My poem "A Matter of Life in Death" published in Common Threads 2024

My poem "A Matter of Life in Death" appears in this lovely new issue of Common Threads, edited by Steve Abbott and published by the Ohio Poetry Association. So many good poets represented here!

Learn more and/or get yours at ohiopoetryassn.org/publications.

Become an OPA member at ohiopoetryassn.org/membership.

My poems recently published in The Long Islander, Ain't No Dead Beats Around Here, and What Is in John's Basement?

I am so pleased to have a poem in each of these recent publications:

 

"In the Wake" in the 10 October 2024 issue of The Long Islander newspaper (with gratitude to George Wallace),

 

"Answered by What It Is" in What Is in John's Basement? (with gratitude to Dane Ince & Eyepublishewe),

 

"Solar Assignation" in Ain't No Dead Beats Around Here (with gratitude to Fin Hall & Like a blot from the blue).

12/14: Walt Whitman Birthplace Association presents Poets Building Bridges on Zoom

This Saturday, 12/14, at noon Eastern on Zoom, I will be one of three Cleveland poets (the others are Judith Mansour & Dianne Borsenik) participating in a Poets Building Bridges event hosted by the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. 

Flowers of Litter poets Mimi German, Karlostheunhappy, & Pankhuri Sinha - and Bolton UK poets Dave Morgan, Linda Downs, David Wigmore & Laura Taylor - will also be sharing their work. So many thanks to WWBA Writer-in-Residence George Wallace for creating this world poetry triangulation project and for including us.

More info: https://www.waltwhitman.org/event/poets-building-bridges-december-14-2024-flower-litter-poets-bolton-uk-cleveland-poets/.

If you miss it, a recording of the event will be archived on the WWBA's YouTube channel.  

 

My poem "Potential Energy" published in New Generation Beats 2024

I'm overjoyed and grateful that New Generation Beat Publications included my poem "Potential Energy" in this year's National Beat Poetry Foundation anthology, New Generation Beats 2024.

This volume is dedicated to the memory of Andy Clausen and also features poems by Kim Acrylic, Michael D. Amitin, Martin Appleby, Tohm Bakelas, Randy Barnes, Carlos Barrera, B. Elizabeth Beck, Bengt O Björklund, Chris Bodor, Patricia Carragon, Wendy Cartwright, Michael Ceraolo, Claire Conroy, Lesley Constable, Jason Conway, Chris Dean, Lee Desrosiers, William F. DeVault, John Dorsey, Michael E. Duckwall, Carlos Raúl Dufflar, Mercedes Dugger, Les Epstein, Sandra Feen, Bryan Franco, Dayna Genevieve, Mimi German, Fin Hall, Brian Hassett, Joan Hawkins, David Henri, Roxanne Hoffman, Kathleen Hulser, Amie Hyson, Dane Ince, Larry Jaffe, Alex S. Johnson, Karlostheunhappy, Eliot Katz, Joe Kidd, Debbie Tosun Kilday, Tom Lagasse, Scott Laudati, Christen Lee, Mark Lipman, Sheila Lowe-Burke, PD Lyons, Patricia Martin, Angel L. Martinez, Amy Christine Matus, Daniel McTaggart, Amanda R. Morningstar, Jared Morningstar, Jacob R. Moses, MW Murphy, Andrée Myers, Ron Myers, Ben Nardolilli, J.D. Nelson, Marc Olmsted, Carlo Parcelli, Stasha Powell, RescuePoetix, Paul Richmond, April Ridge, Jason Ryberg, Sarah Sarai, Deborah C. Segal, Virginia Shreve, Jay Simpson, Michael Sindler, Megha Sood, Belinda Subraman, Kevin Patrick Sullivan, Igor Pop Trajkov, Tammi J. Truax, J.R. Turek, Tommy Twilite, Chrios Vannoy, Jon Velleux, Chryssa Velissariou, Merritt Waldon, George Wallace, Jeff Weddle, Ron Whitehead, Linda Bratcher Wlodyka, Hiromi Yoshida, Aprilia Zank, and many more. Editing and cover design by NBPF CEO Debbie Tosun Kilday with further editing and formatting by Human Error Publishing.

Click here to order.

I wrote this poem on 22 May 2024. I also want to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to my Renshi Sunshine group (moderated by Wayne Swanger) and to one of its participants, Jeremy Jusek. I've been participating in two email renshi groups this year. How it works is that when it's my turn to write a poem for one of these, I must use the last line of the previous poet's submission as either my title or my first line. So although they are otherwise totally independent poems, the first line of my "Potential Energy" happens to also be the last line of a Jeremy Jusek poem called "The Heat Death of the Universe."

Video of my 2018 Calamari's Interview & Reading in Erie, PA

On August 28th 2018, on the patio of Calamari's Squid Row restaurant in Erie, Pennsylvania, Thasia Anne Lunger interviewed me prior to my featured reading for Poetry Night at Calamari's, hosted by Chuck Joy. The interview and reading were recorded by videographer Bear Lunger for Thasia Anne's TV show, "Poetry, Prose, and Personalities," broadcast on Erie's Cable Access Media (CAM). 

Poems read:
"John Cage Engaged and Uncaged"
"Unfounded"
"Instrumental"
"From Genesis to Exodus"
"Lens"

Video of my Flywheel Brewing reading in Elizabethtown, KY

On Sunday 6 October 2024, I had the pleasure of reading for A.S. Coomer's monthly poetry series at Flywheel Brewing in Elizabethtown, Kentucky and he was kind enough to record my set.

I began and ended with older "classics" and sandwiched newer work between them.

John Cage Engaged and Uncaged
Solar Assignation
Faithwalking
Critical Condition
Cause and Effect
Cause of Death
Lens

My "Cause of Death" nominated for a Pushcart Prize

I'm grateful to learn that publisher Stasha Strange has nominated my poem "Cause of Death" for a Pushcart Prize.

I wrote this poem back in February as part of a triptych (the other two parts are "Cause and Effect" and "Cause Célèbre) that was recently published in CAW - Poetry by a Murder of Writers. 

Order the book at stashastrange.com/books/caw.

 

 

11/23 in Bedford, Ohio: Book signing/reading for CAW - Poetry by a Murder of Writers

November 23rd, 1 p.m., at Spirit Apotheosis (691 Broadway Ave.) in Bedford, Ohio, I will join Stasha Strange in a reading and signing to celebrate the newly published CAW - Poetry by a Murder of Writers. 

More event info at facebook.com/events/1303360140662421. 

Order the book at stashastrange.com/books/caw.

10/31: What Is in John's Basement? - Book and Online Halloween Event

Tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, on Halloween, I'll have the privilege of reading with a bunch of fine writers during the online book launch for What Is in John's Basement? (published by Eyepublishewe) So much gratitude to Dane Ince for spearheading this project and for including my poem, "Answered by What It Is."

 

Other contributors include Ron Whitehead, Frogg Corpse, John Angell Grant, K.R. Morrison, Dane Ince, Bryan Franco, Deborah C. Segal, Mbonisi Zikhali Zomkhonto, Mark States, Sophia Falco, Jeff Cottrill, Michael Sindler, Antoinette Vella Payne, Jonathan S. Baker, Merilee Johnson, Tyler Frederick, Gary Huskisson, Eddy Foreman, Darrell Parry, Clive Oseman, Fin Hall, Jon Wesick, Phynne~Belle,and hil hoover.

 

For more info on this event, click here.

Watch this event on Zoom.

To purchase a copy of the book, click here.

 

My poem "What They Did" featured on the Poets Against Racism and Hate website

You can read it here.

Learn more about Poets Against Racism and Hate USA at poetsagainstracism-usa.org.