Ohio Poetry Association Blog

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...

  Poetry and performance to highlight historical significance in freedom movement The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) and Poets Against Racism & Hate (PARH) USA will partner with the Ohio History Connection to present a very special celebration of Ohio’s role in the Underground Railroad on December 7, 2024. The Capstone Celebration will be the culminating event of the Ohio Underground Railroad Whistle-Stop Poetry Tour, a series of special poetry and history events held at various locations throughout the state this year. The Capstone Celebration will feature live poetry readings, music and dance, film, and a special panel discussion featuring local historians. Additionally, representatives from various whistle-stop sites will have exhibit tables to interact with visitors and tell them more about some of Ohio’s important Underground Railroad sites and educational resources. “This whole project has endeavored to draw inspiration from the unifying spirit behind the Underground R...

Attention Ohio poets! Don't miss the virtual  Lakefront Cleveland Poetry Festival  April 24-May 1 with Literary Cleveland, CSU Poetry Center, and Grieveland.  Over the course of one week, you will work with some of the best poets and editors in the country to draft new poems, share your work, and learn where and how to publish. Presenters and instructors include Kaveh Akbar, Mary Biddinger, Ariana Brown, Hayan Charara, Stephanie Ginese, Quartez Harris, Kamden Hilliard, Valerie Hsiung, Brendan Joyce, Kevin Latimer, Ephraim Nehemiah, Eric Odum, Drew Pham, Hilary Plum, and Rachel Wiley. You can register for individual events or sign up for the full festival and save. Get full details at: litcleveland.org/ events-programs/lakefront- cleveland-poetry-festival

The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA) is releasing a new ekphrastic poetry anthology, titled, A Rustling and Waking Within. The collection is a celebration of art and poetry in Ohio . The 139-page perfect-bound book contains poems written by friends and members of OPA in response to various forms of art featured in Ohio 's museums, galleries and many other venues, including homes. Works by Ohio artists, both older art and more contemporary, are included.   On the cover is a painting by Camille Pissarro (French, 1830–1903), titled, "The Roofs of Old Rouen , Gray Weather " used by permission from the Toledo Museum of Art. The project marks the culmination of four OPA writing events that were held in major art centers in Ohio . An initial release event, at which contributors will read their poems against a visual projection of the art to which they responded, is slated for Saturday, March 11, 2017, from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. H...

"Whether we like it or not, we all come from someplace. And at some point in our lives, we have to make peace with that place." This quote from Jeffrey Stepakoff (from The Orchard ), one of several shared by workshop leader Diane Kendig last weekend, established the theme for the recent OPA Fall Writers Retreat at Malabar Farm. And this year's fall retreat reinforced for me why these events are my favorite that OPA sponsors. There are few places in Ohio that will move you--and give you room to move--to write. And how fitting Diane chose to lead workshops focused on poems of place, inspire also by her latest book, The Places We Find Ourselves . On day 1, the weekend challenged all in attendance to explore, through their poems, places they'd never written about--first by creating a list of those places and then approaching the poem with one of three focuses: Through meaningful description--making the place come alive. Exploring the significance of the place. Usi...

Troy Hayner Cultural Center, 301 W Main Street, Troy, OH 45373 Friday Evening, October 24 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Evening Workshops & Overnight Contests Saturday Morning, October 25 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Evan Lodge Memorial Poetry Workshop One dollar Admission Saturday Noon, October 25 Lunch Box lunch will be provided – Contact Amy Zook to prepay: Amy Jo Zook 3520 State Rte. 56 Mechanicsburg, OH 43044 Saturday Afternoon, October 25 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Readings by the Ohio Co-Poets of the Year & Contest Winners

An Announcement from Ohio Poetry Day 2014: The 2014 Ohio Co-Poets of the Year, Dzvinia Orlowsky , (of Marshfield, Massachusetts) and David Lee Garrison (of Dayton, Ohio) have been named by the Ohio Poetry Day Association. This award has been given annually since 1976 to a poet or poets on the basis of a book published in the previous year or two years.   The award consists of a money prize, an honorarium as speaker, and a plaque commemorating the event.   In addition, a poem by each poet will be included at the beginning of the Ohio Poetry Day 2014 prize poems collection, Best of 2014 . For 2014, Orlowsky's collection is Silvertone and Garrison's is Playing Bach in the D.C. Metro .   The winners are invited to speak and to read from their work at Ohio Poetry Day, which will be observed on October 24 - 25 at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center in Troy, Ohio.

Steve Abbott testifying on behalf of S.B. 84 on May 21st in Columbus [photo by Michael Salinger ] BIG news for poetry in Ohio: the State Senate is considering legislation that would create the post of Ohio Poet Laureate. The proposed law, Senate Bill 84 (SB 84), was introduced by Senator Eric Kearney, D-Cincinnati, (9th District). Under provision of the bill, the Ohio Arts Council would administer the selection process and provide recommendations to the Governor, who would make the final selection. Most other states have already established Poet Laureate posts. Ohio neighbors West Virginia and Indiana have two of the more successful programs. OPA Vice-President Chuck Salmons and  Common Threads Editor Steve Abbott met with Senator Kearney on April 9 to discuss the bill, offering suggestions that OPA believes will strengthen it. These included shortening the term as Poet Laureate from four years to two ...

The Poetry Forum 19 th Annual William Redding Memorial Poetry Contest FIRST PLACE $100 and a featured reading at The Poetry Forum in May 2012 SECOND PLACE 1-year membership in Columbus Salon, monthly poetry workshop or $ 50 Gift Certificate from Half-Price Books              THIRD PLACE $ 25 Gift Certificate from Half-Price Books Submission Guidelines: 1.      Entrants must be residents of Ohio. 2.      Submit 3 typewritten poems.  One poem per page. 3.      Maximum 40 lines per poem. 4.      Name, address, phone number & email on back only of each poem. 5.      Previous first place winners and previously published poems are ineligible. 6.      Poems will not be returned. No SASE required. Deadline:  March 14, 2012 Mail Entries to: The Poetry Forum P.O. Box 784 Worthington, OH 43085 The Poetry ...

It is that time of year again when applications are open for the 2012 Columbus Art Festival show, June 1, 2, & 3.  We will be returning to the Riverfront! Please s hare with those you know.   The 2012 Poetry application became live at www.ColumbusArtsFestival.org on October 13, 2011.  Any interested applicants will need to download the application and return it before the deadline of February 17, 2012.  All applications must be submitted on-line through the following link: http://columbusartsfestival.org/apply/poet.php . If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to contact Festival Coordinator, Shana Scott at sscott@gcac.org or phone at 614-221-8569. Please feel free to contact us with any questions. Good luck as you plan your 2012 festival schedule, and we hope to have you as a guest in Columbus, June 1, 2, & 3 ! Remember the deadline for poetry submission is January 13, 2012 Shana Scott Columbus Arts Festi...

A Celebration of Music and Poetry at Sips Coffee House and Deli Tuesday, June 28, 2011 6:30-9:00 p.m. 101 South Main St. Mount Vernon, Ohio 740-392-2233 Featured Writers: The Write-On Writers Write-On Writers of Coshocton was formed in the late 1990’s through the encouragement of Pam Moore, now an editor for Holmes County Bargain Hunter, and her mother, Madge Saunders of Coshocton. Madge, Write-On Writers’ most published member, recently celebrated her 97th birthday. In 2011, the groups name was changed to the Write-On Writers Guild. The guild’s specialty and craft is words. A core group of 10-15 guild members with diverse educational and occupational backgrounds meets the first Monday of every month at Coshocton Public Library from 6-8 PM to encourage each others writing endeavors that range from non-fiction, to fiction, to poetry. New members and visitors are always welcome. The Write-On Writers are host for the Ohio Poetry Association Picnic on Saturday July 16, 2011 at t...

OPA is excited to partner with the Antioch Writers' Workshop to kick off National Poetry Month with a poetry reading Saturday, March 26, 2-5 p.m., in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  For more information about this event, visit: http://deeplyintertwingled.com/poetry/ .

A Celebration of Poetry and Music Tuesday, January 25 th , 2011 From 6:30-9pm The Fourth Tuesday of Every Month 101 S. Main St. Mt. Vernon, Ohio 43050 Featured Poets Louise Robertson lives in central Ohio with her two freakishly charming children. Widely published in small press journals, Robertson graduated from Oberlin College and earned an MFA from George Mason University. A winner of the Mary Roberts Rinehart award for a poetry manuscript, she has won the Columbus Arts Festival poetry competition twice and performs in poetry slams locally and regionally. She has been instrumental in bringing national poetry events to central Ohio for several years. Paula J. Lambert was born and raised in small-town New England, worked through her life as a sign painter, ice cream maker, carnie, obit writer, tutor and English professor.   She has now settled quite happily in the Midwest with her “geeky” partner, William Michael Perkins.   Trying out life as a full time writer, she seek...

Wednesday, January 12, 7:30 p.m. Jeffrey Mansion, 165 North Parkview Avenue, Bexley, Ohio Join these poets and scholars as they discuss the life and work of 2011 Bexley Community Book Club Selected Author Billy Collins. A former US Poet Laureate, Collins is prolific, publishing eight collections of poetry, including Questions About Angels, The Art of Drowning, Picnic, Lightning, Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes, Sailing Alone Around the Room: New & Selected Poems, Nine Horses, The Trouble With Poetry and Other Poems, and Ballistics. Panelists will examine various aspects of Billy Collins, so that the audience can walk away with a better understanding of his work as a whole. Those who are interested in poetry, in literary works in general, or in the work of Billy Collins are encouraged to attend. The event is free and open to the public. For information, call 614.338.2093 or visit http://www.bexleyeducationfoundation.org/ Andrew Hudgins (moderator) has published seven boo...

Reading and Musical Entertainment at Pumpkin Hollow Antiques in Bellville, Ohio Friday, December 3, 2010 6:30-9 p.m. Pumpkin Hollow Antiques 24 Bell Street in Bellville, Ohio 419-886-6093 FEATURED POETS Vernell Bristow (Columbus) – began writing poetry as a student at Denison University, then moved to Columbus to attend graduate school. She is the co-founder of Writer’s Block Poetry, which holds open mic poetry readings and special events. An award-winning member of the Rust Belt Regional Slam Team and National Slam Team, she is working on a poetry collection and a spoken-word cd. Dawn Shimp (rural Ashtabula County) – is originally from the Cleveland area, but now takes inspiration from the wildlife and natural beauty of a rural landscape. Her work has appeared in Wild Strawberries, Ribbons, The Tanka Society of America Journal, and most recently in What I Knew Before I Knew, an anthology of poems from the Pudding House Salon – Cleveland. FEATURED MUSICIAN Wes Bieri (Clear ...