Member Poets

Jan is an author of various genres, an artist, a poet, lover of mountains and dragons. She is also a coach and international motivational speaker on stroke/Traumatic Brain Injury. She finds beauty and inspiration in everything, telling everyone “Make every day an extraordinary day.”

Books available through Amazon:

·  Stroke Coaching

Poetry By jsburl:

·  dancing with a shadow

·  dreaming of dreaming of love

·  Still I rise like a Phoenix

·  out of the darkness into the light: poetry after stroke

·  meanderings of a quiet mind

Children’s Books by jsburl:

·  Tippy’s New Friend & Tippy Goes to California  

Compilation book:

·  bLU Talks - Business, Life, and The Universe - Vol 16

Lisa Smith, MFA, is retired with a stroke. She was a Professor of Practice and Director of Dance at the University of Texas at El Paso for 20 years, and she has been teaching and directing for almost 45 years. In 2020 she went on to teach dance to those with Aphasia and brain injuries. Her book, My Stroke, Soul Survivor, was published in 2025.

Book: ‘My Stroke, Soul Survivor – Memoir and Poetry’
Read the reviews here:

“A raw, beautiful, unforgettable testament to human resilience. This book tore me open – and put me back together.” -- Jonathan Kendall, CEO, Book Daddy

“Lisa Smith’s book takes you inside the consciousness of a mind knocked off kilter by a stroke, then walking the labyrinth back into a new life”. – Kim Stafford, Author, ‘100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: How My Brother Disappeared’.

Book available through Amazon & Lisa’s website 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/My-Stroke-Soul-Survivor-Memoir-ebook/dp/B0FZL696RT/

Bob is one of the earliest members of Poems in Speech. He has several education qualifications. After attaining degrees in English and a Master of Arts in Teaching, he moved to Illinois and taught English for 6 years. Bob says, “I was a writing teacher without realizing it”. A PHD followed. Having moved to New Jersey, he taught for 20 years at Rutgers University, taught doctoral students, and published 30 journal articles and 5 books. 

Bob travelled the world with his teaching career; several US states, 6 years in Canada, which included 2 years at Sheridan Institute of Technology as a Visiting Professor, 6 years in England, and 3 in Italy. Bob engaged in every sport possible, whilst he continued his teaching career. After two years teaching research to doctoral students at U of La Verne, it was in December 2009 in Pasadena that Bob had two strokes on the same day. These two strokes have not stopped him. He learned to swallow, walk, talk and most of all, he learned to write again. However old, Bob says he still loves to play the writer/teacher role and encourages everyone to write.

Pre-Stroke Writing:

·  The Consequences of Writing: Enhancing Learning in the Disciplines (Bob says this was his best book).-https://www.amazon.com.au/Consequences-Writing-Enhancing-Learning-Disciplines/dp/0867091177

Post-Stroke Writing:

·  I Am On My Way To Healing: Two Strokes And A Recovery

https://www.amazon.com.au/Am-My-Way-Healing-Recovery-ebook/dp/B0793PVLBR

·  Stories & Poems: 2016

https://www.amazon.com.au/Back-Story-Robert-B-Parker/dp/0399149775

·  A Puzzle Of His Life: A Virtual Memoir

https://www.amazon.com/Puzzle-His-Life-Virtual-Memoir/dp/0997239212

·  Random Musings: A Summing Up Thus Far

https://www.amazon.com/Random-Musings-Summing-Thus-Far/dp/1733458107

There is much more information about Bob and his books on his website, which makes for an interesting read.

Dr. Denise Mendez “has aphasia, but aphasia does not have her!”  She knows that she is more than any diagnosis, health challenge, or adverse event. Dr. Mendez has a passion for learning, teaching, and training others. She had nearly 30 years - teaching, supervising, curriculum  & assessment development and administration, before experiencing a series of cranial hemorrhages that ended her career in public education.

But, ever resilient-Denise has embraced another mission-increasing awareness and advocating for herself and for those impacted by stroke and aphasia. She also enjoys attending and presenting in conferences and looks for opportunities to teach about the lived experience of aphasia.

Before Jenn’s stroke, she served as Director of Operations, overseeing project management teams across the U.S., Germany, and Japan. She worked for a company conducting clinical research in the field of mental health, focusing on disorders such as bipolar disorder.

On May 9, 2016, Jenn suffered a massive stroke that required a craniotomy. As a result, she experienced significant challenges, including right-side weakness, low vision, epilepsy, and global aphasia. At the time, her son was only 14 months old. Jenn was unable to sing to him, read him bedtime stories, or even say “I love you.” She could not spell her name, recognize the alphabets, or count from one to ten. Realizing the long and difficult road ahead, she turned to painting, to express herself and reconnect with the world around her.

Determined to raise awareness and support others with aphasia, Jenn served as the Program and Content Manager for the Mid-Atlantic Aphasia Conference (MAAC). She has shared her story through presentations at hospitals, universities, health fairs, and community events, and her poetry, and artwork have been exhibited.
 

In addition, she is an Ambassador and Council Member of the National Aphasia Association, where she continues to advocate passionately for the aphasia community.

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Sean learned how to go deep sea fishing, to write three times: in first grade and each of his two strokes, 2006 and 2010. He has nonverbal aphasia nonetheless enjoys writing. His first poem was 1976 and first time zoomed to Poems in Speech was 2023 when Sean forced to arise like a stone arch bridge between now and the unknown, but he didn't know that yet. He stayed in tune with his emotions like his soon-published poetry book, Only One Merry-Go-Round. Wider vistas in poetry he gyrates up in solo flight when sharing with you.   

·  My Unicorn Friend – a beautifully written, cute, children’s book and a perfect gift for a child. Order directly with Sean.

Contact Sean:

E: mackeyonline@icloud.com

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Born in Portugal, Amélia moved to America at the age of 19, and attended college in New York. She became an art teacher and spoke English, Portuguese, Spanish and French. Post college, she moved to Southampton, New York, and taught art.

At the age of 32, Amélia had her first stroke and after six months of being paralysed from the neck down, she began to walk again. However, 16 years later, she had another stroke which she found difficult. Amélia lost her teaching role, now has Aphasia, and it took her seven months, to speak one word. She has also gained an accent, which she never had pre stroke.     

You can contact Amélia via email:

E: Mamnina25@gmail.com

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Paula loves to dance. Following her stroke in 2020, Paula now has Aphasia. She is a retired hospice nurse and now, a Reiki practitioner.

Paula has just written an art book; ‘My Dance with Aphasia’, which is a collection of her collages and poems, and one which she hopes to be published soon.

Email: pagalla@aol.com

Although Paula has a Facebook page, she rarely posts, but you can also connect with her on Facebook on the below link.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1075445821

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Kirsten Klug is an author and poet whose work explores the emotional landscape of stroke, aphasia, memory, and identity. 

Her poems offer an intimate look at what it feels like to lose and rediscover language, revealing both the fragility and resilience of the human experience.

Through honest, resonant writing, she invites readers to see that our differences are not divides, but powerful points of connection.  

Kirsten also offers Life Coaching for people who want to live braver and enjoy their new life after stroke, TBI and or aphasia. See her website below.