Geauga Parks’ Nature Writing Honors & Performances

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon in Geauga County at the 25th annual Nature Arts Festival of the Geauga Park District, where I was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Adult Poetry category for “Among The Roots!” Please enjoy my performance and the flattering comments of contest judge Grace Butcher in the video below!

I also feel compelled to recognize Martha Kennedy, age 10, for her prize-winning haiku in the Child Poetry category of the contest. Martha’s vivid sensory descriptions and emotive undertones are stunningly brilliant, and I genuinely hope to hear much more from this poetic prodigy as her creative writing career continues to unfold! Please click here to read her piece!

Here’s the video described above:

Grand Tournament Finalist! AND (soon to be) PUBLISHED AGAIN!

That’s right: I am a finalist in Writing Knights Press’s Grand Tournament! What does that mean? I’M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED AGAIN!! More specifically, if I win first place in the performance round (a scenario for which I am not getting up my hopes), I will win a full book deal; otherwise, I will be offered a chapbook publication deal. I am SO excited about this! It really is a dream-come-true! I’m so thrilled, in fact, that it hasn’t even fully sunk in yet! If you happen to be anywhere near Lakewood, Ohio, on July 28, please come and listen to all the finalists’ performances! The one thing that would make this even more of an honor would be if I had some friends there to support me as I take the stage!

Stay tuned for results of the Grand Tournament, as well as a NEW POEM that I began composing late last night!