Ohio Poetry Association Blog

"Whether we like it or not, we all come from someplace. And at some point in our lives, we have to make peace with that place." This quote from Jeffrey Stepakoff (from The Orchard ), one of several shared by workshop leader Diane Kendig last weekend, established the theme for the recent OPA Fall Writers Retreat at Malabar Farm. And this year's fall retreat reinforced for me why these events are my favorite that OPA sponsors. There are few places in Ohio that will move you--and give you room to move--to write. And how fitting Diane chose to lead workshops focused on poems of place, inspire also by her latest book, The Places We Find Ourselves . On day 1, the weekend challenged all in attendance to explore, through their poems, places they'd never written about--first by creating a list of those places and then approaching the poem with one of three focuses: Through meaningful description--making the place come alive. Exploring the significance of the place. Usi

Troy Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W Main Street, Troy, OH 45373 Friday Evening, October 24 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Evening Workshops & Overnight Contests Saturday Morning, October 25 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Evan Lodge Memorial Poetry Workshop One dollar Admission Saturday Noon, October 25 Lunch Box lunch will be provided – Contact Amy Zook to prepay: Amy Jo Zook 3520 State Rte. 56 Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 Saturday Afternoon, October 25 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Readings by the Ohio Co-Poets of the Year & Contest Winners

An Announcement from Ohio Poetry Day 2014: The 2014 Ohio Co-Poets of the Year, Dzvinia Orlowsky , (of Marshfield, Massachusetts) and David Lee Garrison (of Dayton, Ohio) have been named by the Ohio Poetry Day Association. This award has been given annually since 1976 to a poet or poets on the basis of a book published in the previous year or two years.   The award consists of a money prize, an honorarium as speaker, and a plaque commemorating the event.   In addition, a poem by each poet will be included at the beginning of the Ohio Poetry Day 2014 prize poems collection, Best of 2014 . For 2014, Orlowsky's collection is Silvertone and Garrison's is Playing Bach in the D.C. Metro .   The winners are invited to speak and to read from their work at Ohio Poetry Day, which will be observed on October 24 - 25 at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center in Troy, Ohio.