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Administration
 Executive
Director -
Bonnie L. Nish is founder of Twisted Poets Open Mic. She is also the
co-founder of Under the Elephant an open mic night, and Pandora's Collective and
The Kitsilano Writing Group both writing collectives in Vancouver BC. A
captivating storyteller, Bonnie allows us to see the world in a slightly unique
way, presenting a refreshing view of life through her poetry. Published widely
throughout North America you may view some of her work (both poetry, prose and
book reviews) in the anthologies, "Undercurrents," and "Quills," and on-line at
luluzine.com, hackwriters.com and greenboathouse.com. In September 2001,
Bonnie's poem "Don Quixote's Love Song," a grand prize winner in the Artist's
Embassy International Dancing Poetry Contest, was performed at the California
Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Bonnie has her BA in English
Literature from the University of Toronto.
www.angelfire.com/art/bonnienish/
View Bonnie's
Poets Diectory Page,
Poetry
 Program
Director -
Sita Carboni has been featured throughout the Lower-mainland at various
events including The World Poetry Readings Series, The Word on the Street and
The North Shore Writers Festival. Her poetry can be found in literary journals
and e-zines including, Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine, The Blueprint Review and
goodgoshalmighty.com. Her love for life has made her a mainstay in the local
poetry community as a writer, reader and promoter of the arts. She is a member
of the Federation of BC Writers and co-founder of the Kitsilano Writers Group,
Word Whips Writing Series and Pandora's Collective. She enjoys the creativity of
authors such as Salmon Rushdie, Jose Saramago and Joy Kogawa and hopes to one
day learn how to sculpt, combining words with three dimensional form.
 Program
Director -
Warren Dean Fulton is a poetic prospector,
panning for gold along the banks of language. He runs a micro poetry publishing
company, pooka press. This June, he embarked on a tour, pookapalooza - a poetry
roadshow celebrating 15 yrs of pooka press, which brought him to 8 different
cities in 6 provinces in 15 days ( Kamloops , Calgary , Regina , Winnipeg ,
Ottawa , Montreal , Thunder Bay , Vancouver ). He has been published in lit mags,
now & then, here & there.
 Outreach
Workshop Director -
Marni Norwich has facilitated writing workshops in educational facilities,
community centres, drop-ins, and prisons for over sixteen years. Her poetry
collection, Wildflowers at my doorstep (Karma Press, 2008) recently won an
Independent Publisher Book Award. She’s a regular reader at benefits and events
around Vancouver and has performed her work as part of the dance and music
ensemble, Bad Poetry. Marni works as a writer/editor with her business, Inkcat
Media (inkcatmedia.com). She’s also an independent journalist whose articles
have appeared in many Canadian publications, including the Globe and Mail, the
Georgia Straight, Profit, and Herizons.
Board Of Directors
 President:
Mike Peacock is a piano player and singer/songwriter. He is a founding
member of Vancouver-based Band Melic Thrum and co-founder of Peppercorn
Productions. He holds a diploma in Jazz performance from G.M.C.C. in Edmonton
with distinction. He is the principal of a small development company which
specializes in custom home craftsmanship and commercial installations including
architectural stretch ceilings. Mike's love for jazz music has fuelled his
musical growth for the past 15 years and his love of the obscure has helped
maintain a commercially enviable existence in the entertainment industry. Mike
brings his love for the arts and his business experience to Pandora's Board
hoping to help them on their mission to promote good art in an unconstrained
environment for all to experience and enjoy!
Melic Thrum -
Tendu -
Peppercorn Studios
 Vice
President:
Mary Duffy was born in Dublin, Ireland, her mother's home but grew up on
Red Island, Newfoundland which had been her father's family home for
generations. She has two daughters, works as a librarian in Vancouver's Downtown
Eastside/Chinatown and volunteers as a Doula. Her poetry has been published in "Luluzine",
"Quills", "Benches" and "The Return of the Downtown Eastside Poets". She reads
with the "Twisted Poets" and the "The Downtown Eastside Poets" and works as a
board member for "Pandora's Collective". In April, 2006 she worked as one of a
number of community writers on a shadow puppet play on addiction in the downtown
eastside under the direction of Savannah Walling (Vancouver Moving Theatre) and
Rosemary Georgeson and Marie Clements (Fathom Labs). She is currently working on
"Red Island Rocks"; a book of linked story-poems about Newfoundland's outport
resettlement. View
Mary's Poetry
 Vice
President USA:
David McGuire is a musician and teacher in the Great Lakes region of
upstate New York. He has advanced degrees in composition and theory and a
chronic interest in literature, poetry and speculative essay. His compositions
have been played regionally and abroad (most recently in Romania); he is
especially drawn to hybrid genres: music and poetry (sung or recited), music and
dance, music for theatre, etc. He believes the arts are an indispensable
liberating and deepening force for human beings and stresses the need for
ongoing arts advocacy (through venues such as Pandora's Collective). He
sometimes plays his compositions for his cats; their responses are cryptic.
 Treasurer:
Diana Huang was born in Beijing, China and has been in Vancouver since
her move to Canada in 1997. She presently works as an audit manager in a public
accounting firm. Diana obtained her Certificate Public Accountant designation in
2002 and her Certified General Accountant designation in 2004. In addition Diana
has a Bachelors Degree in Engineering, and a Diploma of Financial Management.
She specializes in Not-for-Profit audits and Public Company audits. Her
interests includes reading, watching movies, hiking and swimming.
 Secretary:
Ruth Kozak is a historical-fiction novelist, travel writer and playwright
with poetic aspirations. When she's not wandering the world (mostly around
Greece) she instructs a memoirs writing group, and prompts the muse in three
writing classes for the Vancouver School Board. For many years Ruth was chair
for the West End Writers Club. She is now finishing up an epic historical novel
with the help of the Scribbler's critique group. Ruth is a member of the
Federation of BC Writers and the BC Association of Travel writers. She has
recently taken part (third year running) in the Feds "Off the Page" program
introducing writing to school children. See her "Living the Writer's Life" blog
at www.wynnbexton.blogspot.com
or website at:
www.dreamwater.org/ruthaki/
 Director:
Carson Tipper was born in 1957 in Edmonton Alberta, raised in the Yukon
and is 12th generation Canadian. He moved to Vancouver, BC at the age of 11 and
is now living in Richmond. Husband and father of three children ages 16 to 21,
Carson has been a self employed contractor for the last twenty years. He has
read his poetry in Vancouver over the past 3 to 4 years and has been writing for
over thirty years. In 1976 he attended The University of British Columbia
favouring subjects such as creative writing, linguistics and Greek. Carson
attended Langara College Arts Program in 1978 to study design, Greek mythology
and various arts. In 1980 he attended The Emily Carr College of Art and
graduated with honours in sculpture and ceramics in 1984. He has since taught
sculpture at UBC continuing education programs and has continued drawing and
sculpting privately with most all of his work focused on the human figure.
View Carson's Poets
Directory Page.
 Director:
Rhonda Milne can be found at the Vancouver Story Slam as the
score-keeper/time-keeper, at comedy clubs, poetry and music events and at local
galleries. She is the Volunteer Coordinator for the Summer Dream Literary Arts
Festival and an active member of the Board of Directors. Her enthusiasm for the
arts and her supportive nature have made Rhonda an incredible asset to Pandora's
Collective. Rhonda is a licensed insurance agent who works full time in the
insurance industry. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, painting,
reading and baking.
 Director:
Gwen Murray moved to
Vancouver in 2003 from Calgary, Alberta where she ran her own small
communications company. This one stop shop provided services from corporate and
individual fundraising to corporate identifications and event coordination. Some
of her clients included the Headwaters Health Authority, One Yellow Rabbit
Performance Theatre, Alberta Views and Farm Fresh Organics. Fearing that family,
friends and contentment would limit her lifetime experience she left her home to
move to Vancouver where she embarked on a new adventure. It was only a few
months after arriving here that she had her hands back in the non-profit world
of the Arts. Gwen currently holds the position of Marketing and Development
Manager at the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society and enjoys her position on the
Board of Directors of Pandora’s Collective. Besides being a mother she is an art
collector, avid runner and enjoys tennis, gardening, reading and entertaining
when time permits.
Event Hosts
 Suzy
Malcolm: Songwriter/Poet for children and adults, Suzy Malcolm's often
humorous writing has been published in several anthologies. She co-hosts Word
Whips North Shore Edition and loves that it's a writers' group open to the
public and those "let's- get- writing" prompts. Suzy has 3 kids music cds to her
credit and 2 for grownups set for release.Her literary highlights include having
her poem etched in glass at the new LynnValley Library and having another poem
used by an international organization on a poster for peace.
 Fran
Bourassa is a poet/artist/performer and contributing writer to numerous
anthologies including Sono Nis Press -Breaking the Surface and the North Shore
Writers Association Millennium Anthology - Shore Lines. Fran recently won the NS
Writers Festival contest for best Postcard story as well as the NSWA contest for
best poem. She also freelances as an Arts Reporter. She has been awarded a
Scholarship to the Banff Wired Writing Studio, has been a Finalist Vancouver
Poetry Slam, and a feature at many venues including, Word on the Street. She
co-hosts Word Whips; the North Shore Edition - an open Monthly Reading/Writing
Series supported by Pandora’s Collective. (To see some of her poetry – check out
the contest winners links on this website.) Fran lives and works on the North
Shore. Contact her at
fbourassa@nvsd44.bc.ca
 Sita
Carboni and Bonnie Nish have been co-hosting events, performing and
instructing workshops together since June 2003. The pair have a dynamic
presence, with works that are at times diametrically opposed, creating a
fascinating and compelling view of the world. The have co-hosted Word Whips,
Twisted Poets, Echoing
Voices, The Summer Dream Literary Arts Festival, Under The Elephant,
CWILL's Fall Book Harvest and Spring Book Hatching, Upstart Crow Reading Series,
Word on the Street's Poet's Corner, Zap Kids, The Roundhouse Poets Corner ,
VanDusen Botanical Garden Readings and many other literary events. They strive
to create a safe and inspiring environment for performers and audiance members
alike and to facilitate the promotion of emerging and established writers.
Previous Board Members:
 Director:
Tara Harris was born
in Victoria BC where she was actively involved in the theatre and dance culture.
There she performed, taught, choreographed and travelled with the Kidco Theatre
Dance Company until she moved to London, England in 1993. Over the years Tara
travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and North America, her passion thriving in
the arts. "I love music, theatre and film - and I write, recreationally, for my
eyes only! - Still keep your eyes open for my upcoming book Other Peoples'
Ketchup - One Girl's Battle with Chronic Waitressing Disorder". Tara recently
spent two years in Toronto working in the film industry but is now happily back
in Vancouver. Tara's career in the hospitality industry is in leadership and
development - taking small and large teams of corporate trainers on the road -
facilitating motivational workshops and helping individuals recognize their own
strengths.
 Treasurer:
Joanne Kim originally from S. Korea, has been in Vancouver since her move to
Canada in 1996. Presently working as a Certified General Accountant for
non-profit and profit organizations. Her skills are an incredible asset to
Pandora's Collective. Surprisingly, in Korea, Joanne majored in French
Literature. She is now fluent in Korean, English, French and Spanish. Her
interest and love encompass all of the arts. She is presently taking weekly
piano lessons, Flamenco dance lessons and continuing her studies of the Spanish
language. Her passion for life, knowledge and her generous personality has made
her an integral part of Pandora's Collective. When she is not working as a CGA
in Richmond, or taking one of her many lessons, you may find her fly fishing,
hiking, travelling, cooking up a storm or doing yoga, photography or watching
foreign movies.
 Vice
President, Canada:
Don Simpson
Donald W. Simpson.
Retired businessman, dabbler, sesquipedalian, literary
traditionalist, ectomorph.
 Director,
USA:
Edmond Chow has a strong technical background and is presently working at
one of the US national labs near San Francisco. He is also an active member of
the arts community, having been involved with poetry and creative writing for
about 15 years. He is on the Board of the Kearny Street Workshop, a non-profit
Asian American Arts organization in San Francisco as well as Pandora's
Collective. Edmond has taught poetry classes for the Kearny Street Workshop for
the past three years and before that taught several creative writing classes for
his local city's Adult Education Department and for a high school
extracurricular program organized by the Asian American Renaissance while he was
living in Minneapolis. Edmond is a published poet.
Kearny Street Workshop
Previous Director
 Heather
Neale is a Vancouver-based freelance writer published in The Georgia
Straight, The Times Colonist, The Globe and Mail, etc. An original member of
Pandora's Collective, her enthusiasm helped to spark the early stages of
Pandora's Collective. She is the editor of luluzine and a regular writer for The
Kitsilano View and Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine. When she is not writing she
can be spotted shaking up the dance floor.
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