Dianne Borsenik

Elyria, OH

Author's Bio

Dianne Borsenik, poet, performer, producer, and publisher, is active in the northern Ohio poetry scene and regional reading circuit. She is a member of the Ohio Poetry Association, the Haiku Society of America, and the Ohioana Library Association. In 2011, she founded NightBallet Press, and has since published over 150 titles for poets across the United States. In 2015, she produced BeatStreet Cleveland, featuring, among others, Ingrid Swanberg, D. R. Wagner, and Alex Gildzen, as part of the National Beat Poetry Festival. A copy of her haiku chapbook, Blue Graffiti (Crisis Chronicles Press, 2011), is in the Decatur Haiku Collection at Millikin University. Her poetry has appeared in numerous and varied publications and places, including Wick Poetry Center's Speak Peace—American Voices Respond to Vietnamese Children's Paintings, Amy Mothersbaugh's Studio 2091, Growing Up: Persons, Places and Things—a dramatic presentation by Cleveland State University's Mirror of the Arts program, S. A. Griffin's The Poetry Bomb project, and in Genesis of Evil, a live, one-man show performed by actor Jonathan Frid (Barnabas on television's Dark Shadows). Her poem "Lovechild" rode the buses and trains of Cleveland as part of the RTA Moving Minds Project in 2008. In February 2011, Borsenik and John Burroughs coproduced Snoetry 2, a record-breaking marathon involving over 100 poets reading for 150 hours nonstop. In 2012, Borsenik won second place in her first ever slam competition, and first place in her second slam. In both 2013 and 2014 she won first place in the Best Cleveland Poem Competition. In 2015, her poem "Disco" was selected by Youngstown Summer Festival of the Arts to appear on its reusable tote bags, and by Lit Youngstown to be printed on their tee shirts, which makes her feel like a rock star. In 2016, Crisis Chronicles Press published her first full-length collection of poetry, Age of Aquarius. In 2019, Stubborn Mule Press published her second full-length collection, Raga for What Comes Next. She believes in the musicality of language and the originality of expression in poetry, and continues to seek publication in journals, magazines, chapbooks, and anthologies. She is willing to travel for readings, to present workshops pertaining to small press publishing, and to participate with her press at independent literary festivals.

Publications and Prizes

Books: 
Age of Aquarius: Collected Poems 1981-2016
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2016)
Anthologies: 
#ThisIsCLE
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2014)
, Best of 2010
(Ohio Poetry Day Association, 2010)
, Celebration- The 1985 Edward A Fallot Poetry Competition Winners
(Rainbow Books, 1985)
, Cheap & Easy
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2013)
, Crab Lines Off The Pier
(Indigo Dreams Publishing, 2010)
, Dreams Wander
(Haiku Society of America, 1994)
, Flyin' High- The 1983 Edward A Fallot Poetry Competition Winners
(Rainbow Books, 1983)
, Fuck Poetry
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2011)
, Growing Up: Persons, Places, and Things
(Cleveland State University Poetry Center, 1998)
, Haiku World: An International Poetry Almanac
(Kodansha International, 1996)
, Hip Poetry 2012
(Wind Publications, 2012)
, HORUS : Hi road glyphics of are you us
(Green Panda Press, 2011)
, Love Is a Lice Comber
(Green Panda Press, 2013)
, Naked Verses
(Events Unlimited/Naturally, 2000)
, One Breath
(Haiku Society of America, 1995)
, Poetry 4 Food - Fourplay #6
(Writing Knights Press, 2012)
, Quarried--Three Decades of Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel
(Dos Madres Press, 2015)
, Red Moon Anthology
(Red Moon Press, 1997)
, Rising In Hope
(recycled karma press, 2011)
, Songs in the Key of Cleveland
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2014)
, The Best of The Editor's Desk
(Rainbow Books, 1984)
, The Magnetic Poetry Book of Poetry
(Workman Publishing, 1997)
, The New Haiku
(Snapshot Press, 2002)
, The Poet's Market
(Writer's Digest Books, 2001)
, The Poet's Reference Book
(Blaxland TAN, 1999)
, The Stars Look Very Different Today-a David Bowie Tribute
(Poems-For-All, 2016)
, The World According To Goldfish- Vol. II Sight
(Goldfish Press, 2009)
, Vending Machine 2: Poetry for Change
(Poet's Haven, 2012)
, Vending Machine 3: Poetry for Change
(Poet's Haven, 2012)
, Vending Machine 4: Poetry for Change
(Poet's Haven, 2013)
, Vending Machine: Poetry For Change
(Poet's Haven, 2010)
, Voices of Cleveland
(CSU Poetry Center, 1996)
, Water Me Well
(Green Panda Press, 2010)
, We Only Come Out at Night
(Poet's Haven, 2014)
, What I Knew Before I Knew
(Pudding House Press, 2010)
, While You Were Sleeping I Dreamt a Poem
(Kattywompus Press, 2013)
, Writing Knights Press 2011 Anthology
(Writing Knights Press, 2012)
, Writing Knights Press 2012 Anthology
(Writing Knights Press, 2012)
Journals: 
A Handful Of Stones, A Trunk of Delirium, A Wise Woman's Garden, Admit Two, Akitsu Quarterly, ant ant ant ant ant, Avocet, Barefoot Grass Journal, Blue Unicorn, bottle rockets, Breakfast All Day, Broken Teeth, Brussels Sprout, Candelabrum, Cicada, Cock Amok and Crowing- Online, Common Threads, Covert Poetics #5, Crisis Chronicles Online Library, Curious Rooms, Dasoku, Deep Cleveland Junkmail Oracle, Dirty Chai, Eviscerator Heaven, Eye to the Telescope, Frogpond, Grasslands Review, Great Lakes Review, Guerilla Pamphlets, Haggard and Halloo, Haiku Spirit, Heights Observer, Hessler Street Fair Anthology, Hummingbird, Iota, Ko, Libido, Lilliput Review, MiPOesias, Mnemosyne, Mock Turtle, Modern Haiku, Muddy River Poetry Review, Must Zine, Nerve Cowboy, Persimmon, Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel, Pittsburgh Poetry Review, Poet's Haven Gallery, Pudding Magazine: The International Journal of Applied Poetry, Rosebud, Roswell Literary Review, Rusty Truck, Ship of Fools, Skylark Magazine, Slipstream, South By Southeast, Stoneflower, The Cartier Street Review, The City Poetry, The Offbeat, Troubadour 21, Walt's Corner, Woodnotes Haiku Magazine, Words Dance, Zygote in My Coffee
Chapbooks: 
Bad Ink
(Writing Knights Press, 2012)
, bites
(Poems-For-All, 2015)
, Blue Graffiti
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2011)
, Corpus Lingua
(Poet's Haven, 2014)
, Cravings
(recycled karma press, 2012)
, Dia de los Muertes
(Poems-For-All, 2015)
, Fortune Cookie
(Kattywompus Press, 2012)
, HardDrive/SoftWear
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2009)
, Luminaria
(Spare Change Press, 2013)
, Thunderclap Amen
(Crisis Chronicles Press, 2015)
Performances: 
"Feed The Gays" (feature)- Cleveland, OH
(2010)
, 1st Annual Guide to Kulchur 24 Hour Zine A Thon
(2013)
, Artomatic 409
(2011)
, As We Speak, Bela Dubby (feature) - Lakewood, OH
(2009)
, Barking Spider Tavern- Cleveland, OH
(2008)
, Barking Spider Tavern- Cleveland, Ohio
(2009)
, Barnes and Noble Books (feature)- Westlake, OH
(2010)
, Beat Cafe Poetry Series (feature)- Warren, MI
(2009)
, Borderlands: Poetry on the Edge - Mansfield, Ohio
(2014)
, Borders Books (feature) - Fairlawn, OH
(1997)
, Brewed Awakenings- Toledo, OH
(2009)
, Brunswick Art Works Poetry Series (feature) , Dunkin' Donuts- Brunswick, OH
(2010)
, Burning River at Mac's Backs (feature) - Cleveland Heights, OH
(2010)
, Burroughs & Borsenik at Sterling Spencer Memorial Sculpture Garden- Richwood, WV
(2010)
, Colin Lively Show- Blogtalk Radio
(2011)
, Columbus Arts Festival (feature) - Columbus, OH
(2010)
, Community Festival, Columbus OH, Coventry Village Holiday Fest 2013
(2013)
, Deep Cleveland at Borders Books (feature)- Strongsville, Ohio
(2009)
, Feed The Gays" (feature) - Cleveland, Ohio
(2009)
, First Mondays at The Alcazar (feature)- Cleveland Heights, OH
(2010)
, Full Cleveland variety talk show--Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH, 2014, Haiku Chicago- Joint Haiku Conference
(1995)
, Hessler Street Fair (feature) - Cleveland, OH
(1996)
, In Verse w/ Lorain Arts Council- Lorain, OH
(2011)
, Jawbone Festival- Kent, Ohio
(2009)
, Jim's Coffeehouse (feature)- Elyria, OH
(2008)
, Last Wordsmith Book Shoppe (feature)--North East, PA
(2009)
, Lix and Kix (feature), 806 Martini and Wine Bar - Cleveland, OH
(2008)
, Lix and Kix, 806 Martini and Wine Bar - Cleveland, OH
(2009)
, Lix and Kix, Bela Dubby- Lakewood, OH
(2010)
, Lix and Kix, Bela Dubby- Lakewood, OH
(2011)
, Lix and Kix, Bela Dubby- Lakewood, Ohio
(2009)
, Lix and Kix, Visible Voice Books- Cleveland, Ohio
(2009)
, Mac's Backs (feature) - Cleveland, OH
(1997)
, Mac's Backs (feature)- Cleveland, OH
(2008)
, Mac's Backs (feature)-Cleveland, OH
(1996)
, Mac's Backs-(feature) Cleveland, OH
(1998)
, Mint Jam 09 (feature)- St. Johns, MI
(2009)
, Mr. Smith's Coffee House - Sandusky, OH, Northrops Books (feature)- Olmsted Falls, OH
(2006)
, Ohio Poetry Association Annual Picnic (feature) - Marion, OH
(2010)
, Peace & War Summit Intergenerational Poetry Reading- Cleveland, OH
(2010)
, Poems For Bread - Cleveland Heights, OH
(2010)
, Poetry in the Woods- Shaker Heights, OH
(2012)
, Poets of Lorain County (feature) , Avon Lake Library- Avon Lake, OH
(2011)
, Poets South of I70 (feature), Abrio's Brick Oven- Athens, OH
(2011)
, Pumpkin Hollow (feature) - Bellville, OH
(2011)
, Pumpkin Hollow-Lix & Kix (feature)- Bellville, OH
(2009)
, Queen City Poetry Slam-Cincinnati, OH
(2013)
, RTA Poetry-Sculpture Project (feature)- Cleveland, OH
(2009)
, Shoreway Poets Feature Dianne Borsenik
(2013)
, Snoetry 3 and a Half
(2013)
, Snoetry- A Winter Wordfest (feature)- North East, PA
(2010)
, Snoetry2- A World Record Event- Elyria, OH
(2011)
, Snoetry: A Kulchured Winter Wordfest - Cleveland, Ohio
(2014)
, Station Hope--Cleveland Public Theatre, Cleveland, OH--2014, Sweet Epiphany (feature) - Detroit, MI
(2009)
, Temple of Tolerance
(2012)
, Temple of Tolerance (feature)- Wapakoneta, OH
(2011)
, The Collingwood Arts Center (feature) - Toledo, OH
(2009)
, The Poet's Haven (feature), Phoenix Coffee Co. - S. Euclid, OH
(2009)
, The Poetry Forum at the Rumba Cafe (feature) - Columbus, OH
(2010)
, Trenchcoat Manifesto w/ Burroughs & Borsenik at Visible Voice- Cleveland, OH
(2010)
, Tres Versing the Panda- Cleveland, Ohio
(2009)
, Waterloo Arts Festival-- Cleveland, Ohio
(2009)
, Wordplay- WJCU radio- Cleveland, OH
(2009)
, Words and Wine - Painesville, Ohio
(2014)
, Words Dance in the NightBallet- Pittsburgh, PA, Write On! at Phoenix Coffee Cafe (feature) - Cleveland Heights, OH
(2010)
, Writer's Lounge at Dreamers Bar and Grill (feature)- Parma, OH
(2010)
Prizes Won: 
1st place-Ekphrastacy Contest for 2015 Youngstown Summer Festival of the Arts, 1st place-2014 Second Annual Best Cleveland Poem Competition, 1st Place-April 2014 Third Annual Poetry Slam at the Lorain Public Library, 1st Place-May 2013 Best Cleveland Poem Competition, 2nd Place-Second Annual Poesies Slam Competition, 2nd Place-2010 Columbus Arts Festival "Art Is Word" Poetry Competition, 2nd Place-"It's In The Mind" category of Ohio Poetry Day 2010 Competition, 2nd Place-LCCC Literary Arts Poetry Competition 1997, 1st Place-Lyricist Review 1998-1999 Lyric Writing Competition

More Information

Listed as: 
Poet, Spoken Word Artist
Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
Other
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
Oberlin
Raised in: 
Elyria (city west of Cleveland), OH
work_excerpt: 
The Same River Twice (after Heraclitus) The face you show the world. The face you show yourself. Looking forward, knowing change. Looking back, what’s done is done. All those voices looped like fortunes inside our heads, all those dreadlock meditations escaping to reveal the soft underbellies of our rivers, slipping like blonde curls from fingers, the unspooling of identity.
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last updated: Sep 21, 2020