Seraph (born Howard Treadwell), is a New York native hailing from Mastic and Buffalo, New York. He first began writing because it was needed as a release from his abusive childhood and it soon became necessary for him to purge himself of the demons he faced in his life. Though he considered his writing experiences to be somewhat cathartic it would never quite get rid of his darker innermost thoughts and feelings. For a time the depression drove him to the point of attempted suicide on several occasions. This time in his life gave him a darker view of life and oftentimes you can see the influences in his writing dealing more with the grittier side of the human condition. His study of psychology, history and philosophy allow him see things from various perspectives as well.
At age 15, Howard began reading at open mics and began getting noticed for his original style of poetry and was soon introduced to Ntare Ali Gault of Buffalo, NY. Gault, a professional spoken word artist took Howard under his wing and helped to groom him into one of the hottest poets in the region. By being a part of the performance troupe known as the Njozi Poets Seraph began to find an even more powerful voice and began developing into a better artist. He earned a spot on the Buffalo national slam team for two consecutive years (2006 & 2007), and became the city's Grand Slam Champion in 2006.
Seraph believes that poetry should be an experience that envelops every sense and by performing it allows him to share his experiences with his audience and if he can connect with one person then he is satisfied. He has participated in various slams and readings touching and blazing stages from Toronto to Baltimore. He has been honing his craft as well as participating in the annual Brothers Perspective showcases. Howard performs for a myriad of audiences from schools to college campuses and weddings, young and old..
He has recently become a member of the Spoken Word/Hip-hop group 21 Poetz as well as a member of Latino Group El Grito De Poetas. He believes that through the spoken word be it on stage or in a cypher, universes are built and destroyed in the space of a word, so life must be born constantly when words are spoken.