Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio Presents C.C. Arshagra

Arshagra is an autodidact raised in his grandfather Arshag’s garden. Arshag, an Armenian genocide survivor, taught him profound attitudes of benevolence: no hate, no enemy, no blame and no vengeance. He spent many years in Boston and Cambridge – urban areas that nourish the voices of emerging poets and encourage free speech as a common language, free of social and cultural dichotomies. His journey of transcendence drew strength from the improvisational movement and healing arts, and constantly renews itself with profound commitment to indivisible love. In more recent years, his writing has been complemented by work on websites that serve free speech and humanitarian goals. Recognized as one of the most dedicated poets on the open microphone circuit, C.C. Arshagra received a Boston award for participating in the most open mikes in 2000. He is the author of Emotional Geography, Poems, Scared Sacred, Death of an Ego, What Manner of Character, and without returning to publishing he has not stopped writing for 20 years, including lyrics, YA and works for children. He founded the poetry art band Funk Physics, and is a veteran of both the improvisational movement arts and improvising live to jazz with the Jeff Robinson Trio with bassist Blake Newman, Ken Field’s Board of Education and Michael Caglianone’s Zen Bastards. His live improvisations include ID Poems, “inkless dialogue” work that exists in sound form only. He also has produced many radio and video shows for broadcast, including Stone Soup Poetry, The I Do Not Know Show and other eclectic A/V art projects. Arshagra walks the walk, speaks soul to soul and is humbled by life as an artist. His canvas of creativity is expansive and his favorite mantra is “Love is not afraid.”