National Poetry Month 2024

 My dear friends,

Today marks the first day of National Poetry Month in the United States, a time of immense excitement and celebration. I eagerly anticipate the opportunity to connect with you at various events throughout this month:

- April 4th, 5th, and 6th: I am honored to be a guest poet for the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I will engage in creative-writing discussions and classes, poetry readings, and enriching conversations with students throughout these days. My heartfelt gratitude extends to Professor Cristián Gómez Olivares for extending the invitation.

- April 4th: "The Power to the Poets Fundraiser awaits! Revel in live performances featuring poetry, spoken word, dance, and music, complemented by delectable lite bites and more! Although I regretfully cannot attend, as a member of WordPlay Cincy board of Trustees, I assure you that this event promises to be extraordinary, supporting transformative programs within the Greater Cincinnati community. For further details, please visit: https://www.wordplaycincy.org/powertothepoets24

- April 11th: Join me for a captivating Music concert/Poetry reading as part of the Poet & Song Series, curated by the remarkable Roberta Schultz. The musical segment will be provided by Canadian songwriter Noah Zacharin. Doors open at 6:30 pm with the program commencing at 7:00 pm, hosted at the Falcon Theatre in Covington, Kentucky.

- April 24th: Embrace an enchanting evening of poetry through an Online event organized by the Columbus Metropolitan Library. I am honored to share the platform with esteemed poets Scott Woods and Charlene Fix, under the gracious hosting of Darren Demarree. Registration for this event is available at: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/avp2024-poetry-month (Event begins at 7:00 pm)

- April 26th: Indulge in a night of Hispanic poetry in Spanish and English, thoughtfully organized by LULAC (The League of United Latin American Citizens). Poets Mauricio Espinoza (Costa Rica), Ana Maria Molina(Colombia), Adriana Prieto Quintero (Venezuela), and myself will have the privilege of sharing our poetic work. This event serves as a fundraiser, with all proceeds generously matched by LULAC National 0.6 to 1, benefiting the LULAC Ohio Education Foundation, a 501 c(3) charity dedicated to providing Latino students with educational opportunities in our community. Contributions are tax deductible. Secure your registration/donation at: https://cincinnati.lulacohio.org/.../det.../poetry-night-953 (Event commences at 6:30 pm at the Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. (Special thanks to Geoffrey Woolf and Laura Moese for her efforts and generosity).

-Saturday, April 27th, I will finish poetry month with a Poetry Workshop as part of the BookJoy event, Celebrating poetry month at the Fairfield Lane Public Library (Thank you, Odalys Jimenez, for the invitation!)

I hope to see you there, my friends. Happy National Poetry Month!

National Poetry Month and Its Dangers, by Manuel Iris

 

Like every year, National Poetry Month arrives for all those who, in the United States, enjoy writing and reading poetry. Libraries and cultural centers are filled with books and mentions of poets, and with the poets themselves carrying out readings, conversations, lectures, or book signings. Social media is filled with well-intentioned writing challenges (a poem a day, for example) and quotes from well-known or very obscure poems. Whoever is dedicated to poetry in this country is, of course, very busy in April.

These are all public and necessary celebrations of an art that, like any other spiritual exercise, is done primarily in privacy. I mean by this that, even if one writes or thinks about poems in the company of others at a university, a literary workshop, or a writing retreat, the poetic experience is an essentially individual, intimate endeavor. That is why I want to talk briefly about some issues that poets, readers, and cultural institutions of all kinds should consider during these celebrations.

Supporting Poetry

A great way to support poetry is to pay poets for what they do, even if the amounts are just a token of appreciation. Sadly, many cultural institutions think they are doing the poet a favor when they ask her to read or talk for free. They have been kind enough to receive the artist, show her work, and hive her a space, but in reality they are the ones who receive the favor of the poet's time.

Institutions that do not offer payment for the poet's work must be, at least, aware that it is no honor for anyone to work for free, and that they are the ones who should feel indebted and grateful. That is why such institutions must, at least, take care of giving said poet all possible promotion, and treat her with respect. Every April, poets take the risk of filling themselves with unpaid work. Sometimes, of course, they have to do it. But nobody should do it too many times.

To keep reading, click here

El mes nacional de la poesía y sus peligros (Writer-In-Residence Blog)

Como cada año, el mes nacional de la poesía llega para todos aquellos a quienes, en Estados Unidos, gustan de escribir y leer poemas. Las bibliotecas y centros culturales se llenan de libros y menciones de poetas, cuando no de los poetas mismos llevando a cabo lecturas, conversaciones, conferencias, o firmas de libros. Las redes sociales se llenan de bienintencionados retos de escritura (un poema diario, por ejemplo) y de citas de poemas muy conocidos o muy oscuros. Quien se dedica a la poesía en este país está, por supuesto, muy ocupado en el mes de abril.

Todo esto son celebraciones públicas y necesarias de un arte que, como cualquier otro ejercicio espiritual, se realiza fundamentalmente en la privacidad. Quiero decir con esto que, aunque uno escriba o piense en poemas en la compañía de otros en una universidad, un taller literario, o un retiro de escritura, la experiencia poética es esencialmente individual, íntima. Por ello quiero hablar, aunque brevemente, de algunas cosas que creo que los poetas, lectores, e instituciones culturales de todo tipo deben tomar en cuenta durante el mes de abril.

Una muy buena manera de apoyar a poesía es pagarle a los poetas por las cosas que hacen, incluso si las cantidades son simbólicas. Tristemente, muchas instituciones culturales piensan que cuando un poeta se presenta gratuitamente en su recinto, han sido ellas quienes han hecho el favor de recibir al artista, de mostrar su trabajo, de darle un espacio; cuando en realidad son ellas quienes reciben el favor del tiempo del poeta.

Para seguir leyendo, haga click aqui

National Poetry Month Reading and Conversation at the Mercantile Library (Cincinnati)

On April 18, 2023, the Mercantile library hosted this wonderful poetry reading and conversation, to celebrate National Poetry Month. 

In words of my friend--and current Cincinnati Poet Laureate-- Yalie Kamara:

"Cincinnati boasts a poetry community that is diverse, alive, sensitive to the vibrations of humanity, the living world, and history. This is was so beautifully displayed in the works of poets Felicia Zamora, Kristen Renzi, and Manuel Iris who I had the pleasure of reading alongside—thank you for gracing us with your art, hearts, and minds! I am grateful too to the @themercantilelib for attending to every wonderful detail of this evening and our fabulous virtual and in-person audience whose presence was palpable, engaging, and encouragingly. It’s a very beautiful thing to have a room full of people show up for a Tuesday night poetry event and even more spectacular that they wanted to stay and chat with the poets and each other half an hour after the close of the event. Poetry lives and gives and lives in Cincinnati.  (Pictures by Amy Hunter and Felicia Zamora.)" 

I am very thankful for having been part of such a moving event. 

Manuel Iris at the Ohioana Book Festival 2023 in Columbus, Ohio

 If you are in Columbus, Ohio, today and tomorrow (April 21 and 22nd of 2023) please come to listen to some poetry and conversation with me.

Today at 7:00 pm

Poetry Reading - Manuel Iris at Streetlight Guild as part of the preparations for the Ohioana book fair.

Then, tomorrow at 4: 30 pm, I will be the final act at the Poetry Room of the 2023 Ohioana Book Festival. 

I am happy and honored by both invitations. Friends in Columbus, see you there!