Melanie served as the Perry County Poet Laureate from 2005-2006 and has published in over 180 newspapers, magazines, and poetry journals; her poems have been featured on state and local television shows and over fifty poetry radio programs. She has been a featured artist at various Pennsylvania colleges, high schools, and landmarks including but not limited to; The Harrisburg Capitol (aired by PCN Television in which First Lady Susan Corbett presented), and was an opening poet for Camille Erice's political campaign for City Council. She has also read for the Pennsylvania State Museum, National Poetry Month at the Degenstein Community Library with presentations by State Rep. Lynda Schlegel-Culver and Sunbury mayor David Persing. Her awards include a Sophie Award, Finalist in the Richard Savage Poetry Award (Bloomsburg University), Perry County Poet Laureate (2005-2006), a Vermont Writers Studio Award, a Pushcart Prize Nomination, Marquis Who's Who of The World, Cambridge Who's Who of Women in Publication, Poet of the Week (Poetry Superhighway), and an Evvy Award nomination for Waking the Muse (best self-published book in the poetry category). She is a President and Founder of the Association of Pennsylvania Poet's Laureate (founded 2006) and a member of the World Poetry Society and The Daughters of the American Revolution. Of note her family history includes such noted individuals as her Uncle, a two-time Pulitzer prize-winning war journalist, Patrick Sloyan (Newsday), Frederick Watts (The Father of Penn State University), former Chilean Diplomat, Fred Purdy (Santiago, Chile) and by way of family oral tradition her father, George Melvin (a landscape artist of Scottish and Chiricahua Apache background) who claimed to descend from the Chiricahua Apache leader, Geronimo. Key events included a reading at the Pennsylvania Governor's Mansion and a second televised presentation of "A Gathering of Laureates" organized by Ms. Simms from the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Ms. Simms can be reached for readings and poetry workshops via her website at www.poetmelaniesimms.wordpress.com or via her email at sirenbliss@gmail.com