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UID:2697@coolcleveland.com
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York;VALUE=DATE:20260421
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York;VALUE=DATE:20260426
DTSTAMP:20260422T030658Z
URL:https://coolcleveland.com/events/literary-clevelands-poetry-festival-i
 s-back-with-five-days-of-events/
SUMMARY:Literary Cleveland's Poetry Festival Is Back\, With Five Days of Ev
 ents
DESCRIPTION:[caption id="attachment_335052" align="alignnone" width="700"] 
 Felicia Zamora. Photo by Louise Erdeljohn[/caption]\nTue 4/21-Sat 4/25\nLi
 terary Cleveland’s another Cleveland Poetry Festival is back\, sponsored
  by Mac’s Backs books in Coventry Village\, for five days of honoring rh
 ythm\, rhyme and imagery. Its 2026 theme is “Language as Liberation\,”
  based on a recently published book of  lectures by Lorain\, Ohio -born N
 obel Laureate Toni Morrison.\n“Throughout the festival\, we will explore
  the liberatory potentialities of poetry\, literary community\, and creati
 ve writing that across social and cultural lines as we incorporate the the
 mes and ethics of Toni Morrison's biography and art into our own work\,”
  they promise.\nThe festival begins on Tuesday April 21 at 7pm with a virt
 ual workshop called “To Fly Is the Risk\,” led by Ohio poet-educator F
 elicia Zamora. On Wednesday April 22 at 7pm\, a second virtual workshop le
 d by Philadelhia-based Palestinian-American poet Ahmad Almallah will addre
 ss “Working with Stereotypes.” Participants will study excerpts from M
 orrison’s Playing in the Dark to explore how poems can challenge stereot
 ypes. The last virtual workshop on Thursday April 21 at 7pm is called “T
 he Poetry Ringer.” Scott Woods will lead the group in creating\, draftin
 g and editing poems through what’s described as “genre-bending edits.
 ”\nThe festival goes live on Friday April 24 at 7-9pm\, with a free read
 ing at the Heights Theatre in Coventry Village by some of this area’s mo
 st prominent poets\, including Mary Weems\, Kisha Nicole Foster\, Stephani
 e Ginese\, Ray McNiece\, George Bilgere\, Philip Metres and Dave Lucas.\nA
 nd on Saturday April 25 from 10:30am-5pm\, the poetry festival will celebr
 ate Independent Bookstore Day with a free poetry crawl taking participants
  to independent bookstores across the city. The final event is a free read
 ing by Scott Woods\, followed by an open mic\, at Ohio City’s Visible Vo
 ice Bookstore.\nGo here for more information.\ncleveland-poetry-festival-2
 026\n[mappress mapid="584"]\n\n[mappress mapid="607"]\n\n[mappress mapid="
 5042"]
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://coolcleveland.com/wp-content/uploads/202
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CATEGORIES:college,Teen,Culture,Education,Festival,Performance,----WRITERS
 ----,Anastasia Pantsios,Preview,Free,RSS,Literary
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