Broke Stay Broke

Before becoming an educator, Tim Stafford worked as a telemarketer, burger flipper, jiu-jitsu instructor, MMA referee, and print shop lackey. His book, Broke Stay Broke explores the world of the working poor, the world of second jobs, side-hustles, and accumulated debt. Stafford’s poems are filled with insight and humor from someone who has lived through the struggle but still finds time to celebrate the come-ups. Through these poems, Tim illustrates the delicate balancing act of work, relationships, fatherhood, and art. Sometimes he gets it right, sometimes wrong, but the poems are always honest.

＂ Tim Stafford is a poet and educator from Lyons, IL. He is the editor of the ＂＂Learn Then Burn＂＂ anthology series (Write Bloody) and he is the author of the collection ＂＂The Patron Saint of Making Curfew＂＂ (Haymarket Books). As a former Chicago Poetry Slam Champion, he has performed at festivals throughout the US and Europe including the German National Poetry Slam, WOERDZ Festival (Switzerland), and the International Spoken Word Festival (Germany). He currently teaches at a restorative justice-based alternative high school in Cook County, IL and teaches poetry workshops all over the country.＂