Ohio Poetry Association Blog

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...

The northwestern part of Ohio has been all the buzz of events and accolades all around. In the ars poetica sphere is a chyron, moving and peaking our listening ears. So, I will do my best to recap a listing of events over the past few months. In fact, the summer months have been such a blur of motion, it seems that every nook and cranny in NW Ohio, particularly Toledo, is releasing rich and powerful words into the atmosphere; inundated with mood, metaphor, meter, and meaning. So much so that my Poet Ambassador’s Corner newsletter has taken a pause to share  only  the happenings that have flooded my feed on Facebook. If any event or celebration has slipped through unseen, charge it to my head and not my heart. Viva la Poetry! It will never cease or become missing in action.  Here is a loose documentation of NW Ohio’s poetry scene: past, present and approaching. Please note ongoing events: WritersShop and Uncloistered events are graciously hosted by Lucas County Poet La...

Exciting news from Carolyn Kesterman — her debut poetry collection , In the Space Between Songs , is coming out November 12, 2025 ! The paperback includes 54 poems , eight of which have already appeared in literary journals. Carolyn’s work explores the spaces between voice and silence, and this first book promises to be a beautiful addition to anyone’s poetry shelf. You can learn more about her and her work at carolynkesterman.com . Cathryn Essinger has had a wonderful year! Her poem “The Map Turtle” was included in the anthology The Nature of Our Times from Paloma Press , a project sponsored by the Wick Poetry Center . Even more exciting—the poem will be displayed on a standing poster at the Cleveland Public Library through April 2026 . Alissa Sammarco will be a featured poet at the Poet & Song Series on November 3, 2025 , at the Falcon Theatre (Monmouth St., Newport, KY) from 7–9 p.m. Later that month, on November 15 , she’ll take part in Books by the Banks...