Juliana Taliaferro
I have been writing poetry and short stories since I was a child, and was involved in many editorial and journalistic endeavors in high school and college.
I started college at Houston Baptist University as a vocal performance major, and was privileged to sing with the Houston Grand Opera Chorus. I subsequently changed my major to a more "service"-oriented career, and finished up my Bachelor of Social Work degree at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
I worked for several years as a Social Worker, and am now concentrating my efforts on my artistic pursuits, which include poetry, short stories and a little sketching (pen and ink, pastels, watercolors, etc.)
I am enjoying learning more and more about the craft of poetry, and draw my inspiration from my Social Work background, as well as personal experience. It is most important to me that any work of art evoke emotion. My writing runs the gamut from dark and serious to light, even silly.
I live in Southeast Texas and have a large extended family, including six nieces and nephews. My own "children" are 2 dogs and 2 cats, who always keep me entertained.
I also enjoy contemporary Christian music and traditional gospel music, and hope to expand my repertoire of writing to include more "inspirational" poetry. Two of my poems in that category, "Homecoming" and "Sophisticates" were selected as poems of the day at alteredegg.com.
I am a proud member of the community of writers at ivillage's Poetry Corner and Poet's Workshop, and was thrilled to have been chosen a winner in this year's Poetry Slam with my poem "Party Manners". "Party Manners" was also included in the anthology Poetry's Elite: The Best Poets of 2000 by ILP.
You may visit my website "Creative Expressions by Juliana" at
http://pages.ivillage.com/julianatalia/julianacreates
Juliana can be contacted
here 
Juliana Taliaferro
