My "Prayer" featured by Poets Against Racism and Hate USA

"Prayer," a short poem I wrote on the back of a Catherine Joslyn art postcard during the April “Fighting Firehose with Fire” workshop presented by Pauletta Hansel and Tabassam Shah (and sponsored by Poets Against Racism & Hate USA) appears here: https://poetsagainstracism-usa.org/featured-poem.

Poems by Jennifer Browne, Pauletta Hansel, Pam Campbell, Donna Wojnar Dzurilla, Janet E. Irvin, and Dory Macguire are also featured.

National Beat Poetry Festival and more in September!

I've been trying hard to catch up, friends. So many things to do, emails to answer, commitments to fulfill before I hit the road on the 1st. I feel like I need 30 hours per day - but I'll get there. So tired, but so grateful. I very much look forward to traveling again, seeing friends and hearing a mix of favorite and new (to me) voices at these upcoming events.

9/2 thru 9/4 in New Hartford, CT:
Nat’l & Int’l Beat Poetry Festival 2022
Where Jami Cassady, Ron Whitehead, Carl Spiby, Paul Richmond, Chris Vannoy, Annie Petrie Sauter, Pamela Twining, RescuePoetix, Sandra Feen, Dane Ince, Johnny Depp, Joe Kidd and I will be honored by the National Beat Poetry Foundation, Inc. and poets from all over will be reading. Congratulations to the other award recipients and many thanks to Debbie Tosun Kilday and the NBPF!

9/7 in Portsmouth, NH:
The Hoot Poetry Reading at Portsmouth Book and Bar
Where Maggie Dietz and I will be the featured poets. Many thanks to Claire Conroy and the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Project!

9/9 in Cleveland, OH:
Inkubator Conference at the Cleveland Public Library. Many thanks to Literary Cleveland!

9/10 in Toledo, OH:
Uncloistered Poetry Live! at The Attic On Adams
Where Pauletta Hansel, Miles Budimir, Jennifer Pullen and I will be the featured poets. Many thanks to Jonie McIntire!

And more to be announced soon!

 

 

 

 

On the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition Blog

"It should not come as a surprise that we count a Beat poet among urban Appalachians...."

I recently had the pleasure of talking with Mike Templeton for the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition blog. Read at https://uacvoice.org/2022/08/john-burroughs-urban-appalachian-and-national-beat-poet-laureate/.

My July, August & September 2022 Readings

I am so looking forward to seeing friends and sharing poetry at the following special events in the next several weeks.

16 July 2022 beginning at noon near Richwood, West Virginia
The Baber Mountain Poetry Festival will feature poets and musicians from throughout the Appalachian region. Baber Court, 26261. 

30 July 2022 in Portsmouth, Ohio
Noise Complaint at the Warehouse will feature live music by D.J. Everman, Commercial Television, and Soft Pain, plus poetry by Dianne Borsenik, John Burroughs, and Tony Brewer. 2134 Gallia Street Apt. B, 45662.

31 July 2022 at 6 p.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio
Word of Mouth Cincinnati presents a reading by John Burroughs plus open mic at MOTR Pub, 1345 Main Street, 45202.

2 August 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in South Euclid, Ohio
South Euclid poets including Doc Janning, Raja Belle Freeman, Amy Kesegich, Shelley Chernin, Michael Ceraolo, Adrian Schnall, Amanda Terman and John Burroughs will read during the annual Bexley Bash at Bexley Park, 1630 Wrenford Road, 44121.

6 August 2022 in Erie, Pennsylvania
Poetry during Erie's Blues & Jazz Festival will feature poets including Thasia Anne, Chuck Joy, Mabel Howard, Niecy Nicole, Dianne Borsenik, John Burroughs and an open mic at Frontier Park, 1501 W. 6th Street, 16505.

13 August 2022 at 4 p.m. - ONLINE
The Bronx Book Fair will present a reading by National Beat Poetry Foundation honorees including William F. DeVault, Dane Ince, Patricia Ince, Carlo Parcelli, Chryssa Velissariou, Ron Whitehead and John Burroughs, facilitated by Debbie Tosun Kilday.

2 thru 4 September 2022 in New Hartford, Connecticut
The National and International Beat Poetry Festival will feature poets from around the world and John Burroughs will be officially christened the U.S. National Beat Poet Laureate for 2022-2023.

10 September 2022 at 4 p.m. in Toledo, Ohio
Uncloistered Poetry presents readings by Pauletta Hansel, Mary Biddinger, Lylanne Musselman, Miles Budimir and John Burroughs, hosted by Lucas County Poet Laureate Jonie McIntire at The Attic, 1701 Adams Street, 43604.

June 2nd: Pauletta Hansel, Jonie McIntire and John Burroughs at Visible Voice

I will have the distinct honor and privilege of reading with two of Ohio's finest poets, Pauletta Hansel and Jonie McIntire, on Thursday June 2nd, 7 p.m., at Visible Voice Books in Cleveland.

Jonie McIntire, John Burroughs and Pauletta Hansel

Pauletta Hansel’s nine poetry collections include Heartbreak Tree, a poetic exploration of the intersection of gender and place in Appalachia, published in 2022 by Madville Publishing, and Friend, Coal Town Photographand Palindrome, winner of the 2017 Weatherford Award for best Appalachian poetry, all from Dos Madres Press. She is 2022 Writer-in-Residence for The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Her writing has been featured in Oxford American, Rattle, Appalachian Journal, The Anthology of Appalachian Writers, American Life in Poetry, Verse Daily and Poetry Daily, among others. She recently served as the inaugural Poet Laureate of Cincinnati.

Jonie McIntire, Poet Laureate of Lucas County, Ohio, is the poetry editor at Of Rust and Glass and Membership Chair with Ohio Poetry Association. Her most recent chapbook, Semidomesticated (Red Flag Poetry, 2021) won Red Flag Poetry’s 2020 chapbook contest and is being re-released by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions. Her prior chapbooks are Beyond the Sidewalk (Nightballet Press, 2017) and Not All Who Are Lost Wander (Finishing Line Press, 2016). Her poems, published in print journals, anthologies, online and even into cement, have been nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart prize. McIntire hosts a monthly reading series called Uncloistered Poetry from Toledo, Ohio.

Visible Voice Books
2258 Professor Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
visiblevoicebooks.com

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.