Cincinnati Word of Mouth presents an early Fall welcome with local poet Anna Barnes and Lexington writer and editor Manny Grimaldi.
As always, Word begins with a lightning round to honor the voices in the room, followed by the featured poets. We move on to our dynamic open reading after the features. All are welcome to show up, mouth off, and listen.
ANNA BARNES (she/her) grew up in Medina, Ohio. She attended the University of Toledo where she received a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in education. She was a math teacher at Cincinnati Public Schools for five years before quitting to pursue larger goals involving art and community. When she is not concocting specialty coffee drinks, running, attending events in her community, or submitting to the demands of late-stage capitalism, you can find Anna becoming more obsessed with poetry and art with each passing day.
Out of Ink and Ideas is a full-length autobiographical poetry collection that restlessly wanders through the haunted houses and ghost towns of life while gaining resilience, then gradually finds a resting spot in the comforting love and community built by Mother Nature. This is Anna’s first poetry book.
MANNY GRIMALDI is a poet and editor working in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky. He manages Yearling, a Poetry Journal for Working Writers. In 2024, he self-published a full length poetry book about addiction and family issues, Riding Shotgun with the Mothman, and a satirical chapbook ranging from the literary and cinematic, to political and pop sensibilities named ex libris Ioannes Cerva. Recently he was awarded The Browning Literary Club Poetry Award by Western Kentucky University Creative Writing Faculty for Judas Contemplates a Painting, based on George Frederic Watts' painting “Hope,” published in Zepyhrus, the WKU Literary Journal. His most recent book Finding a Word to Describe You chronicles the first few months of a whirlwind romantic start to a friendship. Manny is father to two genius-level children, disgruntled parakeets, a contented frog, and the dishes are never done.
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