Wed 4/29 @ 7PM
For the past 16 years the Shaker Heights Public Library has hosted an almost monthly free poetry reading at its Bertram Woods Branch (20600 Fayette Road, Shaker Heights). Hence the name “Poetry in the Woods. On Wednesday, April 29th from 7-8:30pm, Poetry in the Woods is featuring the acclaimed Vince Robinson, Erin Gay and Max Stark. All of these accomplished greater Cleveland poets and performers will be sharing their beautiful pieces with attendees.
Check out fun facts and info on each of the night’s performers and poets below.
Erin Gay received her MFA in Creative Writing at Syracuse University. Her poems have appeared in several Ohio-based journals, such as Field, Mid-American Review and New Ohio Review as well as national publications. In 2010, she was one of fifty writers featured in the “Best New Poets” anthology. She lives in Cleveland Heights with her husband Brad and dog Winnie.
Max Stark was born Massimo Stark in Lucca, Italy to an Italian Catholic mother and American Jewish father and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Max did graduate work in linguistics at Heidelberg University in Germany and holds an M.A. in English from Cleveland State University with a concentration in poetry. He makes his living as an organizational consultant with his own firm. Mr. Stark spent time in Eastern Europe as a teacher and consultant to emerging nonprofit leaders. He has served on a number of boards, including the Poet’s League of Greater Cleveland, the National Nonprofit Management Association and several peace action groups. He is co-founder of the Grand River Group, a national group of organizational consultants working across all sectors. Max has been writing poetry for more than 30 years. A number of his poems have been published in poetry journals and have also been part of stage performances at the Cleveland Play House. He’s also studied improvisational acting and produced multicultural theater. Max lives in a 83-year-old Tudor on Lake Erie with his wife, Laurie. They have eight children and four grandchildren.
Vince Robinson was born in Clearfield, Utah and raised in both the United States and southeast Asia. He took up photography as a student at Kent State University in the 70s and began shooting jazz artists and other musicians. Since then, Vince has amassed an extensive collection, most notably including the legendary Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, McCoy Tyner and Dizzy Gillespie. His photos have appeared in a number of local publications — Eschelon Magazine, Crusader Arts & Entertainment News, the Akron Reporter and the East Side Daily News for which he serves as a photographer and writer. Mr. Robinson is also a poet. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including the Kent Quarterly (Kent State University Press,1977), Macs Turns A New Trick (Green Panda Press, 2003) and Cleveland Poetry Scenes: A Panorama & Anthology (Bottom Dog Press, 2008). Vince is a performance poet and has competed in the National Poetry Slam in 2003 (Chicago) and 2004 (St. Louis) as a team member representing Cleveland. Robinson has served as host to the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Nia Coffeehouse Open Mic Poetry series since 2000. He is also the leader of his jazz/spoken word quartet, Vince Robinson & the Jazz Poets. His creative career has included stints as a radio news reporter, newspaper entertainment writer and photographer. Vince is also a filmmaker, television producer, director and radio talk show host. He currently resides in Cleveland.
Plenty of parking is available in the library parking lot. Be sure to arrive on time. You don’t want to miss introductory remarks from event organizer Barry Zucker and all the night has to offer.
Shaker Heights, OH 44122