Recently published in Shabdaguchha, Ohio Bards, and CAW: Poetry by a Murder of Writers

I am happy to have received copies of these three new books in which poems of mine appear!

Shabdaguchha/শব্দগুচ্ছ (26th Anniversary Issue), edited by Hassanal Abdullah [Shabdaguchha Press].

• features my poems "Where Would the Moment Be?" and "What If This Is the Last Poem I Ever Write and It's Not Finished?" alongside work by poets from seventeen countries including Bengt O Björklund, William Heyen, Hassanal Abdullah, George Wallace, and more.
  

CAW - Poetry by a Murder of Writers, edited by Stasha Strange and Hyacinthe L. Raven [Ix Studios].

• features my poems "Cause and Effect," "Cause Célèbre," and "Cause of Death" alongside work by S.A. Quinox, Christiane Knight, Stasha Strange, Michael Cunliffe, Tara Vanflower, Kaytee Thrun, Rachel M. Croce, Tara Shannon, D.L. White, Emma Lee, Lisa Taner, Rachael Ikins, and Hyacinthe L. Raven.
  

Ohio Bards: Poetry Anthology 2024, edited by James Paul Wagner [Local Gems Press].

• features a revised version of my poem "Two Against Nature" alongside work by Jessica Weyer Bentley, Jeffrey Bowen, Rachel M. Croce, Christen Lee, A.M. Hayden, David Lee Garrison, Les Epstein, Sandra Feen, Joey Polisena, Stasha Strange, Cora McCann Liderbach, Diane Kendig, Carmel L. Morse, Bill Reyer, K. Weber, Georgia Reash, Cat Russell, Mary A. Turzillo, Geoffrey A. Landis, and more.
  

Buzzing at the 'Bin 4/21 in Canton

Theresa Göttl Brightman, Mary A. Turzillo and I will be the featured poets Thursday 21 April 2016 (7 to 9 pm) at Buzzbin Art & Music Shop, 339 Cleveland Ave NW in Canton, Ohio.  This event is part of a diverse series of National Poetry Month happenings organized by Writing Knights. Musical guest Tori Scwejk will also perform.

For more info, click here.

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.

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!