Born: September 6, 1934 –  Enid, Oklahoma
Died: April 17, 2012

J. Quinn Brisben, poet, J. Quinn Brisben  had been contributing poems to periodicals since 1967. He also wrote stories and contributed literally hundreds of articles, essays, and reviews to a wide variety of publications. He frequently lectured on cultural and political subjects. Born in Enid, Oklahoma, in 1934, he was schooled there and at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He held a wide variety of jobs before beginning his public school teaching career in 1959.

He taught for thirty-two years, mostly high school history and social studies in inner city Chicago schools. He has traveled to every US state and 38 foreign countries. He was a veteran of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and many other progressive causes and is currently active for the rights of disabled persons. He was the Socialist Party USA candidate for president of the United States in 1992. He has been married since 1955 to the artist Andrea Brisben, whose Changing Woman Designs needlepoint canvases are in over 200 shops nationwide. They have two grown children and three grandchildren. For an autobiography.