#ThisIsCLE!

Looking for your Cleveland poem fix?

• #ThisIsCLE: An Anthology of the 2014 Best Cleveland Poem Competition 

 The second annual Best Cleveland Poem Competition was held on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at the Willoughby Brewing Company.  #ThisIsCLE features contest highlights including poems by Geoffrey Landis, Theresa Göttl Brightman, Jeffrey Bowen, Mary Turzillo, JP Armstrong, Anita Herczog, Danya Eichhorn, Michael Murray, Steven B. Smith, Frannie Lograsso, S. Renay Sanders, two-time Best Cleveland Poem winner Dianne Borsenik and competition emcee Ray McNiece.

The book is 40 pages, perfect bound, 6x9" and a steal at only $10 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3344 W. 105th Street #4, Cleveland, Ohio 44111.

• The book will have a release party at the Monday at Mahall's reading, Monday January 5th, 7:30 pm. Mahall's 20 Lanes, 13200 Madison Avenue, Lakewood

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• Previous posts on Cleveland Poem contest

Best Cleveland Poem!

Ray McNiece rocks the house

Here they are, the ten finalists and three alternates for the 2nd Annual Best Cleveland Poem Contest.  Come to the Willoughby Brewing Company at 4pm this Sunday  to hear them read, orchestrated Master of Ceremonies Ray McNiece.
Please invite one or two hundred of your friends to support this event sponsored by Tim "I'll make them rhyme" Misny.

In no particular order:

• Steven Smith
• TM Göttl
• JP Armstrong
• Dianne Borsenik
• Jeffrey Bowen
• Lee Chilcote
• Renay Sanders
• Michael Murray,
• Geoffrey Landis
• Danilee Eichhorn
• Anita Keys
• Mary Turzillo
• Frances Lograsso

This will be great!

See you all Sunday. Please promote the event on fb, twitter and other media platforms!

Willoughby Brewing Company:

• 4057 Erie Street Willoughby Ohio 44094

--oh, and check out the book from last year's contest.   If you love poetry, and love Cleveland-- this is the book for you.

•  last year's contest

2014 Best Cleveland Poetry Competition

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.

The Best Cleveland Poem Competition 2013 (UPDATED!)

The Best Cleveland Poem Competition 2013

Writers in Northeastern Ohio are asked to turn their thoughts and their pens to Cleveland and compete in the first ever Best Cleveland Poem Competition during April, National Poetry Month.
Submitted poems must be themed on some aspect of Cleveland. This may include Cleveland sports (Browns, Cavaliers, Indians, OSU, etc.), politics, landmarks (Severance Hall, Tower City, West Side Market, etc.), local celebrities, or personal memories and associations with Cleveland. Poems must be a minimum of 30 lines and a maximum of 200 lines, and poems containing profanity and/or inappropriate language or topics will be disqualified.

All poems should be submitted to initial judge Ray McNiece, English department lecturer at John Carroll University and award-winning national poet, at buddyraymc@aol.com. Ray will select the Top Ten Best Cleveland Poems. These top ten poets will perform at the competition’s concluding event for the grand prize.

A host of local celebrity judges will judge the final competition at the end of April. Final competition date, location and judges are TBA. The final competition will feature an opening performance by Ray McNiece and the band Tongue in Groove, an open mike session and the performance and judging of the Top Ten Best Cleveland Poems.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers. First place will receive a plaque of recognition as the Best Cleveland Poem winner and $100. Second place will receive $50. Third place will receive $25. All winners will also receive additional items from the venue.
This event is being sponsored by Tim Misny.

Update: The Cleveland Poetry Contest final competition will be at Willoughby Brewing Company this Sunday (May 5).  It's kicked off with Ray McNiece at 7:30, the open mike at 7:45, and then the Cleveland poets at 8:30pm.  It will be epic!  Be there!

More imporant information (from Ray McNiece April 3):

• you can submit up to three poems. 
• deadline is april 21st;
•  the top ten poets via email submission must attend the final "out loud" reading which will be judged, slam style, by a panel of celebrity judges. 
• All poets are welcome to read in the open mic portion of the program. It will be held most likely at the Willoughby Brewing Company on may 5th, 4 till 7