Saturday, February 29, 2020

Wright/Gill/Burroughs Uncloistered: March 8th at Calvino's in Toledo

My last featured reading at Calvino's in
September 2019 (photo by Jonie McIntire)
My next reading is March 8th at the wonderful Calvino's Restaurant and Wine Bar in Toledo, where I'll have the pleasure of sharing the stage with Sam Wright and Sandra Gill. Many thanks to our host Jonie McIntire!

Uncloistered Poetry
Calvino's Restaurant and Wine Bar
3143 W Central Avenue
Toledo, Ohio 43606

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Jessie Herzfeld Artist Talk & Rimbaud-Themed Open Mic on 2/29

Circling Beasts by Jessie Herzfeld
detail of one of the works in her exhibition
Join us at Art on Madison in Lakewood, Ohio, on Saturday, February 29th at 7 pm for an artist talk by Jessie Herzfeld about her current "Illuminations and Visions" exhibition and participate in our Arthur Rimbaud-themed open mic. Read your favorite Rimbaud poem, or share your own Rimbaud- or surrealist-inspired poem or song. Light refreshments will be provided.

Leap into Rimbaud: Jessie Herzfeld Artist Talk with Open Mic

Art on Madison
14203 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Crisis Chronicles Press publishes Gildzen's new Alex in Movieland (1943-1973)

Crisis Chronicles Press is honored and ecstatic to celebrate Valentine's Day with the publication of Alex in Movieland (1943-1973), a major work by one of our favorite writers and artists, Alex Gildzen.

Alex in Movieland is a monumental work defying easy categorization. It is memoir, list, poetry, history and more, all in one, reading like a movie of the author's life in book form, replete with juicy detail. This new volume is 150 pages, perfect bound, 5.5 x 8.5". ISBN: 978-1-64092-947-0. Front cover art by the author. Available now for only $12 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3431 George Avenue, Parma, Ohio 44134 USA.

US or Elsewhere?

Click here to read a 2009 Otoliths interview with Gildzen wherein he talks about the origins and evolution of Alex in Movieland, which he began writing in
1996 and is still writing. Our new Crisis Chronicles volume is the first time the entire first thirty years of it have appeared in print. 

Alex Gildzen
lives in Palm Springs where he writes every day. In the past year his poems have appeared in the anthologies "Love Jets" and "The End of the World Project." He also makes art from collages to conceptual pieces such as "The Century Dimes" and "Box of Little Bags." In addition he's become a model with and without clothes for artists and photographers.


Saturday, February 15, 2020

Poetry+ to feature Bill Yarrow & Laura Grace Weldon, 2/18 in Lakewood

Bill Yarrow
Poetry Plus at Art on Madison will triple your pleasure in February with readings by two acclaimed featured poets - Bill Yarrow and Laura Grace Weldon - plus an open mic. See artist Jessie Herzfeld's fantastic Arthur Rimbaud-inspired exhibition, Illuminations and Visions, while you're there.

Bill Yarrow of Chicago is the author of five full-length books of poetry and five poetry chapbooks. His poems have been published in Confrontation, Gargoyle, PANK, Contrary, Diagram, Thrush, RHINO, Chiron Review, and many other journals. His most recent book is ACCELERANT from Nixes Mate Books. More info: billyarrow.wordpress.com

Laura Grace Weldon

Laura Grace Weldon has published two poetry collections, Blackbird (Grayson 2019) and Tending (Aldrich 2013). She was named Ohio Poet of the Year for 2019. She's written poems on the soles of children’s feet and painted poems on beehives but her work appears in more conventional places such as Verse Daily, One: Jacar Press, Neurology, J Journal, and Amsterdam Quarterly. Laura works as a book editor and teaches community-based writing workshops. More info: lauragraceweldon.com

Open mic to follow the features, emceed by John Burroughs, Ohio Beat Poet Laureate 2019-2021.

Please note: Poetry+ usually happens on the third Tuesday of each month. For more information, visit our website at https://poetrypluscleveland.weebly.com/.

Other upcoming Poetry+ features:


3/17 - Leah Mueller (Tacoma, WA) & Rikki Santer (Columbus, OH)
4/21 - Terry Provost (Lakewood, OH) & Nick Gardner (Mansfield/Bowling Green OH)

Art on Madison
14203 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107

Monday, February 10, 2020

Ekphrastacy: Artists Speak + Poets Respond (2/13 at Heights Arts)

Me reading at a previous Ekphrastacy in 2018
(photo courtesy of Heights Arts)
This Thursday, 13 February at 7 p.m. I will be one of four poets sharing new work in response to Heights Arts' new Point-Line-Pattern-Plane exhibition. The others will be Ray McNiece, Carson Evans and Cleveland Heights Poet Laureate Damien McClendon.

From the Heights Arts website:

"An exhibition of textile art curated by Janice Lessman-Moss, [Point-Line-Pattern-Plane] highlights a range of work being done by artists in NE Ohio using the distinctive materiality and processes associated with the medium of Fibers.  Although building on a foundation of traditional techniques, all the artists use the language of textiles to create objects of beauty and meaning, reflecting the sensibilities of our time.  Processes such as weaving, stitching and dyeing are used to develop form and surface, while repetition, accumulation, color and pattern are mined for content and character."
Artists featured in the exhibition are Laurie Addis, Elena Brebenel, Si-Yun Chang, Rebecca Cross, Hildur Asgeirsdottir Jonsson, Andrea Myers, Jessica Pinsky, and Katlin Shae.

Ekphrastacy: Artists Speak + Poets Respond

Heights Arts
2175 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
https://www.heightsarts.org/

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Jessie Herzfeld: Illuminations and Visions at Art on Madison

A fantastic Arthur Rimbaud-inspired exhibition by artist Jessie Herzfeld will open on February 7th from 6 to 9 pm at Art on Madison in Lakewood, Ohio. Refreshments provided. Hope to see you there! The show will run through March 7th. Check out Cool Cleveland's feature about it.

For more info, see Jessie Herzfeld: "Illuminations and Visions" Opening Reception on Facebook or visit the artist's website, JessieHerzfeld.com.


Art on Madison
14203 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107

Also coming up at Art on Madison:

February 18th: Poetry+ featuring Bill Yarrow & Laura Grace Weldon
March 17th: Poetry+ featuring Leah Mueller & Rikki Santer
April 21st: Poetry+ featuring Terry Provost & Nick Gardner