Bloggers wanted!

We need new blood! The clevelandpoetics blog-- yeah, this here blog, the one you're reading right now this very second-- is looking for some new contributors. It's been three years since we last added any fresh names to the blog team, and, well, ya know, so maybe we're getting a little stale. I've seeing a lot of new faces in the Cleveland poetry community, and it's time we opened up the blog to some new voices to see what you have to say.

You got opinions about the Cleveland poetry scene, about poetry, about writing, about our rust-enshrouded, poem-encrusted city? Or, maybe you hate what you see here, and tell all your friends "I could write better 'n that, why don't they let me in?" You think you might wanna join the quixotic collective of lovable misfits that we call "the clevelandpoetics staff infection"? Well, we want you! Yes, you! Now's your chance! Let's see what you got!

If you'd like to join the blogging team here at clevelandpoetics, we're open: leave a note in the comments, or drop me an email at clevelandpoetics@ironangels.net and say so!

No rules, no hours, no salesman will call, no pay. Join the team!

Reality, take it or leave it

"What is reality anyway! It's nothing but a collective hunch."

--Jane Wagner

"Reality is what you can get away with."

--Robert Anton Wilson

"L'imagination est la seule arme dans la guerre contre la réalité."

--Jules de Gaultier*

"Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?"

--Edgar Allen Poe

‎"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away."
--Philip K. Dick

*"Imagination is our only weapon in the war against reality." --Gaultier

Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest!

The Hessler Street Fair has just announced their 2012 Hessler Street fair poetry contest!

Submit up to five original poems by the deadline of April 14th, 2012 (Shorter poems of one page or less will be favored.) The finalists will be printed in the Hessler Street Fair poetry book, and get a chance to read their poems on the evening of Wednesday, May 9th, at 7pm at Mac’s Backs Books on Coventry. The first, second, and third place winners will then read on May 20th at the Hessler Street Fair.

Best thing about it? No entry fee, and cash prizes! Win everlasting fame (well, locally, anyway). Check the full rules at the Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest page.

And, don't forget to mark your calendar for the May 9th reading at Mac's, and the Hessler Fair itself the weekend of May 19-20. For more, check out the Hessler Street Fair Facebook page. Or the poetry contest Facebook page.

Mary Turzillo reads at the 2011 Hessler Street Fair

Good poetry is boring.

Okay - Geoff's post below got me to thinking.

How much does the audience come into play while you are writing. Do you write with the idea of how your listener (readers) will respond to the work?

How important is it to you that your writing be entertaining?

What are some of your pet peeves from other poets offerings, written and or performance-wise?

The Atlantic Tells us "Why Poetry Should Be More Playful"

The Atlantic sez, Why Poetry Should Be More Playful

Is it really true that "As verse becomes increasingly dry, it's getting more and more irrelevant"?

Is verse becoming increasingly dry?

Well, maybe so. Says Noah Berlatsky in the Atlantic:

"...there doesn't have to be an absolute division between serious poetry and lighter verse. And yet, in practice, the two traditions have diverged radically, as the serious, high-art poetry tradition has retreated into the halls of academia, closed the doors, and then triple-locked them. Even New York school poets like Kenneth Koch and Frank O'Hara, who put a premium on wit and humor not that far divorced from someone like Ogden Nash, do so in a way designed to alienate as large a public as possible."

(... on the other hand, maybe Berlatsky should go to a Lix 'n kix reading some time, or maybe check out tonight's Deep Cleveland reading, to cure him of thinking that poetry is "increasingly dry.")

Poets promoting Poets

For those of you who are Facebookers, you might want to check out the Poets Promoting Poets group.

Good place to find out what's going on in local poetry, and for poets to promote poets.

Oprah's List of Best Books of 2011

Oprah.com has published a list of the best poetry books of 2011--all five of them, answering the question "Who are today's best and brightest new poets?"

Space in Chains
By Laura Kasischke
Copper Canyon Press

Devotions
By Bruce Smith
Phoenix Poets

Core Samples from the World
By Forrest Gander
New Directions

The Chameleon Couch
By Yusef Komunyakaa
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Kingdom Animalia
By Aracelis Girmay
BOA Editions, Ltd.

Now, while I don't want to knock any of these poets, to claim that any of them are "new" poets is a little misleading. No bother...the purpose of this post is not to knock Oprah.com's misappellations, but to propose a discussion experiment. Would anyone be up for reading and reviewing, book group style, these five books publicly? Not only would this help churn up some discussion, but also might prove to be educational as well. I've ordered Space in Chains from the library; there are three in the Cuyahoga system, half a dozen in OhioLink and SearchOhio equally, so plenty for a group discussion. Who's up for reading a book of poetry a week and discussing it publicly?

Poets of the Cosmos

Exploring the Cosmos, a new trifold brochure of "minimalist" science poetry, edited by David C. Kopaska-Merkel, is now up on the Science Fiction Poetry Association's web page. 19 super-short poems commenting or celebrating science:

"Some of the science poems in Exploring the Cosmos are scifaiku, some are not. Collectively they explore scientists, scientific discovery, the nature of humanity, and (of course) the future.”

I should mention that there are two local poets represented, me with one poem, and Mary Turzillo with two. (Some of the earlier SFPA trifolds, like The Universe in Three Lines, have featured other area poets, including J. E. Stanley, dan smith, and Joshua Gage.)

Print out a couple of copies (double sided, of course); give them to your friends; trade them with collectors; leave them in your local coffeehouse!

Collect the whole set!

Why poets shouldn't seek agents.

SFWA supports a site called "Writers beware," which tries to maintain warnings against literary scams. A recent post by Victoria Strauss to Writers beware is "Why Poets Should Not Seek Literary Agents"

She writes:

"Beware, therefore, of literary agents whose guidelines indicate that they are looking to represent poets, or who put out calls for poetry collections. Be especially wary if a literary agency claims to specialize in poets. Nearly always, they’re either unscrupulous operators looking to charge a fee, or amateurs who know nothing about the realities of publishing. Even if they don't want to drain your bank account, it's likely that they have no track record of sales to paying publishers of any kind."

Yeah. Especially the part about "literary agencies that claim to specialize in poetry" (yes, believe it or not, there are some!) Give it the credibility test. Ya think they're really going to sell your book for so big an advance that they can make a profit on it? Really? Well, if it's not likely that they'll make a profit off the poetry publishers, just who do you think they're planning to make their money from?

Poetry in China...

Modern poetry in China is dead... or is it?

Battle of words over the future of poetry

(China Daily)

"Poetry is more like a pipe transmitting various emotions in today's society," said Wang Chenlong, 24, former president of the student poets society at Minzu University of China, Beijing.

Wooster Jam 2012 is looking for poets

They're seeking poets (and other artists) for this 2-day festival at the Wayne County Fairgrounds. (I also hear they're willing to assist with travel expenses...) Apply online here. They also request a sample of work emailed to woosterjam@gmail.com. Visit them online for more details. Woosterjam.com

From the Wooster Jam website:

Wooster Jam 2012

The Jam is an end-of-semester celebration of music and the arts that thrive both on and off The College of Wooster campus, consisting of an array of individual artists and ensembles from a myriad of art forms and media. The gathering will take place at the historic Wayne County Fairgrounds on April 20 and 21, using several distinct and non-traditional venues. One may hear an A Capella ensemble, the Ohio Light Opera, the Cedar Valley Cloggers and the best rock music on campus – all at different venues simultaneously. The Jam is a unique fusion of language art sound motion music and interactivity.

We are looking for participation by Visual Artists, Installation Artists, Musicians, Media Artists, Light and Sound Artists, Theatre Artists, Poets, Sculptors, Performance Artists, Laser Artists, Magicians, Electronic Artists, Drummers, Video Makers, Filmmakers, Dancers, Floral Artists, Street Performers, Culinary Artists, Ceramicists, Sculptors, Fire Artists and more to participate in our art event!

We welcome your imagination and ideas.

The Jam is organized by The College of Wooster students at the college’s Center for Entrepreneurship (C4E) under the guidance of James Levin (founding director of Cleveland Public Theatre and Cleveland’s IngenuityFest). Further information about the Jam’s staff and history can be found on our website, listed below.

The Jam will take place from 4:00pm to midnight on Friday April 20, and from noon to 11:00pm on April 21 (in collaboration with the Wooster Ethnic Fair during the afternoon). Free shuttles will transport students from the campus to the Fairgrounds throughout the two days.

It's all I have to bring today--

It's all I have to bring today

It's all I have to bring today –

This, and my heart beside –

This, and my heart, and all the fields –

And all the meadows wide –

Be sure you count – should I forget

Some one the sum could tell –

This, and my heart, and all the Bees

Which in the Clover dwell.

--Emily Dickinson

Happy Valentine's Day, all.

• Love poems from poets. org

why i had to dance / Unexpected Journeys

This weekend in Oberlin. Next weekend in Cleveland.

Lots of places looking for poems...

Lots of places still looking for poems... so what's keeping you from submitting?

• "New Pages "Call for Submissions"
• Poetry Publishers Who Accept Electronic Submissions

Cleveland Poet's Haiku in Lilliput Review

Check out the following. Local poet Dianne Borsenik has a haiku in the weekly update from Issa's Untidy Hut:

http://lilliputreview.blogspot.com/2012/02/diane-borsenik-and-john-stokes.html

Borsenik's haiku is an example of how to make the most out of minimal language. The kigo--"full moon"--refers traditionally to Autumn, a season of slowing down and loss, as well as longing and memory. Borsenik's use of "spill" and "white" connotes the cliche adage, "Don't cry over spilt milk," but successfully navigates around using all but the most spare of allusions. Thus, readers are put into a scene of loss, unresolvable loss perhaps, which is juxtaposed against the austere beauty of light from the full moon. Quite a moving and resonant haiku.

How (Not?) to Read Poetry

Poetry in the Woods on Thursday

At the risk of too much tooting, I'd like to point out the Poetry Back in the Woods reading, at the Shaker Heights Library, Bertram Woods Branch, coming up this Thursday at 7pm.

Shaker Heights Library Events

It'll be featuring some fine poets, namely Joshua Gage, J.E. Stanley, Mary Turzillo, and dan smith. Plus possibly a surprise reader as well.

Uh, I might point out that the reading is not actually in the middle of a forest (not that there's anything wrong with that.) It will be at:

Shaker Heights Public Library,

Bertram Woods Branch

20600 Fayette Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio

(that's off Warrensville Center Road, just south of Shaker Boulevard-- just to the south of the Rapid station at Warrensville, if you're car-free)

Check out the Facebook page.

Poetry in the Woods, I might point out, has been a long-running series at the Shaker Libraries:

the series was started eleven years ago by poet, college teacher, and environmental activist Barry Zucker. After starting the readings at the Bertram Woods library--"Poetry in the Woods"-- the series also included readings at Horseshoe Lake Park ("Poetry Really in the Woods") and readings at the Main Library ("Poetry Not in the Woods.") The series is funded by the Friends of the Shaker Library and, now that it's back at Bertram Woods, it's (what else?) "Poetry Back in the Woods."

Anyway-- be there!

Ohio Poetry Presses

For a long time I've wanted to compile a somewhat comprehensive listing of active Ohio poetry publishers.  For now I'm focusing on print (rather than purely online) publishing, and admittedly some of the following are more active than others. But here's what I've come up with off the top of my head. The list is woefully incomplete, I know, and I'm certain I'll think of a few more to add as soon as I hit the "Publish" button, but I hope you'll help me fill in as many of the missing Ohio poetry presses as possible.  Thank you!

Ashland Poetry Press
Bird Dog Publishing
Bottom Dog Press
Buffalo ZEF
The City Poetry Press
Cleveland State University Press
Crisis Chronicles Press
deep cleveland press
Dos Madres Press
Green Panda Press
Kattywompus Press
Kent State University Press
Kenyon Review
Le Pink-Elephant Press
New Luna Bisonte Prods
NightBallet Press
Oberlin College Press

Ohio State University Press
Ohio University Press & Swallow Press
P2B Press
Pale Horse Press
Pavement Saw Press
Pig Iron Press
The Poet's Haven
Pudding House Publications
Silenced Press
True Colors Press
Two Dollar Radio Books
University of Akron Press
University of Toledo Press
vanZeno Press
Walleyed Press
What's In The Bag Press
Writing Knights Press
Zygote in My Coffee Press

Writing is hard

...even for Dorothy Parker.

"...all I have is a pile of paper covered with wrong words. Can only keep at it and hope..."

52 Cleveland Haiku (52)

One year of haiku:

city turns from white to green,

circles back to white.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Community vs. cash?

In a recent conversation on poetry, one poet told me that community is "absolutely necessary" to her creative process. She was specifically speaking about a close group of a few fellow writers, but since that conversation, I've been mulling over the concept of a poetry "community."

Anyone relatively active in poetry readings in Northeast Ohio would confirm the presence of a poetry "community" in the Cleveland area, and many who attend readings regularly would also probably attest to the importance of such a community. But I'm wondering exactly what aspect (or aspects) of "community" poets feel is necessary to the creative process.

Open mics and regular readings provide an open forum, but doesn't "community" imply more than that. More formalized groups with paid memberships--like the lately departed Lit--provide workshops, classes, and regular publications, but many of those groups seem to be struggling, or like The-Lit, going under. It's easy to blame it on the economy--people don't have the money to pay for writing association memberships right now. But I have to wonder if such groups might also be going under because they're becoming obsolete, no longer meeting the needs of poets in 2012.

So now I'm wondering if you would pay for membership in a poetry organization, and what perks you consider to be worth the price of a paid membership. Or do informal gatherings provide you with everything you feel you need in a creative community for free?

(In the interest of full-disclosure, this isn't purely a point of personal interest. As current VP of the Ohio Poetry Association, I'm genuinely interested in feedback on how we could make formal poetry organizations more relevant to members and potential members and what you, as poets, feel are the needs among NE Ohio writers that are not being met right now.)

52 Cleveland Haiku (51)

Pale thin grey line

separating the lake from sky

before New Year's dawn.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Oprah on Poetry (or poets at least)

I just found this, and wonder if anyone else saw this last year:

http://www.oprah.com/style/Spring-Fashion-Modeled-by-Rising-Young-Poets/

I don't know if I'm jealous of these young women for having Oprah's glitter dust scattered their way, or upset that they had to use their bodies, not their words, to obtain said glitter dust, but either way, I think it says something about our culture when the only way poets can receive attention is by modelling clothes well outside the salaries of most poets.

A Visit from the Poetry Police - Year End Edition

Some of the Best of the Year Links:

http://articles.sfgate.com/2011-12-25/books/30553745_1_poem-titles-devotions-robert-pinsky

SF GATE

http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/books/2011/12/18/best-poetry-books/EMwDBZdDcYcbfbVNhLyh6L/story.html

Boston Globe

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/29/144197310/truth-and-beauty-2011s-best-american-poetry

NPR

http://www.rochester.edu/College/translation/threepercent/index.php?id=3175

The 2011 BTBA Poetry Finalists

The Poetry Foundation (including two different CSU titles)

A link to some e-poetry free chapbooks

Argotist ebooks.

Shooting at Penguins

So, apparently the new Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry, selected and edited by Rita Dove-- former US Poet Laureate, not to mention Akron home-town girl--has been attracting some vicious reviews over her choice of which poets, and which poems, represent the 20th century, centered on Helen Vendler's slam review in The New York Review of Books, asking “Why are we being asked to sample so many poets of little or no lasting value?"

Enough fire has been drawn to attract the attention of the Chronicle of Higher Education: ("Bloodletting Over an Anthology").

John Olsen, in the Tillalia Chronicles, calls the anthology flightless, and says "The Penguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry is such a travesty, why bother to say anything about it at all?" He goes on to comment "in view of what a hideous and psychotic landscape the United States has become, should it be that surprising that an anthology of American poetry would exclude, oh, I don’t know, Howl?"

In the Kenyon Review’s blog, poet Amit Majmudar suggests that the problem is that "its title is at odds with its nature." He suggests that the volume might have been fine if it were just Dove's selections of poems she liked, but for an anthology with pretense to some scholarly value as an overview of the century, “the volume comes to seem biased to the point of scholarly unreliability.”

Inclusivity, exclusivity... is it really a "dubious and incoherent selection from the country’s last century of verse."?

Whoa. So much attention! Everybody loves it when poets fight.