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Steven L. Clifford: Co-Founder, Art Director
Steven Leonardo Clifford couldn’t help viewing the world through a literary lens since childhood––chaotized through tragedy, misadventures and half-baked enlightenment. Clifford from an early age began seeing through metaphorizing eyes. A hyperfocus drive for more inspires him to experiment with the word and its deconstructive powers that can transform the world. Part time garage philosopher, reality-student and gorilla-tactic inquirer, Steven considers himself a poet foremost.
M.T. Pariti: Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief
M.T. Pariti is a poet, writer, and performer based on Long Island, NY. He lives in Bay Shore with his two cats Jupiter and Juno. His daughter Raquel lives in Northern New Jersey. Writing is very much a compulsion for him, something he has been involved in since he was a teenager. He believes poetry is a unique art in that it can be experienced both on the page and on the stage, and wants to give as many poets as possible a chance to engage with their communities at open mics and hold their published work in their hands. Having moved around a lot in his early years, he really appreciates what the entire Island has to offer, and hopes to see a cross-county transference of art and poetry. M.T.’s own work focuses on living a neurodivergent life. In it he processes the many years he lived undiagnosed. His lyrical and rhythmic style, combined with his tumbling and musical verse entertains as much as it disarms as he tackles topics like trauma and mental illness.
Vincent Calone: Submissions Editor
v.j. (Vinnie) Calone, formalist poet. Studied under Lewis Turco author, The New Book of Forms. BA SUNY Oswego '95. Vincent's a poet/dramatist. Writing, acting and directing original theater on Long Island for the past eight years. His poems have appeared in The Suffolk County Poetry Review, The Chiron Review, Atom Mind, Long Island Quarterly, Poetry X Hunger, and PoARTry. Vinnie writes, edits and posts a new poem everyday at Raven Wire Poetry Prompts on FaceBook and has been doing so since August 1st. 2022. Vinnie just finished a collection of poetry called “A Caesura” to be released this fall. It is his life's work and will contain over three hundred poems.
Paula Curci: Poet Correspondent
Paula Curci is the Nassau County Poet Laureate for 2022-2024. She is the Poet in Residence for Radio Hofstra University, where she produces Calliope’s Corner - The Place Where Poets and Songwriters Meet and What’s The Buzz ®. She is a certified Journal to the Self™ Journal writing instructor and spearheads the “Poetry: It’s a Shore Thing!” micro-memoir project, at the Long Beach library, where she co-hosts the Poet Laureate’s Invitational open mic. Paula co-founded the Acoustic Poets Network ™ and she is known for her esthetic style of poetry called Posics™. Paula has been published in various anthologies and her work can be found on streaming audio and Kindle. She has three albums: Emissary, Bittersweet and Done That-The Audio Version and has written three chapbooks One Woman’s Cathartic Release in Poetry, Done That and The Gift of Thanksgiving. She has received several awards for her contribution to the arts.
Bruce "All One" Pandolfo: Poet Correspondent
Bruce Pandolfo, has been performing and releasing music under the moniker AllOne since 2009. He has been publishing material on a nearly yearly basis through various bands and solo projects (AllOne & The Room and Almost Elijah, and the short-lived improv group Avalanche Canvas are all live music explorations) since the release of Coal Aberrations summer of 2010. Since 2020, Pandolfo has been writing automatic, bespoke poetry on a typewriter for folks with a project called Write Through Me at public and private events.
Vocalist, lyricist, freestyle rapper, poet, prose-writer, journalist, the common thread is a curious, expressive word-nerd and creative oversharer.Pandolfo has been a staple in the Long Island creative community for nearly two decades, collaborating across genres and mediums.
He's also toured half of the country and a bit of Canada on grassroots tours: sleeping on couches, performing dives, cafes, radio shows, art galleries, living rooms, backyard parties and anywhere that let him to share his verbose, contemplative brand of rap and poetry.
The message in Pandolfo's work has consistently been about holding community, love, art and expressive effort among the highest of goals, resources and virtues, and encouraging that in the community and others. The Scene came to fruition as Pandolfo was bringing his BA in Journalism & Communications from Stony Brook University to a close.
The zine's ethics and intentions perfectly aligned with Pandolfo's desire to embolden artists -both fledgling and experienced- to gather together, to make and share work that is meaningful to them, and to find catharsis and sanctuary among the baffling network of talent and support Long Island has to offer.
His latest AllOne project is "Four Maras" produced by Conscious Robot.
Jenny Jaser: Photographer
Jenny Jaser, is a first generation Palestinian graphic designer turned photographer. She went to art school for illustration and quickly realized she was in the wrong industry. Jenny did design for a few years, but Covid had her laid off. She became a mail carrier for a brief time and quit when she decided to fully commit to the camera. "I am super happy to be a part of a local scene project because I am all for the community here in Long Island. It's small but always growing. I think it's so important to bring a more diverse outlook on life through poetry, music and art. I believe we need to keep the Long Island art culture alive through capturing and sharing it in stills." IG: @jennyjaserphotography
Steps: Poet On The Ground Suffolk
Steps is a poet, writer, dancer, athlete, and performer based on Long Island, NY. Steps recently moved to North Babylon in late 2023. Steps' family consists of his daughter, mother, father and three siblings. He prefers to maintain his anonymity but never forgets to extend a helping hand. Writing poetry has always been a hobby for him, it assisted with tapping into his own emotions. Steps love for writing and poetry started when he was a teenager, using it as an mental escape. He believes poetry is a unique art that allows the author and reader/listener to go on journey together. He tackles subjects such as self-doubt, depression, anxiety, and love. Having moved around a lot in his early years, he truly appreciates what the entire Island has to offer. The people who inspired his creativity and style of writing are his mother (writer/author) and eldest brother (writer/lyricist/dancer/artist). Steps continues to search for ways to improve his writing, believing that his poerty will tell a story that touches the hearts of everyone around him. Steps was eventually introduced to an amazing group of individuals within the TheScene.life in late August, early September, soon joining the group as the Poet on the Ground in late November. Being a part of The Scene has expanded and changed how he views poetry and performing.
Kris Janvier: Poet On The Ground Nassau
Kris Janvier is a poet, actor, and author from Baldwin, NY. He has self-published his first ever book titled "Drift" in March 2024. His follow-up, "Drift 1.5," was self-published on New Year's Eve. He's a member of the Multicultural Council of NY. He has performed in local open mics for 7 years. His poem, "Train Conductor," is included in the anthology book, "Nassau County Voices in Verse 2023". Following up, his poem, "I Wonder Where You Are," is included in "Nassau County Voices in Verse 2024". He was cast in the short film, "The Bigger Picture," which is streaming now in Amazon Prime.
Q. Imagine: Reviewer
Besides being the book reviewer for The Scene, Q. Imagine is an author, a screenwriter and a poet. She has been published in various anthologies and magazines from around the world. Some recent publications include Libretto Magazine, Worlds Of Possibility, Nebulous Magazine, Bards Annual, Alien Buddha Press, Quill & Crow and Long Island Quarterly. Besides writing, she is an avid lover of music, spending time outdoors and watching movies. She has been writing poetry since she learned how to write. Her work can be found on Medium and Instagram under her pen name @qimaginewrites.
