The Busking World is full of amazingly creative people and some of them happen to be pretty gifted writers. We hope to convince these folks to contribute on a regular basis adding written content to our growing collection of stories.
Our Contributors
Allison Williams
Allison Williams has done a little bit of everything in the entertainment business. She’s a performer, a producer, a director and a writer. Her written work has appeared in The New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and on NPR and CBC, and she is a two-time winner of The Moth Story SLAM.
***Check out Allison’s writings here!
Cameryn Moore
Cameryn Moore is a playwright/performer, activist, educator, writer,phone sex operator, and sidewalk pornographer. Obviously, she was raised Mormon–it’s either that or Catholic, right?—and left the church at age 13, when she realized that there was not a good future in it for a free-thinking slut.
***Check out Cameryn’s writings here!
Cassey Martin
Casey Martin is the inventor of juggling! She began her variety career in 2005 as a stilt walker at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair when she liked on her resume about actually being able to walk on stilts. She owes her continued success to constant lying, cheating and sleeping around.
***Check out Casey’s writings here!
Dana Smith
Author, performer, animal trainer, bon vivant – Dana Smith can be described as all of these and more. His real journey as new-age performing renaissance man can be traced back to 1972 when he witnessed Robert Shields and Ray Jason lighting up the street scene in San Francisco with their ingenious performances.
***Check out Dana’s writings here!
David Aiken
Co-founder of the Busker Hall of Fame, David has also called himself “The Checkerboard Guy” for over thirty years and intends to keep doing so for as long as the ride will last. Born to Kiwis (the nationality, not the bird or the fruit) he wallowed in awkward conformity until he inadvertently started tossing socks around at age 13.
***Check out David’s writings here!
David Cassel
David Cassel has been working professionally as a writer, director, graphic artist, teacher, and performing artist since 1978. He has spent his career traveling the world creating and presenting original inter disciplinary productions that have convergence and hybridization as their central creative principles.
***Check out David’s writings here!
Eric Amber
Storyteller, Street Performer, Comedian, Film Maker, Writer and Anarchist. Born the son of traveling gypsies Eric Amber spent his early life observing the tricks and scams of the Carnival until his parents gave up the vagabond live style for the boring [but honest] furniture business.
***Check out Eric’s writings here!
Glenn Singer
Glenn Singer was born the year of Sputnik into the home of a Rocket Scientist and subsequently raised by dwarves. Kicked out of parochial school on his first day, he embarked on a public school education that surprised no one.
***Check out Glenn’s writings here!
Guy Collins
Guy Collins (aka The Groovy Guy) started his busking career as a teenager on the streets of Paris juggling 3 balls with a bunch of hippies. For the next couple of years he attended European juggling festivals and enrolled Circus school in Bristol, supporting himself with street shows and occasional paid gigs.
***Check out Guy’s writings here!
Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey knows the London Tube Map like the back of the hand he strums with. In 1978, with Great Britain’s Winter Of Discontent in full swing, Dempsey stepped into a life of excess that led to a palace of wisdom.
***Check out Jack’s writings here!
James O’Shea
James O’Shea is a juggler, actor, playwright, husband, father, cook, dog-owner, rabid cycling enthusiast and big fan of all things kinetic. He was born amid the orange trees and sonic-booms of sunny Southern California, but luckily he escaped…
***Check out James’s writings here!
Karl Saliter
Karl is a comedy juggler type circus artist, working internationally wherever such things are needed. His list of past performances is longer than the line at the department of Motor Vehicles, probably culminating in a 20-year run as human torch and fire eater for “Pagliacci” at the Metropolitan Opera.
***Check out Karl’s writings here!
Kelly Shea
A tattooed, bacon-loving, cand- fanatic, talent-wrangler – Kelly has spent her life traveling and searching for the “Next Big Act.” She will organize your event while leaping large stages in a single bound and all the while keep her lipstick perfect! Kelly does her own stunts!
***Check out Kelly’s writings here!
Lee Ross
Lee Ross has led many lives. Aside from touring all over the world with Cirque du Soleil, Ross is a produced screenwriter. Lee’s films include the Sundance 2008 thriller, “Downloading Nancy” stars Maria Bello, and his new feature, “Benjamin Troubles” which comes out late this year.
***Check out Lee’s writings here!
Lee Zimmerman
Lee Zimmerman is an artist/performer from the US who has entertained audiences world-wide since 1983, with his classic rock and roll marionette revue “HOLLYWOODSTOCK,” and his very unique “Etch A Sketch Guy” show.
***Check out Lee’s writings here!
Mike Bonnici
Not only has Mike performed at venues around the world, he is a pro-active voice for busker’s rights and the producer of the Vancouver International Buskers Festival and CEO of A Million Bazillion Art’s Initiative.
***Check out Mike’s writings here!
Owen Lean
Owen Lean started street performing in 2002 while studying in Dublin and in 2006 graduated with the world first degree in street magic. A year later his parents house burned down along with everything he owned, and in response he chose to take to the road full time and see how far it could take him.
***Check out Owen’s writings here!
Paul Gordon
Former garbage man in upstate New York, faculty at Binghamton University, competed nationally in judo, commercially fished for salmon in Alaska. Paul spent sixteen years touring the world with his two friends in a three-man acrobatic dance company, Second Hand Dance Company. He lives in Copenhagen.
***Check out Paul’s writings here!
Paul Morocco
Paul Morocco aka The Mad Cassablancan hails from Virginia, USA, with a Moroccon mother, a Cajun father from New Orleans, now lives in London but thinks he’s Spanish… He plays and throws his Spanish guitar, sings and spits ping pong balls, smashing eggs and clichés and he’s never looked back.
***Check out Paul’s writings here!
Rex Boyd
After gaining a taste for show biz by working at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival Rex decided to travel the world as a street performer. Over twenty years and thousands of shows later his focus shifted to his new hobby, Argentinian Tango. And so the adventure continues…
***Check out Rex’s writings here!
Rick Lewis
From what we can only assume was some form of birth trauma, Rick was left with an insatiable need for attention from others. Even as a toddler he sought out the nearest and most accessible stages possible to gain approval in an attempt to heal his damaged psyche.
***Check out Rick’s writings here!
Rob Williams
Rob started street performing around the US in 1984 at age 17. The Flaming Idiots went from living in a van to performing at top festivals, in theatres, and on television. Idiot days came to an end, and after writing for a variety of TV shows you’ve never heard of Rob has taken to touring the with Casey Martin as part of the Kamikaze Fireflies. He once again lives in a van.
***Check out Rob’s writings here!
Sheree Vickers
Sheree is and experience drama facilitator, writer and director with over 20 years in the profession. She credits much of her success to what she learned in her 10 years as a street performer doing a show where the finale featured a limbo dance during which she set her chest on fire to the shock and amazement of her audiences
***Check out Sheree’s writings here!
Todd Strong
Normally a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, Todd Strong hangs out well with jugglers and other performers. While many attribute this to his easy-going manner, more likely it’s because his limited skill set doesn’t threaten anyone’s livelihood.
Once on a gig in japan ,I had bad sushi,just before going on stage ,I ran to the skvart toilet ,worrying that the wireless mike did not fall in the toilet,and stressed by time pressure as I could hear them presenting me,got the pants back on washed my hands and ran direct onto stage ,after a few hat tricks ,I pulled my suspenders out and let them slap against my chest,but felt,and smelled warm shit hit my face .my suspenders had been dept in my shit in the low toilet,luckily I had a towel in my prop case .and a coul lured shirt on .so no buddy noticed , I hope ! and I went and bought new suspenders and shirt before next show.