Ashur Etil Alani

Ashur Etil Alnai’s foray into the wilderness of writing began in his senior year in high school, when he entered into and won the 1982 NBC Award for amateur journalism for New York City, after inte...view moreAshur Etil Alnai’s foray into the wilderness of writing began in his senior year in high school, when he entered into and won the 1982 NBC Award for amateur journalism for New York City, after interviewing NBC's news reporters Marv Albert, Gabe Pressman and Larry Varas. After wandering about in an attempt to find the meaning of life, he found himself strongly entrenched in the New York City poetry scene, co-hosting two renown open mic poetry venues in New York City, the "Times Square Shout Out" and the "Shout Out at Ottos," from 2007-2010. As a result he and his co-host were the subjects of a documentary of NPR Radio's "This American Life," hosted by Ira Glass. Ashur Etil Alani appeared on Columbia University Radio station WKCR-89.9FM, "Studio A Series," hosted by Anne Cammon Fiero, along with several members of the celebrated "Brownstone Poets," under his poetry nom de plume. He has also soiled his hands in a little publishing, and has been twice published as a contributing poet in the anthology "Diner with the Muse," and “The Venetian Hour,” edited by Evie Ivy and sold at St. Marks Bookstore. Years earlier he had spent ten years researching the ancient Middle East, in a land that was once called Assyria (where he derived his current pen name) and co-authored the yet-to-be published epic historical fiction novel entitled, Hegemony.view less