Frank Paino

Poet

Middleburg Heights, OH
Ohio US

Author's Bio

Frank Paino holds a BA in English from Baldwin Wallace University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Vermont College low-residency writing program. While studying at Vermont, he had the privilege of working with poets Richard Jackson, Mark Doty, Lynda Hull and David Wojahn. Following graduation, he eschewed a teaching career in favor of a non-academic position at a university where he continues to work to this day.
 
Frank's first two volumes of poetry were published by Cleveland State University Press: The Rapture of Matter (1991) and Out of Eden  (1997). He has received a number of awards for his work, including a 2016 Individual Excellence Award from The Ohio Arts Council, a Pushcart Prize and The Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature.

Orison Books published Paino's third book, OBSCURA, in April 2020.

Publications & Prizes

Anthologies:
The Face of Poetry (University of California Press, 2006)
,
Under the Rock Umbrella (Mercer University Press, 2006)
,
Poets of the New Century (Godine, 2001)
,
American Poetry: The Next Generation (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2000)
,
New American Poets of the 90's (Godine, 1991)
,
Pushcart Prize V: Best of the Small Presses (Pushcart Press, 1990)
,
Poets for Life (Crown Publishers, 1989)
Books:
Obscura (Orison Books, 2020)
, ,
The Rapture of Matter (Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 1991)
Prizes won: 
  • Winner:  2017 Crab Orchard Review Special Issue Feature Award, "Skeleton Lake."
  • Recipient:  2016 Individual Excellence Award from The Ohio Arts Council 
  • Winner:  Katherine & Lee Chilcote Foundation Award for Excellence in Poetry, 1998.  OUT OF EDEN
  • Winner:  Cleveland State University Poetry Prize, 1996. OUT OF EDEN
  • Winner:  Cleveland Arts Prize in Literature, 1994
  • Winner:  Paumanok Poetry Award, 1992. SUNY Farmingdale
  • Winner:  Mississippi Valley Review 20th Anniversary Writing Contest, 1991. "The Truth" (Judge: Richard Wilbur)
  • Winner:  Tom McAfee Discovery Feature, 1991. “Horse Latitudes” The Missouri Review
  • Winner:  Cleveland State Poetry Center Prize, 1990. THE RAPTURE OF MATTER
  • Recipient:  Pushcart Prize, 1990. "What The Blue Jay Said"
  • Winner:  21st Annual Midwest Writer's Conference, 1989. "Horse Latitudes" (Judge: Elton Glaser)

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Brian Barker Nicky Beer Nickole Brown Linda Bierds Matt Donovan Mark Doty Jessica Jacobs Larry Levis Frannie Lindsay ​Jude Nutter William Olsen ​Molly Spencer Mary Szybist R. A. Villanueva Mark Wagenaar Michael Waters William Wright

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
White
Prefers to work with: 
Adults
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Cleveland, OH
Ohio
Raised in: 
Cleveland, OH
Ohio
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Mar 23, 2021