User:Josephinez24

JOSEPH PARIS is an American poet and writer, born December 25, 1961 in Rockford, Illinois. He has lived most of his life in Chicago, IL. 'Joseph Paris' is the pen name of Joseph Picchi. He graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL with a degree in Medieval Philosophy, summa cum laude, and was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Society in 1984. He is the author of 'Dream Street American,' Alpha Beta Press, Chicago, IL 1987, 'The Fox and the Weasel' and 'Thesaurus the Dinosaur.' His collected poems are titled, 'The Gin Proverbs.' Poet Denise Levertov has calIed him "one of the best romantic lyricists in America today" [ ]:

"I must leave the fair, father, do not despair. I must leave the brass hearts buried there. I will make my departure in Eternity's Corvette, and light my cheroot off the blazing sunset."

Mr. Paris is the author of a self-published illustrated children's book of verse, 'The Fox and the Weasel' and another work for children titled, 'Thesaurus the Dinosaur.' He has written a number of stage plays and movie scripts, notably 'Looking Down Alleys.' He is also a songwriter, using a keyboard primarily to compose his works.

Mr. Paris studied under the eminent scholars Paul Ricoeur, William A. Earle, linguist Michael Hyde, and American philosopher and editor James M. Edie, while at Northwestern University. His research was primarily in the fields of Contemporary Existentialism and Phenomenology. He subsequently attended the University of Illinois Law School, but elected not to practice law. He was instrumental in the period between 1982 and 1986 in the development of the Chicago Poetry Slam along with Marc Smith, Chester Clayton Long, Mary S. Barnidge of the Chicago Reader, and others at the Green Mill Club. He has remained a mainstay presence in the Chicago performance art scene.

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