Next appearances: 8/16 in Cleveland and 8/17 in Monroe, Michigan

8/16 in Cleveland, Ohio
The Power of Word featuring Dianne Borsenik and John Burroughs at SAYMO Collective + Gallery, 16205 Lorain Avenue, hosted by Georgia Reash.

8/17 in Monroe, Michigan
Madhouse & Firefly present: HEAT featuring William F. DeVault, John Burroughs Leo Todd Jarret, Dan Denton, Michelle Williams, Melvin Douglas Johnson, Damon Aker, AE Audamatic Harris, Leo Jarret, Gwen Jerris, Rebel Jones, Chris Curan, Jesse Eagle, live painting by Erik Steiger and musical guest Lucian Townes at Serendipitous Vintage, 403 E. Front Street.

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Next Performance: CLE Uncorked 8/13/2019 at CLE Urban Winery

Tuesday 13 August 2019, CLE Uncorked, Voices and Vines on Lee will happen again, hosted by Jason Patrick Meyers. I will again have the honor of being one of their featured performers, this time along with Kansas City poet Sara Minges and musical acts Sam Hooper, Cameron Schnell, Brian Alan Hager, Simon Kenneally, Erica Wise and Bridget Davis.

CLE Uncorked happens the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month at CLE Urban Winery, 2180 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118.

Find more information at cleurbanwinery.com and facebook.com/cleuncorked.

moCa, CLE Urban, SAYMO and Serendipitous in the next two weeks

People have asked where else I'll be poeticizing in the next couple of weeks, but I usually don't have my calendar with me and can't remember the exact dates to tell them. So while I have it with me, here they are.

8/10, 2pm at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland moCa in the John Cage Musicircus, part of SaturStravaganza - moCa 50th Community Celebration.

8/13 at CLE Urban Winery with Sara Minges and others, part of CLE Uncorked: Performers Showcase, hosted by Jason Meyers.

8/16 at SAYMO Collective + Gallery with Dianne Borsenik, part of The Power of Word, hosted by Georgia Reash.

8/17 in Monroe, Michigan at Serendipitous Vintage with William F. DeVault, Leo Todd Jarret, Dan Denton, Michelle Williams, Melvin Douglas Johnson and more, part of Madhouse & Firefly present: HEAT.

I'll be doing totally different stuff at each of these events. So come to them all!

Fair thee well, Vertigo Xi'an Xavier

Stunned and heartbroken. I just learned that my friend Vertigo Xi'an Xavier passed away unexpectedly. Vertigo (real name Chris Draime) was one of the first people I met in the NE Ohio poetry scene. As head of The Poet's Haven, he gave me my first featured reading. He published two of my chapbooks. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface. Vertigo was one of the hardest working people in poetry, always generous with his time and talents. I want to say more, but I'm still in shock. Sending love and my deepest sympathies to his family and all who know and care about him.

https://www.paquelet.com/obituaries/Christopher-D-Draime?obId=5599517

Geri Lynne Burroughs, Vertigo, me and Marlana-Patrice Pugh Hamer in May 2009
at the Barking Spider Tavern in Cleveland [photo by Ken Kitt]

Ohio Poetry Showcase at the Ohio State Fair, August 1st

I am honored to have the opportunity to share poetry this Thursday, August 1st, at the Ohio State Fair! From the press release: "The afternoon will begin with the Ohio Poetry Out Loud reading, emceed by Chiquita Mullins Lee of the Ohio Arts Council. Then at 3:30 some of Ohio’s finest poets will take the stage for a reading emceed by Fred Andrle. Featured poets include Geoff Anderson, John Burroughs, Cathryn Essinger, Barbara Fant, Kari Gunter-Seymour, Pauletta Hansel, Furaha Henry-Jones, Mark Sebastian Jordan, Susann Möeller, Karen Schubert, and Kerry Jensen Trautman. Finally, Ohio Poet Laureate Dave Lucas will bring the evening to a close."

Many thanks to the Ohio Poetry Association!

For more information, please visit ohiopoetry.org.

Crisis Chronicles at the 2019 Inkubator Saturday 7/27

It's time for the 2019 Inkubator, organized by Literary Cleveland. The Cleveland Inkubator is Northeast Ohio's largest free annual festival for writers and readers! This year the conference will be held in coordination with the Cleveland Public Library's 150th anniversary celebration. Join us for writing workshops, craft talks, panels, readings, and a resource fair featuring all the greatest local bookstores, presses, lit journals, writing groups, and literary organizations.

On Saturday, I'll be manning the Crisis Chronicles Press table from 8:30 am to 3 pm, and then attending Hanif Abdurraqib's 3 pm keynote address. See the full Inkubator schedule and register for FREE today at https://www.litcleveland.org/events-programs/inkubator-2019.

Now Curating Poetry+ in Lakewood

I am happy to announce that I am now curating the monthly Poetry+ reading series at Art on Madison in Lakewood, Ohio. I'd like to thank previous longtime curator Timothy Gaewsky for the marvelous job he has done creating and maintaining the series and consistently bringing in excellent writers, and I wish him all the best as moves forward. I'm also grateful to Ivan Kende, Vanessza Wright and Art on Madison for being supportive of the local literary community and affording me this opportunity to take the baton and run with it.

Poetry+ has traditionally aimed to shine "the spotlight on a single writer, providing that writer with the platform and time necessary to present a body of their work and to connect with their audience." I plan to maintain that spirit, but expand a bit to feature two writers each month, ideally one great out-of-town writer paired with one great local/Ohio writer. I want to experiment with including a tight but inclusive open mic as well.

Usually Poetry+ takes place on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, though for September 2019 ONLY we will hold it on the 2nd Tuesday. We have some fantastic featured poets coming up, and I hope you'll come out and show your support! 

July 16: Poetry Plus Presents Jeremy Jusek

August 20: Poetry+ featuring Philip Terman & Sandra Feen

September 10: Poetry+ featuring Jeanette Powers & Dianne Borsenik

October 15: Poetry+ featuring Matt Hart & Nicole Hennessy

November 19: Poetry+ featuring Steve Abbott & Leonard Kress







For more information, please visit our website: https://poetrypluscleveland.weebly.com.

Bringing the Noise to Cleveland x 7

On July 7th 2019, I'll perform something strange during the Noise Lunch 7 Year Anniversary Cookout/Potluck Throwdown! at Now That's Class in Cleveland.

Curated by Lisa Miralia + Brian Neaville, the theme for this event is The Number 7.

3 - 5:30pm - Cookout/Potluck out back on the deck and parking lot.
Bring a dish to share and/or something for the grill!
/// Outdoor performances by:
Fear Rod (Jacob Bonhert)
Pokey Karol

5:45 - 8pm - Noise Lunch, Cake, and surprises inside.
/// Main Stage room performances by:
Concave Onion (Tyler Jasterbowski-Caleb Lutz-Bunk)
Contamination Diet (Kevin Terrorsick-Brian Neaville)
Dissilient + Murderous Vision (Chris Bilecki-Paul Markus-Stephan Petrus)
Elephant Pill (PA – Alex Wilson)
Ohio Beat Poet Laureate John Burroughs
Serrated Slump (Pete Bach-Maggie Duff)

Hope to see you there!

Kate Fox Interviews John Burroughs & Paul Richmond, Recaps Whitman 200

One cool thing that happened during the recent Walt Whitman Bicentennial Convention was meeting Kate Fox and being interviewed for her show. That episode in now online. Our chat begins around the 5:15 mark. Then around the 9:20 mark I read my poem "Disciples" from the recent National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc.'s 10-year anthology. Many thanks to The Kate Fox Show! Along the way you'll also see a great interview with incoming US Beat Poet Laureate Paul Richmond as well as readings by other groovy people including Colin Haskins, Debbie Tosun Kilday, James Paul Wagner and Kate herself.

Video permalink: https://www.facebook.com/thekatefoxshow/videos/1347164328767741

More Kate Fox: www.katespityparty.com

https://www.facebook.com/thekatefoxshow

From June through August: Prime Events, New Book

After a whirlwind past couple of years of zipping around the country, I only have six events scheduled for between now and August, and I'm extremely excited about them all. Seeking more prime gigs for after my new hardcover poetry book is released by Venetian Spider Press in August! 

5/31 - 6/2 in Hauppauge, NY: Walt Whitman Bicentennial Convention.

6/13 in Athens, OH: Spoken & Heard: Poetry of Departure & Relevance.

6/15 in Columbus, OH: OPA Poetry Publishing & Bookmaking Workshops
 
7/7 in Cleveland, OH: Noise Lunch 7 Year Anniversary Throwdown

7/27 in Cleveland, OH: 2019 Cleveland Inkubator
 
8/1 in Columbus, OH: OPA's Ohio Poetry Showcase at the Ohio State Fair

8/16 in Cleveland, Ohio: SAYMO Poetry featuring Burroughs and Borsenik
 
8/30 - 9/1 in New Hartford, CT: National Beat Poetry Festival and Awards Weekend

The new book is titled Rattle and Numb and will feature cover art by Cleveland's own Emma Anderson. Super grateful to Venetian Spider and their editor/publisher William F. DeVault!