All I Need is a Typewriter and a Squeaky Ball

All I Need is a Typewriter and a Squeaky Ball, is the creation of writer/performer Diane Wasnak and her inspirational performing partner, Crikey, a clever Australian Shepherd and squeaky ball devotee. Crikey's poems are a fanciful look at his world from his own doggie point of view. Born with a hearing impairment, it was clear Crikey had to rely on his other senses, especially during his first year of life. Focusing on the sights, the smells, and the tastes of his surroundings, and not so much on the sounds, Crikey began his writing journey. With help from his human guardians, Diane and Barb of Bonzer Productions, Crikey's poetry adheres to no particular cadence or rhyme, but enjoys the startling interruptions of calm, brought on by his two adopted older sisters, Bizzo & Bindi, and the family cat, Cougar, all of whom influenced his poems.

Diane Wasnak is a physical comic, actor, and dog trainer who turned her attention to writing during the pandemic. Observing the offbeat and sometimes mischievous behaviors of her charming Australian Shepherd, Crikey, the two began their poetic journey. Coming from a line of professional writers, Diane pays tribute to her mother, Lynn Wasnak, who wrote for a wide range of publications and created the newsletter, Many Voices Press. She also wishes to honor her grandmother, Iverne Golloway-Koehler, who used various pen names and composed hundreds of children's stories for many publications between 1935-1975.