Ohio Poetry Association Blog

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...

Once again in 2026, our friends at the Ohio Poetry Day Association are accepting nominations for the Ohio Poet of the Year. This is the 50th year of handing out the award, which is given for a single book of poetry published in the previous year. Past winners include Mary Oliver, Maggie Smith, David Baker, and Yalie Saweda Kamara. Guidelines are provided below.  Nomination Guidelines   The poet must be a native or a resident of Ohio or, if neither, must have previously lived in Ohio and established close ties to the state. There is no form to fill out, no fee, and no letter of recommendation is necessary. Books must be nominated by other people, such as a publisher, editor, poet colleague or poetry group. Book length: at least 48 pages of poetry.   The page count does not include: Title Pages, acknowledgments, illustrations, photographs, or end matter, such as notes. Nominated books may be from a commercial, university, small or hybrid press, or self-published, but vanit...

Our friends at the Ohio Poetry Day Association have announced their annual contests!  May 15, 2026, is the deadline (postmark)  for two dozen contest categories. Categories include humor, formal poems, parody and more. As always, a “Welcome Aboard” category for first-time submitters and an art category to design the cover art for the 2026  Best of Ohio Poetry Day  anthology are also open to submissions.  Below is a copy of the submission form, which provides full contest information.  Ohio Poetry Day 2026 will take place in October in Toledo, Ohio. Stay up to date on event information, including the event date, location, and agenda, by getting your name and address on the OPD mailing list. To do so, contact: Amy Jo Zook 3520 State Route 56 Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 Checks for all contest fees and purchases should be made payable to: Ohio Poetry Day . For questions, call (937) 834-2666. Click and download the image below to view it at full size.

The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA), in partnership with Miami Valley Astronomical Society, presents the fifth Sun & Moon Poetry Festival, May 15–17, 2026, in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Poets and poetry lovers are invited to explore the theme, “Navigate with Poetry,” during a weekend of writing workshops, readings, stargazing, and other activities that culminate in a celebration of poetry and the cosmos. Keynote guest Geoffrey Landis is a poet, science fiction writer, and scientist whose writing has appeared in more than twenty languages. “At Glen Helen, Poetry and Nature become one in the ravine, the open sky, and our words,” said Susann Moeller, OPA First Vice President and festival chairperson. Additional workshop leaders for the weekend are renowned poets Lauren Camp, Manuel Iris, Paula Lambert, and Dior J. Stephens. A special haiku hike led by Ray McNiece will offer visitors a chance to hear poems in the beautiful setting of Glen Helen Nature Preserve. The weekend also offers s...