When I pronounce the word Silence, I destroy it." ― Wisława Szymborska, Poems New and Collected. And so we are powering through Women's History Month by being a woman in constant motion. As quickly as new ideas are created, they are enacted and already a note on a calendar.
So many incredible things have gone on this past month. From hearing the amazing talents of area teens as a judge for Poetry Out Loud at Marathon Center for the Performing Arts, to talking about the inspirations for Semidomesticated during the incredible book discussion Wine & Words/Beer & Books hosted by Gathering Volumes, I have been in constant motion.
And earlier this month, three incredible readings occurred and I couldn't be more proud to have been a part of them. Poets & Writers Assembly Line: Celebrating Local Women put me on stage with the most talented local women poets, thanks to Ryan Bunch and his newest venture, OHMI Midcoast Industrial. And of course this past weekend was Uncloistered Poetry weekend, where our live event on Saturday was a reunion of beautiful souls who have shaped and inspired each other for over twenty years, and our on-line reading delved into feminist retellings of Rapunzel, true tales of travel terrors, whole books of ekphrastic poetry and the inner-thoughts of Adam and Eve. I am so incredibly grateful for this writing community and the richness it offers.
But what I really want you to know about is going on tomorrow night. Oh Yes, this is the big-time! The book release of I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing, the amazing anthology of Ohio's Appalachian voices edited by Ohio Poet Laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour and published by Sheila-Na-Gig Editions. You can join us at The Mercantile Library in Cincinnati for the live reading, or you can listen from your very own homes or wherever you are by registering to hear it virtually through Crowdcast.
The anthology was produced by Ohio Poet Laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour, who obtained a fellowship grant from the Academy of American Poets with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Gunter-Seymour designed and edited the collection—a lavish mix of voices: Affrilachian, Indigenous, non-binary and LGBTQ; from teens to those creatively aging; poets in recovery, some differently-abled or with developmental differences; emerging and well established; some living in the state, others from assorted locations throughout the country—all with a deep connection to Appalachian Ohio.
Sponsored by Cincinnati’s Urban Appalachian Community Coalition.
Participating poets:
Ellen Austin-Li Diana Becket John Burroughs Leslie Clark Lynette Ford Susan Glassmeyer Richard Hague Pauletta Hansel Michael Henson Jackie Kalbli Sean Kelbly Ben Kline Jonie McIntire Dale Marie Prenatt Phoebe Reeves Barbara Lyghtel Rohrer Chuck Salmons Roberta Schultz Sherry Stanforth Dick Westheimer Abby Wheeler Christine Wilson Mark Youssef
Do NOT miss this incredible reading!