Ohio Poetry Association Blog

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

by Chuck Salmons Throughout Ohio, examples of literary citizenship shine and provide opportunities for writers of all ages to grow as artists while simultaneously supporting their communities. Since 2002, retired teacher Alan Cohen has organized the Hocking Hills Festival of Poetry, in Hocking County, an annual event that welcomes the public to hear and learn from some of the nation’s top poets through readings and workshops. I first met Alan more than a decade ago, at one of the annual festivals, and since then have come to appreciate his ability demonstrate the “power of poetry” (the namesake of the festival’s website) to move people in ways they never thought possible. He and his wife, Evie Adelman, work together to organize the Hocking festival, including hosting the featured poets, getting musicians on board, and finding venues. Just when I thought they couldn’t do much better, Alan formulated a plan for engaging more of Ohio’s high school students. How did he come up with

Interview by Chuck Salmons, OPA President   Iryna Klishch, a senior at Denison University (Granville, Ohio) was chosen as this year’s winner of the 2018 NFSPS Edna Meudt Memorial Award, which includes a cash prize and publication of her first chapbook, A Monster the Size of the Sun . Klishch, who is Ukrainian by birth, grew up just outside Chicago. I interviewed her via e-mail to discuss her award and the chapbook. CS: First of all, congratulations on the award and on graduating from Denison. After reading the chapbook, I’d say the NFSPS made the right choice. How has life changed since receiving and sharing the news? Or has it? IK: Thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to read my chapbook. The support I’ve received from family, friends, and Denison’s community has been so incredibly moving. People have been so kind and generous with offering feedback, supporting the little book, and bringing all new light into my life. Poetry has always been the one consta

Anyone following the news in recent months knows that Ohio, and the nation as a whole, is facing a severe crisis of citizens succumbing to opioid addiction. OPA was contacted recently by faculty at Ohio University to help raise awareness of the impacts of this epidemic. Specifically, a new anthology is being compiled to spread the word about this crisis. The new collection will feature poems, stories, non-fiction essays, and artwork. Currently, the editors are interested especially in receiving poems and non-fiction. The call for submission details are below. CALL FOR CONTRIBUTORS: BOOK PROJECT ON OHIO’S OPIOID CRISIS Since the arrival of a full-blown epidemic in the abuse and addiction of opioids in the United States, Ohio has consistently ranked at the top of the list for overdoses and deaths. As a result of this epidemic the lives of many Ohioans have been significantly impacted in various ways. Policymakers and a wide range of professionals have attempted to devise respo

The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS), an organization to which the  Ohio Poetry Association belongs,  named Westerville, Ohio poet and OPA member,  Betty Bleen as runner up in the prestigious BlackBerryPeach Spoken and Heard competition. Bleen has been invited to read her poem at the NFSPS national convention in Denver, Colorado on June 2, 2018, along with the other prizewinners. The  BlackBerryPeach competition challenges poets to present their original poetry in print and spoken word. First Place went to  Rosemerry Trommer of Placerville, Colorado.  As 1 st  place winner Trommer receives the grand prize of $1,000.  The second place prize winner of $500 is Susan Chambers of Good Thunder, Minnesota. Third place winner of $250 is Ryan Jones of Grayson, Georgia.  Vice President Joe Cavanaugh, chair of the contest stressed the importance of reaching out to all poets by recognizing spoken poetry in its many forms as a powerful poetic genre. A video of the co

Kari Gunter-Seymour was recently named poet laureate of Athens by the Athens Municipal Arts Commission (AMAC). Gunter-Seymour began her tenure as poet laureate on February 19, 2018. A third-generation Athens County native and longtime OPA member, Gunter-Seymour will hold the position of poet laureate for one year and, pending an evaluation at the end of her first year, potentially a second. She will have access to a $2,000 stipend to pursue projects as poet laureate. Gunter-Seymour holds a BFA in graphic design and a MA in commercial photography, but she is a self-taught poet. She started writing poetry after her son was deployed for Korea in 2002 and is now an active member of the arts community in southeastern Ohio and an award-winning poet. “I woke up each morning, when I was able to sleep, wondering if my son was alive,” said Gunter-Seymour. “It was poetry, finding those few precious words to explain my fear and analyze my faith, that kept me grounded, got me throu

Governor John R. Kasich recently announced that Dave Lucas of Cleveland Heights has been named Ohio’s poet laureate. Lucas is Ohio’s second poet laureate, the last being Dr. Amit Majmudar, and his two-year term began on January 1. Lucas currently teaches at Case Western Reserve University. He earned his undergraduate degree in English from John Carroll University, his M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Virginia, and his Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan. You can read a review of Lucas' book, Weather , here .  Lucas, originally from Cleveland Heights, is excited for the opportunities that this new position presents to foster a love and appreciation for poetry across Ohio. He already has plans in the works for a multimedia poetry project, which will be announced once plans are finalized through the Ohio Arts Council. Lucas’s interest in poetry didn’t officially begin until he was in college, but he felt drawn to langu

By Abby Studebaker As April approaches, it brings with it a break from subzero temperatures and the start of yet another exciting National Poetry Month. OPA will kick off this yearly celebration of poetry with a reading, coordinated by our very own Kari Gunter-Seymour, in partnership with the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio on Sunday, April 8. Located in Lancaster, the Decorative Arts Center puts on exhibitions every year with the goal of engaging and inspiring through the arts. Beginning January 21 and running through April 15, the exhibition Artists of the Winding Road A-Z will feature the work of 12 artists living and working in Appalachian Ohio. From asphalt to repurposed materials, the art in this exhibition reflects the region and its diverse inhabitants, and it has inspired OPA to co-sponsor a collaborative poetry reading in Lancaster. The reading, titled “Rise Up Appalachia: Voices From Southeastern Ohio,” will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday,

Ohio Poetry Association is pleased to congratulate the winner of its first bookmarks contest, Rikki Santer of Columbus, Ohio. The OPA team will begin to work with Rikki on layout and printing of her winning poem and artwork. Stay tuned to the OPA website and social media for an announcement when the bookmarks are available. Contest judges had a difficult time deciding on a winner because all the submissions were stunning. The judges recommend the poets consider checking with a local printer about having their bookmarks printed up. Many thanks to all who sent in submissions.  We encourage all OPA members to check the OPA website or the latest issue of Workshopping Our Words  for details on the 2018 Ides of March Contest . And there's still plenty for Ohio's high school students to enter OPA's annual student poetry contests. Full details on the OPA website here .