james w. moore is a poet, playwright, and author living in Colchester, VT.
james is the author of “I Am the Maker of all sweetened possum,” a strangely capitalized collection of poetry found in Julia Peterkin’s Scarlet Sister Mary. published by Silver Birch Press. This full-color collection uses itmes like sharpies, Xacto knives, whiteout, cross stitch, and gaff tape to find new poetry in this Pulitzer-winning novel.
He is also the author of “Rotary 23,” a commissioned work creating poetry via Rolodex for the folks at Container. Moore built poems from 22 different texts, and each poem is built from multiple “slides” that can be rearranged or read through each other to create new poems. Below is an example.
His poetry has also been seen in the Found Poetry Review, Silver Birch Press’ NOIR erasure anthology, and at twentyfourhoursonline, and has been heard on Vermont edition.
His first full length play, cart, was called a “wonderfully surreal comedy” in American Theatre Magazine. He is also the author of in apparati and wish., both of which received world premieres at defunkt theatre, a company that Moore co-founded and co-artistic directed for nine years. During that time he was a director (Bad Infinity), actor (Cloud 9) and light designer (Drammy award for Phaedra’s Love). he was twice awarded residencies at Caldera Arts, and his one act play Ubu’s Last Krapp was featured as part of the End of the Pavement series.
For the Northwest Children’s Theater, he co-authored the musical Rapunzel: Uncut! with his brother, Richard E. Moore, and authored an adaptation of Robin Hood and the short play the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. James was a teacher at Northwest Children’s Theater and School, and during his five years on staff, he adapted plays by Mac Wellman, David Mamet, and William Shakespeare (among others) for teen performers. his work has been seen in Chicago (Faster (for Jen Hoyt) at the SOLO Festival), Seattle (On the Boards) and at PICA’s TBA Festival (Ready. Go on 3., co-created with Emily Stone). with Stone, he also co-created The Fiasco (and other Noisy Interruptions), and with Stone and Frances Binder (also a former co-artistic director of defunkt theatre), co-created it goes you me you me you me for the JAW/West Festival.
James graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a BA in theatre, minors in English and music, and with honors in acting and playwriting.
james (w) moore 