Ohio Poetry Association Blog

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...

Adapted from a workshop delivered for the AOCI W.R.I.T.E.R.S. Group by Chris Minton What is a chapbook? Chapbooks were originally known as "street literature" because they were primarily sold on the streets by traveling salesmen known as chapmen. These small, inexpensive booklets contained a variety of content like ballads, folk tales, and religious tracts, and were a popular form of reading material for the common people, particularly those with limited access to more expensive books (for example, in rural areas). Today, chapbooks are normally used by poets to accomplish a specific objective, which may include: To create a sample of their work for publishers or other parties To target a specific, interested audience To get their work into circulation quickly To make it more affordable (for both the author and reader) To create enough work over time to warrant a full-length collection To demonstrate their commitment to the craft To give as gifts to family and friends Features of...

Columbus,OH – The Kelton House Museum & Garden will host a special Juneteenth Event focusing on drumming and poetry to lift the spirit and soul. The celebration will feature the drumming of Akwaaba , led by founder BabaaRitah Clark who is also a dancer at Djun'kendafala Dance Company. Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) and Poets Against Racism & Hate ( PARH)   USA will feature the following four award-winning and renowned poets: Susann Moeller,  a bi-lingual eco- and social justice poet, serves as Vice President of the Ohio  Poetry Association (OPA) and Chancellor of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies  (NFSPS). Chiquita Mullens Lee, acclaimed playwright and poet, serves as Arts Learning coordinator at  the Ohio Arts Council, performs with Columbus-based Wild Women Writing and leads Word  Warriors creative writing ministry. Karen Scott , published in anthologies, reviews, and zines, keeps her fingers on the pulse of all- things...

Jeremy Jusek: Welcome to  Poetry Spotlight  presented by the Ohio Poetry Association. I am your host Jeremy Jusek. And with us today is Hanif Abdurraqib. Photo by Andrew Cenci Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in  Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American,  and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in  The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker , and  The New York Times.  His first full length poetry collection,  The Crown Ain't Worth Much ,  was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays,  T hey Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us , was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by  Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork,  and  The Chicago Tribune , amon...