Ohio Poetry Association Blog

We are pleased to announce our new OPA Regional Poet Ambassadors, serving from Fall 2026 through Fall 2028. Southwest Ohio: Zinnia Stewart   Zinnia (Zeda Stew) Stewart, Writer, Spoken Word Artist, Speaker, Host, Oral Historian and Community Engagement Coordinator, is the Community Engagement Coordinator at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Cincinnati. She is a poet, storyteller, and teaching artist whose work centers Black history, motherhood, and the power of narrative as a tool for connection and liberation. A Milwaukee native, Zinnia brings lived experience and creative vision to her community work, building programs and partnerships that invite dialogue, reflection, and belonging. Through spoken word and public engagement, she bridges history and the present, helping audiences connect the legacy of freedom to contemporary voices and lived realities. Learn more about Zinnia at @zedastew .  Northwest Ohio: Sandra Rivers-Gill   Sandra Rivers-Gill is the Lucas...

In Retrospect (April – July 2026) To hold space is to lend your support and to make a significant difference. When our faces or names show up to share and listen, our voices, live or virtually always matter.  With that being said this quarterly report is a review of poetry scene shared on social media between April to July 2026 in Northwest Ohio, allowing poets and poetry lovers to be in the know about poetical events and aha moments.  Disclaimer: Some events are not mentioned due to being missed or me not being aware of it. All venues took place in Toledo, Ohio, unless otherwise provided. Kicking off National Poetry Month and showering us with APRIL poetics in and around Northwest Ohio came Natasha Trethewey (April 2 – University of Toledo Law Center), the former U.S. Poet Laureate. She gave a robust reading to an intimate audience and subsequent book signing. Sylvania Writes Out Loud (April 3 – Erin Ann's, Sylvania) hosted its one-year anniversary with an open mic of al...

Thanks to everyone who submitted poems in response to our recent Poetry for America 250 prompts! We have compiled the submissions into a digital anthology that will live on our website, along with other free poetry portal resources, at  www.ohiopoetryassn.org/poetryforamerica250 . Contributors include Doc Janning, Linda Brown, Alexis ThePoet Jackson, Michelle Tackla Wallace, Harry S. Stoughton, Cathryn Essinger, Holly Brians Ragusa, Benjamin Baughman, David Lee Garrison, John Burroughs, and Justice Hill. Special thanks to Julie Klear for her work on this project. 

Join us in the great city of Toledo for the 89th annual Ohio Poetry Day celebration! Friday, October 16 (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM) Handmade Toledo 1717 Adams Street Toledo, Ohio 43604 .  Saturday, October 17 (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM) Toledo Lucas County Public Library 325 Michigan Street Toledo, Ohio 43604 .  Saturday Schedule: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Set up (including table setup and book room) 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: OPD Evan Lodge Workshop led by Professor Jennifer Moore 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Readings by Toledo poets Lunch available at EatWell Cafe , located inside the library. (We will be reading in the open atrium, across from the cafe, so you can easily get lunch and still listen to the readings.) 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM: Reading by Poet of the Year 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Reading by contest winners 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Readings by Toledo poets 3:30 PM – 4:00 PM: open mic From noon - 4pm, there will also be activity tables in the library available for all, sponsored by the Arts Commission of Greater Tole...

SE Ohio Open Mics, Workshops, Festivals, Bookfairs, and Open Readings : “Words on Wednesdays,” open mic from 6:30 – 8:30 pm for authors, including poetry, fiction, memoirists, and singer-songwriters, hosted by former Athens Poet Laureate, Stephanie Kendrick, the second Wed. of every month at the SideBar. Sign-up at 6pm “ Designated Space ” poetry, fiction, memoir, spoken word at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, every Tuesday evening from 9:00pm – 11:30 pm. Athens Poetry Group meets every second Tuesday at the Athens County Public Library The Landing in Portsmouth, OH: Open Mic for spoken word, poetry, etc. on the third Thurs. of each month.  Upcoming features include Daniel Lasalle (July 23) and Damian Russel (August). Contact Kevin LeMaster on Facebook for more info. ALAS (Appalachian Literary Arts and Storytelling Festival) in Nelsonville, OH, on October 3 & 4, 2026. For information check this link   Call for Work: Sheila-Na-Gig editions is currently open for submissions for...