Now in its fourteenth season at the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center in Troy, Ohio, the 2016 Poetry series is set to begin on Thursday, February 25 with a presentation by Cathryn Essinger, formerly a Professor of English at Edison State Community College and a member of the Greenville Poets. Her work has appeared in a wide variety of journals, from Midwest Gothic to the Southern Review, the Antioch Review & Poetry. In addition, she is the author of three prize winning books of poetry: “Desk in the Elephant House”, “My Dog Does Not Read Plato”, and “What I Know About Innocence.”
The second program in the series is a collaborative project “Pairings” which will take place March 24 at 7:30 pm and will feature poet Lianne Spidel and artist Ann Loveland.
On April 28 at 7:30 pm, there will be a reading by the winners of the sixth annual poetry competition. The competition is open to students and adults who are citizens of Miami or surrounding counties in Ohio. The submitted works must be original, never published and never read at a Hayner poetry reading.
Poets who have been featured presenters at Hayner readings are ineligible, however winners of past competition may submit again. There is a $5.00 non-refundable entry fee and cash prizes are awarded in each age group category. The deadline for entries is April 1, 2016. A prospectus with complete contest rules is available on the Hayner website www.Troy-Hayner.org or may be obtained by calling 937.339.0457 or stopping by the Hayner.