What's new, ray?

2023 Covid NOTE:  I'm back, open, performing, and teaching in person, safely, and still on Zoom. 
Ray  440-918-0878, mcnieceray@gmail.com

The Academy of American Poets Awards $1.1 Million to 22 Poet Laureate Fellows
 Across the Country in Support of Public Projects

Above:  https://poets.org/announcing-2022-poet-laureate-fellows

https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2022/08/ray-mcniece-is-making-a-poem-for-cleveland.html

Poem for Cleveland workshops strive to inspire Clevelanders
 with anthology release

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/01/poem-for-cleveland-workshops-strive-to-inspire-clevelanders-with-anthology-release.html

Poet and director of Twelve Literary Daniel Gray-Kontar, in presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to
poet Ray McNiece recalled their time together in 1994, when they both were on a team representing Cleveland at the National Poetry Slam Championship, and won—as Gray-Kontar noted—the first national championship for Cleveland since the Cleveland Browns, 30 years earlier. He recalled the so-very-Cleveland opening line from McNiece’s poem Grandfather’s Breath: “You work. You work, Buddy. You work.” McNiece could be heard performing that poem in coffee shops and much larger stages all those years ago. All the people receiving recognition in the evening’s ceremony would know the truth of that line.

http://canjournal.org/2021/10/you-work-cleveland-arts-prize-celebrates-accomplishments/

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NEW 11-15-2022

More than a Ceremony:  Cleveland Arts Prize - Collective Arts Network - CAN Journal

Poet Raymond McNiece also was honored in 2021. McNiece has been writing and performing poetry in Cleveland and around the US and the World for decades, but for people outside that world, his skills might not be well known. His performance this year made clear why he got the recognition, as he poured love for the city against a relentless blues that touched on neighborhoods and people, the color gray, and the “burning river running through its rusty heart.”

Excerpt above, full article here:  http://canjournal.org/2022/11/more-than-a-ceremony-cleveland-arts-prize/

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HEIGHTS ARTS NAMES RAY MCNIECE
AS 10TH CLEVELAND HEIGHTS POET LAUREATE

       In his announcement of his new role, McNiece said, “Yesterday I posted a tribute to my mother and it really was her encouragement to follow my dreams to be a poet (my immigrant Grandparents were drilling “Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer” in my head all through my childhood) that has brought me here. That, and the love of poetry instilled by my father’s mother Zelma McNiece Cline, who always told me if you learn a poem by heart it lives with you your whole life!”

       McNiece is known for his collaborations with other poets, spoken word artists and musicians, so he’s ideally suited to expand the poet laureate role in multiple ways and he is bursting with ideas.

https://www.heightsarts.org/portfolio-item/heights-arts-names-ray-mcniece-as-10th-cleveland-heights-poet-laureate/

Click Ray McNiece for Ekphrastacy reading at Heights Arts

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New Books

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Haiku Hikes

https://coolcleveland.com/2022/01/poet-ray-mcniece-leads-a-haiku-hike/ 

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RAY'S BAND   TONGUE IN GROOVE

Every Third Sunday of the month (hiatus for January)

The Millard Fillmore Presidential Library bar & grill
15617 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland, OH 44110
(216) 481-9444

https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Millard-Fillmore-Presidential-Library/100063674558022/

Sample Fillmore performance
 https://www.facebook.com/angel.marino.7106/videos/585281039193694/ 

February 19th, Feature:  Conor Bracken and Love Poems
March 19th, Feature:  TBA, plus Irish songs and poems
April 16th,  Feature:  AAP Poem for Cleveland Intern Reading -
Raja Belle Freeman, Symone Prewitt, Elana Pitts, Lila Shubert, Jaida Robinson
and rebirth/spring poems
May 21st,  Feature:  Siarra Freeman, and Taurus Party poetry
 June 18th, Feature:  Bruce Weigl and father's day poetry
July 16th, TBA

See more performances, links, and  YOUTUBE CLIPS at MUSIC - SINGER

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Educators, teachers, program planners, administrators: Click BROCHURE to DOWNLOAD

Us? Talking Across America. Click flag to download a descriptive FLYER. See reviews at Performances   Books:  Us? Talking Across America Main page or BOOKS for comments and info.

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