~ About C. Steven Blue ~
C. Steven Blue is a lyrical poet, a performance poet, a street poet, a rock-n-roll poet.
He has been called The Last Hippy Poet (of the Woodstock Generation).
He has been referred to as a modern day Robert Frost.
No matter how you regard him, his lyrical, easy to comprehend poetry is definitely
Poetry For The People!
How does a Los Angeles street kid, who never completed high school, become the published author of seven books of poetry, a publisher of other poets and a producer and host of poetry and art events that continually give exposure and opportunity to countless other poets, artists and musicians? Steven is a self-taught writer and publisher.
If you ask Steven, he will tell you that he is a Natural Poet . . . "My poems have poured out of me since I was a boy, often straight from dreams, but definitely from inspiration. I only write when the inspiration strikes, but this process has led to a lifetime of work that will fill at least twenty books. I know most writers labor long and agonize much over their work, and I do not recommend my process as the best for others, but it works for me.
Formal education certainly has its benefits, so much of which I can only wish I was more fluent in or knowledgeable about. I have seen so many around me reap the vast benefits of higher education, while I remain mostly self-taught. That said, I did teach myself to do desktop publishing when it was in its infancy, and I continue to pursue this process with the most modern self-publishing software now available. I help other poets in their publishing efforts and I'm glad my tenacity for learning and self-improvement has born fruit that can help others.
I first started writing poetry in grade school in Pasadena, California, at Longfellow Elementary (named for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). I would like to add that I have my fourth grade teacher to thank, Mrs. Kime, who first sparked my interest in poetry. Because of her, I won my first poetry award at age twelve" (You can view the award at the bottom of this page).
If you ask Steven, he will tell you that he is a Natural Poet . . . "My poems have poured out of me since I was a boy, often straight from dreams, but definitely from inspiration. I only write when the inspiration strikes, but this process has led to a lifetime of work that will fill at least twenty books. I know most writers labor long and agonize much over their work, and I do not recommend my process as the best for others, but it works for me.
Formal education certainly has its benefits, so much of which I can only wish I was more fluent in or knowledgeable about. I have seen so many around me reap the vast benefits of higher education, while I remain mostly self-taught. That said, I did teach myself to do desktop publishing when it was in its infancy, and I continue to pursue this process with the most modern self-publishing software now available. I help other poets in their publishing efforts and I'm glad my tenacity for learning and self-improvement has born fruit that can help others.
I first started writing poetry in grade school in Pasadena, California, at Longfellow Elementary (named for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). I would like to add that I have my fourth grade teacher to thank, Mrs. Kime, who first sparked my interest in poetry. Because of her, I won my first poetry award at age twelve" (You can view the award at the bottom of this page).
C. Steven Blue stands outside the normal conventions of modern poetry: He is a Lyrical/Performance Poet; reading and performing his poetry from a unique rhythmic perspective: at the crossroads of poetry and music.
Like other authors, Steven likes to read his work in front of an audience, but he also likes to perform it. He performs many of his poems accompanying himself on hand drums and others with original music he has created to match the poem he performs. As an amateur musician and recording engineer, he has spent years perfecting these skills, which are also self-taught.
Steven's work is published in a several countries. He has been interviewed on television, radio and in literary magazines. He has performed from coast to coast. His work appears in numerous literary journals and anthologies, both in print and online. He currently has eight published books of his work and he is the pioneering author of the very first poetry chapbook actually published as a Facebook page! A multi-media, cyberspace experience, completely free to read, hear and watch! You can experience it here: ~ Facebook Chapbook ~
C. Steven Blue is the pen name for Steven C. Schreiner. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but his family moved to Southern California when he was only two years old, where he grew up in Pasadena and Hollywood. After living in Pasadena until his first year of high school, his family split apart and Steven moved with his mother to Hollywood, where he attended Hollywood High School. He danced his way through high school on local and national TV shows, such as American Bandstand and Shebang (with host Casey Kasem). He can be seen dancing on Shebang at the age of sixteen in 1966. View it here.
Steven was also one of the original Hippies on the Sunset Strip, working as a DJ in a teenage night club when he was 16, spinning his 45s in the record booth in between the sets of the house band, who played live each night at the club, It's Boss! He and his girlfriend once participated in a fashion show for Cher at the club, where each girl got to wear her original designed outfits while they danced on the dance floor as a part of the show. All the girls got to keep the outfits they wore. Years later, while working on the Academy Awards where Cher was a presenter, Steven reminded her backstage about that event of their youth. They both reminisced and had a nice chuckle about it.
Steven participated in the Love-Ins in Griffith Park and was a true Flower Child., believing and espousing the Hippy idealism of Peace, Love and the Brotherhood of Man. He sold the L.A. Free Press on street corners. He paid his dues on the inner city streets of Hollywood and L.A. all through the middle and late 1960s. Much of his writing is influenced by those sensibilities; a time when peace, love and brotherhood were normal, everyday topics of discourse.
In the 1970s, Steven worked in the Garment industry, the food industry and traveled for two years as a traveling salesman, through 30 states plus two provinces of Canada. Upon his return in 1977, Steven's stepfather procured him a job in what would become a 27 year career in stage production. Over the course of the years, Steven specialized in stage lighting in both live theatre and television. Steven became a premiere spotlight operator, computer lighting control programmer and operator, a foreman in electric shops, a head electrician and the lighting director for the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Kings at the Staples Center. He wrote a poem for a famous prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet, during their final American tour in 1990, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also met and worked with many other luminaries in the entertainment industry.
Steven and his wife, Paulette, are now retired and live in Eugene, Oregon, where he continues his poetic journey. They have six children between them and Steven has four grandchildren.
Like other authors, Steven likes to read his work in front of an audience, but he also likes to perform it. He performs many of his poems accompanying himself on hand drums and others with original music he has created to match the poem he performs. As an amateur musician and recording engineer, he has spent years perfecting these skills, which are also self-taught.
Steven's work is published in a several countries. He has been interviewed on television, radio and in literary magazines. He has performed from coast to coast. His work appears in numerous literary journals and anthologies, both in print and online. He currently has eight published books of his work and he is the pioneering author of the very first poetry chapbook actually published as a Facebook page! A multi-media, cyberspace experience, completely free to read, hear and watch! You can experience it here: ~ Facebook Chapbook ~
C. Steven Blue is the pen name for Steven C. Schreiner. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but his family moved to Southern California when he was only two years old, where he grew up in Pasadena and Hollywood. After living in Pasadena until his first year of high school, his family split apart and Steven moved with his mother to Hollywood, where he attended Hollywood High School. He danced his way through high school on local and national TV shows, such as American Bandstand and Shebang (with host Casey Kasem). He can be seen dancing on Shebang at the age of sixteen in 1966. View it here.
Steven was also one of the original Hippies on the Sunset Strip, working as a DJ in a teenage night club when he was 16, spinning his 45s in the record booth in between the sets of the house band, who played live each night at the club, It's Boss! He and his girlfriend once participated in a fashion show for Cher at the club, where each girl got to wear her original designed outfits while they danced on the dance floor as a part of the show. All the girls got to keep the outfits they wore. Years later, while working on the Academy Awards where Cher was a presenter, Steven reminded her backstage about that event of their youth. They both reminisced and had a nice chuckle about it.
Steven participated in the Love-Ins in Griffith Park and was a true Flower Child., believing and espousing the Hippy idealism of Peace, Love and the Brotherhood of Man. He sold the L.A. Free Press on street corners. He paid his dues on the inner city streets of Hollywood and L.A. all through the middle and late 1960s. Much of his writing is influenced by those sensibilities; a time when peace, love and brotherhood were normal, everyday topics of discourse.
In the 1970s, Steven worked in the Garment industry, the food industry and traveled for two years as a traveling salesman, through 30 states plus two provinces of Canada. Upon his return in 1977, Steven's stepfather procured him a job in what would become a 27 year career in stage production. Over the course of the years, Steven specialized in stage lighting in both live theatre and television. Steven became a premiere spotlight operator, computer lighting control programmer and operator, a foreman in electric shops, a head electrician and the lighting director for the Los Angeles Lakers and L.A. Kings at the Staples Center. He wrote a poem for a famous prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet, during their final American tour in 1990, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He also met and worked with many other luminaries in the entertainment industry.
Steven and his wife, Paulette, are now retired and live in Eugene, Oregon, where he continues his poetic journey. They have six children between them and Steven has four grandchildren.
C. Steven Blue
Producer - Publisher - Poet - Performer
Producer - Publisher - Poet - Performer
As a producer and host of poetry and art events in Eugene, some of Steven's most popular events have included the Poetry Workshop & Poetry Showcase at the Eugene Public Library, the Oregon Author Book-signing Series @ Eugenius Market, the Eugene Poetry Open Mic and The Poetry Stage @ Festival Of Eugene.
He currently produces and hosts BURNIN' DOWN THE BARNES, a monthly literary reading & performance series at the Eugene Barnes & Noble Bookstore, as well as three bookselling events, The Poetry Corner, which are part of local fundraisers, in July and December, giving published poets with new books each year a chance to sell their books to a local audience.
Growing up, Steven was always involved in the creative arts. He did artwork, music, audio recording & producing, as well as the writing of his poems. He now makes use of those talents in his publishing and producing.
In the work he publishes through his publishing company, Arrowcloud Press, Steven is a one man company. He does all of the artwork, designs and layouts for all the books he publishes. He does all the artwork and designs for the advertising and promotional materials for the events he produces and hosts. He personally videotapes his events, which he then posts on his YouTube channel.
Presently, Steven is focused on publishing books, recording original music and drum rhythms for his poems (often using local musicians to help), perfecting his performances, continuing to produce and host local poetry events and utilizing his vast experience to help other poets, artists and musicians, as well as local charities, benefits and causes. He has hosted readings and open mics in both California and Oregon, for more than thirty years.
He currently produces and hosts BURNIN' DOWN THE BARNES, a monthly literary reading & performance series at the Eugene Barnes & Noble Bookstore, as well as three bookselling events, The Poetry Corner, which are part of local fundraisers, in July and December, giving published poets with new books each year a chance to sell their books to a local audience.
Growing up, Steven was always involved in the creative arts. He did artwork, music, audio recording & producing, as well as the writing of his poems. He now makes use of those talents in his publishing and producing.
In the work he publishes through his publishing company, Arrowcloud Press, Steven is a one man company. He does all of the artwork, designs and layouts for all the books he publishes. He does all the artwork and designs for the advertising and promotional materials for the events he produces and hosts. He personally videotapes his events, which he then posts on his YouTube channel.
Presently, Steven is focused on publishing books, recording original music and drum rhythms for his poems (often using local musicians to help), perfecting his performances, continuing to produce and host local poetry events and utilizing his vast experience to help other poets, artists and musicians, as well as local charities, benefits and causes. He has hosted readings and open mics in both California and Oregon, for more than thirty years.
~Stage Production ~
Here are just a few of the shows Steven worked on during his stage career:
Here are just a few of the shows Steven worked on during his stage career:
Live Theatre Productions --
Broadway Shows:
Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, City Of Angels, Evita, Cats.
Ballet Companies:
The Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet.
Opera:
Placido Domingo's Los Angeles Opera Company.
Television Productions --
Sit-coms:
Who's The Boss, Married With Children, All In The Family, Silver Spoons.
Game Shows:
The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, Hollywood Squares, The Gong Show, Press Your Luck.
Soap Operas:
General Hospital, Days Of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless.
Awards Shows:
The Academy Awards (Oscars), Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Country Music Awards.
Concerts/Rock & Roll/Live Music Productions --
Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, The Moody Blues, The Eagles,
Pink Floyd (The Wall & Division Bell tours), Crosby-Stills-Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Santana, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Phil Collins.
And, of course, as mentioned earlier, Steven danced on television in the 1960s, during high school. He was a regular dancer on American Bandstand (with Dick Clark) and Shebang (with Casey Kasem). Other television shows he danced on were Lloyd Thaxton, 9th Street West and Where The Action Is.
Broadway Shows:
Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, City Of Angels, Evita, Cats.
Ballet Companies:
The Bolshoi Ballet, Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet.
Opera:
Placido Domingo's Los Angeles Opera Company.
Television Productions --
Sit-coms:
Who's The Boss, Married With Children, All In The Family, Silver Spoons.
Game Shows:
The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, Hollywood Squares, The Gong Show, Press Your Luck.
Soap Operas:
General Hospital, Days Of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless.
Awards Shows:
The Academy Awards (Oscars), Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Country Music Awards.
Concerts/Rock & Roll/Live Music Productions --
Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, The Moody Blues, The Eagles,
Pink Floyd (The Wall & Division Bell tours), Crosby-Stills-Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Santana, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Phil Collins.
And, of course, as mentioned earlier, Steven danced on television in the 1960s, during high school. He was a regular dancer on American Bandstand (with Dick Clark) and Shebang (with Casey Kasem). Other television shows he danced on were Lloyd Thaxton, 9th Street West and Where The Action Is.
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Past & Present—Steven 1969 - 2006 - 2016