M. Benci

Writer, versed in creative arts

About image
Welcome to my website which features my creative work.

I do not blog here. I have a separate site for my blog. I will put the link to my blog at the end of this About section.

I received my Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing/Poetry from Bowling Green State University, where I had earlier received my Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree also in Creative Writing.

During those years at BGSU, I additionally studied visual arts (drawing and painting).

After a teaching career, while in early semi-retirement, I attended Pacifica Graduate Institute where I received my Master of Arts (MA) degree in Depth Psychology in Jungian and Archetypal Studies.

My specialization within DP is as a mythopoetic analyst and writer in the arts which compliments my earlier experiences doing literary explication in the creative writng programs at BGSU,

While teaching, I "moonlighted" as a newspaper journalist primarily in A & E, and also wrote human and community interest stories along with a weekly A & E events column and a community events column.

In my youth and onward, I enjoyed studies in piano, classical through modern and pop. I played for the school choir and for voice soloists at Ohio Music Competitions and played a couple of piano solos there.

In my early youth and onward up to somewhere during my fifteenth year, I studied classical dance (ballet) and had tap lessons for a few years as a young child.

There was a big influence in my life (from my mother) of love of the theater, musicals, and films; there was a big influence in my life (from my father) of love of folklore and folk music Studying folklore, I found my fascination for ancient cultures and ancient mythologies; for instance, I like to think of myself as an amateur (armchair) Egyptologist.

I used to want to study film making and screenplay writing at the LA Film Institute, but there is only so much time one has in any 24 hours or in any whole life, so I never got around to it and so it went to the wayside where it still lives, but as a daydream only.

I have worked with music with children in preschools and developed music curriculum and music and movement sessions.

I have written music, both "world music" and pop music, some of which is copyrighted that I hope to get out there someday that has so far been on the back burner. If you can sing and are really good, contact me please!

I am a published poet, short fiction storyteller, children's book author and illustrator, author of academic papers, and newspaper writer. I am currently writing a novel and building a new arts and pop culture blog here in my website. I've won awards for my poetry and my flash fiction. I won four collegiate awards for my writing.

I am one of the happiest moms and grandmas on earth.

In addition to doing my own creative work, one of my biggest pleasures in life has been promoting the arts and arts education, especially with children and with young adults so that the joy of the arts stays with them throughout their lives. Working with older adults, I am always happy to remind them of the joy once experienced through literature and music and visual arts--in case they have forgotten.

Now I am mostly retired, but not completely. I still work with libraries doing creative program events in the literary, musical, and visual arts,

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Some people ask me about the connection between the arts and writing and depth psychology, as I also studied Jungian and Archetypal Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. I find that a "text" can be a book or article or poem, a visual piece of art, a piece of music and/or a dance, and even a scene in nature or a landscape can be read as text. I had years of experience in creative writing workshops, poetics, literary (poetry and fiction) explication, and teaching literary analysis, and found that depth psychological mythopoetic analysis walks hand in hand with these things, with Analytical Psychologist C.J. Jung and world-reknowned Mythologist Joseph Campbell.

Thank you for visiting my site,
Marianne














The Man in the Moon

Children's Book (2011)

When we are little our parents point out to us the eyes, nose, and mouth of the moon and tell us that is the face of The Man in the Moon. This book is about the legendary character called The Man in the Moon. In these pages we see that The Man in the Moon is a good guy who wants good things for us. While it is a bedtime story for younger children, older children might enjoy it too. Second edition coming in 2023.

A Child's Edenic Dream: The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker Ballet

Paper (2015)

https://www.depthinsights.com/Depth-Insights-scholarly-ezine/a-childs-edenic-dream-dance-of-the-sugar-plum-fairy-in-the-nutcracker-balletby-mary-ann-bencivengo/

Pandora Addresses Evil, With Regrets

Poem (1986)

Poem Published in Depth Insights Magazine, Issue 8 Fall-Winter 2016, p. 57. LINK: https://issuu.com/bonniebright/docs/depthinsights-issue8-fallwinter2015

Winter Snow

Poem (From 1978)

This was the first poem I ever got published. I wrote it in my junior year in high school. It was published in The Firelands Arts Review of Firelands campus of BGSU.

Library Video Presentation: "Hansel and Gretel's Perilous Journal and Why We Love Scary Stories" (LINK)

This is a recent video presentation I did for the Sandusky Library, Sandusky, OH as posted on YouTube. This one addresses the violence in Hansel and Gretel for an adult audience.

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Library Video Presentation: "Ashputtle: The Grim Gruesome Version of  'Cinderella'" (LINK)

This is one of my recent presentations on fairy tales I did with the Sandusky Library as posted on YouTube about the violence in different versions of Cinderella, for an adult audience.

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Huron Storytellers 2013 - Ep. 03: Death and Peach Brandy with Mary Ann Bencivengo

Death and Peach Brandy (A very short short story) on You Tube with the Huron Public Library Storytellers

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Poem for Ganesha

The given poem was forwarded by Mary to JCF MRT Group of Mumbai as blessings and good wishes. In India; we start any auspicious activity by worshiping Lord Ganesha. Thus the poem was shared and read before starting 1st session of JCF MRT Group of Mumbai; India. We do not claim copyrights of this video. The background music is "New Beginnings by Future World Music" and the Poem is written by "Mary Ann Bencivengo." --Sindhu Veda Research Institute

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  • Huron, Ohio, United States

If you would like to sincerely contact me, feel free to email me. Leave a detailed message so I kniwi it's not one of those one-word harassment scams. No scammers, no unsolicited ads; peas please, appease and thank you, ~mBenci

There is no registration for this event--you simply show up! It is free and open to the public.

Huron Library Piano Performance

Sunday at the Library Music Event with Friends of the Huron Library. I will be playing standards from classical through modern popular music, featuring love songs in celebration of Valentine's Day.


  • Date: 2/12/2023 03:00 PM - 2/12/2023 04:00 PM
  • Location: 333 Williams Street, Huron, OH, USA (Map)
  • More Info: Front lobby

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