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I can remember the first time I met poet extraordinaire Avotcja back in the early 1990.  She graced the pages of In The Company of Poets Magazine with pure enchantment.  Today Avotcja is still a vibrant, talented contributing spoken word artist, spinning her tales and producing entertaining poetic illusions with her words as she performs publicly throughout the greater bay area on an ongoing basis.  

Her radio program LA VERDAD MUSICAL/THE MUSICAL TRUTH w/Avotcja can be heard every Friday from Noon to 3PM on KPOO_FM (89.5) in the bay area, playing the best of African, Caribbean, Jazz, Bomba, Plena & Latin dance music, where I’m sure she takes the time to weave her words on the airwaves as well.  Many days have passed since her appearance in In The Company of Poets Magazine, yet her words continue to be contagious magic. 


 
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I’ve been writing all my life... poetry, short stories, essays, children’s stories, and more.  It was back in the early 1990s when I was really into my passion for poetry and I began publishing In The Company of Poets Magazine.  I was so excited.  At the time, I followed some of the greats like Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks, Alice Walker; and of course poets like Robert Hayden, Paul Dunbar, and Langston Hughes.  


Along with the magazine I began hosting poetry competitions.  “The Poetry Joust” became extremely popular in the bay area.  Poets from around the bay attended to attempt to win the $1000 grand prize offering.  Dr. Julia Hare and Dr. Nathan Hare were two of my first participating judges, and I was thrilled when Maya Angelou endorsed the magazine and suggested I contact her son Guy Johnson, who was local to the bay area to appear in the publication.  



The magazine grew incredibly fast, faster than I could keep up.  Submissions came from everywhere; and included places such as China, Guam, Africa, Australia, London, and throughout the United States.  It was a wonderful time for me.  Alas, many things in my life changes, and I was no longer able to continue the magazine, so the opportunity to bring the magazine to an electronic forum, in the form of a television show, is equally exciting to me, offering new opportunities, a new platform, and the introduction of new voices.  I’d like to extend an invitation to poets, writers, spoken word artist and storytellers locally to be a guest on our show; and also welcome your video submissions and links for highlighting on our website.