Turn On. SPIT.

Legendary Cleveland poet RA Washington tonight!

Arts in Stark and The Poet's Haven present Canton's First Friday Poetry Spectacular! May 6th's featured poet is RA Washington.

RA Washington is a writer, multi-media artist, and musician living in the historic North Collinwood neighborhood of Cleveland. He is the author of a dozen books, most recently the novellas Open and HUEbris. Washington was awarded a Wexner Center for the Arts Fellowship in 2001. His paintings, photography, and mixed media installations have been exhibited in numerous galleries and art centers, including ARTbizzarre in Montreal, FACT.CO in London, and as part of SPACES Art Gallery’s Afrofuturism Exhibition in 2006. Washington's free jazz opera, Along the Eastern Shore: A Tribute to Albert Ayler, was premiered as part of the 2006 Cleveland Ingenuity Festival. A member of the performance ensemble Black Poetic, Washington is currently working on a play and film project based on the life of James Baldwin.

This show includes an open-mic, feature performance, and poetry slam. First place in the slam wins $50. Second place wins $30. Third place wins $20. Prize money provided by Arts in Stark.

This is an ALL-AGES/UNMODERATED event, meaning that all-ages are welcome to attend and participate, but parents should be aware that there are no restrictions on language and some performances may contain adult language and content.

On the Verge of Expression…

Here’s a dozen pics from the Black Poetic Thursday 7pm series On the Verge of Expression at JOVELLE BREWERS 12204 Larchmere. This edition featuring Cleveland to New Orleans transplant Kelly Harris. Enthusiastically hosted by Clevelandpoetics the Blog’s own Kisha Foster.

View Full Album

Black Poetic Society @ East Cleveland Public Library

Hello all,

This is Kisha Nicole Foster

and I am inviting everyone who reads this to attend the event this Friday at the East Cleveland Public Library. Featuring is Black Poetic Society...Mary Weems, Sage the Wisecat, Rafeeq Washington, and Ebony Edwards...Cavana Faithwalker will be the MC and I am the opening act...whoooohooo....i am super excited about this folks...this show is sure to be explosive...they had a show last year at Cleveland State University that I had the honor of being a part of and the crowd was loving it...it was a packed house and boy was it nice...this time around it is at the Greg Reese Performing Arts Center...For those not aware Greg Reese is the director of the East Cleveland Public Library System and fought real hard to raise monies for this performing arts center. Though I have not been there yet I'm sure that it is something spectacular...The event starts at 7pm and it is FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!WHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHEEEEEEEE!!!

Everybody loves free...i sure do...if i'm not mistaken there will be an open mic, limited i'm sure yet there will be one...and if not thats alright, listening to this stuff sometimes is more enjoying than performing...i had a poetry slam at Cleveland State University Friday night which proved successful, about 60 people came children and all...it was all love and very nice...the winners were: up and coming poet named Ashley, Eris Zion Venia Dyson, and Josiah "Zion" Quarles...Congrats to them...

I just picked up a gig at the Arthouse again...I taught these young students last year, thanks to Ray McNeice and Judith Monsour for the gig...I get to teach them again starting in March so I am excited about that as well as preparing for this Women of the World Poetry Slam...I am asking that if anyone has any advice on writing - i need help with imagery - or performing please let me know...i have skin like an elephant, what doesn't hurt me makes me stronger.,..and with that my peoples, I am signing out with all of my poetic love...please try to make the event this Friday - the library is on Euclid next to the Windermere/Stokes Rapid Station...if all else follow that new healthline thing it'll go right past it...it is free to the public, all of the public!!! So try to make it...

This is the people's poet signing off...

kisha nicole foster