OPA Ambassadors Report: NE Ohio with Ray McNiece

From the frozen tundra of the Firelands, through the rusty blast furnace of Cleveland, along the Crooked River’s ice chattering shallows of Kent, down to the worn rubber slushy tire churn of Akron, to the gritty grey clang of Youngstown there’s hot stove poetry cooking this winter all across the Northeast corner of Ohio.

We boast a plethora of venues from bookstores, libraries, coffeehouses, cocktail bars and clubs where you can hear the varied carols of our poets should you dare venture out into our perpetually grey climes. Here’s a few highlights, some upcoming features and a reminder of ongoing workshops and reading series.

In early December Billy Collins read at CWRU’s Maltz Center to a packed house. He often visits Cleveland thanks to George Bilgere of JCU. John Burroughs had a front row seat. The Tongue in Groove Poetry Music Jam (every third Sunday at the Millard Fillmore on Waterloo hosted by Ray McNiece) featured Mwatabu Okantah reading from his new book A Black Voice in the Wilderness, and the Lit’s Holiday Mixer, always a great gathering, at the Happy Dog included a tribute reading to the recently departed, legendary Poet Playwright Russell Atkins by Diane Kendig. NE Ohio has been in the forefront of ekphrastic readings at both Valley Arts in Chagrin Falls in early December curated by Ray McNiece and at the Heights Arts Gallery curated by Heights Poet Laureate Siaara Freeman.

Speaking of Laureates, we boast three. Doc Janning, in addition to being South Euclid’s Poet Laureate, was recently named Cuyahoga County’s Laureate. He is a one-man poetry promoting whirlwind, hosting the Second Sunday series. At the South Euclid branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, the writer’s center is directed by Laurie Kincer and continues to be a hub of literary activity. Jeremy Jusek is Parma’s poet laureate and continues to engage the community with writing projects. The above-mentioned Siaara Freeman will be ending her tenure as Heights’ Laureate, which now includes University Heights and Cleveland Heights, in April. A new Laureate will be chosen then. Not too late to apply, btw. Poet Laureateships continue to be a way to make poetry visible to the public. Here’s to having more communities understand the civic role of the poet.

Two relatively new series in Cleveland to note: Poetry Unplugged will be having its third anniverary reading in January featuring local poet Ephraim Nehemiah and performance poety legend Taalam Acey. Also in January, the Second Stanza’s series in East Cleveland features Caira Lee. Of course, there are ongoing readings and book clubs at Mac’s Backs on Coventry in Cleveland Heights. Shout out to Suzanne over there for always making sure to stock books by local and regional poets. The People’s Poetry Slam at the B side has a weekly open. Visible Voice also promotes local and regional poets as does Loganberry Books with its Broadsides and Ephemera Series. The Tongue in Groove poetry music jam will feature teacher/poets from Lake Erie Ink, on January 19th, a benefit for their relocation There’s the ongoing Cy Dostal free workshop at the aforementioned South Euclid library. It’s the longest running workshop in Cleveland. Also, and I can’t emphasize this enough, the work that Matt Weinkam and Michelle Smith at Cleveland’s Lit Center do to promote poetry in the city, litcleveland.org. They also run free poetry workshops, Stephanie Ginese, recent Cleveland Arts Prize winner,  is running one of those.

Venturing around the area is the ongoing reading series at Mr. Smith’s coffeehouse in Sandusky featuring Miles Budimir in January. I’m not sure if Speak of the Devil in Lorain has a reading this month but check it out if so. It’s a magical little craft cocktail bar with an intimate stage and great drinks. Dianne Borsenik runs In the Company of Angels series there. Lit Youngstown has its first wednesday series starting January 8th, and also their 10-year anniversary on February 1. Learn more at lityoungstown.org. The Tongue in Groove band performed down there at the Fall Lit Fest. Karen Schubert is a goddess of organizers! Wish I could be there for that, but I’ll be touring my new book Bone Key Sutra down in Florida for a month. So, there are many fine readings to warm us up through those long North Coast winters. Be sure to check them out online using the Northeast Ohio poetry calendar at clevelandpoetry.com! 

Peace and Poetry,

Ray