OPA Now Accepting Submissions for High School Contests

The Ohio Poetry Association is now accepting submissions for its annual High School Contests. For more information, visit the OPA website at www.ohiopoetryassn.org or click here for a flyer with complete details.

Please spread the word to any Ohio high school English teachers you may know. While we have about 200 schools on our mailing list, we know this is only a small number of those that might want to participate. The more schools, the more entries. And the more entries, the better quality of submissions.

Ten winners from Ohio will have their poems sent on to the National Federation of State Poetry Societies annual Manningham Trust Youth Poetry Competition. In recent years, young Ohio poets have done very well. In fact last year's Ohio winner, Erica Sallee of Briggs HS (Columbus), took second place at the national competition.

We look forward to reading more great poems this year from Ohio's young poets!

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Casting a Line for Susan Glassmeyer's 'Invisible Fish'

by Chuck Salmons If you haven’t heard by now, OPA member and Cincinnati poet Susan Glassmeyer is the winner the Ohio Poetry Day Association’s 2018 Poet of the Year award, for her first full-length collection, Invisible Fish (Dos Madres Press, 2018). On the heels of her winning, I corresponded with her to find out more about the collection and her writing process. CS: First of all, congratulations on the award! Having read Invisible Fish, I know this is an honor that is well-deserved. How does it feel to have your name among past winners such as Mary Oliver, David Baker, and David Citino? SG: I was truly surprised to win this award, Chuck. I did some research after the fact and learned about the history of the award. What an honor to be part of this venerable Ohio poet lineage! I already own a few of the books on the list, not realizing the authors had previously won the award. And although I have many of Mary Oliver’s books, Twelve Moons (winner in 1980) was not among

Ohio Underground Railroad Whistle-Stop Poetry Tour Kicks Off in Portsmouth

The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) in partnership with Poets Against Racism & Hate USA (PARH USA) will conduct a whistle-stop poetry tour of historic Underground Railroad stations throughout Ohio. The inaugural program takes place from 10 AM to 5:30 PM on Saturday, February 24, at the Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center , 825 Gallia Street, Portsmouth. With the help of the organizations’ members and community partners, OPA and PARH USA will present a series of poetry readings at historic sites throughout 2024. Each site will feature poets and poems that honor Ohio’s legacy on the Underground Railroad and that raise awareness of issues of social justice, hate, and prejudice. A special capstone event will take place on December 7 at the Ohio History Connection in Columbus. The event will include morning poetry workshops for adults and children, followed by poetry readings and a presentation on the history of Portsmouth’s role in the Underground Railroad. A walking tour of se

Odes of October Contest 2023 Winners Announced

Ohio Poetry Association is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Odes of October contest, as judged by esteemed poet, Paula J. Lambert. First prize goes to Nancy McDermott of Chardon, Ohio, for her poem “The Quilt Show.” First prize includes an award of $65 and inclusion in the 2024 Common Threads, as well being published below. Second prize goes to Timothy J. Richards of Olmstead Twp., Ohio, for his poem “Warlock’s Culinary Concoction.” This prize includes an award of $25 and appears below. Third prize goes to Daniel Moreschi of Neath, Vale of Glamorgan, in the U.K. for his poem “A Fitful Veil.” This prize includes an award of $10 and ppears below. The judge also chose two Honorable Mentions: “Caulk,” by Anthony Wyatt, Dayton, Ohio “October Friendship,” by David Lee Garrison, Dayton, Ohio A total 54 poems were submitted for this contest. We are deeply indebted to judge Paula J. Lambert, ( paulajlambert.weebly.com ) author of “The Ghost of Every Feathered Thi

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