Biography

Martin Steingesser's poems whisper, shout and occasionally slam. He's author of two books of poems, Brothers of Morning and The Thinking Heart: the Life & Loves of Etty Hillesum, the latter versions based on Hillesum's journal and letters, composed and arranged for performance in two voices with cello. In addition to performing throughout Maine, the Ensemble toured Europe to return Hillesum's words to the place they were taken from her, at Auschwitz-Birkenau, and performed at the Center for Dialog & Prayer, in Oświeçim, Poland, and the International Etty Hillesum Congress in Belgium, in January 2014. “Steingesser is a musician, acrobat and teacher of poetry, Brothers of Morning ablaze with imagination,” said poet Laure-Anne Bosselaar. "A burning, tender voice," wrote Baron Wormser, former Maine Poet Laureate. Individual poems have appeared in many publications, including The Sun, The Progressive and the Humanist magazines and in literary journals such as American Poetry Review, Ohio Review, Poetry East and Hanging Loose. Some have won awards, most recently the Betsy Sholl Award 2013 and First Place for an individual poem in Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance's Literary Awards 2008. He was Portland's first Poet Laureate, 2007-09. He has performed throughout the state and New England, taught poetry workshops in Maine for 34 years and was awarded the Maine Alliance for Arts Education’s Bill Bonyun Award 2006 “for exemplified talent and professionalism as an artist and contributions to arts education.”