"Original is the poet who originates himself." - Ary dos Santos

"I go only where my own steps will take me." - José Régio, in "Black Chant" ("Cântico Negro")

 OneLight*® is the symbol of a concept born and evolving from a shared perception that true wholeness, in Life as in Art, is attainable only through respected, encouraged, and cherished individuality.

-- © 2008 OneLight*®  Authors & Creations - All Rights Reserved

Alexandra Oliveira was born and raised in the North of Portugal, to where she returned after some years spent abroad, and where she currently shares her life and her literary and artistic creations and projects with Joseph Randell Sherman – a published poet and very talented photographer, with several award-winning works.

With Joseph, Alexandra is the co-founder of OneLight*® Authors & Creations, an association of authors and artists sharing one same philosophy: In life, thus in love, as in art, true wholeness is only attainable through respected, cherished, and encouraged individuality. They are also co-authors of award-winning book “Universes Beyond the Visible ~ Elements of Dream”, featuring Joseph’s photography, as well as his own and Alexandra’s poetry and poetic prose in bilingual version (English and Portuguese). Alexandra’s poetry has also been published in the 3rd, 4th and 5th editions (2006, 2007 and 2008) of "ANTOLOGIA DE ESCRITAS" (Anthology of "ESCRITAS") - a yearly compilation of poetic works in the Portuguese language, coordinated by author and literary critic José Félix. More of her poetry and poetic prose appears in the first (released in June 2007) and second (to be released in late May 2008) anthologies of "AMANTE DAS LEITURAS" - a literary community of Portuguese, Brazilian and African authors.

To point out favourite poets or authors is not something easy for Alexandra, a reader of "moods" that can change from style to style, or flow in parallel between completely different or even totally opposed ones, several times along the very same day. Such "moods" have often resulted in avid readings from three, four... and more books, simultaneously; however, in a list that is neither exclusive nor inclusive, she enters names of poets and authors that are always beyond any "moods", such as Eugénio de Andrade, José Régio, David Mourão Ferreira, António Gedeão, Ary dos Santos, Fernando Pessoa, Al Berto, Vicente Aleixandre, or Pablo Neruda, and José Maria Eça de Queirós, Miguel Torga, Aquilino Ribeiro, Laura Esquível, or Jorge Amado.

Alexandra is also a keen painter and illustrator, using diverse media such as pastel crayons, watercolour, Chinese ink and charcoal, among others, and she loves creating digital artworks and photography collages – often using Joseph’s photographic works, but also her own.

Her time, however, is far from being exclusively dedicated to literary and artistic creation. Alexandra’s days are, in fact, divided among many other activities and responsibilities in different areas, such as financial investments management, wine producing – under the commercial brand “Quinta da Lage” ®, after the name of the farm where the family resides, and where the vineyards and winery are installed - and the supervision of a show-jumping yard (four horses currently competing at international level and a retired international Champion).

Alexandra is devoted to animals, and, in Quinta da Lage, where the competition horses share the stables, pastures, and an innovative system of holistic care with other fellow equines and a donkey, many dogs (mostly, abandoned pets, found wandering near the farm), a couple of soon to become the parents of who knows how many guinea-pigs... ;0) and a diversity of exotic birds, have their loving home – and some wild fauna finds a welcoming refuge.

Some more stuff you may enjoy reading about us:

- After Joseph*, our admired fellow author Randall Barfield has now interviewed Alexandra*, thus completing the OneLight*® Authors & Creations interview series! Read Randall's interview of Alexandra* at:

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=5315&id=33920

OneLight*® Author Joseph* (Joseph R. Sherman)

- Awarded poetry prize in the 2007 edition of the Margaret Reid Poetry Prize for Traditional Verse. Read Joseph*’s award-winning set of eight Haiku at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=13386

- Interviewed by Colombia-based American AD fellow author Randall D. Barfield. Read Randall’s interview of Joseph* at http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?AuthorID=5315

(More updates... as soon as possible!)