welcome to the site!

You will find info about my past achievements, my current activities and my creative services company, Cytopoetics, in these pages.

Follow the linx to learn more about the monthly poetry slam series I co-founded, Capital Slam, or to find out more about organizations, poets, community groups and publications of interest and relevance to my work and volunteer activities.

Feel free to navigate and I hope you enjoy the site!

A. Gregory Frankson, B.A., B.Ed.
a.k.a. Ritallin

Scribology: A Celebration of Music & Spoken Word
Friday, February 27 @ Library and Archives Canada
Featuring Young Griot Collective (Ottawa), Kalmunity Vibe Collective (Montreal) & The Fugitives (Vancouver)

Read John W. Macdonald's blog and view photos!

Thank you to everyone who attended, and for those who didn't, you missed the SHOW OF THE YEAR! Make sure to catch Scribology 2010 ... details coming soon!

What they're saying about Cerebral Stimulation:

"Frankson's first book will stimulate more that just your mind. His poetry and rhymes ultimately reveal a passionate man who is seeking love of others, and love of self. A successful debut." 
- John Akpata, 2005 Ottawa Capital Slam champion

"By the time you finish the book, you will find yourself stimulated, and in need of more Ritallin; one of the newest and freshest voices on Canada's spoken word landscape." 
- Dwayne Morgan, winner of the Canadian Urban Music Award for Best Spoken Word Recording

In "Cerebral Stimulation", a new book of poetry by A. Gregory Frankson (aka Ritallin), words are just the beginning. Black ink on white paper. What you have to do with this book is listen ... hear the feet tappin' on the stage, feel the rhythm of struggling to live and tryin' to make sense of what gets thrown at everyday people standing on the street or staring out their windows ... Ritallin's a drug. A. Gregory Frankson's a voice to be heard. Get yourself some.
- Donna Gagnon, Canadian playwright, fiction writer and poet

Buy now through Amazon.com!

Ritallin is involved in the international mental health movement

Using his art to educate and inform people, as well as to project the voices of people dealing with mental health issues in a way that is respectful to the dignity of survivors, Ritallin has posted important info about mental health on his page. Look out for more information on this in the coming months ...

ritallin in the media - news and articles
| 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |

2008

Thousands protest tuition fees (video)
       Ottawa Sun Online, November 5, 2008
Music poetry to the ears
       Ottawa Sun, October 22, 2008
Buffy Sainte-Marie returns to Ottawa
       Ottawa Citizen, March 5, 2008
Re: A call for Ottawa laureates
       Ottawa Citizen, January 3, 2008

2007

OFL Convention - Laurie Fryer
       CEP Local 975, November 2007
L-O-Y-A-LIST hearts Ritallin!
       Loyalist PR Blog, October 5, 2007
Everything is Poetry
       Into the World blog, September 29, 2007
Review: Antizario @ The Mercury Lounge
       UpFront Magazine, July 2007 issue
Spoken Word as an Expatriate
       Broken Pencil magazine, Issue 35
Queen's recognized at Ottawa event ...
       Queen's Gazette, March 12, 2007
Viewpoint: Excellence and nobility
       Queen's Gazette, March 12, 2007
Nostalgica stage melds youthful vibe ...
       City Journal online, January 22, 2007
Blend of pro and amateur comics ...
       City Journal online, January 7, 2007

2006

Local breaker spreads hip hop positivity
       City Journal online, December 15, 2006
Souljazz shifts gears
       City Journal online, November 17, 2006
Working overtime on the open mic ...
       City Journal online, November 1, 2006
Poetry in motion
       The Express, August 17-23, 2006
Poetry of Politics (by George Elliott Clarke)
       Halifax Chronicle-Herald, July 16, 2006
Westfest's cultural army
       Ottawa Xpress, June 8, 2006
Interview with Ritallin a.k.a. Greg Frankson
       Re:verse - A Zine for Young Poets
WESTFEST - A Festival for the Senses
       Soul Shine Magazine, June 2006
Poets 'slam' Capital in year's final event
       Centretown News, March 17, 2006
Federal grants pure poetry for spoken word artists
       Capital News Online, March 17, 2006
Martin, Malcolm and Mandela strike again     
       Rabble.ca, February 27, 2006
Capital Slam and awareness
       The Charlatan, February 9, 2006
AMS Elections nostalgia
       Queen's Journal, February 3, 2006
An equal art form
       Halifax Daily News, January 19, 2006
Queen's grads of every political stripe
       Queen's Journal, January 17, 2006

2005

Wham, bam, thank you poetry slam
        The Charlatan, August 25, 2005
The long walk to progress
        Queen's Journal, July 26, 2005
Power of the word worth celebrating
        Ottawa Sun, March 11, 2005
Frankson Talks Diversity
        Queen's Journal, February 18, 2005
A Challenge for Change (editorial)
        Queen's Journal, February 18, 2005

2004

Slam, bam, thank you ma'am poetry
        Ottawa Sun, December 9, 2004
Wordlympics through the eyes of a pro
        Ottawa Xpress, October 7, 2004

This page was last updated by Ritallin on 02/28/2009