Poet Laureate

Richard Hague is the 2025-2027 Cincinnati and Mercantile Library Poet Laureate. The Poet Laureate program began in 2016, with Pauletta Hansel as the inaugural poet. Manuel Iris succeeded Hansel in 2018. Yalie Saweda Kamara, Ph.D served as the 2022 - 2025 Poet Laureate.

The Poet Laureate promotes poetry throughout the city, reads poems at events, and leads programming for all ages and backgrounds. Hague holds regular office hours at the Mercantile for anyone to join on the second Saturday of each month. Check the calendar for dates & times.

About Office Hours:

Second Saturday of each month, 12 noon-2pm. We will begin each session with One Poem At A Time, a close reading of a classic, noting matters of form, figures of speech, diction, and other features relevant to both readers and writers of poetry. Then a poetry-writing prompt and discussion, followed by thirty to forty minutes of drafting. Each session will end with a voluntary read-around of drafts, with general pointers for revision. Richard will also entertain questions about any aspect of the poetry game: submitting, publishing, networking, reading, performing. Occasionally, participants can take the opportunity to recite from memory a poem of their choice for the general delight of the group, if they so desire.

Upcoming Poet Laureate Events:

Monday, August 25, 2025
Reading from A Week of Nights Down River and poetry talk, Madisonville Library Book Club, Cincinnati, OH

August 30, 2025 12:00pm
Reading, Wild Poets Bramble Ramble at the Nowhere Else Festival, sponsored by Over-The-Rhine, Martinsville, OH

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
Poet Laureate Office Hours, Mercantile Library

September 19-20 2025
Reading at Writers Association of Northern Appalachian Conference, Wheeling, WV

Wednesday Sept. 24, 2025
Reading at Three Acts in Over-The-Rhine, sponsored by Over The Rhine Museum
Memorial Hall Studio space, Cincinnati, OH 6:30-8pm
https://www.otrmuseum.org/three-acts-in-overtherhine

October 10, 2025 (to be determined)
River Roots celebration, announcement with Editors Michael Thompson and Sherry
Stanforth of publication date of Tributaria, Freedom Center Stage, Cincinnati OH

October 16, 2025
Wordplay Cincinnati, Feature Reading, Gallery Off Vine/ William Francis Theater at
6819 Vine St., Cincinnati OH. 8-11 pm.

October 19, 2025
Reading for Urban Appalachian Community Council “Perceptions of Home” exhibit,
Cincinnati Public Library

October 21, 2025
Featured Reader, Wheeling Poetry Series, Wheeling, WV

The Poet Laureate program is partially underwritten by The George & Margaret McLane Foundation, The Mercantile Library, the City of Cincinnati, & Anonymous.