User:Peekayjb/David E. Oprava

David E.Oprava (d.e.oprava) (born April 22, 1973) is an expatriate American poet who lives and works in Wales. David is a writer, painter, lecturer, publisher and teacher. He states that he “writes because he has to,” and he has chosen to, or is driven to, answer the question “why.” He has been in over sixty journals online and in print and his first full-length book of poems VS. was released in October 2008 by Erbacce Press. He has additional full-length collections of poetry: American Means with American Mettle Books 2009, and his third, sole, with Blackheath Books 2010. He is also the founding editor and publisher of the tiny poetry press, Grievous Jones. When not writing he tries to live up to the high expectations of husbandhood, fatherhood, and humanhood - not in that order and not necessarily succeeding.

Early Years
D.E Oprava was born in New York City, but moved to Pennsylvania in 1980 when he was seven. At twelve D.E. Oprava attended St. Paul's School boarding school in Concord, NH. He attended School for International Training in Vermont and earned a B.A. in International Studies. During his undergraduate years, he also studied at Carleton College, MN, USA and Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany. He completed his Masters in Political Science at Southern Connecticut State University and also studied at Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. In the following years Oprava taught politics, history, international relations, German and environmental studies. Some notable positions were: 1995 Educational Consultant, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Prague, CZ & Bosnia working with an NGO; Scoville Peace Fellow, 20/20 Vision, Washington DC, USA; 1998 Post Grad. Tutor, Politics, Univ. of Wales, Swansea, UK.(unpublished CV)

Early Years Waldsee
During his school years he spent his summers at Waldsee where his name was Dietrich (although in 1989 he was forced to use the name Dietbert). From 1990 to 1997, D.E. Oprava worked at Waldsee as a counselor teaching German language and culture. One of his many notable friends at the time is actor William Lee Scott. In 1997-98, one of his first teaching positions was at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN where he owned property and a home. Bemidji is also the closest town to one of the two Waldsee villages.

Recent Work
1999-2002 Senior Security Analyst, Pinkerton Global Intelligence Services, USA 2001-2005 Oprava taught secondary school and college courses. From 2005-2007 he even had a stint at as Administrative Director, Cardiff Steiner a Waldorf kindergarten. Oprava earned a Master of Arts with Distinction in Creative Writing at Swansea University, UK in 2008. Cite unpublished CV

Currently
David has been an expatriate living in the United Kingdom for over a decade. His current academic project for doctoral work is at Swansea University in poetry. The project is titled Once America: 50 expats 50 Interviews 50 Poems. In 2008 Oprava founded the small poetry press, Grievous Jones Press Ltd., and continues as the presses publisher. Currently he is Poetry Lecturer at the Univ. of Wales Institute, Cardiff were he teaches poetry and publishing to undergraduates. He is a full member of the Poetry Society and the Poetry Book Society.

Books

 * VS.Erbacce Press, 128 pages, perfect bound, October 2008 ISBN: 978-1-906588-34-2
 * American Means American Mettle Books, 96 pages, perfect bound, November 2009 ISBN: 978-0-9562912-1-9
 * sole Blackheath Books, 73 pages, perfect bound and hardback, September 2010 ISBN: 978-1-906099-25-1
 * Terraced Seren Books (forthcoming) Autumn 2013

Articles and Poems
(For complete list )
 * between two gods” on Red Fez
 * “given a knife” on Underground Voices
 * “you were only 17” and “my first beard” on Zygote in my Coffee
 * "you burped during Aladdin" and "you overcame adversity beautifully" in Gutter Eloquence Print Edition 1
 * Again, I'm Projecting on Zygote in my Coffee
 * WAR in the New York Quarterly
 * AMERICAN MEANS (1) on 3AM Magazine
 * “Vidalia Onions” and “Gods Diner” on Fried Chicken and Coffee
 * THE TRUTH and THE TABLE in The World According to Goldfish Poetry Anthology
 * FAR BETTER OF THAN I on Beat the Dust
 * CASHED on Full of Crow
 * POST-DATED HANG-OVER on Full of Crow MiCrow
 * CRACKS and THINGS on Heavy Bear
 * EGO on decomP Magazine
 * Recording of OBLIVION on Beat the Dust
 * THE HELL in Instant Pussy Disco
 * THE METAL in Every Day Poets
 * DAWN in The Toronto Quarterly 3
 * RAGE on Every Day Poets
 * OBLIVION on Parasitic
 * HONESTY on The Thin Edge of Staring
 * SEGUE on Dogmatika
 * DEITY and REVOLT on Poetry Warrior
 * ENTROPY- Winner of Greenbeard Magazine's "Symmetry of Flaws" Competition
 * BIREFRINGENCE on Jack Magazine
 * NIETZSCHE'S MORGUE on Beat the Dust
 * FEATURED POET on Shoots and Vines Day 1
 * FEATURED POET on Shoot and Vines Day 2
 * FEATURED POET on Shoots and Vines Day 3
 * MARTYR on Everyday Fiction
 * THE ARCHITRAVE in Shoots and Vines Print Edition 1
 * EYESORE on Gloom Cupboard
 * THE QUESTION on Opium Poetry
 * THE BREATHING on Parasitic Lit
 * THE IMPATIENT on Thieves Jargon
 * SATELLITES on The Battered Suitcase
 * TEACHER and ITCH on Shoots and Vines

READINGS

 * 1) Sept. 2008 Featured Reader, SYNT Anthology at Foyles Bookstore, London, UK
 * 2) Oct. 2008 VS. at the Bute Space Gallery, Cardiff, UK
 * 3) Nov. 2008 VS. at the Dylan Thomas Centre, Swansea, UK
 * 4) Nov. 2008 VS. at Borders Books, Cardiff, UK
 * 5) Dec. 2008 Featured Reader, Space Studios Annual Festive Event, Cardiff, UK
 * 6) Jan. 2009 Martyr at SPARKS reading series, Brighton, UK
 * 7) Jan. 2009 Inaugural Poem read on BBC Radio Southern Counties
 * 8) Feb. 2009 Featured Reader, Alchemy Reading Series, Prague, CZ
 * 9) Feb. 2009 Featured Reader, Jane Crown Poetry Radio, radio interview
 * 10) Feb. 2009 Featured Reader, The Crunch Poetry Series, Swansea, UK
 * 11) Apr. 2009 Featured Reader at Miscellaneous, Cardiff, UK
 * 12) Apr. 2009 Featured Reader, Epic Rites Radio, radio interview and reading
 * 13) Apr. 2009 Featured Reader at The Recession Sessions-LIVE, London, UK
 * 14) May 2009 Featured Reader on The Joe Milford Poetry Show, radio interview
 * 15) July 2009 Featured Reader at the Fair-Play Festival, Cardiff, UK
 * 16) July 2009 Featured Reader at Love and Hate, London, UK
 * 17) Nov. 2009 Featured Reader, Halloweird, Cardiff, UK
 * 18) Nov. 2009 American Means, The Crunch Poetry Series, Swansea, UK
 * 19) Nov. 2009 “Open Mic Prize” winner at Poetry on Tap, Cardiff, UK
 * 20) Nov. 2009 American Means, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, UK
 * 21) Dec. 2009 American Means, Square Magazine Launch, Cardiff, UK
 * 22) Jan. 2010 American Means, Alchemy Reading Series, Prague, CZ
 * 23) Jan. 2010 American Means on the Joe Milford Poetry Show, radio interview
 * 24) Apr. 2010 Featured Reader, Poetry Marathon, Swansea, UK
 * 25) Jun. 2010 Featured Reader, Full of Crow Poetry Hour, radio reading
 * 26) Jul. 2010 Featured Reader, Lost Elation Readings, London, UK
 * 27) Jul. 2010 “Open Mic Prize” winner at Poetry on Tap, Cardiff, UK
 * 28) Jul. 2010 Featured Reader, Oxfam Bookathon, Cardiff, UK
 * 29) Jul. 2010 Featured Reader, “In Chapters” Cardiff, UK
 * 30) Sept. 2010 “sole” at Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, UK
 * 31) Oct. 2010 Featured Reader and Host, UWIC Open Mic, Cardiff, UK
 * 32) Oct. 2010 “sole” at The Crunch Poetry Series, Swansea, UK
 * 33) Dec. 2010 Featured Reader, “In Chapters” Cardiff, UK
 * 34) Mar. 2011 Featured Reader, Alchemy Reading Series, Prague, CZ

Online Reviews/External Links

 * http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/theres-no-place-like-home/
 * http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/poetics-two-books-of-poetry-by-yu-han-chao-and-david-e-oprava/
 * http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9680959-sole#other_reviews