James Eret was born and raised in Hammond, Indiana. He spent four years in the US Navy and is a Vietnam Veteran. He graduated from University of Chicago at Chicago Circle with a BFA degree. At the university he studied poetry with Poet Paul Carroll and Drawing with Artist Irene Siegel. He is one of the founding members of Another Chicago Magazine. James’ poems have appeared in Paterson Literary Review, Spillway, Blue Collar Review, Iodine Review, Naugatuck River Review, Del Sol Review, City Works, The Poetry Conspiracy, The Art of Being Human, Ibettssen Review, and many other magazines and anthologies. James Has published Balboa Park Poets, Cultural Shadows Somehow We Survive, Osceola, and written one novel, Boatswain Mate. He was the Featured Poet at the 1997 Nami Conference in San Diego, advocating rights for those with mental disabilities. He has had Art shows in San Diego and Joshua Tree and worked as Writing Director, Teacher, and mentor for the Creative Arts Consortium in San Diego. He currently works in San Diego Unified School District. James Has Six sisters and three brothers. He is married and has three sons.