bio:
Laura E. J. Moran is the 1992 recipient of the Jean Garrigue Award.
She travels throughout the country and abroad touring and headlining at numerous
universities, elementary schools, festivals, competitions, women's organizations, literacy
groups, coffee houses, churches, and nightclubs. In addition, in 1992 Laura became
Providence's first Grand Slam Champion and in 1996 Seattle's Grand Slam Champion. She
has represented both Seattle and Providence on various national teams from 1996-1998.
For four years as vice-president of Projective Verse, Inc., she introduced children of all ages
to the wiles of poetry and organized/hosted the Providence 2000 National Poetry Slam.
Several of her pieces appear in such publications as Defined Providence, Revival: Spoken
Word from Lollapalooza 1994, Children Remember Their Fathers, Chokecherries: SOMOS
Series Anthology 2002, Quix Quarterly, River Reporter's Literary Gazette 2002-4. She is
featured on PoetrySuperHighway.com. Her work has been performed in collaboration with
Words and Letters: RI Calligraphers and Poets and with Island Moving Company's
production of Out of the Box.
In 1999, she received the Mayor's citizen's citation for artistic contribution in Providence, RI.
In September 2002, her work was the subject of a half-hour poetry documentary that aired
repeatedly on MNN in NYC.
In 2004, she received a New York Foundation of the Arts grant for Emerging Writers at the
Center for the Book Arts in New York City.
At the end of 2005, Laura recorded Live Bait --a spoken word and music CD at NACL
Theatre in Highland Lake, NY. The CD release party " Inhibition Exhibition" in 2006 was also
held at NACL Theatre and included a live performance as well as art installations exploring
the origins of moving images and included thaumascopes, phenakistascopes and Edison's
first footage. In July 2006, Laura was invited to be an instructor and mentor at the Poetry
Slam International Cross Training Camp in Oneonta, NY. Don McIver interviewed Laura for
Poetry Slam International , Inc pod cast in September 2006.
In 2007, Laura recorded her performance Improper Joy live in front of a live audience and
has released the recording accompanied with the book of poetry in 2008. In October 2009,
Laura presented "Eden: The Dark Side of Paradise" at NACL Theatre which explored her
blue-collar upbringing, family memory and ritual, and impact of personal and community
decisions through use of archival soundscape, spoken word, music, Pop projections, and a
devised Garden of Eden co-created with artist John Roth built of car hoods, wonky crosses,
junk food and a twenty five foot Shinto red tree.
Laura is co-organizer and Artistic Director of the Hosting of the Bards Festival in Callicoon,
NY and Adult Programming Coordinator at the Western Sullivan Public Library where poetry
has become the cornerstone public activity. She is curator and host of First Fridays:
Contemporary Writers Series at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch a monthly series from April to
December with strong, standing room only audiences.
As of December 2005, she resides across the Delaware River over the border of NY in
Damascus and Milanville, PA where she was renovating an 1850's general store into living
and performance space.
She travels throughout the country and abroad touring and headlining at numerous
universities, elementary schools, festivals, competitions, women's organizations, literacy
groups, coffee houses, churches, and nightclubs. In addition, in 1992 Laura became
Providence's first Grand Slam Champion and in 1996 Seattle's Grand Slam Champion. She
has represented both Seattle and Providence on various national teams from 1996-1998.
For four years as vice-president of Projective Verse, Inc., she introduced children of all ages
to the wiles of poetry and organized/hosted the Providence 2000 National Poetry Slam.
Several of her pieces appear in such publications as Defined Providence, Revival: Spoken
Word from Lollapalooza 1994, Children Remember Their Fathers, Chokecherries: SOMOS
Series Anthology 2002, Quix Quarterly, River Reporter's Literary Gazette 2002-4. She is
featured on PoetrySuperHighway.com. Her work has been performed in collaboration with
Words and Letters: RI Calligraphers and Poets and with Island Moving Company's
production of Out of the Box.
In 1999, she received the Mayor's citizen's citation for artistic contribution in Providence, RI.
In September 2002, her work was the subject of a half-hour poetry documentary that aired
repeatedly on MNN in NYC.
In 2004, she received a New York Foundation of the Arts grant for Emerging Writers at the
Center for the Book Arts in New York City.
At the end of 2005, Laura recorded Live Bait --a spoken word and music CD at NACL
Theatre in Highland Lake, NY. The CD release party " Inhibition Exhibition" in 2006 was also
held at NACL Theatre and included a live performance as well as art installations exploring
the origins of moving images and included thaumascopes, phenakistascopes and Edison's
first footage. In July 2006, Laura was invited to be an instructor and mentor at the Poetry
Slam International Cross Training Camp in Oneonta, NY. Don McIver interviewed Laura for
Poetry Slam International , Inc pod cast in September 2006.
In 2007, Laura recorded her performance Improper Joy live in front of a live audience and
has released the recording accompanied with the book of poetry in 2008. In October 2009,
Laura presented "Eden: The Dark Side of Paradise" at NACL Theatre which explored her
blue-collar upbringing, family memory and ritual, and impact of personal and community
decisions through use of archival soundscape, spoken word, music, Pop projections, and a
devised Garden of Eden co-created with artist John Roth built of car hoods, wonky crosses,
junk food and a twenty five foot Shinto red tree.
Laura is co-organizer and Artistic Director of the Hosting of the Bards Festival in Callicoon,
NY and Adult Programming Coordinator at the Western Sullivan Public Library where poetry
has become the cornerstone public activity. She is curator and host of First Fridays:
Contemporary Writers Series at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch a monthly series from April to
December with strong, standing room only audiences.
As of December 2005, she resides across the Delaware River over the border of NY in
Damascus and Milanville, PA where she was renovating an 1850's general store into living
and performance space.
LAURA MORAN is a hot poet at the top of her game. She is risking everything
by sofa-surfing the USA -- seeing her is like taking the temperature of the Age." --
Bob Holman, editor of United States of Poetry and founder Bowery Poetry Club.
"One of the most beautifully lyrical poets ever to bridge the space between page
and stage."--Taylor Mali, national award winning poet, performer, educator.
"Poet chanteuse of the highest order LAURA MORAN. Every time this woman
steps on a stage, molecules shift to be nearer to her words. Rarely do you find
someone who without raising volume above normal speech can hush a room to
rapture; Laura is just such a poet." ---LouderArts Project, NYC
"LAURA MORAN is that rare bird of poetry who can hush a room with style
and craft, a joy for all real poetry fans." ---Abena Koomson, poet.
"A WomanNoise celebration of the revolutionary female in the spirit of June
Jordan --featuring the label-defying always-enchanting ever-fabulous LAURA
MORAN." ---Seve, New York poet.
"LAURA MORAN: A mover and a shaker and a poetry heart breaker."
---Bowery Poetry Club, NYC.
"LAURA MORAN is what many hope to be. 13 years of craft honing, 4,745
days of poetry! Where did this little white lady get the audacity to take over a
stage when she barely breaks 110 pounds??? She definitely walks a fine line
between the page and the stage. She performs her poems with panache. She holds
the room on her tongue. She made page work and performance work all mix and
blend into a perfect feature. A great blend of new work and old work; but with a
definite NEW CD! ---Fish Vargas, NYC poet and host of Acentos.
.
by sofa-surfing the USA -- seeing her is like taking the temperature of the Age." --
Bob Holman, editor of United States of Poetry and founder Bowery Poetry Club.
"One of the most beautifully lyrical poets ever to bridge the space between page
and stage."--Taylor Mali, national award winning poet, performer, educator.
"Poet chanteuse of the highest order LAURA MORAN. Every time this woman
steps on a stage, molecules shift to be nearer to her words. Rarely do you find
someone who without raising volume above normal speech can hush a room to
rapture; Laura is just such a poet." ---LouderArts Project, NYC
"LAURA MORAN is that rare bird of poetry who can hush a room with style
and craft, a joy for all real poetry fans." ---Abena Koomson, poet.
"A WomanNoise celebration of the revolutionary female in the spirit of June
Jordan --featuring the label-defying always-enchanting ever-fabulous LAURA
MORAN." ---Seve, New York poet.
"LAURA MORAN: A mover and a shaker and a poetry heart breaker."
---Bowery Poetry Club, NYC.
"LAURA MORAN is what many hope to be. 13 years of craft honing, 4,745
days of poetry! Where did this little white lady get the audacity to take over a
stage when she barely breaks 110 pounds??? She definitely walks a fine line
between the page and the stage. She performs her poems with panache. She holds
the room on her tongue. She made page work and performance work all mix and
blend into a perfect feature. A great blend of new work and old work; but with a
definite NEW CD! ---Fish Vargas, NYC poet and host of Acentos.
.
COLLECTIONS:
LIVE: Improper Joy (CD w/book. Photosynthesis Press: 2008)
Improper Joy (High Water Mark Sal[o]on: 2007)
Live Bait (2nd Edition. w/CD Great Divide Records: 2005)
Live Bait (1st edition. Photosynthesis Press: 2003)
Original Skin w/CD (Photosynthesis Press: 2001)
Exodus (Photosynthesis Press: 1997)
Where We Live (Photosynthesis Press: 1995)
Kiss of an Axe (11th Hour: 1992)
BROADSIDES:
Rich Lady Buying Lipstick (Photosynthesis Press: 2002)
Anna Baker (Doublebunny Press: 1997)
LIVE: Improper Joy (CD w/book. Photosynthesis Press: 2008)
Improper Joy (High Water Mark Sal[o]on: 2007)
Live Bait (2nd Edition. w/CD Great Divide Records: 2005)
Live Bait (1st edition. Photosynthesis Press: 2003)
Original Skin w/CD (Photosynthesis Press: 2001)
Exodus (Photosynthesis Press: 1997)
Where We Live (Photosynthesis Press: 1995)
Kiss of an Axe (11th Hour: 1992)
BROADSIDES:
Rich Lady Buying Lipstick (Photosynthesis Press: 2002)
Anna Baker (Doublebunny Press: 1997)
| Booking: 570-729-0016 lejmoran@yahoo.com Information: Photosynthesis Press 591 Galilee Rd. Damascus, PA 18415 |
"If one should wonder where the 'poetry' in 'performance poetry' has gone, one need look no
further than the work of Laura Moran." - Daniel Solis, national award-winning poet
Laura Moran is that rarity: an intense stage performer whose work is imagistic, writerly,
compressed and modulated. Her CD plus booklet is bare-bones but pure, Laura's voice carrying
loon and hawk, Penelope, Leda, Kali, and the other women of "Western Civ" "Liberty Walking"
straight into your inner ear. -- About.com on Original Skin by Laura Moran
Laura is a poet that appeals as much to the nature poets whom have been writing for 50 years as
she does to the teen, just beginning to discover 'voice'. She is a particular favorite of women of all
ages. Her intergenerational appeal is what makes her the perfect feature.-- Connecticut Slam 2002
Poetry has always held a strong place at Writers Among Us. Poets have included Martine
Bellen, Corinne Robins and the dynamic Laura Moran, who has turned the art of recitation into
theatre. Moran characterizes the series as "an exceptional program that gives great exposure to
local poets and writers. It's a place to showcase new work. It gives us a chance to gather and
celebrate each others' achievements as a community." --Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Writers
Among Us Series
further than the work of Laura Moran." - Daniel Solis, national award-winning poet
Laura Moran is that rarity: an intense stage performer whose work is imagistic, writerly,
compressed and modulated. Her CD plus booklet is bare-bones but pure, Laura's voice carrying
loon and hawk, Penelope, Leda, Kali, and the other women of "Western Civ" "Liberty Walking"
straight into your inner ear. -- About.com on Original Skin by Laura Moran
Laura is a poet that appeals as much to the nature poets whom have been writing for 50 years as
she does to the teen, just beginning to discover 'voice'. She is a particular favorite of women of all
ages. Her intergenerational appeal is what makes her the perfect feature.-- Connecticut Slam 2002
Poetry has always held a strong place at Writers Among Us. Poets have included Martine
Bellen, Corinne Robins and the dynamic Laura Moran, who has turned the art of recitation into
theatre. Moran characterizes the series as "an exceptional program that gives great exposure to
local poets and writers. It's a place to showcase new work. It gives us a chance to gather and
celebrate each others' achievements as a community." --Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, Writers
Among Us Series