Publishing Poetry in Northeast Ohio: Roundtable, Readings, Book Fair

Join in a lively discussion with regionally and nationally known poetry publishers on Saturday April 13th at the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library.

12:30-2:00 Roundtable

Representatives from Bottom Dog Press, Cleveland State University Press, Crisis Chronicles Press, NightBallet Press, Poet’s Haven, and University of Akron Press will share their thoughts and insights about publishing poetry and answer questions from the audience. Moderated by Bonné de Blas, an MFA Candidate in the Northeastern Ohio Master of Fine Arts program at Kent State University.

2:00-2:15 Break

Enjoy free refreshments while you browse the book fair, talk with local publishers, and check out their publications.

2:15-3:45 Readings

Several authors published by presses in today’s roundtable will read from their work. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Readers will include Phil Metres, Ray McNiece, Rikki Santer, Holli Rainwater, Robin Mullet, Larry Smith and more.

3:45-4:30 Book Fair

Browse the book fair, talk with local publishers, and check out their publications.

Cuyahoga County Public Library
South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch
1876 South Green Road
South Euclid, Ohio  44121
Phone 216-382-4880

This event is FREE and open to the public. Please RSVP at http://attend.cuyahogalibrary.org/event/1408538.

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.

Confessions of a Rust Belt Orphan

From Belt magazine:
Confessions of a Rust Belt Orphan (Or 'How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Akron') by Jason Segedy

(courtesy of the Cleveland Scene)

• The Akron Anthology

Ploughshares interviews Mary Biddinger

Victoria Chang of Ploughshares interviews Mary Biddinger, the Series Editor for the Akron Series in Poetry.

"Do you have a future vision of the Series?  Is there a commitment from Akron that it will go on for a while?

The University of Akron has been very supportive of the Series, and I believe we have a healthy future. Along with collaborator John Gallaher, I recently started the Akron Series in Contemporary Poetics at The University of Akron Press, which publishes collections of essays, so our poetry branch is growing steadily."

I've always had a soft spot for Ploughshares, a literary zine founded in a bar (the Plough & Stars, in Cambridge.)  Now, that's the way I'd say literary 'zines should be founded.

• Mary Biddinger's home page
• Read write poem

The Big Big Mess in Akron

Nick Sturm writes to say:

I would like to formally introduce you to Akron's new monthly reading series - THE BIG BIG MESS READING SERIES - hosted at Annabell's Bar & Lounge the first Friday of every month (after this month) from 7-9pm. Attached, please find the flier for the first event, this Friday June 10th, featuring readings by Mary Biddinger, Eric Morris, Cari Gornik, Eliese Goldbach, and Chris Smith. Free books will be given away, sponsored by the Akron Series in Poetry, in a continued effort by THE BIG BIG MESS to support the work of small presses.

THE BIG BIG MESS, named after the DEVO song "Big Mess," was born out of the desire to do something awesome for the Northeast Ohio writing community, and to create a space in Akron for consistent, exciting readings where interested people can come together, be together, and be awesome. Every reading will feature a completely different line-up, including NEOMFA students from all four gateways, and a giveaway of free books from a different small press each month. There is no cover charge - everything is free except the drinks! Here is the Facebook event page.

For future information about THE BIG BIG MESS, please "like" our Facebook page.

Poet's Haven Supports Music for Meals

Saturday Night With The Poet's Haven is at Angel Falls (792 West Market Street in Akron) on November 20th, with featured poets Steve Brightman and Eric "Verbal Influence" Odum! The Love Initiative's Music for Meals Food Drive will also be present, collecting boxed and canned goods for area food banks (grocery store gift cards and cash work, too). Anyone who donates at this event will receive an exclusive, limited edition copy of Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, a NEW chapbook/zine published by The Poet's Haven!

Steve Brightman is 1/4 cup dijon and whole grain mustard, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup ground coffee, and 1/4 cup deep dark molasses. He lives in Kent, Ohio, with his pionus parrot and thinks that PNC park is the finest cathedral in North America. His poems have been featured in Pudding, Kansas City Voices, Origami Condom, My Favorite Bullet, and he was included in the Ohio Bicentennial Anthology titled I Have My Own Song For It: Modern Poems about Ohio.

Eric "Verbal Influence" Odum is a 20-year-old poet hailing from Cleveland, Ohio. He has been part of Playhouse Square's SlamU! program for the past five years. He is a peer mentor, running workshops and working on a personal level with teens on performance and writing. He was part of Cleveland's National Youth Poetry Slam team for the past three years. He also runs a poetry group called Spit Poet Spit, which performed at Urbean Joe’s Coffee this past September. Eric is the founding member of an after school poetry group called New Age Poets. He started writing at the age of nine and began performing at fifteen. He has released one chapbook, Unspoken Declarations, and has a new CD called Verbal Therapy.

This is an ALL-AGES/UNMODERATED event, meaning kids are welcome to attend and participate, but parents should be aware that there are no restrictions on language. Some performances may include coarse language.

After the features, there is an open-mic. The open-mic is recorded for the Saturday Night With The Poet's Haven podcast. Poets and musicians wishing to perform at the open-mic can sign-up at 6:30. The features will begin at 7:00. ALL TIMES LISTED ARE REAL-TIME, NOT "POETRY STANDARD TIME." In other words, GET HERE BEFORE 7:00!!!

For other artists/venues/performances supporting Music for Meals, visit www.theloveinitiative.com and http://musicformeals.us. Visit the Poet's Haven online at www.poetshaven.com.