National Poetry Month Events in Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Dayton.

Here is some information about some events for National Poetry Month in the state of Ohio. I will also seek out some information on events in other states covered by buckeyemuse.

The main library of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County has readings every week during April. There are usually one to several featured local poets followed by an open mic session. This year the series is focused on poets who are members of the Greater Cincinnati Writers League, an organization that has been around since 1930. The readings start at 7 P.M. and the open mic signup sheet is passed around at 6:45. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County’s main location is 800 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2009. For more information call 513-369-6919.

Featured readers for Tuesday, April 15 are Joanne Greenway, Jerry Judge, and Mary Ann Reese. Featured readers for Tuesday, April 22 are Bucky Ignatius, Karen George, and Terry Petersen. April 29 will feature readings by various members of the Greater Cincinnati Writers League.

Karen George

Jerry Judge

Here’s the library website for more information:

http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2014/poetryinthegarden.html

Here’s the website for the Greater Cincinnati Writers League:

http://cincinnatiwritersleague.org/

Noted Ohio poet George Bilgere, who also teaches creative writing at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, will be reading at noon on Thursday, April 17 in the Louis Stokes Wing Lobby of the Cleveland Public Library. Bilgere has published poems in many of the country’s most distinguished journals, including Poetry, Ploughshares, and The Kenyon Review. His work has also been featured on National Public Radio’s The Writer’s Almanac and in former Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s “American Life in Poetry” newspaper series.

George Bilgere

The Cleveland Public Library is located at 325 Superior Avenue N.E., Cleveland, Ohio, 44114. For more information call 216-623-2881. The Cleveland Public Library is also home to the Ohio Center for the Book, an outreach effort to promote literary, libraries, reading and writing in Ohio. Here’s their website.

http://www.ohiocenterforthebook.org/

Conrad Balliet, University professor emeritus of English at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, will be hosting a reading by local poets on Saturday, April 19 at 2 P.M. in the Main Library Auditorium of Dayton’s Metro Library at 215 E. Third Street, Dayton, Ohio, 45202.  The phone number to contact is 937-463-2665. Conrad Balliet also does a nightly reading of poetry on WYSO 91.3 in the Dayton area.

Conrad Balliet

The website below has some information on the event:

http://www.wittenberg.edu/academics/english/news/14/04_11-conrads-corner

Here’s an interesting article about Conrad Balliet and how he became interested in poetry. He’s doing good work helping to keep the art alive:

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/entertainment/arts-theater/conrad-balliet-not-only-reads-poetry-on-wyso-he-li/nNpjH/

Yours for National Poetry Month,

Patrick Kerin