Word of Mouth Cincinnati (WoMC), a literary event usually consisting of both an Open Mic and a Feature Performance, celebrates its 5th anniversary with an all-open reading at 7:00 p.m. on January 30, 2018.
Launched by poets Mark Flanigan and Jim Palmarini in January 2014, the monthly reading series held on the last Tuesday of each month was inspired by the memory of revered Cincinnati poet Aralee Strange and the Athens Word of Mouth reading series she created and guided in Athens, Georgia. After Strange passed on in June 2013, Flanigan and Palmarini wanted to honor their friend by beginning a “sister” reading to the Athens event. Word of Mouth Cincinnati has been going strong ever since.
Since the inaugural January 2014 reading, hundreds of poets have “stepped up and mouthed off,” according to the event’s founders. “We wanted to celebrate those voices and the reading in a meaningful way,” said Palmarini. “In the spirit that I think Aralee would appreciate, this reading is a call to those many poets who added their voices to Word of Mouth Cincinnati in the past to come join us in an open reading celebration.”
Added Flanigan: “While getting the word out each month, we have tried to be conscious of giving equal weight to both the feature and open aspects of the reading; yet, despite our attempts, it often feels as if more light is shined upon the feature. Fact is, though, the reading wouldn’t exist without the open aspect, and we wanted to acknowledge its importance by making it the night’s sole focus. At its core, our series has always been about welcoming anyone who wants to read, so we thought an all open reading would be a great way to celebrate and honor all those poets who have read on the MOTR Pub stage since 2014.”
Word of Mouth Cincinnati, which began in January 2014, is co-hosted by fellow writers Jim Palmarini and Mark Flanigan. It was founded in memory of the late Aralee Strange who, after many years living, writing and producing work in the Cincinnati area, moved to Athens, Georgia where she co-founded Athens Word of Mouth.
WoMC is an intentional arc of both past and future utterance, inspired by our most revered voice, with a nod to her Athens, GA compatriots. Word of Mouth asks poets to Show Up, Mouth Off and Pay Attention.
Admission to Word of Mouth Cincinnati is free and open to all ages, although some content may contain adult themes and language. MOTR Pub 1345 Main Street Cincinnati, OH 45202.
