James Benger

Against the Dark James Benger

Against the Dark: Road Poems

Benger and Sheldon team up for this split investigating the power of life on the road, with the focus of high beams on country roads and the squealing tires of sudden veering, these poems will take you for a ride you won't want to end. Gritty, potent and earnest, these two poets work together to create a wrenching tale.



bios:

James Benger (Derek) is a father, husband and writer. His work has been featured in several publications. He is the author of two fiction ebooks: Flight 776 (2012) and Jack of Diamonds (2013), two chapbooks of poetry: As I Watch You Fade (EMP, 2016) and You've Heard It All Before (GigaPoem, 2017), and one split book of poetry with Jason Baldinger: Little Fires Hiding (Kung Fu Treachery Press, 2018). He is a member of the Riverfront Readings Committee in Kansas City, and is the founder of the 365 Poems In 365 Days online poetry workshop and Editor-in-Chief of the subsequent anthology series. He lives in Kansas City with his wife and son.


Tyler Robert Sheldon (Rex) has four books, including the poetry collection Driving Together (Meadowlark, 2018) and the chapbook Consolation Prize (Finishing Line, 2018). He received the 2016 Charles E. Walton Essay Award and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His poetry, fiction, and reviews have appeared in The Los Angeles Review, The Midwest Quarterly, Pleiades, Quiddity, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and other venues. Sheldon holds an MA in English from Emporia State University and is an MFA candidate at McNeese State University. He lives in Baton Rouge and is married to the artist Alex Arceneaux.