Ohio Poetry.com
A New Site for Ohio Poets
Ohio Poetry and Writing Groups.
Please support this site by donating and /or purchasing some of the merchandise from the links below. This site is presented by Steven Robert Heine. Heine is a disabled poet in his 70's. He was crippled in a fall several years ago and suffered a stroke in 2023. Your support will help cover costs of this site and provide more frequent updates.
The current Ohio State Poet Laureate is
Kari Gunter-Seymour.
Kari is a third-generation resident of Athens Countian She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design and a Master of Fine Arts in commercial photography from Ohio University. In 2020, she was named the Ohio Poet of the Year by the Ohio Poetry Association. Gunter-Seymour was also named Poet Laureate for Athens, Ohio, in 2018-2020.The term of office for the Ohio State Poet Laureate is two years, with the possibility of reappointment by the governor.
Previous Laureates:
Amit Majmudar(January 1, 2016-December 31, 2017)
Dave Lucas (January 5, 2018-June 9, 2020)
**The Ohio Arts Council ** was created in 1965. The Council provides support for arts and writers groups through a grants and a number of programs. More information about programs and grants can be found on the link above.
The Ohio Poetry Association provides workshops and conferences (when possible) as well as poetry contests and publications. The group is open to all Ohio poets. The Ohio Poetry Association also has a number of local chapters; perhaps a chapter near you! There are various levels of membership in the Ohio Poetry Association. Please see the link above for more information.
For the past several years, thousands of Ohio high school students have participated in the Poetry Out Loud State recitation competitions, sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Your high school is invited to participate!
Poetry Out Loud is a wonderful program for students. The program helps the develop Stage and speaking skills, confidence and a love of poetry. Poetry really needs to be spoken to truly be enjoyed. Poetry Out Loud is a great program for students. To learn how to get your school involved in the competition, please see the link above.
Poetry Slams are events in which adults and students read and perform poetry for awards and prizes. There are many local events and even a National competition. Check with your local poetry group for the nearest Slam event and Slam schedules. (The above link is for the University of Dayton Poetry Slam, one of many in the State).
The Akron Writers Group is open to all Akron area writers, of all levels. The group seeks to meet (when possible) and provide resources and encouragement for Akron writers. More information can be found on the link above.
The Greater Cincinnati Writers League supports writers of all skill levels and all genres of writing in the Cincinnati area. It is a good group especially for aspiring poets. The GCWL meets the second Friday of each month in the Hermitage Room of The Regency, 2444 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45208. Membership dues are $35.00 per year, increasing to $40.00 per year in 2021. The group provides poetry contests and meetings (when possible). Please see link above for details.
The Ohio Center for the Book is a program of the Cleveland Public Library. The Center provides resources and programs for readers and writers throughout the Ohio area. Please see link for more information.
The Cleveland Writers Group is open to writers of all genres of writing and all skill levels, from beginners to advanced writers. The group provides conferences (when possible) and publishing resources and contacts. This prestigious group is open to new members. Please see link above for schedules and more details.
The Toledo Writers Workshop is a group of Toledo area writers who meet at 7:00 PM every Tuesday at the Biggby Coffee on McCord in Sylvania. They critique each other’s work and try to provide helpful suggestions to writers. The group welcomes all writers, of all genres of writing, from poetry to non-fiction. More information about the group can be found on the link above.
The Ohio Christian Writers Conference is a great resource for Christian writers of all genres in the Ohio area. The conferences (when possible) bring writers to literary agents and publishers. For conference dates and more information, please see the link above.
** Central Ohio Fiction Writers** is open to all Ohio fiction writers. Membership dues are $30.00 per year and group requires that you be a member of the National group, Romance Writers of America, to join. Currently, the group is meeting via Zoom. Please see the link above for more details.
Breaking News!
Steven Robert Heine launches a line of tee-shirts and merchandise to help support this site.We hope you will consider purchasing the merchandise in the links below.
Steven Robert Heine is an American poet and author. He has spent much of his life supporting poetry projects and events. He is the author of 8 volumes of poetry. In 2011 he was seriously injured in a fall that left him in great pain and almost unable to walk. He suffered a stroke in 2023. Heine receives no disability and relies on a small pension and retirement income. He is no longer able to make public appearances.
We hope you will consider purchasing some of the merchandise in the links below. Many are original tee-shirts and merchandise created by Steven Robert Heine.
Thank you!
Your purchases will help to support this site as a service to the poets of Ohio.
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Steven Robert Heine is a West Coast poet & author. He has traveled extensively through the United States, including many trips to Ohio. Heine has spent his life promoting poetry; serving as founder for many poetry contests. He is the author of fifteen books, including poetry, history and his own short auto-biographies. His books can be found on Ebay, Amazon and Amazon Kindle.
Heine was crippled in a fall in 2011 and now makes very few public appearances.