Tohm Bakelas works as a social worker in a psychiatric hospital. He was born in New Jersey, lives there, and will die there. Before turning to poetry, he was involved in the New Jersey punk and hardcore scene, fronting several bands including Four Fingers and Permanent Tension. He is the author of 24 poetry chapbooks and collections of poetry. His Between Shadows Press has published hundreds of chapbooks for writers all around the world, making him a one-man literary revolution. He believes poetry should remain accessible and dangerous.