Celebrating National Poetry Month is easy in Dayton
April is National Poetry Month, and luckily for readers, writers, and poetry lovers in the greater Dayton area, we have many poets whose works we can turn to for enjoyment and inspiration.
Established in April 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, its goal is to celebrate and encourage both poetry and poets. Learn more about it at www.poets.org.
And, while there, you can sign up for a poem-aday delivered free to your email inbox.
Two area poets with recently published collections to explore:
■ Shuly Cawood — ”Trouble Can Be So Beautiful at the Beginning,” from Mercer University Press. Learn more at www.shulycawood.com.
■ Herbert Woodward Martin — ”The Shape of Regret,” from Wayne State University Press. Learn more at https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/ detail/shape-regret.
Celebrate locally with Washington-Centerville Public Library’s “My Favorite Poem Project,” which will be held online on Thursday, April 1, 7-8 p.m.
Per the event organizer, Debe Dockins, “Preinvited members of the Centerville and Washington Township communities, students and local poets will read their favorite poems, some sad, some whimsical, some epic, some short and sweet. Scheduled to read are poets Kathy B. Austin, Stefan J. Broidy, Grace Curtis, David Lee Garrison, Betsy Hughes, Hania Itawai, Herbert Woodward Martin, TJ McGuire, Erica Manto Paulson, and Tiffany Shaw-Diaz, as well as invited members of the community.”
The program is free, but registration is required at wclibrary.info to receive a Cisco Webex invitation. For more information on Washington-Centerville Public Library programs and services visit the library’s website or call Dockins at 937-610-4429 with questions about this program.
Also, be sure to check out The Greenville Poets (www.greenvillepoets. org). This is an award-winning group of poets who collectively, have published 17 full-length books of poems, and whose work appears in a variety of top-tier literary magazines. They support one another in their writing group, but also give readings, conduct work- shops and encourage others. Members are poets Cathryn Essinger, David Lee Garrison, Suzanne Kelly-Garrison, Aimee Noel, Belinda Rismiller, Lianne Spidel and Myrna Stone. You can sample some of their work on the site.
You can also read area poets in these locally published journals: “Flights”— the literary magazine of Sinclair Community College (www.flightsscc.wordpress.com) and “Mock Turtle Zine,” (www.mockturtlezine.com)
Or even submit your own work (poetry and prose) to the magazines. “Flights” is accepting submissions through April 30, while “Mock Turtle Zine” is open to submissions for its next issue through May 7.
If you’re looking for a group of poets to hang out and share work with, and give and get constructive feedback, be sure to check out the Virtual Wright Library Poets at Wright Memorial Library, currently meeting virtually once a month.
The next meeting is Tuesday, April 20, 7-8:30 p.m. Learn more at https://www.wrightlibrary.org/wrightlibrarypoets, or for more information and to get the link to the meeting, contact Elizabeth Schmidt at schmidt@ wrightlibrary.org or 937294-7171. magic continues as they their family and friends.
You can also enjoy poetry on Conrad’s Corner, which airs Monday-Friday at 7:59 p.m., as well as Saturday at 6:50 a.m., and Sunday during “The Dear Green Place” on WYSO 91.3 FM. The podcast, hosted by area poets Lori Anne Gravely and David
Lee Garrison, features short poems and poetic excerpts, and works by local poets from southwestern Ohio. Learn more at www.wyso.org/programs/conrads-corner.
Sharon Short writes historical mysteries under the pen name Jess Montgomery (www. jessmontgomeryauthor. com). Send her column ideas, book club news, or literary events at sharonshort1983@ gmail.com.