Martina Newberry

Martina Newberry (born Martina Beverly Reisz, February 20, 1944) is a late 20th (early 21st) century American poet, best known for her accessible, forthright poetry which often characterizes women's lives.

Early life
Martina was born to John & Mary Reisz in Upland, CA. Martina has no brothers or sisters.

Her father, John ("Jack"), was an Hungarian immigrant and one of the first 50 men ever hired at the Kaiser Steel plant in Fontana, California in 1943.

Her mother, Marsha ("Mary"), was an artist, clothes-designer & interior decorator. Her colorful and dramatic personality and frequent lapses into mental illness have been featured in some of Martina's poems.

College Years
Martina entered California State University, San Jose in 1962.
She left in 1963 to marry her first husband. It was during this time (using her married name "Martina Durbin") she published Lima Beans & City Chicken. Martina divorced in 1989.

Currently
In 1990, she met her current husband, Brian Newberry - a videographer and graphic artist. Currently living in Hollywood, California, Martina & Brian share a 1-bedroom apartment with their cat, "Gato".

Her most recently published work is The Banyan & The Alder. This book is published by Arabesques Press, and available through Amazon.com, as are all her books.

Published works

*LIMA BEANS AND CITY CHICKEN: A MEMOIR OF THE OPEN HEARTH.
(a Biography of the Reisz family)

*AN APPARENT, APPROACHABLE LIGHT
(Chapbook, poetry)

*RUNNING LIKE A WOMAN WITH HER HAIR ON FIRE
(poetry)

*NOT UNTRUE AND NOT UNKIND
(poetry)

*THE BANYAN AND THE ALDER
(a conversation in poetry between Newberry and Bam Dev Sharma)

Martina's work has appeared in Ascent Aspirations first Anthology and has been widely published in literary magazines such as: 5 AM, Amelia, Ascent Aspirations, Atom Mind, Bellingham Review, Black Buzzard Review, Cape Rock, Caprice, Catalyst, Connecticut Poetry Review, Context South, Current Accounts, Descant, Haight Ashbury Literary Journal, Hob Nob, i.e., Innisfree, International Poetry Review, Iota, Iowa Woman, The Ledge, My Legacy, New Laurel Review, Passages North, Pedestal Magazine, Piedmont Literary Review, Snake Nation Review, Sonoma Mandala, Sonora Review, Rectangle, Southern Review of Poetry, Touchstone, Visions International, Willow Review ,Women's Work, and Yet Another Small Magazine.

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