New Location for Kent 3rd Friday Open Poetry Readings

Contact RC Wilson at rcwilsonii@gmail.com for more information.

Last Exit readings in Kent from December through May

For more info, follow https://www.facebook.com/groups/275521006684052.

August 30th: The Poetry Airshow

From Mike Credico and our friends at the Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library:

I wanted to let you know that we'll be hosting an open mic poetry reading on Saturday, August 30th from 3-5 PM here at the Ohio Center for the Book. We're offering this as an alternative to the other, better-known, airshow (although it will be in full view). We did something similar last year, by accident, and it turned out to be a very positive, powerful experience for participants. 

We're hoping to have a bunch of readers, so if you're in the area this upcoming Labor Day weekend, stop by!

July 12: Ohio Poetry Association Picnic at Sandy Ridge Reservation

Join us July 12th at the Lorain County Metroparks' Sandy Ridge Reservation in North Ridgeville, Ohio for the Ohio Poetry Association's annual picnic, featuring readings by co-Ohio Poet of the Year Barbara Sabol (Watermark) and recent Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate Ray McNiece (Bone Key Sutra), shorter readings by OPA members with recent publications, plus open mic.

Picnic begins at 12:30 p.m. in the park's Johnson Wetlands Center.

Preceded at 10 a.m. by OPA's quarterly business meeting (all members welcome).

6195 Otten Road
North Ridgeville, Ohio 44039

1/11 in East Cleveland: Second Saturday Stanzas will feature Caira Lee

From our friends at the East Cleveland Public Library:

4 p.m. January 11th 2025 at:

East Cleveland Public Library
14101 Euclid Avenue
East Cleveland, OH
eastclevelandpubliclibrary.org

1/16: Poetry Unplugged Turns 3!

Check this!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cleveland Open Mic Experience (@poetry.unplugged)

Last Exit Open Poetry Readings Announced - Early 2025 in Kent

 From our friend RC Wilson:

December 14th: Open Mic Sharing in Sandusky

You're invited to this sharing on poetry's relevance in your and our lives.

Sandusky is 55 minutes west and worth the drive. 

Last Exit Poetry in Kent - Late 2024

From host RC Wilson:

Here is the Last Exit Open Poetry schedule through December. Please note that all readings are on the 3rd Friday EXCEPT July.

For the latest, follow https://www.facebook.com/groups/275521006684052.
 

Open Mic at the Winchester every Tuesday

Winchester Music Tavern
12112 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

Waiting for the Wind to Rise August 30th at Mac's Backs

poster by Christopher Franke

M.J. Arcangelini's new chapbook, Waiting for the Wind to Rise, was released today by Greater Cleveland's own NightBallet Press. Originally from Ohio, Arcangelini now lives in California but will be returning to Cleveland for a special book release event and reading on August 30th at Mac's Backs Books on Coventry.

Three acclaimed out-of-town poets 8/10 at Visible Voice Books

John Dorsey / Victor Clevenger / Jason Baldinger at 7:30 p.m. Open mic to follow.

National Poetry Month coming up at the Cleveland Public Library

Once again, the Cleveland Public Library & Ohio Center for the Book is setting up their events for National Poetry Month, with workshops and a Monday open mike.
Check out their National Poetry Month events listing

--know of any other National Poetry Month events?  Tell us!

Cleveland Public Poetry continues (plus, Q&A with Ohio poet Khaty Xiong)

Photo by GL

With the start of a new year, Cleveland Public Library has begun another season of Cleveland Public Poetry, the open mic poetry reading series.  Since 2012, Cleveland Public Poetry (CPP) has presented some of Ohio’s most honored, established and emerging poets. A featured poet reader is presented quarterly, while every month, CPP offers an open mic to aspiring poets–and to anyone wanting to read their favorite poem aloud.  It’s a wonderfully creative outlet for those wanting to celebrate written and spoken word poetry. 
Please join us for our next open mic event: Cleveland Public Poetry, Poetry of Love, Wednesday, February 14, at 12:00 p.m. Come share an original or classic poem that celebrates the romantic tradition of Valentine’s Day. 
Cleveland Public Poetry is sponsored by the Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library.
Read more (and check out the question & answer with Ohio poet Khaty Xiong) here:

• Open Mic Series at Cleveland Public Library Celebrates Written & Spoken-Word Poetry
• Poetry of Love open mike Feb. 14 at noon

Two of Cleveland's Best Read Wednesday 8/9 at Mac's Backs

Teen Open Mic and Writing for Change coming up at Lake Erie Ink

For more info on these and their other programs, please visit lakeerieink.org.

Lake Erie Ink
2843 Washington Blvd

Cleveland Heights, Ohio

(216) 320-4757

We also recommend following Lake Erie Ink on Facebook.

INKubator tomorrow!

Building community one draft at a time.

Dear friends,

This is just a final reminder about the Cleveland Inkubator taking place tomorrow, 8/1 at the Cleveland Public Library. If you haven't had a chance to register yet, then you may do so here. Some of the offerings of the event include:

- Inspiring workshops and craft talks with celebrated local writers
- Writers UnBlock room with coffee and snacks
- All-day resource fair with independent booksellers
- Keynote reading with authors David Giffels and Thrity Umrigar
- FREE ice cream from Mitchell's and food from Susy's Soup and Deli food truck
- Youth performance with writers from Lake Erie Ink and Cleveland School of the Arts
- Open mic hosted by Michael Salinger + Damian Ware + YOU!

Please remember, most workshops are now full, but there's still space in the craft talks. If you don't get a chance to register today, then you can always register onsite. And finally, if you're unable to attend the workshops, then feel free to join the party at 5 pm to check out the readings (in the Stokes Wing auditorium) and open mic (in the Eastman Reading Garden, weather permitting).

We look forward to INKubating with you!

Sincerely,

Cleveland Inkubator team
Copyright © 2015 Lee Chilcote, Writer, All rights reserved.
Updates and announcements about the Cleveland Inkubator

Our mailing address is:
Lee Chilcote, Writer
7212 West Clinton Ave.
Cleveland, Oh 44105

• Cleveland INKubator

UPDATED! Cleveland INKubator: a free writing un-conference in August

Mark your calendars-- the Cleveland Inkubator Writers’ Conference --sorry, I mean "Literary UN-conference"--will take place Saturday, August 1, at the downtown branch of the Cleveland Public Library. This conference is free and open to the public, and will feature workshops, craft talks, and readings. A Resource Fair will also showcase information from area literary organizations, publishers, and bookstores.
This will be a great opportunity to network with other writers and create some energy around the Cleveland literary scene.
Visit the website to register for the workshops of your choice. Although the event is free, workshop sizes are limited so early registration is recommended!

A literary UNconference 

"The idea is the brainchild of Lee Chilcote, a freelance journalist, poet and teacher, and Amy Rosenbluth, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Lake Erie Ink. There is a need for community-based programming for both teen and adult writers in Cleveland. Northeast Ohio has a wonderful literary scene and many talented writers live here, yet we need to foster more collaboration and connections between all of us. The goal of the Inkubator is to provide writing programs that celebrate our rich literary culture while nurturing the next generation of talent. Thanks to the generosity of the Cleveland Public Library, which has jumped on board and agreed to donate space and support the event, the Gund Foundation and other supporters, the Cleveland Inkubator is now a reality. "

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Update!

Building community one draft at a time

Dear friends,

Since we launched registration for the Cleveland Inkubator, Cleveland's first-ever free UNconference for writers on Saturday, August 1st, over 50 people have signed up to attend.

That means a lot to those of us organizing it. The response we've gotten validates what we believe: Cleveland needs an accessible, community-based forum to celebrate writing, build community, and help writers advance their craft.

Today we're going to give you three more reasons to sign up for the Inkubator and share this event with your networks. Our goal is to get at least 100-200 people (youth 14-18 and adults!) at the event -- help us make that happen!

The reasons are, of course, the fabulous presenters and workshop leaders we have lined up, in addition to our keynote readers David Giffels and Thrity Umrigar:

1. Award-winning poet Susan Grimm

Susan Grimm is leading a workshop entitled "Thinginess: Attending to the World Through Poetry." The description reads, "Start with this object, this patch of grass, this sunny room--how speaking of it becomes speaking of us. In this workshop we will focus our attentions on the things of this world, festooning our poems with the gladness and sorrow of physical presence."

Susan's poems have appeared in Blackbird, Poetry East, The Journal, and other publications. Her book of poems, Lake Erie Blue, was published by BkMk Press. She also edited Ordering the Storm: How to Put Together a Book of Poems. She won the inaugural Copper Nickel Poetry Prize and the Hayden Carruth Poetry Prize. In 2014 she received her second Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council.

2. Freelance writer Christopher Johnston

Chris is giving a craft talk called "Live the Write Life: How You can Make a Living as a Freelancer." This one's going to be popular, we think! Here's how it's billed: "A freelance journalist since 1987, Christopher Johnston will help you explore different ways you can earn a living as a full-time freelance writer, whether you choose to specialize or be a generalist. You’ll learn how to pitch your ideas, pursue a book project, and build your platform. You’ll leave with ample ideas to launch your writing life!"

Chris has published 3,000+ articles in regional and national publications and had more than a dozen of his plays produced. Currently, he is adapting an Irish story for Talespinner Children’s Theater and writing a book about the 50 years of post-Vietnam War resiliency of the survivors of Bravo Company, First Battalion, Ninth Marines who served at Khe Sanh and suffered the highest loss rate in Marine history. 

3. Memoir writer Charlotte Morgan

Charlotte writes: "In this workshop, we will learn how to take memories, turn them into narratives and discover something about ourselves."

Charlotte Morgan knew she wanted to be a writer by age five and began filling composition notebooks with science fiction stories. Fascinated by nonfiction and literary journalism, she became a reporter and then a music journalist. Her writing has been published locally, regionally and nationally. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing (Non-Fiction). Presently, she teaches First Year Writing at Cleveland State University. She is completing Judgement in Goshen: A Taxonomy of Ordinary Murder, a crime memoir.

Want more information? Visit the Inkubator website for the full lineup.

We look forward to seeing you at the Cleveland Inkubator on Saturday, August 1st!

Yours Sincerely,

The INKubator team
Copyright © 2015 Lee Chilcote, Writer, All rights reserved.
Updates and announcements about the Cleveland Inkubator

Our mailing address is:
Lee Chilcote, Writer
7212 West Clinton Ave.
Cleveland, Oh 44105

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• Cleveland Inkubator Facebook page

Lake Erie Ink hosts Teen Open Mic February 20th

• Lake Erie Ink: "a writing space for youth".
• Programs