Word of Mouth welcomes U.S. Beat Laureate Poet John Burroughs
July 31 @ MOTR Pub at 6 pm
1345 Main, Cincinnati
![]() JOHN BURROUGHS of Cleveland was recently selected as the U.S. Beat Poet Laureate and previously served for two years as Ohio's Beat Poet Laureate. He is the author of Rattle & Numb: Selected and New Poems, 1992-2019 [2019, Venetian Spider Press], The Eater of the Absurd [2012, NightBallet Press] and more than a dozen chapbooks including, most recently, You Can’t Trust It to Remain [2022, Between Shadows Press]. John has curated several regular reading series in the Greater Cleveland area and currently moderates the northeast Ohio literary calendar at clevelandpoetry.com. In various past lives, John won the first poetry slam he ever competed in, served as playwright-in-residence for the Ministry of Theatre at Marion Correctional Institution, wrote a blog ranked #1 on MySpace and co-founded with Dianne Borsenik the infamous Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza and annual Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest. John has edited several poetry anthologies and since 2008 has served as the founding editor of Crisis Chronicles Press, publishing 118 titles (so far) by vital independent voices from across the United States and beyond. Find him at crisischronicles.com.
Word of Mouth was founded in 2014 by poets Mark Flanigan and Jim Palmarini, inspired by the late poet and co-conspirator Aralee Strange. Word of Mouth asks poets of all persuasion to show up, mouth off, and listen. |
Let’s Not and Say We Did
Coming from Kerouac’s grave and approaching the New Hampshire coast I see a sign for Seabrook and imagine it says Seabroke Recall Jack’s stone says “He honored life” See myself in communion like a wafer snapped in two falling backward into the cool Atlantic or a warm glass of the Beat brand single malt whiskey I picked up on the road to Portsmouth Lines blur along with the distinction between drown and dissolve Honored and extinguished * * * Mark This Doesn’t matter if you laminate me punch a hole in the end of me create a neck on me you can tie a pretty rope around I don’t care if you stick me in Shakespeare in Salinger or Dr. Seuss leave me in some tedious tome you intend to finish at some point but never do or pick your teeth with me drop me thoughtlessly on the floor for your puppy to chew I'm the son and heir of tall trees who though often abused and misused have gladly given their hearts and bark for the sake of warm homes and art I'm much more than a bookmark |