Friday, April 24, 2020

Ray McNiece, new poet laureate of Cleveland Heights

from Rachel Bernstein of Heights Arts writes:
"I’m thrilled to announce that our Heights Writes Community Team has chosen Ray McNiece as the next Poet Laureate of Cleveland Heights!” The two-year appointment begins this month. The Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate was, for many years, the only poet laureateship in the state of Ohio, and is one of Heights Arts core programs. McNiece will be the 10th poet serving the community in this capacity."

See their announcement here.
Ray McNiece, new poet laureate of Cleveland Heights

Ray writes:
"Many thanks to Rachel Bernstein Kathleen CervenyChristine Howey and the Heights Writes Committee. I take over from a long line of great poets of community including this past two years' poet Damien McClendon!
"My big proposal is intergenerational poetry circles with elders and youth which will obviously be on hold until we can find a way to do workshops safely. Likewise the community poetry workshop which will probably be done through Zoom, (I'm currently leading one for the Lit). I'll also be soliciting local poets for the very successful Ekphrastacy Series, poets responding to Art for Height's Arts Gallery Shows. I'll be leading Seasonal Ginko (Haiku Hikes) at Cain Park and initiate a revival of the Best Cleveland Poem contest, named for Daniel Thompson, Cleveland's legendary Community Poet and long time Cleveland Heights resident, with Student, Adult and Senior Categories. Eventually we hope to have quarterly Lit Jams, performances of poems, stories, songs, monologues and stand up comedy backed by the Tongue in Groove Band at a Cleveland Heights Music venue, imagine Literary "Happenings"! I am also going to start a blog dubbed, An Analog Man in a Digital World, where I'll post news updates on all of the above, poems, prompts and contest information. Thanks again, Yesterday I posted a tribute to my mother and it really was her encouragement to follow my dreams to be a poet (my immigrant Grandparents were drilling "Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer" in my head all through my childhood) that has brought me here. That, and the love of poetry instilled by my father's mother Zelma McNiece Cline, who always told me if you learn a poem by heart it lives with you your whole life!"


Saturday, April 11, 2020

Ohio Poetry Day has announced their contests


reposted from the Ohio Poetry Association blog: the Ohio Poetry Day contests ar coming up next month.

Ohio Poetry day rulesOhio Poetry Day Contest Updates: 2020 Contests Flyer, 2019 Winners List


OPD 2020 Contests Information
The 2020 Ohio Poetry Day Association annual contests have been announced. May 15 is the deadline (postmark) for more than two dozen contests, including a “Welcome Aboard” category for first-time submitters. Below is a copy of the submission form, which provides full contest information. 

Ohio Poetry Day 2020 will take place October 2–3 at the University of Mt. Union in Alliance, Ohio. To get on the OPD mailing list, contact:
Amy Jo Zook
3520 State Route 56
Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 

Checks made payable to: Ohio Poetry Day..

-- also, the Ohio Poetry Association is looking for submissions for the Ohio Poet of the Year, an award open to Ohio poets who have published a collection of poetry in 2018 or 2019.

  • Information on how to nominate here
  • Information on the award here

Ohio Poetry Day list of contests


Ohio Poetry Day entry formOhio Poetry Day A Word About Format









OPD 2019 Contest Winners

The list of winners of the OPD 2019 poetry contests has been released. We're excited to see so many OPA members among the winners and honorable mentions. Congratulations to all!

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Congrats to Guggenheim Fellow Phil Metres

photo of Philip Metres

Congrats to Cleveland Poet Philip Metres for being named a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow!


Guggenheim Fellowships represent "exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts."

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Not too late to catch up on A POEM A DAY!

It's April, and you know what that means... yes: 30 day of Poetry from the Cuyahoga County Public Library, featuring a new poem every day from a Northeastern Ohio poet, and a poetry prompt for you to write your own.
You're a week behind, but it's not too late to catch up: sign up for the daily e-mail.


We are one week into our #readwritepoetry 30 Days of Poetry Month. Click the link below to get caught up on our featured poetry blog posts and our daily "Write a Poem" exercises.
Thank you for joining our Read + Write: 30 Days of Poetry mailing list.
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The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau