeth Jane Pryce is a poet, “Wild Child” (2010). Author of an early childhood
memoir, “Chosen” (2022). She currently writes a blog: bluebottleswritingstudio.com
Naomi Stenberg is an emerging poet with over a dozen poems recently published. She
lives in Seattle with her dog, Rey.

Crash Solo is a librarian who writes poetry, plays, and fiction, and also creates
and shares collages. He sometimes runs long distances. He lives with his family in
Bellingham.

Barbara Wells ten Hove is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister who brings her
Southern upbringing and NW life experience to her writing.

Anita K. Boyle sat at the pond and wrote words in a journal about the
extraordinary microcosm of the Noon Road Pond. She has been forever changed.

Mary Elizabeth Gillilan says, “The characters I write bear my DNA — and poetry — in
my dissolving bones. I live in the Pacific Northwest with my little tail-wagger,
Betty Bananas.” https://maryegillilan.wordpress.com/

Shannon Laws is the publisher of Corridor. Her fifth poetry book, “Tongue in Ink,”It
is available at Village Books in June 2025. shannonplawswriter.com

ARTISTS
Jeffrey Hanson and his wife, Marilyn, left Ohio in 2019, where he taught for Hocking
College and Ohio University. He’s retired now and lives in Sudden Valley.

Michelle Ballou is a poet and artist living in Bellingham, Washington. She likes to
play with ink, paper, and words. The American Robin is her spark bird.

Kathleen A. McKeever has published two books of poetry, available at Village Books
or Bellingha,m Washington Public Library, “Lightbound” and “Body/Today.”

C.J. Prince, poet – anthologies – sand – chapbooks — tai chi — language borders –
fox den of dictionaries — distinguished – new book — after the full moon artist —
Salish Sea