. . . You gave me . . . What you did not have, and I gave you . . . What I had to give—together, we made . . . Something greater from the difference.
— Alberto Rios, Poet, “When Giving Is All We Have ”
The Journal of Expressive Writing is more than a publication. We aim to be an engaged and supportive community of writers and listeners. We believe that giving our focused attention to each other’s voices, stories, and writing is a generous, necessary act of humanity, repair, and celebration.
Each month, the Journal OPEN MIC will open with a featured author, in addition to 15 pre-reserved spots for writers to read their work. During the OPEN MIC, each writer will read for up to 3 minutes max. All events are FREE to attend and OPEN TO ALL, but you do need to pre-register to attend AND you need to Sign Up ahead of time if you would like to read your work. See both links below. The Journal Open Mic is produced and hosted by Kelly DuMar.
Thursday, Oct 22, 2026
7:-8:30pm EST
Michael Todd Steffen lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. He helps coordinate The Hastings Room Reading Series, and frequently publishes articles about new and established poets on the Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene website. His own poems have appeared in journals, including The Boston Globe, The Dark Horse, Everse Radio, North of Oxford and Ibbetson Street. Michael's latest book is I Saw My Life (Lily Poetry Review, 2026).
Boris Dralyuk (Managing Editor for Nimrod Journal) writes, "I have read [Steffen’s] poems with enormous satisfaction. His lines are supple and wear their unmistakable wisdom lightly."
Calling his second book, On Earth As It Is, “important work,” Joan Houlihan noted Steffen’s intimate portraits, sense of history, surprising wit and the play of dark and light…the striking combination of the everyday and the transcendent.
More about Michael here.
