Julie L. Moore’s Devil’s Backbone is a fearless, morally urgent reckoning with American history, white supremacy, and the self. Moore confronts inherited cruelties, national hypocrisy, and personal responsibility with unflinching honesty, confessing that she is “more than / complicit” as “a fragile, white / woman” who would like to “carve [herself] out of this story but can’t.” Though the poet realizes she has “no tool / to make the crooked path straight” and “can’t stop the killing,” her resonant diction, controlled musicality, and inventive forms uncover glimmers of mercy, transforming ordinary images, archival fragments, and historical voices into charged meditations. Her engagement with biblical language and ritual becomes both indictment and reclamation, language turned toward justice, faith remade through empathy, realizing as she does that the “face of any threat” is her own, and that the “ontological chord / reverberating / in the trees” connects us all. These poems question pervasive myths that boast “colonial features” with their “diabolical sweat” while daring to “invade such calculated division” so that what rises from the nation’s “white-washed tombs full of violence” are “groans of the Ghost— / yes, Holy!” Like the “primal paradox” of “cold fluorescence,” these poems are tender and confrontational, elegiac and lucid, visionary and ethically exacting. In the end, Moore shifts from indictment to relational repair, from despair to hope, imagining social engagement as an act of defiance and grace, a “slow work” that “is not about transcendence” but rather like a “penny whistle beckoning in the pitch / of expectation.

Julie L. Moore is a Best of the Net and eight-time Pushcart Prize nominated author of four poetry collections, including the acclaimed collections Particular Scandals and Full Worm Moon. Moore’s poetry has won Fare Forward’s poetry competition, the Janet B. McCabe Poetry Prize from Ruminate, the Editor’s Choice Award from Writecorner Press, and the Rosine Offen Memorial Award from the Free Lunch Arts Alliance. Her poems have been included in art exhibitions, inspired a musical composition for the Chorale at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and received an Award of Merit from The Associated Church Press.

Visible Voice Books welcomes Monica Comas, a novelist whose stories often focus on relationships—the thorniness, humor, and necessity of them. Her debut novel, Recipe for Joy, is a cherished cookbook and poignant letters prompt a woman to reconnect with her estranged sister and embark on a revealing journey that forces her to reconcile sweet childhood memories with her soured adulthood, changing the course of her life—and her family’s—forever.

Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Recipe for Joy is her debut novel. Her next novel, Upton Retreat, will come out in April 2027. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot.

https://monicacomas.com

Nehemiah "Stix" Baker is a 20-year-old drummer and bandleader from Cleveland, Ohio, known for leading multiple ensembles, including the Stix Quintet. This group blends neo soul, funk, and R&B, delivering high-energy performances that have sold out venues across Northeast Ohio. 

https://www.instagram.com/daboiondrums07/ 

How does a novel change when it is adapted for the screen? What are the merits of each medium? Visible Voice Books invites you to the next meeting of our new Movie vs. Book Club, where we’ll discuss these very questions.

Join your host, Isaac in discussing “Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh, and its 2023 film adaptation, a psychological thriller directed by William Oldroyd. We encourage you to purchase the novel from us and watch the movie before the meeting (available for streaming on various platforms).

Next book for upcoming meeting, September 2, “Die My Love” by Ariana Harwicz. October will be reading Hellraiser (originally released in book form as “The Hellbound Heart”) by Clive Barker.

This is a free event; all are welcome.

Cleveland Rocks Past Present & Future presents...

The Hunt For Harmonies: How to Find Your Line
Guest Speakers: Meganne Stepka and Kate Hart of Moon Echo Garden

Free Workshop plus 2x4 Songwriter Showcase (4 artists, 2 songs each)

Do you want to sing harmony, but aren’t sure where to start? Join us for a practical workshop on how to find harmony parts to any song. We’ll cover a few simple strategies, and practice them together- you’ll be finding your own parts before you know it!

https://clevelandrocksppf.org/event/workshop-and-2x4-showcase-the-hunt-for-harmonies/

RSVP Link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/workshop-and-2x4-the-hunt-for-harmonies-how-to-find-your-line

Country Honk is a four-piece honky tonk band proudly rooted in Cleveland, Ohio, blending classic country tradition with the raw energy of rock ’n’ roll. Known for their dynamic live shows and sharp songwriting, the band draws inspiration from legends like Hank Williams, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Willie Nelson, while channeling the spirit of the country rock movement of the ’60s and ’70s.

With a mix of heartfelt originals and deep-cut covers, Country Honk has built a loyal following across the Midwest and beyond, and is now hitting the road for national festival appearances, including an official showcase at AmericanaFest in Nashville. Whether it’s a late-night dive bar or a sunlit festival stage, their sets are packed with twang, grit, and soul, connecting with audiences of all ages.

At the heart of it all is a deep love for the music and a no-nonsense commitment to the craft. Country Honk may be going national, but Cleveland will always be home.

https://www.facebook.com/106825328145277 

https://www.instagram.com/countryhonkmusicohio 

https://countryhonkmusic.com/ 

KID TIGRRR is the solo project of singer-songwriter and visual artist Jenna Fournier, best known as the frontwoman of the shoegaze hybrid Niights.  After two studio albums and four tours in Japan, Fournier parted ways with her record label to explore audio engineering and home recording/production. Her debut album, Stoned + Animald, is an ethereal blend of art-rock, melancholy indie, & bedroom dream-pop, painting lush atmospheres around her most intimate writing to date.  The LP was released on vinyl through Martha’s Music. Fournier can also be heard on The Smashing Pumpkins' latest album, Aghori Mhori Mei, where she contributes background harmonies, and joined on as a touring bassist with Billy Corgan and the Machines of God
 
https://kidtigrrr.com/bio
https://www.instagram.com/kid.tigrrr
https://www.youtube.com/@kid.tigrrr
https://open.spotify.com/user/kid.tigrrr

If the name Alex Bevan means anything to you.. It probably begins with the song “Skinny”… the 1976 Summer Anthem that filled the airwaves of radio station WMMS and brought the Cleveland folksinger’s career into sharp focus “back in the day”. 
Perhaps too, it might conjure the melody of “The Grand River Lullaby”,  Hearkening back to lost years of innocence and first love in a simpler and more romantic time… a time when the Woodstock Generation found it’s rhythm in the album-oriented rock-infused soundtracks still echoing in the rivulets and streams of Spotify and novel music delivery systems. 
 
Alex Bevan has been picking up his guitar and going to perform for audiences for over fifty years… singing primarily songs of his own crafting and supported mostly by his deft guitar picking and agile improvisational wit…. In short… he is a troubadour of the journeyman class who brings a fresh perspective and unabashed enthusiasm for storytelling to each and every member of the audience he interacts with. 
 
A truly analog entertainer for a digital time! 

https://alexbevan.com/home 

https://www.facebook.com/alex.bevan.73/ 

Join us for “Drop the Needle,” a unique community listening experience that celebrates the art and history of vinyl records. Each session features a guest expert who delves into the story behind a chosen artist and their iconic album. The expert will guide us through the details of the artist’s career, the creative process, production techniques, and the cultural context surrounding the recording of the featured album. After the discussion, we “drop the needle” and listen together to Side A and Side B of the album in its entirety, savoring each track as it was meant to be heard. This shared listening session fosters a deeper appreciation of the music and invites participants to experience the album as a cohesive work of art. Following the listening session, we open the floor for a community discussion. Attendees are encouraged to share their reactions, insights, and questions, making this an interactive and enriching event for music lovers of all backgrounds. Whether you’re a long-time vinyl enthusiast or new to the format, “Drop the Needle” offers a welcoming space to explore, listen, and connect through the power of music.

Formed in 2016 under the leadership of William C. Washington, Kyle Sherepita, and Liam Smith.

Featuring a modern take on New Orleans street bands with a high energy funk sound, they are bridging the gap between musical tradition and a vision for the future. Boasting original tunes, funky adaptations of classic songs, and true roots New Orleans music, they have the versatility to satisfy any audience.

Whether at a parade, a party, a venue, or on the street, you can find Da Land Brass Band bringing their infectious grooves and celebratory attitude all over the city.

In addition to bringing their music to dancing audiences, the group also seeks to revitalize the culture of music within the city by teaching children the joy of performance and showmanship through practical improvisation and live music master classes. Their educational outreach programs help to keep youths involved in music well after their school days are done.

 
 
 https://www.facebook.com/DaLandBrassBand/
https://dalandbrassband.bandcamp.com/ 
https://dlbbcle.com/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DaLandBrassBand/ 
https://www.facebook.com/DaLandBrassBand/

Paul Kovac caught the Bluegrass bug while in his teens, learning to play banjo, guitar & mandolin, and quickly joined bands in an effort to ‘earn-while-you-learn’. Realizing that the older, first-generation musicians held the keys to the kingdom, he set out to see, meet and play with as many as he could. Over the year’s, Paul’s performed with Bill Monroe, Chubby Wise, Mac Wiseman, Vassar Clements, and countless others. These experiences have been the bedrock of his Bluegrass foundation.
 
https://www.paulkovac.com/

Roots of American Music continues its new Masters of American Music series—an ongoing concert and storytelling experience celebrating the artists who shaped the foundations of American music.

Held on the fourth Wednesday of each month, the series brings audiences into an intimate setting where music and storytelling come together, connecting listeners more deeply to the history behind the songs.

For the August program in this series, TBA

More than a tribute concert, this evening offers an opportunity to experience the roots of bluegrass through one of its finest contemporary interpreters while celebrating the rich traditions that continue to inspire new generations of musicians.

Proceeds from the event support the mission of Roots of American Music, which educates, inspires, and connects communities across Northeast Ohio through live performances and arts-integrated music education programs in schools, senior centers, and community spaces. To learn more about ROOTS and their programming, visit the Roots of American Music website.