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Shann Ray reads his original poem "We Are All God's Poems"

Author and poet Shann Ray
E.J. Iannelli
/
Spokane Public Radio
Author and poet Shann Ray

A poet contemplates forgiveness and freedom in seven vignettes

All five poems this week share the same title as part of a new anthology co-edited by Shann Ray. The anthology is forthcoming from Unsolicited Press and is titled We Are All God's Poems.

 A National Endowment for the Arts Fellow, Shann's latest titles are the multi-genre memoir The Souls of Others and the collaboration Transparent in the Backlight, which pairs his poetry with the work of internationally renowned photographer Craig W. Hergert. Shann is the recipient of the American Book Award, the High Plains Book Award in both poetry and fiction and the Foreword Book of the Year Readers' Choice Award.

He was a Fulbright Scholar to South Africa and served as visiting poet on a United Nations Developmental Grant titled Intercultural Dialogues Through Beauty as a Language of Peace. He teaches leadership and forgiveness studies at Gonzaga University, poetry at Stanford University and poetry for the Center for Contemplative Leadership at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Learn more about Shann Ray by visiting his website.