John Reinhart (born 1981) is an American writer and editor of

speculative poetry Speculative poetry is a genre of poetry that focusses on fantastic, science fictional and mythological themes. It is also known as science fiction poetry or fantastic poetry. It is distinguished from other poetic genres by being categorized by it ...

and fiddle and guitar musician in the Texas style of

fiddling A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially syno ...

. His poems have appeared in print and online publications internationally. A member of the

Science Fiction Poetry Association The Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) is a society based in the United States with the aim of fostering an international community of writers and readers interested in poetry pertaining to the genres of science fiction, fantasy, ...

, he is the current editor of the association's quarterly print journal, Star*Line. Reinhart describes himself as an arsonist, which stems from his "hope to set fire to the imaginations and aspirations of (his) students," though he also says "he has encouraged his children to play with matches from an early age."

Education

Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

native, Reinhart graduated from the Denver Waldorf High School before earning his BA from

Hampshire College Hampshire College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges ...

Amherst, Massachusetts Amherst () is a city in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Connecticut River valley. Amherst has a council–manager form of government, and is considered a city under Massachusetts state law. Amherst is one of several Massach ...

. Before returning to teach at the Waldorf School in Denver, Reinhart received his

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

in education from

Antioch University New England Antioch University New England is a private graduate school located in Keene, New Hampshire, United States. It is part of the Antioch University system, a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) institution that includes campuses in Seattle, Washington; ...

. After teaching at DWHS for 11 years, Reinhart moved to

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, where he currently teaches humanities at Maine Coast Waldorf School.

Writing career

Reinhart "burst on the speculative poetry scene", with his work appearing in a variety of speculative venues in 2014, winning the 2016 Dark Poetry Scholarship from the

Horror Writers Association The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is a worldwide non-profit organization of professional writers and publishing professionals dedicated to promoting the interests of horror and dark fantasy writers. Overview HWA was formed in 1985 with ...

. He served as a Frequent Contributor at the Songs of Eretz Poetry Review from January 2016 to December 2017. In addition to his writing, Reinhart edited issue 25 of Eye to the Telescope. He also served as the

Annual Contest Chair in 2020. He served as the poetry judge for the

Topsham, Maine Topsham () is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. Topsham was included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 9,560 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland-South Po ...

Public Library Joy of the Pen Contest in 2020. Reinhart is the current editor of Star*Line. Reinhart launched Poetry Across Maine in 2024, which collects poems submitted online about specific locations in Maine "which will serve as a reflection of Maine as it stands in this moment of climate and population flux, a living document of how people in Maine experience and reflect on our state as a place." Reinhart's poem ''every'', published b
Quatrain.Fish
was nominated for a

Pushcart Prize The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...

in 2017. He has won the weekly contest seven times, in weeks 46, 50, 55, 60, 64, 70, and 74. He has also received honorable mentions for his poetry in the 2019 Topsham Public Library Joy of the Pen Contest, and his nonfiction in the 2020 and 2022 Topsham Public Library Joy of the Pen Contest.

Musical career

Reinhart collaborates with his brother, Patrick to form The Reinhart Brothers, a fiddle and tenor guitar duo that has released Satan Takes a Holiday...with The Reinhart Brothers, and FlimFlams in Your JimJams. Reinhart studied fiddle under former national fiddle champion,

Chris Daring Chris Daring is an American musician primarily known for her work as a performer and teacher of the Texas style of fiddling, a predominant style of fiddling in the United States. In 1996, she became the first woman to win the National Adult Old-Ti ...

, and is a former

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

State Young Adult Fiddle Champion and multiple time Colorado State Rhythm Guitar Champion.

Bibliography

*''Diamond Psalms''. Arson Press, 2023 *''Horrific Punctuation''. Arson Press, 2021 *''Arson''. NightBallet Press, 2018 *''dig it''. Arson Press, 2018 *''screaming''. Lion Tamer Press, 2017 *''broken bottle of time''. Alban Lake, 2017 *''invert the helix''. Pski's Porch, 2017 *''Horrific Punctuation''. Tiger's Eye Press, 2017 *''encircled'' Prolific Press, 2016

Discography

Redeemed by Four StringsFlimFlams in Your JimJams

References

External links

Poetry Across MaineWashington Park Profile Article 'People of South Denver: John Reinhart, Denver Waldorf School teacher and poet'Interview with Liminoid Magazine: 'The New Heart Will Rise'Poet Interview: John Reinhart, with Colleen AndersonInterview with Terrie Leigh Relf: A Day in the Life Presents: Collage Artist & Science Fiction, Speculative & Horror Poet, John ReinhartInterview with Angela Yuriko Smith: 'John Reinhart: Arsonist Under an Ashtray'
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Feature on the Colorado Poets Center
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Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance ProfilePoets & Writers ProfileThe Reinhart Brothers Pandora Channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reinhart, John American science fiction writers 1981 births Living people 21st-century American poets American male poets Date of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American male writers