Jason “Blackbird” Selman is a Montreal born poet, trumpet player and community worker. He is the author of The Freedom I Stole (2007, Cumulus Press) and Africa As A Dream That Travels Through My Heart (2016, Howl) and co-editor of the poetry anthology Talking Book (2006, Cumulus Press), which chronicles the writings of Kalm Unity Vibe Collective (of which he is a founding member). He has done extensive poetry workshops in schools and community groups across the Montreal area. His work is grounded in the themes of ethnomusicology, surrealist expression, love, and the intersection of masculinity and emotional vulnerability.