Isabeau Vollhardt received her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and English Composition from the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, in 1980, where she studied Novel Writing with Charles Johnson, the Philosophy of Science Fiction with Michelle Beer, and Existentialism with Eva Hagemeyer, who introduced her to the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke which led to her first poetic writings. She was also introduced in English Literature classes to the poetry of e.e. cummings. During her second year of Russian Language study she wrote a few poems in Russian as well. After graduation, her work in the music industry introduced her to the poetry of Laurie Anderson.
Her first e-book publications are in the science fiction/detective genre: the short story series The Casebook of Elisha Grey, originally begun in 1989, set aside until redrafting in 2011, and currently published with nine volumes and the tenth in progress. Her latest e-book and paperback, “Songs for the Water Dragon� are poetic chronicles of metaphysical and psychic experiences directly related to shui long (water dragon) qi gong practice begun in 1999 through instruction by Sergey Yakushenkov, Anthropology Professor at the University of Astrakhan, Russia. That set of poems also serves as a diary regarding her experience during the practice.
The remaining poems (save one) result from a byproduct of shui long practice – which requires working with cold water, fire (in my case, circumstances required using the sun) and wind – that byproduct being not only psychic and metaphysical growth but also expanded creativity. The newest poem, written and redrafted over the past few years, is the result of meditation and journeywork following physical symptoms related to a full episode of autoimmune disease, leading to the recall of childhood sexual abuse within the family.
Energy work and intuitive work within several disciplines have been part of her personal and professional life since 1985, encompassing study of Kuang Ping style taijiquan, shuilong qi gong, feng shui, clairvoyancy, Western Astrology, Native American journeywork, Chinese Medicine, Reiki, and Iai-Batto-Ho. She resides in Ashland, Oregon, where she has been in private practice for over 20 years.
