About the Author

I was born in South Island Christchurch NZ and began writing poetry when I felt misunderstood. My first poem was published in the local paper at age four. In my early twenties I left NZ after losing my first child. Determined to be a singer songwriter in Sydney Australia 1986 I became a full member of APRA (Australian Performing Rights Association). In 1987 I returned to NZ and published the first edition of "Visions of a new Kind". The same year I won recording time with NZ Broadcasting House for five of my original songs. 1992 I created and produced "Land Of The Warthogs" in VHS format. It was a spoken word, silent film, stage performance, journey into the underworld. In 2005 it was accepted and exhibited at Melbourne Fringe Festival as a VHS short film and performance (see chapter illustrations). When 9/11 events created world "terrorism" I turned to documentary film making with Art Resistance and later produced my own short docos. *Jaynee Facebook gallery page*. The poem "before meeting you" was requested by Dr. Christine Cole for her book Releasing the Past: Mothers stories of their stolen babies. I took refuge at that time in spiritualist meditation circles and wrote poetry in trance state. Later in my life I returned to performing my original poetry as spoken word in Alice Springs N.T. The indigenous people of Australia say "Alice is the place where the song lines meet". I found my place and finally claimed myself as an artist and a performer in this desert heart. *https: //www.facebook.com/jaynee-961216110660317