About

Tim J. Myers is a writer, songwriter, storyteller, visual artist, and Teaching Professor Emeritus at Santa Clara University in Silicon Valley. His children’s books have been recognized by the New York Times, NPR, and the Smithsonian, with 21 traditionally-published. He’s placed over 150 poems, won a first prize in a poetry contest judged by John Updike, has five books of adult poetry out, published a fatherhood book, won a major prize in science fiction, and has 50 visual artworks in journals or on websites. He won the West Coast Songwriters Saratoga Chapter Song of the Year and the 2012 SCBWI Magazine Award for Fiction. www.TimMyersStorySong.com
https://www.facebook.com/TimJMyers1
Twitter: @TMyersStorySong
https://www.instagram.com/tmyersstorysong/

Featured Work

All the Fierce Complexities of Hunger (full-length poetry volume)

2020
Cover photo by Tim J. Myers

Poetry, as many have said or intimated, is words set to a kind of music--and that makes it, often enough, a natural repository for human desire. The heart responds mysteriously but forcefully to rhythm and tone, in words as much as in actual song, and in so doing often reveals its fundamental orientation to wanting and seeking. That’s the basis for my full-length poetry collection All the Fierce Complexities of Hunger.

Other Works

Awards and Recognition

  • Basho and the River Stones. Available from Schoslastic Book Clubs as of 2006. A Junior Library Guild selection, June, 2004. Excellent reviews in The New York Times, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and a starred review in School Library Journal. NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book 2005. Adapted and performed as a play by the Bret Harte Elementary School After-School Theater Project, Burbank, CA, May 2006. Selected for use in the “Character-Based Literacy Program” of the Markula Center for Applied Ethics of Santa Clara University; the program currently serves over 10,000 elementary students at 350 sites in California. Also selected for the Markula Center’s “Build. Plant. Grow,” an inter-generational, inter-denominational character-education program, currently in use by 35 churches and schools. One of three nominated books for the California Young Reader Medal 2007-2008. #1 on Fupping.com's "The Very Best Books for Children.
  • Nominated for the Santa Clara University Louis and Dorina Brutocao Award for Teaching Excellence, “the university’s most prestigious teaching award.” 2024.
  • Hackworth Faculty Grant, Santa Clara University (Winter 2023). $5000 for recordings songs from my musical Kasia and the Snowdrops for submission to theaters. Bannan Integration Grant, Santa Clara University (Winter 2023). $3000 for musical equipment, for the musical Kasia and the Snowdrops. Lecturer Professional Activity Grant, Santa Clara University (Winter 2022). $900 for professional-level acoustic guitar, for the musical Kasia and the Snowdrops. Lecturer Professional Activity Grant, Santa Clara University (Spring 2022). $2000 for digital recording equipment, for the musical Kasia and the Snowdrops.
  • 1973 First Place Hallmark National Poetry Contest; “The Husband,” judged by John Updike.
  • 1987 Second Place, International Bulwer-Lytton Contest; San Jose State University, San Jose, California.
  • The McMasters Prize for Historical Writing (for essay “Plattsburgh: A History of Voices”). Clinton County Historical Association. 1996.
  • Story “Julie at the Fountain” (originally appeared in Odyssey Magazine) featured in entirety on New York Regents Fourth-Grade English Language Arts Test. (Winter, 1999). Picture book Let’s Call Him Lauwiliwili... featured on the children’s television show “Gribich & Friends,” American Independent Network. (Winter 1997). New edition with accompanying CD.
  • “Brother Jubal in the Womb of Silence,” (SF) Third Place, L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. ($500, all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles for week-long workshop and awards ceremony in 2001). (Summer, 2000). Story appears in Writers of the Future anthology #16. Infinite Space, Infinite God (anthology of Catholic science fiction that includes "Brother Jubal in the Womb of Silence") won an Eppie in Science Fiction 2007, from EPIC (the Electronic Published Internet Connection).
  • Basho and the Fox: #10 on The New York Times best-seller list for children’s books (11/5/00) and chosen by Smithsonian Magazine as a notable book for children for 2000. 2001 Honor Title, Storytelling World Award, Category 2: Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners (“in recognition of highest quality storytelling resources”). Irma Black Honor Book, 2001, Bank Street College of Education. Children’s Literature Choice List, 2001. Children’s Book Council “Not Just For Children Anymore” List, 2002. Los Angeles’ 100 Best Books, 2000, Library Services, Los Angeles Unified School District, and Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association. Excellent 2003 Choice of Trade Books for Grades K-9, compiled by Marilyn Carpenter Ph.D., Eastern Washington University. Archived Recommendation K-2 by PBS Teacher Resource (www.pbs.org). Also earned great reviews from Daniel Pinkwater on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” (read aloud, 9/2/00), The Horn Book, SLJ, Book List, Foreword Magazine.
  • Tanuki’s Gift: Excellent boxed review with art in the New York Times Review of Books, 9-21-03. Included as a 2003 “Best Book of the Year,” Nick Jr. Family Magazine. Irma Black Honor Book, 2003, Bank Street College of Education. “Excellent 2003 Choices of Trade Books for Grades K-9,” Marilyn Carpenter Ph.D., Eastern Washington University (http://cehd.ewu.edu/faculty/mcarpenter/Booklist/2003.html). “Japan Mythology Top 100 Best-Selling Books” (www.orientalgate.org). PBS Teacher Resource Recommended Book, 2003. A 2004 Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice winner. Asian Pacific American Honor for Literature Children’s and YA 2004. "Light One Little Candle" Suggest Book List (www.lightonelittlecandle.org).
  • Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates. Featured on "Superpowered and Empowered" summer 2021 reading list from the Children's Book Council ( https://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc_book/yao-bai-and-the-egg-pirates-4/ ). Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates. A Storytelling World Resource Award: Honor Book, "Stories for Pre-Adolescent Listeners," Storytelling World Magazine 2/20/2020 (http://storytellingworld.com/2020/ ). Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates. Featured on "Beyond the Page," Children's Book Council 5/4/19. https://www.cbcbooks.org/2019/05/03/beyond-the-page-tim-myers/ Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates. A "Hot Off the Presses" book choice, Children's Book Council 4/1/19 (https://www.cbcbooks.org/cbc_book/yao-bai-and-the-egg-pirates/). “Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates"” (Cricket, May/June 2012): SCBWI 2013 Magazine Merit Award for Fiction, Runner-Up.
  • “Glimpsing Tokyo” (essay). Nominated for a Pushcart Prize by the Kyoto Journal, November, 2004.
  • “Rock Takes a Name" (Storyworks, November, 2004). Finalist, Distinguished Achievement Award, Children’s Fiction Periodicals; Association of Educational Publishers, 2005. Reprinted in Glencoe's "Backpacker Reader, Grade 6, Book 1," enrichment text for middle school literature program; Glencoe/McGraw Hill.
  • “Arthur’s Toys” (Cicada, March 2005): SCBWI 2005 Magazine Merit Award Runner-up.
  • "The Peasant Prince" (Cricket Magazine, serialized December 2005 and January 2006): Nominated by Marianne Carus and the Cricket staff for the IRA's 2006 Paul A. Witty Short Story Award from the International Reading Association.
  • “Hannah's First Story” (Spider, March 2011): SCBWI 2012 Magazine Merit Award for Fiction.
  • Glad to Be Dad: A Call to Fatherhood. #5 on the Amazon "Hot New Releases in Fatherhood" list, September 2012. Featured on the Parents Magazine website (Parents.com) as a "Moms Must Read," (including author interview). June 2013. Ebook version: Winner of the inaugural (for e-publishing) Ben Franklin Digital Award from the Independent Book Publishers Association. April 2013. https://www.ibpa-online.org/announcing-benjamin-franklin-digital-awards-honorees/ Included in Fupping.com's "19 Books You HAVE to Read Before You Die" (April 2018 )--"The 18 Books Every Young Man Should Read at Least Once in Their Life" (May 21 2018)--"5 Interesting Books Every Wife Should Read"--and "13 Enlightening Books Every Husband Should Read": https://fupping.com/natty/2018/06/30/best-books-5-interesting-books-every-wife-should-read/ https://fupping.com/natty/2018/06/30/best-books-13-enlightening-books-every-husband-should-read/ (https://fupping.com/natty/2018/05/21/the-18-books-every-young-man-sho
  • Excellent review of Dear Beast Loveliness: Poems of the Body in "July 2013 Exemplars: Poetry Reviews by Grace Cavalieri" by poet Grace Cavalieri, Washington Independent Review of Books, retrieved 7/22/2013: http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/features/july-exemplars-poetry-reviews-by-grace-cavalieri.
  • Nectar of Story: Poems: Outstanding Poetry Recognition, Wisconsin Library Association Literary Awards. (Field is over 200 books by Wisconsin authors; up to five selected for Outstanding Poetry). 2015. Nectar of Story: Poems. 2016 Storytelling World Award in the "Special Storytelling Resources" category (March 15 2016). Storytelling World Magazine. http://www.storytellingworld.com/2016/.
  • "First Message." First Prize, Balticon 52 Poetry Contest. Baltimore Science Fiction Society. (Includes publication in the convention souvenir book, the BSFAN, and on the Society's website). 2018.