[NEohioPAL]Press Release: City Hall Poetry Reading Friday 8/11 at noon

[marcus at designerglass.com]

Press Release: for immediate release: August 11, 2006

When: Friday August 11, 2006 at noon
Where: The Rotunda of City Hall
What: Poetry Reading by local poets
Who:  Marcus BALES
	George BILGERE
	Kisha FOSTER
	Nina GIBANS
	Jack MCGUANE
	Cindy WASHABAUGH

The Mayor=B4s Committee on Art in the Rotunda announces a poetry 
reading on FRIDAY AUGUST 11 at Noon, in the Rotunda at City Hall, 
which is the big interior space in City Hall, at E 6th and Lakeside, 
beside Claes Oldenburg=B4s "FREE" stamp sculpture. Bring a photo ID 
with you to get into City Hall.

The event will last approximately one hour. Each poet will read a few 
of their best-known poems. 

Marcus Bales is the winner of the 2001 Ohio Writer Poetry Contest; 
his poems have appeared in Salt River Review, the Melic Review, The 
Pedestal Magazine, The City Poetry Magazine, Snakeskin, but never in 
The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, or Poetry.

George Bilgere is the 2003 winner of the Cleveland Arts Prize in 
Literature, and the 2006 winner of the Ohioana Poetry Award. His new 
book, _Haywire_, won the 2006 May Swenson Poetry Award. He's the host 
of Wordplay, a radio show devoted to the Cleveland poetry scene. It 
airs every Wednesday on WJCU, 88.7, at 12:30 in the afternoon.

Kisha Foster is a junior at Cleveland State University who started 
her career as poet at19 and after six years of hard work, Foster is 
performing with increased comfort coworker and mentor Rafeeq 
Washington. Foster has been performing across the country and was 
recently honored by having one of her poems performed at the PWLGC 
"Writers and Their Friends" biennial celebration of the Cleveland 
writing community. 

Nina Gibans is a lifelong resident of northeast Ohio. She has worked 
for cultural organizations in volunteer and professional capacities 
her entire career and has served on numerous civic and cultural 
boards of trustees. Her degree is in art history and aesthetics. 

Jack McGuane is Poet Laureate of Lakewood, and widely known for his 
outspoken poems and adeptness with apparently simple language that 
gets memorably under your skin and into your head. 
Cindy Washabaugh is a faculty member in Cleveland State's creative 
writing program. 
Introduction of the Event by the Mayor=B4s aide, Melaina Kampf

Marcus Bales will read Ray McNiece's poem "Love song to Cleveland", 
which Ray gave to Mayor Jackson at the Ingenuity Festival; and will 
introduce each poet

Reading order:

Jack McGuane 
Cindy Washabaugh 
Kisha Foster 
Nina Gibans 
George Bilgere 

concluding remarks by Melaina Kampf.