Best Cleveland Poem

Ray McNiece opens the show, accompanied by Al Moses on guitar
(photo by Geoffrey A. Landis)

On Sunday night ten poets read at the Willoughby Brewing Company to compete for the Best Cleveland Poem Contest, with an evening of poetry (and a little music) MC'd by Cleveland's indefatigable Irish-Slovenian poet Ray McNiece.
The finalist poems for the Best Cleveland Poem were:

• "A Clevelander in Paradise" by Katie Daley
• "Arriving in Cleveland from the East Coast" by Jack McGuane
• "Dreams and Iron Ore" by Geoffrey Landis
• "Shimmer" by Mary A. Turzillo
• "Spring Tease" by Catherine Criswell
• "Hunger" by Theresa Gottl
• "Few Dollar Man" by Dianne Borsenik
• "Cicada Song" by Jeffrey Bowen
• "Waiting For the Muse in Lakeview Cemetery" by John Donoghue
• "Cleveland Poem" by Martin Snyder

And super congrats to poet (and publisher) Dianne Borsenik, who knocked the socks off from the celebrity judges and takes the title of "Best Cleveland Poet" reading her poem "Few Dollar Man."

Dianne Borsenik blew away the judges, and the audience
photo by Tim Misny

Runner-up honors went to Katie Daley for "A Clevelander in Paradise," with Martin Snyder right behind her with "Cleveland Poem" and Mary A. Turzillo in fourth place with "Shimmer."  Great job to all!

Ray McNiece writes: 

It was really wonderful evening, thanks to the judges,  Mike Polk, comedian; Mike McIntyre from the Plain Dealer; Elisa Amigo from Fox 8; and Russ Borski from CSU, and to Celina Colombo and Sarah Johnson LaBarbera for helping to organize, and of course to our sponsor Tim "I'll make them rhyme" Misney... special thanks to Al Moses for backing me up on Love Song for Cleveland.