Everything Obliterated/For Good, 10/15 at Poetry+ in Lakewood

Acclaimed poet Matt Hart will bring his 2019 tour to Poetry+ at Art on Madison in Lakewood, Ohio, on October 15th, and he will be joined by Cleveland favorite Nicole Hennessy.

Matt Hart is the author of nine books of poems, including most recently Everything Breaking/For Good (YesYes Books, 2019) and The Obliterations (Pickpocket Books, 2019). Additionally, his poems, reviews, and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous print and online journals, including The Academy of American Poets online, Big Bell, Cincinnati Review, Coldfront, Columbia Poetry Review, Harvard Review, Jam Tarts Magazine, jubilat, Kenyon Review online, Lungfull!, POETRY, and Waxwing, among others. His awards include a Pushcart Prize, a 2013 individual artist grant from The Shifting Foundation, and fellowships from both the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. A co-founder and the editor-in-chief of Forklift, Ohio: A Journal of Poetry, Cooking & Light Industrial Safety, he lives in Cincinnati where he teaches at the Art Academy of Cincinnati and plays in the band NEVERNEW: www.nevernew.net.

Nicole Hennessy is a poet and journalist from Cleveland, Ohio. Gypsy Queen (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2019) is her debut poetry collection, though she has been chasing poetry for more than twenty years. Her previous publications include Black Rabbit, a nonfiction profile of poet and artist Tom Kryss. Nicole also co-founded the underground art and literary bimonthly, Miser Magazine; and she will eventually launch her art and outreach effort, Universal Eccentrics, with some incredible, like-minded weirdoes. Her work has appeared in local and regional publications, and she was recently recognized as a Wild Wmn by the LA-based women’s artistic and wellness collective of the same name. Nicole is also mom to a spirited four-year-old boy. She’s probably cuddled up at home watching cartoons. You can stalk her on Instagram @nicohenness.

An open mic emceed by Ohio Beat Poet Laureate John Burroughs will follow the features.

Poetry+ usually happens on the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit our website at https://poetrypluscleveland.weebly.com/.

Upcoming Poetry+ features:

10/15 - Matt Hart (Cincinnati) & Nicole Hennessy (Cleveland)
11/19 - Steve Abbott (Columbus) & Leonard Kress (Toledo)
12/17 - Ray McNiece (Cleveland) & Michelle R. Smith (Cleveland)
1/21 - Chuck Salmons (Columbus) & Renay Sanders (Peninsula)
2/18 - Bill Yarrow (Chicago) & Laura Grace Weldon (Litchfield)
3/17 - Leah Mueller (Tacoma WA) & Rikki Santer (Columbus)

Art on Madison
14203 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107

South Euclid Poet Laureate to launch Second Sunday Poets open mic

[From John Burroughs:]

My next reading is March 10th at 3 p.m., where I'll have the honor of being the first featured poet for a new monthly series curated by M. A. "Doc" Janning, Poet Laureate of South Euclid, OH, at the Cuyahoga County Public Library's South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch. I hope you'll join me in supporting Doc in this new endeavor and bring something to share at the open mic.

William N. Skirball Writers' Center
Cuyahoga County Public Library
1876 South Green Road

South Euclid, Ohio 44121

Spoken Word Every Last Friday in Akron

Michael DeBenedictis has been hosting a poetry series the last Friday of every month at Nervous Dog Coffee Bar, 1530 W. Market Street in Akron, Ohio. The show often features music in addition to spoken word.

This month's installment (September 28th from 6 to 9 p.m.) features several Cleveland poets including Ray McNiece, Kisha Nicole Foster and John Burroughs.

Smith and Burroughs July 7th at Visible Voice Books in Tremont

Steven B. Smith is the author of Where Never Was Already Is [2018, Crisis Chronicles Press]. John Burroughs is the author of Loss and Foundering [2018, NightBallet Press]. They will read from their new books and more. An open mic will follow, for anyone else who wishes to share. For more info, visit www.visiblevoicebooks.com.

2015 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest 5/13 at the Ensemble Theatre

The 2015 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology will be released Wednesday 13 May 2015, 7 p.m., at [PLEASE NOTE NEW LOCATION] the Ensemble Theatre, 2843 Washington Blvd. (in the old Coventry School building, a just a few minutes walk from Mac's Backs) in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Book contributors are invited to read their selected poems that night. Immediately after the reading, a panel of judges will select three winners from among the readers.  Those winners will receive modest cash prizes ($100, 50 and 25) and be expected to come read their poems Sunday 17 May at 1:45 pm at the Hessler Street Fair, broadcast live on WJCU.

We also encourage you to check out the annual Hessler Poetry Jam hosted by Ray McNiece and his Tongue-in-Groove band, from 2 to 5 p.m. on May 16th at the Barking Spider.  Select poets including the Hessler poetry contest winners will be invited to share their poems accompanied by the band.

Thank you to everyone who submitted, and congratulations to the following poets whose work was selected for inclusion in the anthology!

Alexis-Rueal — “Lard”
Michael J. Arcangelini — “Telling My Father about Paradise”
Dana Aritonovich — “I Realize It’s Over”
Thandiwe Augustin-Glave — “My Heart”
Stephen M. Benefit — “You & Yours”
Cyndi Birkmeier — “Mom with Love”
Kim Boccia — “The Perfect Shade of Red”
Rose Mary Boehm — “Heimweh is more than a flesh wound”
Dianne Borsenik — “Flower Power”
Jeffrey Bowen — “for the godfather daniel thompson (1935-2004)"
Steve Brightman — “The Full of Eternity”
Christina M. Brooks — “Black River Falls”
Patricia Brodsky — “Almost Home”
Skylark Bruce — “Inside Pressure”
Chad Burrall — “Cold Memories”
Michael Ceraolo — “Mobservation #13”
Kathleen Cerveny — “Rosetta Stone”
Shelley Chernin — “How to Choose Sides in a Circular Argument”
Charles Cicirella — “Resurgence”
Caitlin Cogar — “Blowing Away”
Roger Craik —“Lake Erie Midges”
Subhankar Das — “She Hated Dogs”
Natalie Dickerson ­— “A Gift of Luck in the New Year”
Christine Donofrio — “Looking in the Mirror”
John Dorsey — “Steve Goldberg Death Poem”
Sean Thomas Dougherty — “Surgery”
Robin Wyatt Dunn — “Waiting”
Poetessa Leixyl Kaye Emmerson — “Diorama: The Persistence of Dreams”
Michael Fiala — “For Tamir”
Giselle Fleming — “The Night They Found You”
Diane Vogel Ferri — “Cleveland”
Ethan Fittro — “The Rose That Grew from Concrete”
Luba Gawur — “Kali”
Ken Gradomski — “Dream Driving”
Dana Grant — “Room”
Susan Grimm — “Questions for the Moon or the Moon Like a Shut White Eye”
Zachary Scott Hamilton — “Years in a Seahorse”
Austin Heath — “Yoshimitsu’s Teeth”
Charles Hice — “Ici”
Veronica Hopkins — “1140 West 4th”
Christine Howey — “The Killer Turkey of Malabar Farm”
Preston & Paul Hrisko — “Ode to the Moustache”
Clarissa Jakobsons — “The Morning Wind Whispers”
Azriel Johnson — “Sentinels”
Krysia Jopek — “The City of Z”
Jeremy Jusek — “The Garrettsville Boardwalk”
Janne Karlsson — “Rock Bottom” / “Grim Reaper”
Diane Kendig — “Taking Daniel Thompson into Maximum Security”
Kim, theBwordpoet — “Left”
Ian Koenig — “Temptation”
Leonard Kress — “Jazz Chops”
Tom Kryss — “Cleveland Extension”
Craig Kurtz — “Informer’s Catechism”
Lori Ann Kusterbeck — “Simple Ways”
Geoffrey A. Landis — “Shout”
Jim Lang — “Throat”
Jessica D. Lewis — “My Wrists as an Exit”
Lennart Lundh — “Elegy”
Caitlyn Lux — “The Cantaloupe”
Susan Mallarnee — “spring joggers”
Marc Mannheimer — “The Same Chord”
J.W. Mark — “Expiring”
Molly McCann — “Summer Berry”
Bob McNeil — “A Versified Voyage”
Ray McNiece — “The Sun’s Life Insurance”
Lila McRainey — “Silver Lining”
Philip Metres — “Compline”
Marisa Moks-Unger — “Lanterns over Lido”
Patrick O’Keeffe — “On the Back Page”
Mary O’Malley — “I Sit in Contemplation of Stones”
Ashley Pacholewski — “Ruby Slippers and Kansas”
Renee Pendleton — “The Strength of Weaving”
Tanya Pilumeli — "Ritual"
David S. Pointer – “The Lyrics Really Meant”
Sally Queen — “No One Can Hear Me”
Ben Rader — “Zombieku”
Valentina Ranaldi-Adams — “Irises”
Georgia Reash — “Love Beyond”
Poetess REDD — “Super Glue”
Elizabeth Rees — “Comfortably Numb”
rjs — “we won.”
Amy Rosenbluth — “The Unraveling”
Elizabeth Rudibaugh — “The Soft Wind Blows By”
S. Renay Sanders — “Easter Shoes”
Heather Ann Schmidt —“The Star”
Erika Schoeps — “Shame”
Dennis Shanaberg — “Daylight Returns”
Kevin Frederick Smith — “Error”
Larry Smith — “Two Places at Once”
Steven B. Smith — “Daylight Savings Time”
Vladimir Swirynsky — “Brief History about Nothing in Particular”
Brian Taylor — “Silent Night, 1914”
Joseph Testa — “Why All Alone?”
Steve Thomas — “Heaven”
Jonathan Thorn — “Drifting Light”
Kerry Trautman — “Borrowing Your Shower”
Nick Traenkner — “Midnight. West Park Cleveland. April 16.”
Mary A. Turzillo — “Sonnet 65,000,000 BC”
D.R. Wagner — “Gasping for Breath”
Mary Weems — “Blue Heron Sonnet”
Batya Weinbaum — After the Fight”
Laura Grace Weldon — “Earthbound”
Eva Xanthopoulos —“You Undid My Spiral Galaxy & I’m Still Dizzy”
Shkehlaht Yisrael — “Samot”

Peace, love and poetry,
John Burroughs, editor
Crisis Chronicles Press

Monday at Mahall's schedule for the last third of 2014

For the past few years, the Monday at Mahall's Poetry & Prose series has featured some of the best literary talent from northeast Ohio and across the nation - along with one of our area's best open mics.  The trend continues with these four fabulous upcoming events:

Monday September 1st 2014 at 7:30 p.m.:  Featured poets Ray McNiece and Mary Weems (two of Cleveland's finest) will read, followed by an open mic.  We'll still be celebrating the release of Oct Tongue -1, a collaborative book by Mary Weems, John Swain, Steven Smith, Lady, Shelley Chernin, John Burroughs and Steve Brightman.

Monday October 6th 2014 at 7:30 p.m.: The official book release for the third annual Lipsmack anthology, published by NightBallet Press, will feature contributors including Jennifer Hambrick (Columbus), Andy Roberts (Columbus), Jason Baldinger (Pittsburgh), Jason Irwin (Pittsburgh) and Dan Smith (Cleveland), followed by an open mic.

Monday November 3rd 2014 at 7:30 p.m.: We'll feature the group Writer’s Root (whose authors include Lauren Parsons, Margaret Hnat, Amy Bue, Regina Geither, Kay Cosgriff and Elise Geither - all of northeast Ohio), followed by an open mic.  Crisis Chronicles Press plans to release poet/playwright Elise Geither's new chapbook at this event.
 
Monday December 1st 2014 at 7:30 p.m.: Featured poets will be Joey Nicoletti (Buffalo, NY), Juliet Cook (Medina, OH) and Baraka Noel (Wheaton, MD), followed by an open mic.

John Burroughs will be your emcee for these four events.  Stay tuned for more great lit performances - and more than a few fab surprises - in 2015.  Here's just one: Ray McNiece will be our special guest host in February, April, June and September.  Please join us the first Monday of every month at Mahall's 20 Lanes, 13200 Madison Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio.

Oct Tongue -1 book release Wednesday August 27th at Mac's Backs

cover photo by Smith

Join Cleveland's Crisis Chronicles Press Wednesday 27 August 2014 (7 pm) at Mac's Backs for the official release of Oct Tongue -1, a collaborative book by Mary Weems, John Swain, Steven Smith, Lady [Kathy Smith], Shelley Chernin, John Burroughs and Steve Brightman.  Oct Tongue -1 is perfect bound, over 300 pages and like seven 31-poem chapbooks in one.  Six of its seven authors will be reading at this special event.

Mac's Backs - Books on Coventry
1820 Coventry Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
(216) 321-2665




About the authors:

Dr. Mary Weems is a poet, playwright, imagination-intellect theorist, social/cultural foundations scholar and former Poet Laureate of Cleveland Heights. Weems is the author and/or editor of twelve books and five chapbooks, most notably white (Wick Poetry Chapbook Series) and Tampon Class (Pavement Saw Press). Two of her books were full collections of poetry: An Unmistakable Shade of Red and the Obama Chronicles (Bottom Dog Press, 2008) and For(e)closure (Main Street Rag Press, 2012), both finalists for Ohioana Book awards.

John Swain of Louisville, Kentucky, is the author of several acclaimed books including Rain and Gravestones (2013, Crisis Chronicles), White Vases (2012, Crisis Chronicles) and Prominences (2011, Flutter Press). His latest, Ring the Sycamore Sky, is forthcoming in the summer of 2014 from Red Paint Hill Publishing.

Steven B. Smith was born, is living, will die. He's been a poet 50 years, artist 49 years, the publisher of ArtCrimes, editor of AgentOfChaos.com, he blogs on WalkingThinIce.com, and sings at ReverbNation.com/MutantSmith. Smith & Lady published his bio Stations of the Lost & Found, a True Tale of Armed Robbery, Stolen Cars, Outsider Art, Mutant Poetry, Underground Publishing, Robbing the Cradle, and Leaving the Country in 2012 via The City Poetry Press.

Lady, a.k.a. Kathy Ireland Smith, is a poet, publisher, artist and surreal photographer from northeast Ohio. She and her husband Smith spent 31 months of traveling in 10 countries on 3 continents from 2006-9, and you can follow their ongoing adventures at WalkingThinIce.com. Kathy is also founder and editor of The City Poetry (thecitypoetry.com), a cutting edge art and poetry zine based in Cleveland.

Shelley Chernin is a freelance researcher, writer and editor of legal reference books and a ukulele enthusiast. Her poems have appeared in places like Great Lakes Review, Scrivener Creative Review, Rhapsoidia, Durable Goods, Big Bridge, and the Heights Observer. She was awarded 2nd Place in the 2011 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest.  Her chapbook, The Vigil, was published in 2012 by Crisis Chronicles.

Steve Brightman lives in Kent, Ohio. He firmly believes in two seasons: winter and baseball. His most recent chapbooks include 13 Ways of Looking at Lou Reed (2013, Crisis Chronicles Press), In Brilliant Explosions Alone (2013, NightBallet Press); Like Michelangelo Sorta Said (2013, The Poet’s Haven), Absent The (2013, Writing Knights Press) and Sometimes, Illinois (2011, NightBallet).

John Burroughs is the founding editor of Crisis Chronicles Press and hosts the Monday at Mahall’s Poetry and Prose Series in Lakewood, Ohio.  He is the author of It Takes More Than Chance to Make Change (2013, The Poet’s Haven), The Eater of the Absurd (2012, NightBallet Press), Barry Merry Baloney (2012, Spare Change Press), Water Works (2012, recycled karma press), Electric Company (2011, Writing Knights) and more.

Ohio Senate Passes Bill Establishing Ohio Poet Laureate - House Next!

Steve Abbott testifying on behalf of S.B. 84 on May 21st
in Columbus [photo by Michael Salinger]

Click here to read about it on the Ohio Senate's minority caucus blog.  

Many thanks to the senators, including many from our area and from both political parties, who have stepped up and supported Senate Bill 84.  Letters from poets and other bill supporters from across the state, as well as great support from the Ohio Arts Council and Ohio Poetry Association have helped immensely.  But our work's not done yet.

Now Senate Bill 84 is moving on to the Ohio House for consideration and this is the perfect time for us to write to our state representatives and express our support for the establishment of a Poet Laureate position in Ohio.  It doesn't seem right that Ohio, the home of so many fine poets statewide, is one of only five or six United States not to have such a position.

So please write to your state representative and urge him or her to pass this bill.

Click here to find your representative.
Click here to read Senate Bill 84, the Ohio Poet Laureate bill.
Click here to read Michael Salinger's testimony before the Senate in support of S.B. 84.
Click here to read John Burroughs' testimony before the Senate in support of S.B. 84.
Click here to read a statement by Steve Abbott on the O.P.A. blog in support of S.B. 84.

Snoetry is back!

60 poets in 11 hours-- plus you!  Yes, Snoetry is back, this time at Guide to Kulchur bookstore, in the Gordon Square district near the Capitol Theatre and Cleveland Public Theatre.

Courtesy of The Tao of Jesus Crisis:

FIRST TIME IN CLEVELAND!

Featuring writers from several states! Lix & Kix, clevelandpoetry.com and friends present the 4th almost annual Snoetry winter wordfest, Sunday 16 March from noon to 11 pm at Guide To Kulchur: Text, Art, and News in the Gordon Square arts district of Cleveland, Ohio.

Open mic from noon to 1 p.m. 60 featured poets from 1 to 11 p.m.

Potluck and BYOB. If you have any questions, please contact John on Facebook or at jc at crisischronicles.com.

Full [perhaps still evolving] schedule:

Noon: Open Mic
1pm: John Burroughs (Cleveland)
1:10 Mark Sebastian Jordan (Mansfield)
1:20 Heather Ann Schmidt with Marc Shepard (Michigan/Oberlin)
1:30 Clarissa Jakobsons (Aurora)
1:40 Barton D. Smock (Columbus)
1:50 Helen Shepard (Oberlin)
2 pm: Kathy Smith (Cleveland)
2:10 Steve Brightman (Kent)
2:20 Blaire Bommer (Cleveland)
2:30 Juliet Cook (Medina)
2:40 Steven Smith (Cleveland)
2:50 Suzanne Savickas (Cleveland)
3 pm: Marisa Moks-Unger (Erie)
3:10 Jeffrey Bowen (Cleveland)
3:20 Bree [a.k.a. Zlee Zlee] (Cleveland)
3:30 Marissa Hyde (Cleveland)
3:40 Chuck Joy (Erie)
3:50 James E. Stanley (Cleveland)
4 pm: Jennifer Hambrick (Columbus)
4:10 Rose M Smith (Columbus)
4:20 Dianne Borsenik (Elyria)
4:30 Eric Anderson (Elyria)
4:40 Claire McMahon (Cleveland)
4:50 Tracie Morell (Erie)
5 pm: Bradley K Meyer (Dayton)
5:10 Ellis E-matic Crockett (Erie)
5:20 Alex Nielsen (Cleveland)
5:30 Dan Smith (Cleveland)
5:40 Bridget Kriner (Cleveland)
5:50 Megan Collins (Erie)
6 pm: Gork (Cleveland)
6:10 Josh Romig (Ravenna)
6:20 Amanda Oaks (Pennsylvania)
6:30 Mary O'Malley (Cleveland)
6:40 elliot smith (Erie)
6:50 Adam Sagert (Lorain)
7 pm: Christine Howey (Cleveland)
7:10 Kelly Boyer Sagert (Lorain)
7:20 Andy Roberts (Columbus)
7:30 Ryan Sagert (Lorain)
7:40 Brian Fugett (Dayton)
7:50 Theresa Göttl (Cleveland)
8 pm: Steve Thomas (Cleveland)
8:10 Cee Williams (Erie)
8:20 Lennart Lundh (Illinois)
8:30 Mistress Rosie [a.k.a. Lisa Dabrowski] (Lorain)
8:40 mark s. kuhar [a.k.a. Mark Cueball] (Medina)
8:50 Catherine Criswell (Cleveland)
9 pm: Shelly Ann (Cleveland)
9:10 Jim Lang (Cleveland)
9:20 Christina M. Brooks (Detroit)
9:30 Gavin Corey (Boston)
9:40 Shelley Chernin (Cleveland)
9:50 Vladimir Swirynsky (Cleveland)
10 pm Christopher Franke (Cleveland)
10:10 Mark Cronin (Cleveland)
10:20 Cavana Faithwalker (Cleveland)
10:30 Steve Goldberg (Cleveland)
10:40 Julie Ursem Marchand (Elyria)
10:50 Ra Washington (Cleveland)

Peace, love and poetry....
John

Or check the Snoetry-4 facebook page.
...and, if you're suffering from withdrawal from not enough Snoetry: join the Snoetry Withdrawal support group.

Ohio Poetry Association presents Bruce Weigl in Oberlin 9/21

The Ohio Poetry Association's quarterly meeting comes north to be held this Saturday at the Oberlin Public Library.  Meeting at 10 a.m.  Reading and workshop at 1 p.m.  From the press release:

"For our fall quarterly program we are very excited and honored to welcome Lorain, Ohio native Bruce Weigl. Currently Distinguished Professor at Lorain County Community College, Bruce has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, most recently for The Abundance of Nothing (2012).

"In all, Weigl is the author of more than a dozen books of poetry, several collections of critical essays, and a best-selling prose memoir, The Circle of Hanh (2000). A veteran of the Vietnam War, Weigl’s early work engages directly with the horror of his experience of war, while more recent work explores themes of family and childhood. Weigl writes in his memoir: "The paradox of my life as a writer is that the war ruined my life and in return gave me my voice."

"Weigl earned his BA at Oberlin College, his MA at the University of New Hampshire, and his PhD at the University of Utah."

www.ohiopoetryassn.org

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
Blood Pudding Press
Bottom Dog Press
Buffalo ZEF
The City Poetry Press
Cleveland State University Press
Crisis Chronicles Press
deep cleveland press
Dos Madres Press
Etruscan Press
Green Panda Press
Guide to Kulchur Press
HobGob Press
Hydeout Press
Kattywompus Press
Kent State University Press
Kenyon Review
Le Pink-Elephant Press
Masked Man Media 
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
Poehemian Press
The Poet's Haven 
Porkbelly Press
Pudding House Publications
recycled karma press
Small Victories Press
Silenced Press
Standing Rock Cultural Arts 
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

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

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:

The Buck Stops Here - and reads with Bilgere, Borsenik, Leatherman, Hemery and Mad Anthony

Poet Chansonette Buck is coming all the way from Berkeley, California, this week to read at two big events on the western fringe of Greater Cleveland: Wednesday June 15th during the final (for now) Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza at Bela Dubby (13321 Madison Ave.) in Lakewood and Thursday June 16th during PoetryElyria at Scott M Duncan Photography (120 Middle Ave.) in downtown Elyria. She'll share a completely different set of her work at each venue.

Our other featured poet during June's Lix and Kix will be the renowned George Bilgere, author of The White Museum, winner of a 2010 Lantern Award for best poetry collection from The Lit: Cleveland's Literary Center. The evening will include an open mic emceed by Borsenik and Burroughs, as well as a wall-shaking performance by Cincinnati rock band Mad Anthony.

Joining Dr. Buck during June's PoetryElyria will be three more featured authors: Stacie Leatherman, Mike Hemery and Dianne Borsenik, all of whom have exciting new books out. This event will include an open mic emceed by John Burroughs and (while supplies last) free wine.

To read more about our fine featured authors and these exciting happenings, please visit our Facebook event pages:

Lix and Kix featuring George Bilgere, Chansonette Buck & Mad Anthony
PoetryElyria featuring Buck, Borsenik, Hemery and Leatherman

Music and Words for Peace - May 14th in Cleveland

The Cleveland Non-Violence Network presents Music & Words for Peace, a coffeehouse fundraiser for the 10th Annual Labor Day Peace Show, with music by Deborah Van Kleef, Ian Heisey and the Cleveland Hip-Hop Club, and poetry by Kate Sopko, Phil Metres, Kazim Ali, Dianne Borsenik, John Burroughs and Sammy Greenspan.

Free will donations accepted at the door. Baked goods & fair trade coffee. Parking on Franklin Boulevard and adjoining streets. More info: www.clevelandnonviolence.org, 216-932-8546, engagepeace@gmail.com

It all happens Saturday, 7 p.m., at St. Paul's Community Church, 4427 Franklin Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. (Click on the image for a printable flier.)

Everett, Nichols, Roberts, Suarez & Grimm: 4/20&21/2011

Fore more information on 4/20's Lix & Kix event, click here.


For more information on 4/21's Avon Lake reading, click here.

Get your Lix & Kix in the 216 on Wed. 2/16

Visit our event page on Facebook.
See also http://wendyshaffer.com

Poets hold longest reading on record in Elyria

[Click here to watch Snoetry live from the warmth of your home or wherever else you like. Live broadcast begins at 4 pm on 2/2/2011.]

First it was Cincinnati, then it was Seattle, and then in 2010 Prospero's Books in Kansas City claimed the distinction of having hosted the longest poetry reading on record: 120 hours straight. Now northern Ohio, with its growing reputation as a hotbed of great poetry, is poised to seize that distinction. Beginning on Wednesday February 2nd at 5 p.m., poets from several states and as far away as Nepal, led by many of northern Ohio's finest, will overrun Jim's Coffeehouse in Elyria to hold a 150-hour poetry reading billed as Snoetry 2: A World Record Winter Wordfest. The marathon is scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday February 8th at 11 p.m. If you're interested in a 30-minute featured reader slot for Snoetry 2, contact John Burroughs ASAP at jc@crisischronicles.com or on Facebook. For other queries, contact Dianne Borsenik at dborsenik@gmail.com or on Facebook.

For a constantly updating list of scheduled readers and open slots, click here. Visit Snoetry 2's Facebook event page here. And for blow by blow updates from Snoetry 2, follow @ElyriaPoetry on Twitter.

Jim's Coffeehouse and Diner is located at 2 Kerstetter Way (formerly Lake Avenue) in downtown Elyria, Ohio. Click here for directions.

Snoetry 2 is a Lix and Kix Poetry production, in association with PoetryElyria, Poets of Lorain County, Main Street Elyria, and the Ohio Poetry Association. Thanks to the generous support of the Nordson Corporation Foundation, Snoetry 2 will be streamed live over the internet, both here at Cleveland Poetics and at John Burroughs' Crisis Chronicles.

Peace and poetry,
Lix and Kix (a.k.a John and Dianne)

Poetry & Performing Arts Extravaganza on 1/28/11

On January 28th at the 737 Gallery in Lorain, Ohio, the Lorain Arts Council, Poets of Lorain County and the Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza will present In Verse Lorain: A Poetry and Performing Arts Extravaganza, featuring performances by Yuyutsu R.D. Sharma, Robert Miltner, Trenchcoat Manifesto, Elise Geither, Eric Anderson, La Mariposa and Michael McNamara, John Burroughs, Dianne Borsenik, Shelley Chernin, Julissa Reyes, Marilyn Olivares de Ortiz and Manancique. Corresponding with this event will be an exhibition of art works in a variety of media (including acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings; sculpture; wood-work; metal-work; photography; mixed-media work; and Ukranian eggs) by Lorain Arts Council members.

Visit our Facebook event page here.

Elyria, Bernstein & Grover - oh my! - Jan 23rd

Michael Bernstein of Cleveland Heights and Michael Grover of Toledo will be our featured poets on Sunday January 23rd from 1 to 3 pm during PoetryElyria at Jim's Coffeehouse and Diner, 2 Kerstetter Way in downtown Elyria. The event will begin with an open mic emceed by John Burroughs.

Avon Lake Poetry series launches tonight (1/20)!

Event will begin with an open mic. Bring your poems, munchies, soft drinks. Visit our Facebook event page here.

More Robert Miltner: www.wix.com/robertmiltner/2011
More John Burroughs: www.crisischronicles.com
Directions to the library: www.alpl.org/directions.asp