John Burroughs

Poet, Spoken Word Artist

Cleveland, OH

Ohio US

Email:

jc@crisischronicles.com

Website:

linktr.ee/johnburroughs

Twitter/X:

@jesuscrisis

RSS feed:

jesuscrisis.blogspot.com/feeds/po…

Author's Bio

John B. Burroughs of Cleveland served as the 2022-2023 U.S. National Beat Poet Laureate and the 2019-2021 Ohio Beat Poet Laureate. He is a dynamic performer who has wowed audiences from Oakland to New York City and myriad points in between. His dozen plus books include, most recently, Rattle and Numb: Selected and New Poems, 1992-2019 (2019, Venetian Spider Press), You Can't Trust It to Remain [2022, Between Shadows Press] and Dogging Catastrophe [2022, The Grind Stone]. He is currently 2nd Vice President for the Ohio Poetry Association, maintains the Cleveland Poetics blog and Northeast Ohio literary calendar at www.clevelandpoetry.com, and has served since 2008 as the founding editor for Crisis Chronicles Press, publishing over one hundred books by esteemed writers from around the world. Find him on Facebook, Twitter (@jesuscrisis) or at www.crisischronicles.com.

[Last updated 9/25/2024]

Publications & Prizes

Poetry

Anthologies:

Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NightBallet Press, Year Five 2016 (NightBallet Press, 2017)

2016 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2016)

Delirious: A Poetic Celebration of Prince (NightBallet Press, 2016)

Free Jesus Poems About Jesus (Hyacinth Girl Press, 2016)

Shake the Tree Volume Two (Brightly Press, 2016)

Lake Effect Poetry 2014 & 2015 Team Anthology (Poet's Haven, 2015)

Rubicon: Words and Art Inspired by Oscar Wilde's De Profundis (Sybaritic Press, 2015)

2014 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (Hessler Street Fair Asscociation, 2014)

Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, Volume 5 (Poet's Haven, 2014)

Lipsmack! A Sampler Platter of Poets from NBP Year Two 2013 (NightBallet Press, 2013)

Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, Vol. 4 (Poet's Haven, 2013)

While You Were Sleeping I Dreamt a Poem: Cleveland Salon 2013 Anthology (Kattywompus Press, 2013)

Buzzkill: Apocalypse (NightBallet Press, 2012)

The Squire, Volume 1: Grand Tournament Anthology (Writing Knights Press, 2012)

2011 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (Hessler Street Fair Asscociation, 2011)

Rising in Hope: A Tinfoildresses Anthology (recycled karma press, 2011)

Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, Vol. 2 (Poet's Haven, 2011)

Writing Knights Press 2011 Anthology (Writing Knights Press, 2011)

2010 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (Hessler Street Fair Asscociation, 2010)

Vending Machine: Poetry for Change, Vol. 1 (Poet's Haven, 2010)

Water Me Well (Green Panda Press, 2010)

What I Knew Before I Knew: Poems from the Pudding House Salon - Cleveland (Pudding House Publications, 2010)

2009 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (Hessler Street Fair Asscociation, 2009)

A Generation Defining Itself: In Our Own Words, Volume 8 (MW Enterprises, 2009)

Other Voices 43 (Other Voices, 2009)

Writer's Digest's Red Heart :: Black Heart (Writer's Digest Books, 2009)

Tomorrow Never Knows (National Library of Poetry, 1995)

Books:

Rattle & Numb: Selected and New Poems, 1992-2019 (Venetian Spider Press, 2019)

Electric Company (Writing Knights Press, 2014)

Oct Tongue -1 (by Mary Weems, John Swain, Steven Smith, Lady, Shelley Chernin, John Burroughs & Steve Brightman) (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2014)

The Eater of the Absurd (NightBallet Press, 2012)

Chapbooks:

Loss and Foundering (NightBallet Press, 2018)

Water Works (Poet's Haven, 2017)

Beat Attitude (NightBallet Press, 2015)

It Takes More Than Chance to Make Change (Poet's Haven, 2013)

Barry Merry Baloney (Spare Change Press, 2012)

Water Works (recycled karma press, 2012)

Electric Company (Writing Knights Press, 2011)

Identity Crisis (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2010)

6/9: Improvisations in Dependence (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2009)

Identity Crises (Green Panda Press, 2009)

Bloggerel (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2008)

Journals:

A Handful Of Stones

Admit Two

Broken Teeth

Cartier Street Review

Common Threads

Covert Poetics #5

Crisis Chronicles Online Library

Deep Cleveland Junkmail Oracle

Diaphanous

Erbacce

Eviscerator Heaven

GTK Creative Journal

Guerilla Pamphlets

Heights Observer

Hit and Run Magazine

Images

Kaleidoscope

Liebamour

Lief

Mnemosyne

Muddy River Poetry Review

Must Zine

Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel

Polarity

Pudding Magazine

Rusty Truck

Scene

Ship of Fools

The City Poetry

The Gambler

The November 3rd Club

The Poets Haven

Thirteen Myna Birds

Troubadour 21

Walt's Corner

Writer's Digest

Spoken Word

Performances:

Expedition: Spaces II at SPACES (Cleveland, OH) (2016)

2/27/2016 KC & CLE - A Case for Ascension at Mac's Backs (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2016)

2016 Kansas City Poetry Throwdown at Prospero's Books (Kansas City, MO) (2016)

3/21/2016 Stark Knights at Cultured Coffee & Waffles (Canton, OH) (2016)

5/21/2016 at The Lorain Arts Council (Lorain, OH) (2016)

5/4/2016 at Suzie's Dogs & Drafts (Youngstown, OH) (2016)

Author Author at the Coffee Phix Cafe (South Euclid, OH) (2016)

Borderlands: Poetry on the Edge at Main Street Books (Mansfield, OH) (2016)

Charlie Parker’s Gravesite Reading (Blue Summit, MO) (2016)

Cloistered Poetry at the Black Cloister Brewing Company (Toledo, OH) (2016)

Ekphrastacy at Heights Arts (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2016)

Etienne Massicotte presents: New and Unusual Sounds of the Trumpet at the Bop Stop (Cleveland, OH) (2016)

Free Jesus Poems About Jesus at Most Wanted Fine Art (Pittsburgh, PA) (2016)

Gather at Twelve Literary and Performance Arts Incubator (Cleveland, OH) (2016)

Guide To Kulchur Red Room Reading Series (Cleveland, OH) (2016)

Kozo Reading Series at The Morgan Conservatory (Cleveland, OH) (2016)

Policies of Truth at Burning Books (Buffalo, NY) (2016)

Stark Knights at Buzzbin Art & Music Shop (Canton, OH) (2016)

Words and Wine at Bistro70 (Painesville, OH) (2016)

Artomatic 419 - Toledo, OH (2015)

Beat Street Cleveland at the Barking Spider - Cleveland, OH (2015)

Cleveland and Detroit Collide at the SOUL Collective of Collaborative Arts - Farmington, MI (2015)

Expedition : SPACES!!! A Guided Journey of Words, Sights & Sounds - Cleveland, OH (2015)

Lake Effect Poetry fundraiser at the Barberton Gallery of Fine Arts - Barberton, OH (2015)

M. J. Arcangelini and Friends at the Happy Dog / Euclid Tavern - Cleveland, OH (2015)

Poetry at the Lit, featuring Caryl Pagel & John Burroughs - Cleveland, OH (2015)

SCCA presents: Insight and Expression at the New SOUL Community House - Farmington, MI (2015)

SCCA Presents: Ultimate Artist Extravaganza - Farmington, MI (2015)

Snoetry 5: A Winter Wordfest at the Avalon Hotel - Erie, PA (2015)

Soul Speak at the Lorain Arts Council - Lorain, OH (2015)

Sylvania Avenue Performances at West Toledo Branch Library - Toledo, OH (2015)

The Circle: John Burroughs & Étienne Massicotte at Severance Hall - Cleveland, OH (2015)

Third Thursday poetry at the Root Cafe - Cuyahoga Falls, OH (2015)

Words & Wine at Your Vine or Mine - Painesville, OH (2015)

100 Thousand Poets for Change at Visible Voice Books (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

2nd Annual Poesies at Jitters Coffee House (Millersburg, OH) (2013)

Artomatic 419 (Toledo, OH) (2013)

Beehive Books (Delaware, OH) (2013)

Broken Pulpit at Grumpy's Cafe (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

Center for Rock Research (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

Coventry Village Library (2013)

East End Book Exchange (Pittsburgh, PA) (2013)

Guide to Kulchur: Text Art and News (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

Literary Cafe (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

Mac's Backs Books (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2013)

Mahall's 20 Lanes (Lakewood, OH) (2013)

Main Street Books (Mansfield, OH) (2013)

MoCa (Cleveland, OH) (2013)

Pandemonium 2013: Shine at Cleveland Public Theatre (2013)

Queen City Open Mic at Rohs Street Cafe (Cincinnati, OH) (2013)

Rubber City Recording Studios and Polymer City Records (Akron, OH) (2013)

Shaker Library, Bertram Woods Branch (Shaker Heights, OH) (2013)

Slow Train Cafe (Oberlin, OH) (2013)

Snoetry 3 and a Half: A Winter Wordfest (Erie, PA) (2013)

Stardust Poetry at the Karma Café (Canton, OH) (2013)

Summer Special Double Feature at Poets' Hall (Erie, PA) (2013)

The Poetry Forum at Rumba Café (Columus, OH) (2013)

The Ugly Mug Cafe & Roastery (Ypsilanti, MI) (2013)

100 Thousand Poets for Change at Visible Voice Books (2012)

Breakneck Gallery (Lakewood, OH) (2012)

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Library's Noble Neighborhood Branch (2012)

Crazy Wisdom Bookstore and Tearoom (Ann Arbor, MI) (2012)

Ely Park (Elyria, OH) (2012)

First Friday Poetry Spectacular (Canton, OH) (2012)

Hessler Street Fair (Cleveland, OH) (2012)

Invited Artist Series at Poet's Hall (Erie, PA) (2012)

Lincoln Park (Cleveland, OH) (2012)

Literary Cafe (Cleveland, OH) (2012)

Living Poetry at Karma Koffee (Willoughby, OH) (2012)

Lix & Kix at Bela Dubby Art Gallery & Beer Cafe (Lakewood, Ohio) (2012)

Mac's Backs Books (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2012)

MugShotz Coffee (North Royalton, OH) (2012)

Shaker Library, Bertram Woods Branch (Shaker Heights, OH) (2012)

St. Alban Episcopal Church (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2012)

The Temple of Tolerance (Wapakoneta, OH) (2012)

The Ugly Mug Cafe & Roastery (Ypsilanti, MI) (2012)

Wooster Jam 2012 (Wooster, OH) (2012)

100 Thousand Poets for Change at Black River Reservation (Elyria, OH) (2011)

A Night at the Bar at Hambone's Pub (Pittsburgh, PA) (2011)

Adventures in Books (Fostoria, OH) (2011)

Artomatic 419 (Toledo, OH) (2011)

Athens County Public Library (The Plains, OH) (2011)

BAYarts, Huntington Reservation (Bay Village, OH) (2011)

Croswell Opera House (Adrian, MI) (2011)

D'Elyrious Night at Lorain Arts Council Sweet & Savory Bistro (Lorain, OH) (2011)

Fat Fish Blue (Perrysburg, OH) (2011)

Griffin's Hines Farm Blues Club (Swanton, OH) (2011)

Hessler Streeet Fair Competition at Mac's Backs (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2011)

In Verse Lorain at the Lorain Arts Council's 737 Gallery (Lorain, OH) (2011)

Ingenuity Fest 2011 (Cleveland, OH) (2011)

Invited Artist Series at Poet's Hall (Erie, PA) (2011)

Lix & Kix at Bela Dubby Art Gallery & Beer Cafe (Lakewood, Ohio) (2011)

Lorain County Community College Bookstore (Elyria, OH) (2011)

Love Bug Bites at the Lorain Arts Council's 737 Gallery (Lorain, OH) (2011)

Mr. Smith's Coffeehouse (Sandusky, OH) (2011)

Ohio's Smallest Church (Coolville, OH) (2011)

Peace Show fundraiser at St. Paul's Community Church (Cleveland, OH) (2011)

Poetry at the 2011 Columbus Arts Festival (Columbus, OH) (2011)

PoetryElyria at Jim's Coffeehouse (Elyria, Ohio) (2011)

PoetryElyria at Scott M. Duncan Photography (Elyria, OH) (2011)

Poets of Lorain County at Avon Lake Public Library (Avon Lake, OH) (2011)

Pumpkin Hollow Antiques & Cafe (Bellville, OH) (2011)

Rising in Hope at Ferndale Public Library (Ferndale, MI) (2011)

Rising in Hope at Poet's Hall (Erie, PA) (2011)

Sips Coffee House (Mt. Vernon, OH) (2011)

Snoetry 2: A World Record Winter Wordfest (Elyria, OH) (2011)

The Slow Train Cafe (Oberlin, OH) (2011)

Ward Bakery Open Studio (Youngstown, OH) (2011)

Williamstown Bridge (Williamstown, WV) (2011)

Writing Knights Presents Knightmares! at bela dubby (Lakewood, OH) (2011)

Writing Knights Presents The Mighty! at bela dubby (Lakewood, OH) (2011)

2010 Cherry River Festival (Richwood, WV) (2010)

An Evening of Spoken Word at Visible Voice Books (Cleveland, OH) (2010)

Barnes & Noble - Crocker Park (Westlake, Ohio) (2010)

Brunswick Art Works at Dunkin Donuts in Brunswick, OH (2010)

Coventry Village Library (Cleveland Heights, OH) (2010)

Feed the Gays 2 at Union Station in Cleveland (2010)

Ingenuity Fest 2010 (Cleveland, OH) (2010)

Lix & Kix at Bela Dubby Art Gallery & Beer Cafe (Lakewood, OH) (2010)

New Beginnings Cafe in Marion, OH (2010)

Octavofest at the Morgan Conservatory (Cleveland) (2010)

Ohio Poetry Association annual picnic (Marion, Ohio) (2010)

PoetryElyria at Jim's Coffeehouse (Elyria, Ohio) (2010)

Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest 2010 in North East, PA (2010)

Write On! at Phoenix Coffee on Lee Rd. (Cleveland Heights) (2010)

Writers Lounge at Dreamers Bar & Grill (Parma, OH) (2010)

Beat Cafe (Warren, MI) (2009)

Brewed Awakenings (Toledo, OH) (2009)

Burning River book release at Morgan Conservatory (Cleveland, OH) (2009)

Burning River book release at Visible Voice Books (Cleveland, OH) (2009)

Feed the Gays at Union Station (Cleveland, Ohio) (2009)

Imagine Peace benefit at The Lit (Cleveland, Ohio) (2009)

Last Wordsmith Book Shoppe - North East, PA (2009)

Lix & Kix at 806 Wine and Martini Bar - Cleveland, Ohio (2009)

Lix & Kix at Bela Dubby Art Gallery & Beer Cafe (Lakewood, Ohio) (2009)

Lix & Kix at Visible Voice Books (Cleveland, OH) (2009)

Mac's Backs - Cleveland Heights, Ohio (2009)

Mint Jam '09 (St. Johns, MI) (2009)

Nia Coffeehouse at Karamu House (Cleveland) (2009)

Pumpkin Hollow Antiques & Cafe (Bellville,Ohio) (2009)

The Collingwood Arts Center - Toledo, Ohio (2009)

The Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour, Borders Bookstore (Strongsville, OH) (2009)

Tres Versing the Panda: Three Days of Poetry Soiree (Cleveland, Ohio) (2009)

Hessler Street Fair, Barking Spider Tavern - Cleveland, OH (2008)

Jim's Coffeehouse - Elyria, Ohio (2008)

Joe Sundae's (Sandusky, Ohio) (2008)

Lix & Kix at 806 Wine and Martini Bar - Cleveland, Ohio (2008)

Mac's Backs - Cleveland Heights, OH (2008)

Madison Rose (Lakewood, OH) (2008)

Open Mic Poetry Series, Nia Coffeehouse - Cleveland Heights, OH (2008)

The Deep Cleveland Poetry Hour, Borders Bookstore - Strongsville, OH (2008)

The Literary Cafe - Cleveland, OH (2008)

The Poet's Haven, Phoenix Coffee Co. - South Euclid, OH (2008)

Oct Tongue -1 Book Release at Mac’s Backs [Cleveland Heights, OH] ()

Arabica Coffee Bistro [Amherst, OH] ()

Cleveland Public Theatre's Station Hope at St John Episcopal [Cleveland, OH] ()

Community Festival 2014 [Columbus, OH] ()

Grafton Reintegration Center [Grafton, OH] ()

HeightsArts [Cleveland Heights, OH] ()

Hessler Street Fair Poetry Contest at Mac's Backs [Cleveland Heights, OH] ()

Journey Art Gallery [Canton, OH] ()

LevyFest 2014 at the Lava Lounge [Cleveland, OH] ()

McBride Viaduct [Erie, PA] ()

Modern Formations Gallery [Pittsburgh, PA] ()

Monday at Mahall's Poetry & Prose (Lakewood, OH) ()

Monday at Mahall's Poetry & Prose [Lakewood, OH] ()

Mr. Smith's Coffeehouse [Sandusky, OH] ()

Pat's in the Flats [Cleveland, OH] ()

Poets' Hall [Erie, PA] ()

Snoetry 4: A Kulchured Winter Wordfest [Cleveland, OH] ()

Snoetry 5 at the Avalon Hotel [Erie, PA] ()

Write Club at the Literary Cafe [Cleveland, OH] ()

Your Vine or Mine [Painesville, OH] ()

Prizes won:

U.S. Beat Poet Laureate (2022-2023)
Ohio Beat Poet Laureate (2019-2021)
Winner of Ohio City Writers' Love Is a Burning Thing poetry contest (2013)
Finalist in Writer's Digest's Red Heart :: Black Heart Contest (2009)
Six poems nominated for the Pushcart Prize
Chosen Midview High School's best poet (1983)

Personal Favorites

What I'm reading now:

Collected Prose by Paul Auster, A Black Voice in the Wilderness by Mwatabu Okantah, Ulysses by James Joyce

More Information

Gives readings:

Yes

Travels for readings:

Yes

Identifies as:

American, Appalachian, LGBTQ

Prefers to work with:

Any

Fluent in:

English

Born in:

Richwood, WV

West Virginia

Raised in:

Elyria, OH

Ohio

Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.

Last update: Sep 25, 2024