Gratitude

Many thanks to everyone who made last night's edition of the Monday at Mahall's Poetry and Prose Series so remarkably beautiful. I'm having difficulty mustering adequate words, but my heart is full. I especially want to thank the evening's featured poet Jeffrey Bowen; the other "Best Cleveland Poem" anthology contributors who read (Renay Sanders, JP Armstrong, Ray McNiece, Anita Herczog [accompanied by Ryann Anderson], Steven Smith [who also provided the cover art], and Dianne Borsenik [who also served as project editor]; and the twenty or so incredible (wow!) folk who shared during the open mic. It was also very cool to see and talk with friends old and new (though there's never enough time). And I wanna give a shout out to Tim Misny, who sponsors the competition. My brain is a blur this week, but true poetry lives! It is heart, pain, laughter, protest, memory and soul. Thanks to you, life is rich.  This is Cleveland.

Hope to see you next month!

Crisis Chronicles Press releases #ThisIsCLE: An Anthology of the 2014 Best Cleveland Poem Competition

cover photo by Steven B. Smith

Crisis Chronicles Press is thrilled to announce the imminent publication of #ThisIsCLE: An Anthology of the 2014 Best Cleveland Poem Competition on 5 January 2015. 

The second annual Best Cleveland Poem Competition was held on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at the Willoughby Brewing Company.  #ThisIsCLE features contest highlights including poems by Geoffrey Landis, Theresa Göttl Brightman, Jeffrey Bowen, Mary Turzillo, JP Armstrong, Anita Herczog, Danya Eichhorn, Michael Murray, Steven B. Smith, Frannie Lograsso, S. Renay Sanders, two-time Best Cleveland Poem winner Dianne Borsenik and competition emcee Ray McNiece.

The book is 40 pages, perfect bound, 6x9" and a steal at only $10 from Crisis Chronicles Press, 3344 W. 105th Street #4, Cleveland, Ohio 44111.

Available now by mail and online — and soon from particular independent bookstores across the country!  Please join us for the official #ThisIsCLE release party on January 5th 2015 during Mondays at Mahall's Poetry and Prose series at Mahall's 20 Lanes, 13200 Madison Avenue in Lakewood, Ohio.  Meet and hear many of the contributors there. 

Project editor for #ThisIsCLE: Dianne Borsenik 
Executive editor: John Burroughs
ISBN: 978-1-940996-13-4

For more information about the annual Best Cleveland Poetry Competition sponsored by attorney Tim Misny, please click here.

Monday at Mahall's to feature Jeffrey Bowen & the #ThisIsCLE anthology release

The Monday at Mahall's Poetry Series and Crisis Chronicles Press will kick off the new year with a special event on Monday January 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the now 90-year-old Mahall's 20 Lanes, 13200 Madison Avenue, in Lakewood, Ohio.

Cleveland poet/musician Jeffrey Bowen will perform. Plus Crisis Chronicles Press will release #ThisIsCLE: An Anthology of the 2014 Best Cleveland Poem Competition. Book contributors will also read. An open mic emceed by John Burroughs will follow.

Jeffrey Bowen’s poetry has been published by ArtCrimes, Cicada, Cool Cleveland, Crisis Chronicles, CSU Poetry Center, Dimensions, Doan Brook Watershed, Excursions, Green Panda Press, Hessler Street Fair, Procrastination Press, Poet’s League of Greater Cleveland, The City, The Cleveland Reader and Whiskey Island Magazine. He is one of six poets profiled in the 1995 documentary, “Off the Page”. Four of his poems are featured on Cleveland Tumbadors, an album of Traditional Afro Cuban Music and Latin Jazz on Fame City Records. Jeffrey is the resident poet & conga player with the band, Cats On Holiday, and his poetry appears on their CD, Holiday in a Box from COHTONE Records. In addition to his poetic work, Jeffrey’s writing has appeared in Call & Post, City News, Cool Cleveland, EcoWatch, Elephant Journal, Girl Scout News, GreenCityBlueLake, Live Cleveland, Neighborhood News, Nonprofit Notes, Sun News and various Habitat for Humanity publications.

For more information about the Best Cleveland Poem Competition, sponsored annually by Tim "I'll make them pay" Misny, click here.  To check out last year's book, Songs in the Key of Cleveland: An Anthology of the 2013 Best Cleveland Poem Competition, click here.

Me as the Best Cleveland Poem Competition's Sacrificial Poet

Here's me as the "sacrificial poet" at Sunday's 2nd annual Best Cleveland Poem Competition, sponsored by Tim Misny, hosted by Ray McNiece and won by Dianne Borsenik. Thanks to Celina C. Photography for the photo.

Other finalists included Steven Smith, T.M. Göttl (second place), J.P. Armstrong, Dianne Borsenik, Jeffrey Bowen, Lee Chilcote, Renay Sanders, Michael Murray (third place), Geoffrey A. Landis, Danilee Eichhorn and alternates Anita Keys, Mary A. Turzillo, and Frances Lograsso.  Great poems all around!

I didn't expect to read because I didn't submit to the contest (mostly because Crisis Chronicles Press plans to publish an anthology of the finalists' poems), so when Ray asked me to serve as the judges' warm up I wasn't prepared with a suitable poem.  But I did have a copy of my The Eater of the Absurd [2012, NightBallet Press].  The one real Cleveland poem in it - "Lit (Er, a Tour)" - was too long and and a bit depressing for the occasion, so I ended up performing "Roué Let" - which is not exactly a Cleveland poem, though it's about a casino and/or a fictional hook-up and there's no reason it couldn't have happened at our downtown Horseshoe, except that it didn't.  One of the judges, a woman whose name I can't remember, gave me a 4.2 (out of 10), the lowest score anyone got that day.  The other judges were more generous, with Tim Misny giving my not-really-about-Cleveland poem an 8.5, maybe because I wore his shirt.  [Wink.]  For comparison's sake, the contest winner, Dianne Borsenik,  received all 10s from the judges.  She earned it.  You gotta be more than great to make Tim Misny pay.  As for my own performance, I think it was good. But my poem did not exactly fit the theme (#ThisIsCLE), and I wasn't competing anyway.  I had a lot of fun though.

Click here to see more of Celina Colombo's photos from the event on Tim Misny's Facebook page.

And click here to check out the book last year's Best Cleveland Poem Competition inspired.

Some top poems from this year's competition will soon appear online at misnylaw.com.

Best Cleveland Poem Competition and June's Monday at Mahall's

Crisis Chronicles Press recently had the pleasure and privilege of publishing Songs in the Key of Cleveland: An Anthology of the 2013 Best Cleveland Poem Competition.  Now the time has come for the 2014 competition, sponsored by Cleveland attorney Tim Misny.  Ray McNiece has whittled down submissions to the top ten (plus three alternates) who will be going head to head at the mic this afternoon (4 p.m.) at the Willoughby Brewing Company.  Ray will emcee and a panel of celebrity judges will determine the winner.

This year's finalists are Steven Smith, T.M. Göttl, J.P. Armstrong, Dianne Borsenik (who won last year), Jeffrey Bowen, Lee Chilcote, Renay Sanders, Michael Murray, Geoffrey A. Landis, and Danilee Eichhorn. Alternates are Anita Keys, Mary A. Turzillo, and Frances Lograsso.

Then tomorrow, we will have our monthly Monday at Mahall's Poetry & Prose event in Lakewood.  June's featured authors are two of Cleveland's best poets and known around the world for their writing, teaching and performing.  They are national treasures Sara Holbrook and Michael Salinger.  An open mic will follow.  This is my third month hosting.  For more info, click here.  Hope to see you there!