a place for cleveland's writers and readers

Poetry in the Woods on Thursday

2012-01-23T22:39:00.005-05:00

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

2012-01-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-16T12:20:00.002-05:00

...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)

2012-01-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

One year of haiku:

city turns from white to green,

circles back to white.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Community vs. cash?

2012-01-03T20:41:00.007-05:00

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)

2012-01-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

Pale thin grey line

separating the lake from sky

before New Year's dawn.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Oprah on Poetry (or poets at least)

2012-01-01T13:34:00.002-05:00

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

2011-12-31T12:18:00.012-05:00

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

2011-12-26T23:13:00.004-05:00

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.

52 Cleveland Haiku (50)

2011-12-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

In winter darkness

Christmas lights in red and blue

glitter in the rain.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Hoping for a Happy Christmas, Cleveland!

2011-12-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

Peace on Earth, good will to men

... and hoping that, whichever holiday you may choose to celebrate, all your wishes come true.

52 Cleveland Haiku (49)

2011-12-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

Ice on the puddles;

my fingertips cold

even through my gloves.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Smile, it's a Simile

2011-12-17T18:43:00.003-05:00

"John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met."

Check out the 56 best/worst similes evah.

These were identified "as having been written by high schoolers", although in fact they actually originate from the Washington Post's Style International Analogy contest. Still, how can you argue with this:

"It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall."

"The baseball player stepped out of the box and spit like a fountain statue of a Greek god that scratches itself a lot and spits brown, rusty tobacco water and refuses to sign autographs for all the little Greek kids unless they pay him lots of drachmas."

New 2nd Wednesday poetry series in Cuyahoga Falls

2011-12-14T16:15:00.003-05:00

52 Cleveland Haiku (48)

2011-12-11T22:50:00.000-05:00

Raindeer skeletons

draped with wire and tiny lights

slowly turn their heads

--Geoffrey A. Landis

How to become famous

2011-12-10T00:27:00.002-05:00

"We're here to conquer American Poetry and suck it dry of all glory and juice."

Jim Behrele explains "Poetry And Ruthless Careerism: How To Become The Most Famous Poet In America Overnight."

"Now, you might think that because there are more poets than ever, there might be more opportunities for poets than ever. And you'd be correct. If your fondest wish is to become the next totally obscure minor poet on the block, well, you're probably already successful at that. This literary landscape has proven itself infinitely capable of absorbing countless interchangeable artists, all doing roughly the same thing in relative anonymity: just happily plucking away until death at the grindstone, making no great cultural headway, bouncing poems off their friends and an audience of about 40 people. A totally fine little life for an artist, to be sure. No grand expectations from the world to sit up and listen. One can live out one's days quite satisfied to create something enjoyed by a genial cult. But that's not why any of us are here tonight."

Turn On. SPIT.

2011-12-07T11:34:00.002-05:00

Bilgare meets Keillor

2011-12-05T23:59:00.001-05:00

Cleveland Poet Captures NPR's Heart

According to the Cleveland Scene,

"Like “jumbo shrimp,” “famous poet” is pretty much an oxymoron. Still, if any contemporary Cleveland wordsmith is poised to make that leap, it's George Bilgere."

Bilgere will read live on A Prairie Home Companion at 6 p.m. this Saturday, December 10; catch it live on NPR stations WCPN 90.3 or WKSU 89.7.

52 Cleveland Haiku (47)

2011-12-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

Geese fly noisily

across the pale morning sky;

the moon, silently.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Metaphors in Popular Music

2011-11-30T20:08:00.002-05:00

A lot of my students, when asked whether or not poetry is necessary, respond with the idea that it is, if only for entertainment value. When prompted to go further, they argue that song lyrics are a form of poetry, and that music is entertainment. The discussion moves from there, and usually I prompt them to come to class armed with lyrics they feel are poetry. Inevitably, the ones that seem to be most poetic--rich in rhythm, metaphor, lyricism, etc.--are those of rap songs, often underground rap songs. Pop songs tend to be trite, at best, and despite lectures on imagery vs. abstraction, students defend them with thoughts like "well, you have to understand what she means. It's like interpretation."

That being said, to slam all pop lyrics as trite and unpoetic would be unfair. For example, Paul Simon greens me with envy every time I hear the opening line of "Graceland":

"The Mississippi Delta was shining like a national guitar"

which he later follows up with "My traveling companions are ghosts in empty pockets."

These two lines, in a song concerning a pilgrimage to Elvis's home and a search for community and redemption, are poignant.

or what about R.E.M.'s tribute to Kurt Cobain, "Let Me In," which begins:

"All those stars slip down like butter/and promises to keep."

The double vehicle of that simile, surreal and heartbroken at the same time, is another jealous moment for me as a writer. Also, the allusion to Patti Smith should not go unmentioned, either.

So, what are some other really excellent metaphors or similes (not just brilliant imagery) from pop music (not rap...that should probably be a different post topic) and why do you feel that they are particularly poignant. How do the vehicles of these figures illuminate the tenor in some way, or establish a particular tone that works even with out being sung or with musical accompaniment?

52 Cleveland Haiku (46)

2011-11-27T18:05:00.001-05:00

Cleveland Thanksgiving

All the couches full

all the uncles drunk

football on the lawn

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (45)

2011-11-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

November roses

the last late blooms of summer--

wistful memories

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (44)

2011-11-13T18:06:00.000-05:00

Goose on Parma porch

warmly dressed in brown and orange:

must be football fan.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (43)

2011-11-06T22:56:00.000-05:00

Fried baloney

with onions, cheese, two fried eggs:

Hinckley Tavern lunch.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for high school sophomores and juniors

2011-11-05T17:30:00.000-04:00

Know any high-school age poets? This from the Kenyon Review:

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The eighth annual Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers will begin accepting entries in November. The prize, which is open to high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world, is juried by David Baker, KR‘s poetry editor.

Nearly 600 entries were received last year, with the winner, Natalie Landers of Tarrant, Alabama, receiving a full scholarship to KR’s popular Young Writers summer workshop. The top two runners-up received partial scholarships to attend the summer workshop, and all three poets were published in the Fall 2011 issue of The Kenyon Review.

Students are invited to submit one poem via an online submission system. Visit KR’s Web site for a link to the contest submission page at that time. The contest will close on November 30.

High school teachers are encouraged to pass along this information to sophomores and juniors.

Guess What? We're All Rich!!!

2011-11-04T17:30:00.003-04:00

According to this article, we as poets are raking it in, at almost $4,000 above average. So, the question is, how many of you are making money--like big money--off your poetry. If you are, what secrets do you have to impart. If you're not, why do you think that is?

Friday Poetry Spectacular in Canton!

2011-11-02T07:30:00.001-04:00

The First Friday poetry event in Canton is always fun, but this coming Friday it's going all out.

The Poetry Spectacular will be happening all over the Arts District at Canton First Friday's Noteworthy November, happening November 4th. Here's a line-up for the multiple poetic performances throughout the evening:

5:30 PM - Diane Borsenik will be at the Canton Museum of Art (1001 Market Ave. N.)
6:00 PM - Jen Pezzo will be at MOLA Gallery (336 4th St. NW)
6:30 PM - Peter Hessman will be at Lynda Tuttle's Art Center (209 6th St. NW)
7:00 PM - Mary Turzillo will be at Carpe Diem Coffee (215 Market Ave. N.)
7:30 PM - AKeem Jamal Rollins will be at Elemental Arts (236 Walnut Ave. NE)
8:00 PM - Geoffrey Landis will be at MOLA Gallery (336 4th St. NW)
8:30 PM - T.M. Gottl will be at Lynda Tuttle's Art Center (209 6th St. NW)
9:00 PM - Arianna Cheree will be at Carpe Diem Coffee (215 Market Ave. N.)

And it's all embedded in the monthly Canton First-Friday art's festival, which will be going on all around. Visit http://cantonfirstfriday.com for a printable map and complete schedule of November's First Friday performances and events.

Check out their Facebook event page.

(No poetry slam at First Friday this month; but the First Friday Poetry Slam will resume in December with featured poet Zach Ashley.) And, this is all made possible thanks to Arts in Stark!

2011-10-31T16:45:00.002-04:00

FREE FARM & MOONSHINE at Mac's Backs Boks
Start: 11/19/2011 7:00 pm
Larry Smith, author of The Free Farm and Marilyn Schraff. author of Moonshine: Illicit Spirits in the Appalachian Hills of Rural Southern Ohio will be at Mac's for a reading and booksigning. The Free Farm is a coming of age and love story novel about a working class kid who goes to college in southern Ohio during the era of the counterculture. "Written in a strong, sensitive but never sentimentalizing voice, Smith has penned a kind of spiritual being-of-age novel, while still providing a clear-eyed look at a turbulent, fascinating era of the American experience." C.D. White
Moonshine is a social history of moonshining and stills in Appalachia. Marilyn Schraff's family had stills and she interviewed over 75 people for this lively account of the importance of liquor-making to the culture of southern Ohio.
Marilyn is a retired teacher and water-color artist who is also the author of Appalachian Childhood.
Larry Smith is a fiction writer, poet, literary biographer and film writer. He is a longtime supporter of the Cleveland writing scene with books on d.a.levy and the Cleveland Poetry Scene. He has published several novels and volumes of poetry including The Long River Home (fiction), Tu Fu Comes to America (poetry) and biographies of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Kenneth Patchen.

52 Cleveland Haiku (42)

2011-10-30T15:39:00.000-04:00

Ghouls hang from trees,

zombies with light-bulb eyes:

celebrate sugar, and death.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (41)

2011-10-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

October Sunday:

trees glow yellow in the sun;

leaf blowers roar.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Halloween Poetry Reading

2011-10-20T20:46:00.003-04:00

The SFPA has posted their Annual Halloween Poetry Reading of horror, Halloween, and science-fictional poems.

image "Alien Life" by Liz Bennefeld

52 Cleveland Haiku (40)

2011-10-16T21:07:00.001-04:00

Swirls of autumn leaves

Dancing overhead; far off

Storm clouds on the lake.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (39)

2011-10-11T18:42:00.003-04:00

The werewolf moon!

But we are safe

Inside.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

52 Cleveland Haiku (38)

2011-10-02T20:34:00.001-04:00

Neon city night:

the sound of tires on wet streets,

snatches of music.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Simultaneous Submissions and Their Rewards

2011-09-27T15:59:00.003-04:00

A conversation at a writer's group brought to memory this article by Michael P. Kardos. While some of the sarcasm is palpable, Kardos does ask an important question: What are the ethics of accepting or refusing to accept simultaneous submissions?

I think this all the more valuable for poets because it seems that in MFA programs, for every one prose writer, there are at least half a dozen eager poets, all competing for those same magazine slots against all the other MFA authors, teachers, etc. I'm going to challenge Kardos, and argue that for poetry--good poetry--it's still only a 1% chance that a good poem makes it into a magazine. This seems to be true from my editorial experiences, but also acknowledges what many of the entries in Poet's Market write.

If I'm doing my math right, it'll look like this:

.99x = .01
log (.99)x = log (.01)
X log (.99) = log (.01)
X log (.99)/log (.99) = log (.01)/log (.99)
log (.99) log (.99)
X = log (.01)/log (.99)
X = 458.2 submissions

I'll round it down to 458, just to be optimistic, but assuming that there's a three month response time, and that most academic magazines only accept submissions within a semester, we're looking at 229 YEARS before a poem would be accepted. If we assume a three month response time, average, and find magazines continually that accept during Summer months, it's only 114 or so years--FOR ONE POEM TO GUARANTEE ACCEPTANCE!

I don't even know if there are this many academic magazines in the world, but the options seem pretty straight forward:

Write the best damn poems you can, and pray
Ignore academia and go the indie route, which may or may not affect your potential career as a poet
Simultaneously submit anyway, and hope you don't shoot yourself in the foot
Submit to only those magazines that accept simultaneous submissions, and pray

None of these are really good options, especially considering the indie route tends to be flooded with such a mixed bag of poetry that even the more reputable presses are sneered at.

Anyway, it'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on this idea.

52 Cleveland Haiku (37)

2011-09-25T20:07:00.002-04:00

First day of autumn

Cicadas sing.
On the sidewalk, one red leaf:
evening air turns cool.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

cicada song

red leaf

52 Cleveland Haiku (36)

2011-09-19T20:10:00.000-04:00

In the gap between clouds,
one star;
your touch on my arm

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Ingenuity- a festival of lights and sound

2011-09-18T12:27:00.009-04:00

Ingenuity-- a festival of lights and sound under the Detroit Superior Bridge.

More photos on Facebook

More photos from Vertigo

Ingenuity!

2011-09-16T10:13:00.006-04:00

Ingenuity is here!

This weekend is the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival, held on the unused streetcar level of the Detroit Superior Bridge. Check it out-- this is an amazing space, part of Cleveland that is not ordinarily open to the public. If you've never been there, you really ought to see it.

Acts and music and video and theatre and art and even electricity! And, yes, there will be poetry, courtesy of Vertigo X and the PoetsHaven.

Schedule
Plain Dealer article
Some suggested highlights
Julie Washington's review of last year's Ingenuity

---

Friday afternoon: the main Ingenuity website seems to be down at the moment. I assume it will be back up shortly, but for the moment, try the Ingenuity information at the cleveland.com website, the Ingenuity facebook page, or the Poet's Haven facebook event page.

A D'Elyrious Night with Alex Gildzen under the Stars on 9/15

2011-09-14T11:28:00.011-04:00

As a young man, Elyria-bred Alex Gildzen was published by d.a. levy. Then his first full chapbook came out in 1969. Since that time, he's had lots of books published, including the recent The Arrow That Is Hollywood Pierces the Soul That Is Me (2011, Otoliths). Also a renowned mail artist and long time special collections librarian at Kent State University, Alex now lives and writes full time in Santa Fe, New Mexico. When I found out he'd be in town this month for his mother's 90th birthday (Happy Day, Helen!), I invited him to read with me on Thursday September 15th 2011 at the Lorain Arts Council's Sweet & Savory Bistro and he happily accepted. So come on out, hear some great Gildzen poetry and let's celebrate! (My wife's and my birthdays are this week as well). Alex is a treasure and one of my personal poetic heroes - and the LAC is a great venue (their Go Figure art show is still going on, too) - so I hope to see you at this very special event.

Lorain Arts Council (gallery & bistro)
737 Broadway
Lorain, Ohio 44052

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126196814145433
Gildzen's bio: http://cybermesa.com/~takis/AGBio.htm
His blog: http://arroyochamisa.blogspot.com/

Here's a clip of Alex reading a poem to commemorate the 80th anniversary of our Terminal Tower last year:

52 Cleveland Haiku (35)

2011-09-11T00:01:00.003-04:00

Memory

In our memories
skyscrapers still burn:
black smoke
against deep blue sky.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour continues!

2011-09-06T19:53:00.005-04:00

Maybe not the longest-running poetry reading in the Cleveland area, but it's gotta be darn close.

Despite the death of its long-time host location at Borders Books, the Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour reading series is still alive and continuing on its second-Friday readings, hosted by Joshua Gage, now in its new location:

Mugshotz Coffeehouse and Cafe

6556 Royalton Road

North Royalton, OH

Next reading is this Friday!

Friday, September 9 · 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm

The event will have Youngstown poet Karen Schubert as the featured poet, along with the traditional Deep Cleveland open mike.

Check the event page on Facebook

Postscript (9/10): for those who missed it, John Burroughs has some pix up at his facebook page.

52 Cleveland Haiku (34)

2011-09-04T20:32:00.000-04:00

Labor Day

Pale lavender flame
in darkness above the flats:
we're still a steel town.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

"The Flame," image by David Ploenzke, used with permission.

A New Book

2011-09-04T13:55:00.001-04:00

I don't know if blatant advertising is allowed on this blog - but here is my new book. The Desire Path is a story for anyone who has ever felt like a misfit in the world. It is the story of one mother's sacrificial love and another woman's failure to love unconditionally. It explores the themes of family versus biology, the damage of estrangement, and ultimately forgiveness and reconciliation.

Please visit http://thedesirepath.blogspot.com or read some reviews on Amazon.

Bree, Adam Brodsky, Vidrick, Chris Franke at Visible Voice

2011-09-01T18:56:00.000-04:00

September 3, 2011 @ 7pm Visible Voice Books 1023 Kenilworth (in Cleveland)

Bree of Green Panda Press took time off from poetry to write her memoirs, The Rainbow Sweater & My Mother, which appear in a single volume (August 2011). They are stories of LSD, karma, chronic pain, the poets' life, daughterhood and Buddhism. http://www.rainbowsweater.blogspot.com/

Adam Brodsky aka Latex Menagerie also released a CD in August, 'Lost Days of May' with spoken word accompaniment by Bree, Russ Vidrick and Christopher Franke. Adam is an independent poet, book artist, musician and teacher. Russ Vidrick and Chris Franke can be found at reads across the city including Saturday Afternoon Open Mics at Brandt Gallery in Tremont

Join us for a book and CD launch party, with poetry, prose, music and more!

52 Cleveland Haiku (33)

2011-08-28T22:46:00.000-04:00

Beech trees
grey like legs of elephants:
carved with long-lost loves.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

The Lit's fire is quenched.

2011-08-26T12:13:00.000-04:00

So - the decades old literary organization has folded.

What do folks have to say?

I'll weigh in later.

Poetry Returns to Bela Dubby on 8/25

2011-08-24T22:20:00.003-04:00

Writing Knights Press Proudly Presents:

John Burroughs
The Ian Shaw Band
Eva Xanthopoulos
D.L. Woure
Ben Peridol
Jacob Dahlke

MC: Azriel Johnson

Writing Knights Press is a Cleveland Based Publishing Company and Internet Poetry Collective. Writing Knights is always looking for new Writers to help publish.

For more details, check out: http://writingknights.com

Book Release Green Panda

2011-08-22T18:04:00.001-04:00

Green Panda announces the release of "The Rainbow Sweater & My Mother," a double-memoir in a single volume by the Cleveland poet Bree. These are tales of LSD, karma, chronic pain, Buddism & daughterhood.

Copies are available at Mac's Backs, or at wubbit.com ( http://www.wubbit.com/WUBBIT/secure/shop/results.aspx?search=bree ) or by paypal to greenpandapress@gmail.com, or heck, send a check to Green Panda Press 3174 Berkshire Rd. Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. $10 gets u the book, $3 for ships and freighters.

Green Panda 10 yrs Pandering

2011-08-22T17:58:00.001-04:00

Green Panda looks back on 10 years of books, a sort-of incomplete catalogue of books, broads and sundry. Check out http://greenpandacatalog.blogspot.com/ to see titles of yore and follow the blog to find out about books from the future!

p.s. if u have a copy of a book not listed, please scan a copy of the cover or take a shot and email to greenpandapress@gmail.com

a more complete archive would be great. lots of titles missing, in particular i think of 'The Rain Poet' by Daniel Thompson---hundreds of the babies went out into the world but no copy remains with the publisher. also 'What Grows Glass' by R.A. Washington, 'Beth' by Alex Gildzen. Catch-22 since i cant hold the babies in my hands but then i didnt make the books to keep them, i made 'em to get 'em out, out, out (& read).

52 Cleveland Haiku (32)

2011-08-21T23:50:00.001-04:00

Noisy geese and crickets--
The hiker doesn't care:
He's got an i-pod

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Poetry Apps

2011-08-21T17:04:00.004-04:00

The Victorianator, an app created by LudicVoice that’s like a cross between a poetry reading and Wii Sports.

Here’s how it works: a poem appears on the screen of your iPhone (you need an iPhone for this app). You read the poem aloud into the phone (using the speaker setting) in a monotone. Then a steampunk robot takes you through a series of gestures that produce voice effects on the poem you just read. So, for example, sweeping an arm toward the sky will raise the pitch of the poem, whereas extending your arm will extend the sound of the word. The variations in pitch make the poem sound like it’s being read by an eminent Victorian; you’re scored on how closely your gestures match the robot’s.

Nick Laird on poetry online

'I got an iPad last week and spent this morning exploring a few of the 718 applications returned when you search for "poetry"

52 Cleveland Haiku (31)

2011-08-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

frisbee abandoned
on the empty baseball field
dog, asleep, waiting

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Poetry is doomed number thirty-three

2011-08-13T22:53:00.003-04:00

Poetry is doomed number 33:

So you don't like poetry - a primer.

"The fun in poetry didn’t stop with Shel Silverstein. "

Philip Levine is the new Poet Laureate: What Does This Mean For Poetry?

2011-08-11T06:13:00.000-04:00

So, Philip Levine is the new Poet Laureate of the United States. From www.poetryfoudation.org: "The son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Levine was born and raised in industrial Detroit. As a young boy in the midst of the Great Depression of the 1930s, he was fascinated by the events of the Spanish Civil War. His heroes were not only those individuals who struggled against fascism but also ordinary folks who worked at hopeless jobs simply to stave off poverty Noted for his interest in the grim reality of blue-collar work and workers, Levine resolved 'to find a voice for the voiceless' while working in the auto plants of Detroit during the 1950s."
What does this mean--a poet laureate resolved "to find a voice for the voiceless"--for the state of poetry in the country? Honestly, probably not much. Nobody seems gives two figs about poetry unless it's funny or raunchy, and with the recent closing of Borders across the country, many people are without the immediate access and impulse buy of poetry. Poets are bicycles in an age of automobiles, written letters in an age of e-mails and texting.
I write this partially in jest, but partially because of what Levine's poetry represents. Unlike some of the previous poet laureates, Levine is a politically charged poet, and while every poem he's written is not necessarily politically motivated, politics--especially class politics and all the resulting themes-- certainly permeate his work. In the same way that poets are seen by many to be antiquated, outdated, needless or even "cute" in our current political and economic situation, Levine's work gives voice to and demands respect those people who are equally ignored or marginalized in society.
Levine is known mainly for his blue collar work, his 1991 What Work Is standing out as possibly his most recognized or well known collection. Featuring lyric and dramatic explorations of working class life, from students in art class bored to tears or young boys stealing and drinking bottle of gin to a man standing in line looking for work or climbing down into a tank with a box of toxins to clean it, Levine's work in this collection provides a vision of life from the laboring class. While some critics argue that he sentimentalizes or patronizes the working class in this text, I challenge any reader of this text to read this book and not feel at times angry, disturbed or even possibly ashamed. Levine does not gloss over the struggles of a blue collar life, nor does he glorify it. His portrayals are raw, often angry, and open like bitter wounds. His poetry does, however, demand attention from its readers, insisting that these lives, too, are poetic.
To pigeonhole Levine as only interested in class politics would be misguided at best. Levine also explores themes of racism in his work, especially his collections A Walk With Tom Jefferson and They Feed They Lion. The title poems of both of these collections, while built around industrial and working class imagery, explore the racist undercurrents of working life, especially the ways in which the powers that been attempt to divide workers against themselves by enforcing stereotypes and instilling racism. In many of his poems, Levine challenges his readers beyond their basic assumptions; by scratching beyond the surface of layered stereotypes and by giving voice to the voiceless, Levine attempts to break down walls within his readers, walls which they sometimes don't even realize exist.
Levine also explores images and themes connected to the Spanish Civil War in his books, especially in his early works. Antifacist and extremely liberal, to the point of being almost anarchic in a political sense, poems in collections Not This Pig and The Names of the Lost read as historical monologues for fallen soldiers, elegizing but also defending their politics and political choices in detail rich verse.
Again, what does this all mean for poetry? I hope that it means poetry in the United States is regaining strength, that the people are hungry for more than clever puns and humorous philosophical musings. I hope it means that young men and women struggling through college, or refusing to go to college because it seems to lack promise, are renewed with an inner strength and determination to work towards a more balanced division of wealth in this country, and that poetry will carry them there. I want someone to tell me it means that men and women will recognize that their lives, too, have meaning even if they are out of work, and that their frustrations will be channeled towards defending that meaning and building it up as opposed to seeking revenge on their own bodies, or those of others, and that poetry will serve to illuminate their path. I want someone to tell me that the halls of academia will ring with scholars seeking new knowledge, learning to question and critique the way their world works, ultimately advancing humanity itself to a greater end, as opposed to merely regurgitating stale lectures and bumper sticker rhetoric, and that poetry will beg these questions. Let me go to an open mike and hear, instead of soundbite rants and musings on the theme parks between the poets' navels and knees (including which guests have been there, what they left, who hasn't been there, why they were or weren't invited, etc.), social and political explorations that are not simply emotionally charged, but that charge, sway and swell the emotions of the reader.
Every so often an event happens that I hope will awaken the spirit of poetry in this country, and bring poetry to the people that so desperately need it, even if they don't know it. Levine stands as an inspiration for us, as readers and writers of poetry, to do just that.

Phillip Levine, the next poet laureate

2011-08-10T17:43:00.002-04:00

Philip Levine, working-class Detroit poet, is selected to be the next US poet laureate, to succeedW. S. Merwin.

Men lived within these foundries, hour by hour;
Nothing they forged outlived the rusted gears
Which might have served to grind their eulogy.

Poemhunter

52 Cleveland Haiku (30)

2011-08-08T00:01:00.004-04:00

rhythmic percussion:
click-clack boxcars clatter past
tagged with gaudy scrawls.

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Ray McNiece, the New Haiku-master of Cleveland

2011-08-07T07:30:00.000-04:00

Congrats to Ray McNiece for winning the Haiku High-Noon shootout on Friday!

After disposing of the crowd of would-be haiku contenders with a series of haiku that ran more to zappai than true haiku, high noon got down to two finalists, and got down to business: Ray McNiece faced off against the previous champion, Cleveland's reigning haiku champion Kathleen Cerveny. For the final round, the haiku got serious. In a one-on-one shootout... the two haikus came out in a dead-even tie!

In the tie-breaker haiku shootout, Ray edged out Kathleen in a close match, claiming the title of haiku-champion of Cleveland.

Congrats to the haiku masters!

--and kudos also to Heights Arts and the Dobama theatre for sponsoring the haiku shootout, to the judges, organizers, and master of ceremonies, to the audience, and to Cavana Faithwalker, poet laurate of Cleveland Heights, for serving as the master of ceremonies for the open mike warm-up session.

Poems by Ray McNiece at the Cleveland Poetry archives

Ohio Writer's Conference at TrueNorth Cultural Arts

2011-08-06T09:33:00.005-04:00

The first-ever Ohio Writer’s Conference will be held on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at TrueNorth Cultural Arts in Sheffield Village, Ohio. Whether you’re an experienced writer or someone who is just starting to enjoy the power of the pen, there is something here for you, with interactive workshops in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting and nature writing taught by friendly, encouraging pros who are eager to help you. Other features include an open mic, advice on songwriting, a bookstore where you can browse and buy and more.

Workshop leaders include two-time captain of National Poetry Slam Championship teams, Ray McNiece; Pushcart Prize nominee and New York Times Notable Book of the Year winner Sarah Willis; American Society of Journalists and Authors member Kelly Boyer Sagert, who has thousands of published credits, including 11 books; playwright, singer, actress and songwriter Kim Ceja; and author, playwright and nature writer Gary Gerrone.

The cost of this entire experience is $60, which include a light breakfast, lunch and free admission to a fun, interactive performance by Ray McNiece from 7 to 8 p.m. (and open mic from 8 to 9 p.m.)

If you just want the McNiece performance and subsequent open mic, the cost is $10.

Register at http://www.ohiowritersconference.com/registration.html

TrueNorth Cultural Arts
French Creek Nature & Art Center
4530 Colorado Ave.
Sheffield Village, OH 44054
(440) 949-5200
www.TNCArts.org

New Location for Canton's First Friday Poetry Spectacular - now at Citizen X

2011-08-05T08:24:00.003-04:00

For more info, see the event page on Facebook.

52 Cleveland Haiku (29)

2011-07-31T17:16:00.000-04:00

Stars shine over the lake;
in the water,
the lights of the city

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Why intelligent people fail

2011-07-29T23:47:00.000-04:00

Kelli Russell Agodon's blog pointed me to this one: "Why intelligent people fail."

Hmm.

Yeah, I can see myself in a lot of these.

Do you submit?

2011-07-28T18:58:00.007-04:00

Do you submit?

Your poetry, that is-- are you sending it out to magazines?

New Pages has a bi-weekly update on editors looking for submissions-- not to mention a nice page of reviews of literary magazines, and alphabetical lists of lit-'zines and alternate 'zines. If you tend toward the inspirational side, the Christian writers site has their own list of calls for submissions to look at. Or take a look at the Poets and Writers list of magazines.

For that matter, if you're too lazy to put a stamp on an envelope (or too poor-- we all know that story these days, alas), Louis Crew has a list of poetry publishers who accept electronic submissions. Or try a search on duotrope.

So-- do you submit? Why not?

52 Cleveland Haiku (28)

2011-07-24T23:19:00.001-04:00

Bridge over dirty water.
On the pavement,
a girl's lost ribbon.

-Geoffrey A. Landis .

Writers Make the Big Time on Center Stage

2011-07-22T07:44:00.000-04:00

It's so jejune to be a fan of Billy Collins these days, but for those of us who aren't afraid to like a poet just because he's gotten popular, the Writers Center Stage series sponsored by the Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation and Cleveland State University will be bringing Billy Collins to the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square on November 8.

Tickets are $30... if you think that's a lot of cash to go hear a writer, hey, at least I'm glad to see writers get the star treatment...

Info on the William N. Skirball Writers Center Stage program is here:

The full list of 2011-2012 writers being featured includes in 2011

ELIZABETH STROUT Sept. 20
MICHAEL POLLAN Oct 24
BILLY COLLINS Nov. 8

and in Spring 2012:
ABRAHAM VERGHESE March 20
ANNE LAMOTT April 17
COLM TOIBIN May 1

super.mojo.mania.

2011-07-18T22:21:00.003-04:00

24-hour poetry marathon - you can be a feature for only $1 a minute and support Cleveland's slam team!

2011-07-18T10:17:00.010-04:00

Click pic for a larger version of the flier. Contact Akeem Jamal Rollins for more info or visit the Facebook event page.

52 Cleveland Haiku (27)

2011-07-17T19:05:00.000-04:00

In the smudged brown sky

the pockmarked moon shines golden

over brick smokestacks

--Geoffrey A. Landis

Hai Noon For Haiku Poets!

2011-07-15T23:59:00.001-04:00

The Cleveland Haiku Death Match is back!

Now called "High Noon Haiku" (since, despite the name, no poets were harmed during the previous deathmatch), the haiku contest is Friday, August 5, at Dobama Theatre at the Heights Library, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights.

Too scared to go head to head in a high-noon shootout? Well, open Mic is at 7PM and participants can bring three haiku to read to the audience.

The event is cosponsored by Heights Arts and Dobama.

According to the event page at Heights Arts:

High Noon Haiku

Dobama Theatre at the Heights Library, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights 7 pm Friday, August 5, 2011

High Noon Haiku open mike, 7 pm First come, first served. 3-Haiku limit, no admission waiver. To register: Contact Heights Arts or just show up. High Noon Haiku, 8 pm Competing Haiku poets sling the best 17 syllables they've got. The audience decides who wins! Tiny poems, terrific theatre. The victor competes against 2009 defending champion Kathleen Cerveny.

Admission $15 at the door

Robert Milby @ Mac's Backs in Coventry! Wed.07/20 @ 9 p.m.

2011-07-14T11:41:00.002-04:00

Hi all, please check out the below information sent to me by the lovely and talented Steve Goldberg. Should prove to be an excellent time!

--

Arriving into the Cleveland area is a talented writer and reader of poetry from the Upstate New York area. I had the pleasure of hearing and meeting Robert Milby last summer when I went on that adventure in poetics known as the Rusted Trim Poetry Tour with Dorsey and Bunsen. Robert impressed me incredibly and when I heard he wanted to come to Ohio I got right on it.

He will be at Mac's Backs Wednesday, July 20th at 7 P.M. Yes, that's right folks. This isn't the usual poetry reading night for Mac's. He will be joined by novelists, Grant Baillie (Cleveland), Peter Grandbois (Delaware, Ohio), Steve Himmer (Quincy, MA), and Jim Mason (Cleveland). Apparently, my opinion has a little weight for some as you can see from Suzanne's write-up for the event. (Yes, I'm humbled and a bit embarrassed, but I won't let it stop me from boasting).

"I found out about Robert Milby when Steve Goldberg called and said he was one of the best poets he'd ever heard. Robert is the author of several poetry chapbooks including Crow Weather and has had his work published in lots of journals. He is an integral part of the Hudson Valley poetry community---he hosts a reading series at the Mudd Puddle Cafe and is the co-editor of the Wawayanda Review."

The short intro doesn't do Robert justice, so just come down to Mac's, catch a hippieburger at Tommy's, bring cash to buy Robert's stuff (cuz you're gonna want to after you...), listen to him versify like the you never heard versification before.

Please note that I was able to stop making this about me and shared the limelight with Robert Milby, even for just another paragraph. :D

Sweet!

2011-07-11T15:01:00.002-04:00

More info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186681654721504

52 Cleveland Haiku (26)

2011-07-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

Out across the flats
the silhouette of bridges
in the golden haze

--Geoffrey A. Landis