April 23rd: Tongue-in Groove Jam featuring NE Ohio Poets Laureate

Ray McNiece and his Tongue-in-Groove Band will host a special Laureates edition of their regular Poetry Jam on Thursday 23 April, 6 p.m., at the new Visible Voice Books location at 4601 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland. Poets scheduled to appear include John Burroughs, Dianne Borsenik, and Doc Janning.

[UPDATE: Due to illness, I could not appear.]

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

Plummer, Heerdink, Davis and Burroughs - 3/12 at Visible Voice

Saturday March 12th at 7 pm, we're going live! I'm thrilled to be reading Brooke Nicole Plummer (MI), Tim Heerdink (IN) and Austin Davis (AZ) at Cleveland's Visible Voice Books. Open mic will follow the features. We'd love to see you there!  

More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/920976085271309. 

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

Plummer, Heerdink, Davis and Burroughs

Poetry Bonanza with Brewer, Baldinger, Plummer & Friends: 10/17 at Visible Voice

I'm happy to be joining these out of town poets for a reading on Sunday, October 17th, 1 p.m., at Visible Voice Books in Cleveland.

From the press release:

Join Brooke Nicole Plummer, Tony Brewer, Jason Baldinger, John Burroughs, Jeremy Proehl, Tom Raithe and more for a Sunday afternoon poetry bonanza. Open mic to follow!

Tony Brewer is a poet, live sound effects artist, and event producer. He is executive director of the spoken word stage at the 4th Street Arts Festival and president of the National Audio Theatre Festival. His books include: The Great American Scapegoat, Little Glove in a Big Hand, Hot Type Cold Read, Homunculus, and The History of Projectiles. Tony has been offering Poetry On Demand at coffeehouses, museums, cemeteries, churches, bars, and art and music festivals for over a decade, and he is one-third of the poetry performance group Reservoir Dogwoods.

 

Jason Baldinger is from Pittsburgh and looks forward to roaming the country writing poems again. His newest books are A Threadbare Universe (Kung Fu Treachery Press) and The Afterlife is a Hangover (Stubborn Mule Press). A History of Backroads Misplaced: Selected Poems 2010-2020 (Kung Fu Treachery) is forthcoming later this year. His work has been published widely across print journals and online. You can hear him read his work on Bandcamp and on lp’s by The Gotobeds and Theremonster.

Brooke Nicole Plummer is a poet from the Midwest. Here are some items listed in a newly developed faceted classification scheme that you may borrow from her “library”: (3D Printing Pen: +H1 :T1 =A1), (Camera: +H2 :T2 /O1), (Gardening Kit: +H3 =A2 /O2), (Green Screen: +H4 :T3), (Hiking Gear: +H5 =A3 /O3), & (Laptops with Hotspots: +H6 :T4). She is the author of Flyover, Compiled Nothings, Shaggy Frog, and Ceremonious, which was opportunistically released early while on a reading tour in Ohio (10/16-17 — many thanks to Tony Brewer & Tim Heerdink).

 

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

Video: I read two poems at Visible Voice Books on 10/6

Many thanks to Charles Cicirella for capturing this footage of me reading on the patio of Crust Pizza and Visible Voice Books during the M.J. Arcangelini and Friends event on October 6th. In it I read two poems, "Judas Priest" and "Odd Missive" from my book Rattle and Numb: Selected and New Poems, 1992-2019 [Venetian Spider Press]. You may notice that I used as many Judas Priest album titles as possible in the first poem. It was a privilege and pleasure to read alongside so many poets whose work I respect and admire.

Video permalink: https://youtu.be/Neem5MZBtmY.

You may also view my poor photos of this wonderful event on Facebook.

M.J. Arcangelini and Friends at Visible Voice Books on 10/6

I'm thrilled that poet and friend M.J. Arcangelini is returning to Ohio this week and reading at Visible Voice Books (which now has a patio!) on October 6th at 7 p.m.. He will be joined by poet friends Steve Thomas, John Burroughs, Shelley Chernin, Marc Mannheimer, Adam Brodsky, Terry Provost, Russell Vidrick, Charles Cicirella, Ben Gulyas, Smith & Lady, Steve Goldberg, and Christopher Franke.

M.J. Arcangelini (b.1952) was born in western Pennsylvania, grew up there & in Cleveland, Ohio. He has resided in northern California since 1979. His work has been published in print magazines, online journals, (including The James White Review, Rusty Truck, The Ekphrastic Review, The Gasconade Review, As It Ought To Be, Live Nude Poems, North of Oxford, Rye Whisky Review) & over a dozen anthologies. The most recent of his five collections are: What the Night Keeps (2019, Stubborn Mule Press) and A Quiet Ghost (2020, Luchador Press). 

 

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

Shawn Pavey, Jason Baldinger and My Book Release Party 11/8 at Visible Voice

So looking forward to reading with two fine gentlemen and poets, Shawn Pavey and Jason Baldinger, this Friday, 11/8, at Visible Voice Books in Cleveland! It will be my first full reading in Ohio since the publication of my new book - Rattle & Numb: Selected & New Poems, 1992-2019 - by Venetian Spider Press.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. Jason is coming all the way from Pittsburgh and Shawn is coming all the way from Kansas City. Even if you've had enough of me, you won't want to miss these two!
 
More info: facebook.com/events/2412205432159419/.

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

CLE Photo Fest reading 10/25 at Mac's - and looking for more OH gigs

I am looking for more Ohio (and vicinity) gigs in support of my new book this fall/winter/spring, especially in cities where I've not read before (though I'm also happy to return to cool places I've already been). I only have 2 more out-of-state readings scheduled this year (Nov 1 & 2 in western North Carolina) and then I'm sticking close to home through March. All suggestions/offers welcome! Here's what I have scheduled so far:

10/25 in Cleveland Heights OH - Altered Landscapes: poets interpreting surrealist landscape photography (part of Cleveland Photo Fest) at Mac's Backs-Books On Coventry. (6 to 8 pm).

11/1 in Boone NC - John Burroughs and Beth Copeland in Conversation w/ a reading.

11/2 in Sylva NC - John Burroughs & Beth Copeland Poetry Reading at City Lights.

11/8 in Cleveland OH - Poetry Reading: Burroughs / Baldinger / Pavey at Visible Voice Books.

11/9 in Avon Lake OH - Read/Write/Local Authors Event at Avon Lake Public Library.

11/16 in Mansfield OH - Borderlands: Poetry on the Edge at Main Street Books.

11/21 in Elyria OH - Rattle & Numb with open mic at Roxy's Emporium. (6:30 pm).

11/25 in Cleveland Heights OH - Writer in the Window at Appletree Books. (10 am to 12 pm).

12/18 in Painesville OH - Words & Wine at the Steele Mansion Inn & Gathering Hub.

1/6/2020 in Lakewood OH - Monday at Mahall's Poetry and Prose Series.

1/8/2020 in Youngstown OH - At The Soap Gallery.

6/13/2020 in Amherst OH - Poetic Expressions from the Heart at Arabica Coffee Bistro.

9/4-6/2020 in New Hartford CT - National Beat Poetry Festival.

Comfest in Columbus 6/23 and Visible Voice in Cleveland 7/7

Saturday June 23rd at 5:55 p.m., Shelley Chernin and I will perform a joint set of poetry and ukulele in Columbus, Ohio, at the Peace & Healing Tent Stage during ComFest 2018 in Goodale Park. Central Ohio poets Betty Bleen, Susann Moeller, Beverly Zeimer and Alexis Rueal will also perform.

Then on Saturday July 7th at 7:30 p.m., Steven B. Smith and I will read from our new books at Visible Voice Books in Cleveland, Ohio. An open mic will follow, for anyone else who wishes to share.

Steven B. Smith is the author of Where Never Was Already Is [2018, Crisis Chronicles Press]. Shelley Chernin is the author of The Vigil [2012, Crisis Chronicles Press]. John Burroughs is the author of Loss and Foundering [2018, NightBallet Press]. All three of us are co-authors (along with Mary Weems, Kathy Smith, John Swain and Steve Brightman) of Oct Tongue -1 [2014, Crisis Chronicles Press].

For my full 2018 poetry event schedule, click here.