LexPoMo Participants

Patrick Johnson

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 3:15pm

Website:

wayfinderthreads.com

Philip Corley

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 3:09pm

Bio:

Philip Corley is a Lexington native participating in his eleventh Poetry Month, mostly while sitting underneath his favorite tree.

Reason for signing up:

I can no longer imagine a June that doesn't involve lots and lots and lots of poetry.

Ryan Oppegard

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 11:48am

Bio:

Father to a beautiful son; Partner to a loving woman; Keeper of dogs and cats;
Devourer of bacon.

Reason for signing up:

To celebrate the laughs and embrace the tears of a challenging and rewarding life.

Fanny Hubart-Salmon

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 10:11am

Bio:

A Kentuckian from Normandy… A horse racing reporter, a filmmaker and community archivist exploring complex chapters of our shared history.

Reason for signing up:

To read (mostly) and share (as often as possible) poetry in this incredibly creative and inspiring community.

Tamtunes

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 @ 12:12am

Bio:

Tamara McNabb is a person in recovery. She works at Eastern State Hospital as a Certified Peer Support Specialist. The job, her artwork, her writing, and her beloved Shih Tzu Buddy, are among her greatest joys!

Reason for signing up:

I was referred by my friend Katie at work. Im not very prolific but I would like to try to produce more. Having a forum for my writings could prove to be very inspiring!

Francesca Annoni

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 11:01pm

Bio:

Francesca Annoni is an art historian, filmmaker, and actor. In poetry, she dabbles.

Reason for signing up:

I started doing this in high school, why stop now?

Dillon Hume

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 8:28pm

Bio:

Sylvia Ahrens

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 4:57pm

Bio:

Sylvia Ahrens has published poetry books and cozy mysteries. She writes under Allison Thorpe.

Reason for signing up:

inspiration

Website:

allisonthorpe.com

Katerina Stoykova

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 2:32pm

Bio:

A Bulgarian from Kentucky.

Reason for signing up:

Hoping to write a few poems.

Marianne Peel

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 2:07pm

Bio:

Marianne is nurturing her own creative spirit after teaching English for 32 years. She has three collections of poetry just waiting for you to read: No distance Between Us, Singing is Praying Twice, and Untamed Arabesque.

Reason for signing up:

To read a whole bunch of fabulous poets all month!!❤️❤️❤️❤️

Karen George

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 12:04pm

Bio:

30-word:
Karen George’s (Florence, KY) most recent books are the poetry collection Caught in the Trembling Net (Kelsay Books, 2024), and the fiction collection How We Fracture (Minerva Rising Press, 2024).

Reason for signing up:

Because it’s inspiring to read the other LEXPOMO poems, and I’ve been writing a poem-a-day in June since the beginning.

Website:

karenlgeorge.blogspot.com

Katie

Monday, May 18, 2026 @ 6:28am

Bio:

Katie is a poet, a mother, wife, musician, and many other things. Her youngest son took his own life, which plunged her into grief and the grief expressed itself many ways, including in her poetry.

Reason for signing up:

Because I have poetry bouncing around in my head begging to be written.

Elizabeth Roach-Smith

Sunday, May 17, 2026 @ 7:21pm

Bio:

Elizabeth Roach-Smith lives in Louisville, Kentucky with her family and Great Pyrenees, where she works in communications and spins tales. In addition to poetry, her published work includes freelance nonfiction articles about food
and bourbon, and her appreciation for good food often spills into her work. She holds a degree in English from Furman University and a graduate certificate in publishing from Columbia University.

Reason for signing up:

For accountability & to support my regular writing practice. Plus the community!

Winter Dawn Burns

Sunday, May 17, 2026 @ 3:02pm

Bio:

Winter is Haiku. Nature moves her words along. She trails the still crumbs.

Reason for signing up:

The adventure of writing poetry, daily, is a noble pursuit.

Eric W. Willis

Sunday, May 17, 2026 @ 11:53am

Bio:

Eric W. Willis lives and works in Lexington, Kentucky with two feisty cats and one amazing fellow human. He is a graduate of the Bluegrass Writers Studio.

Reason for signing up:

Because the best time to start the next poem is now!

Dennis Preston

Sunday, May 17, 2026 @ 6:24am

Bio:

Dennis J. Preston lives in Owensboro, Kentucky. He taught elementary school language arts for twenty-five years, but now likes being semi-retired. He is a pastor, and enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family. He has published nine books of poetry including Water for the Withered Fig.

Reason for signing up:

I work better with a challenge.

Eric Morris

Saturday, May 16, 2026 @ 11:34pm

Bio:

Eric Morris is a writer who has found his love for writing poetry over the last few years via his efforts with students at Morehead State University, where he teaches writing and other English classes.

Reason for signing up:

I signed up to honor a colleague who will soon be enjoying her own retirement from many years of teaching writing!

Website:

ericmorriswriter.com

Sarah McGinnis

Saturday, May 16, 2026 @ 2:06pm

Bio:

Sarah is a lover of words in all their varied forms. From a thoughtful email to an evocative poem, Sarah believes words are a wellspring of life.

Reason for signing up:

For the love of words!

Website:

sarahmcginnis3.substack.com

Goldie

Saturday, May 16, 2026 @ 12:24am

Bio:

Wallowed-out nemean hide of the cub of the Nothing incensed to life by a sneeze.
Human theremin transposing the movements of hummingbirds and oak leaves into whatever key most dog whistles muddle in.
Bowling ball esteem bored into a crack in the grin of the Rio Grande gorge.
Dangling modifier.
Moon in Sagittarius. Rain clown.

Website:

instagram.com/rifkagoldwyn

Bill Brymer

Friday, May 15, 2026 @ 7:28pm

Bio:

Writer and photographer from Louisville, KY back for another round.

Emily Brown

Friday, May 15, 2026 @ 5:09pm

Bio:

Emily is completing her bachelor's degree in psychology and philosophy at Thomas More University. This summer, she's spending her time writing, after running and work, of course!

Reason for signing up:

You know what they say: the third time's the charm!

damwrite

Friday, May 15, 2026 @ 1:37pm

Bio:

Born and raised in Miami, FL, Diego Alcaraz-Monje is an 18 year old poet and journalist. Diego currently studies Creative Writing and Journalism at Western Kentucky University, and serves as assistant content editor for the WKU College Heights Herald. He was awarded the title of Lexington Youth Poet Laureate in 2025 and is a Scholastics Art and Writing Awards national American Voices gold medalist. When not writing, Diego likes to play pool and listen to goth music.

R.J. Gordon

Friday, May 15, 2026 @ 11:44am

Bio:

R.J. Gordon is a professor of religion, a (very rusty) classical violinist, and an avid boardgamer. From 2019-2025 she was an active member of the Black on Black Rhyme Tallahassee poetry community, and together they wrote, produced, and released the spoken word album Rebel Dreams in the summer of 2020. She now reads and writes and performs with the folks of Poetry at the /'tāb(ə)l/ in Lexington, KY.

Reason for signing up:

Looking for pressure to put pen to page!

Carole Johnston

Friday, May 15, 2026 @ 9:17am

Bio:

Carole Johnston writes about her obsessions.

Reason for signing up:

I love the diversity of styles and genres in this amazing community of poets. June is always interesting.

Website:

carole-johnston.com

Ali

Thursday, May 14, 2026 @ 1:25pm

Bio:

upward not northward

Sonya Pavona

Thursday, May 14, 2026 @ 1:21pm

Bio:

Sonya is a poet and writer from Lexington, Kentucky. She has a bachelor’s in English Literature from Georgetown College and will start her Master’s at the University of Louisville in the fall.

Reason for signing up:

It’s June!

stefani heller

Thursday, May 14, 2026 @ 10:24am

John W. McCauley

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 @ 10:30am

Bio:

John W. McCauley is an award-winning author, who was presented the Dr. Jack D. Ellis Award for his first book; Kentucky Is My Home: A Journey into the Life of Jesse Hilton Stuart. The book climbed to #1 on the Jesse Stuart Foundation best-seller list and received a "Good Works Program Award" from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. John was selected to participate in the 2025 Kentucky Book Festival. His recently released book, Harvest of Life, has reached #2 on the JSF best-seller list. He is a contributing author to Hidden Heroes of Greenup County. His essays and poetry have been published in anthologies, literary journals, magazines, and newspapers. John retired from a career in private industry and public service that included an appointment by President Barack Obama. In his spare time, he is learning to play a Kentucky handcrafted Appalachian dulcimer. John and his wife Rebecca spend time between homes in Kentucky's Appalachian and Bluegrass regions.

Reason for signing up:

It's a great experience to read the poetry and network with such talented writers.

Rebecca Richards

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 @ 8:49am

Bio:

As a life long lover of reading and writing, Rebecca is enjoying exploring poetry in her more creative "third act".

Reason for signing up:

I love the challenge of creating poetry every day for a month, with the potential of having my work published.

SMurrey

Wednesday, May 13, 2026 @ 6:34am

Bio:

Shauna Murrey has taught middle school Language Arts for twenty-six years and loves helping kids be brave with their writing, so now she has to be brave with her own writing. An avid reader and a proud aunt, she finds a lot of her inspiration in the classroom, in faith, and at home with family. Shauna lives in Southeastern Kentucky, where she is probably grading papers, reading a book, or working on her next poem, but definitely not folding laundry

Reason for signing up:

I tell my kids to take chances, therefore so must I.

Jeremy Stacy

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 8:47pm

Bio:

Jeremy is an Eastern Kentucky writer now living in Nicholasville. His work maps the emotional and geological forces that shape a life, exploring endurance, fracture, and the Appalachian landscapes that raised him.

Reason for signing up:

I love LEXPOMO!

Austin Green

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 8:42pm

Bio:

Pike County Native, 2021 University of Pikeville

Carrie Elam Spillman

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 8:33pm

Bio:

Juggling both greatness and madness.

Reason for signing up:

For the love of the game.

Louise

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 @ 11:20am

Bio:

Louise is a free-roaming, tree-hugging, ocean loving Californian, living in Kentucky.

Reason for signing up:

I can't stop myself.

Website:

louisetallen.com

Alissa Sammarco

Monday, May 11, 2026 @ 11:17pm

Reason for signing up:

I retrieved the gauntlet from where you threw it. So here's to another June marathon.

Website:

AlissaSammarco.com

Samantha Arthurs

Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 10:03pm

Website:

sarthurs.com

Yersinia Pestis

Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 8:18am

Bio:

Yersinia enjoys long walks on the beach, sardonic humor, and the occasional bout of poetry.

Reason for signing up:

6 straight years enlisting against Summer's seasonal affective disorder

L. Coyne

Saturday, May 9, 2026 @ 7:42am

Bio:

L. Coyne is a full-time historian, part-time poet who enjoys experimenting with different styles and forms.

Reason for signing up:

I had fun last year and wanted to try again!

Christina Myers

Friday, May 8, 2026 @ 9:32pm

Catherine Perkins

Friday, May 8, 2026 @ 9:36am

Bio:

Catherine Perkins, Lexington, KY resident, semi-retired Thoroughbred owner and trainer, spends almost all her awake time writing, playing games on her phone, doing PT exercises and going to the bathroom. She has a part-time gig operating zero-turn mowers for a local farm.
Catherine is the author of one published poetry collection, "Udder Uproar," Accents Publishing, 2024.

Reason for signing up:

I enjoy being part of the LexPoMo community. They inspire my creativity.

Toni Menk

Thursday, May 7, 2026 @ 12:07pm

Bio:

Toni is a poet/Lampwork artist who lives in rural Kentucky. She has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Kentucky and a MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. She is a member of the Kentucky Guild of Artist and Craftsmen and the Sheltowee Artisans. When she is not in her studio playing with fire and glass, Toni is avoiding housework, trying to write a poem, mowing, or hauling wood.

Reason for signing up:

Kim Shaver

Christina McCleanhan

Thursday, May 7, 2026 @ 8:55am

Bio:

Christina McCleanhan, born on July 4th, was raised between the hills of eastern Kentucky and the riverbanks of the mighty Ohio. She completed her undergraduate degree at Transylvania University and received an MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College in Oakland, California. She is a first-generation college graduate. As an artist, Christina has learned that the rhythm of humanity offers itself to those who find peace in crowded rooms and resilience in empty hallways. Her current writing explores the delicate privilege of balancing grief and joy. She is a writer, performer, and adjunct college instructor.

Reason for signing up:

Poetry is the structure I drape most of my feelings on, and I am usually more creative when I consistently practice the craft. This summer is going to be full of acting, writing, and self-care, so why not jump back on the Poetry Party Bus?

Bronson O'Quinn

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 @ 4:32pm

Bio:

Bronson O’Quinn is a software developer who writes video game poems, lefty pop culture essays, & cross-genre fiction, often satirical, but always with empathy.

Reason for signing up:

The same reason we do anything, Pinky...

Website:

bronson

Linda Bryant-Davis

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 @ 2:04pm

Bio:

Linda Bryant-Davis is devoted to poetry. Her latest book, Ghost Dancing with Music, was published by Act of Power Press in 2025.
She has an MFA in poetry from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Bryant-Davis publishes The Bell, an online literary magazine.

Reason for signing up:

When I moved to Kentucky in 2019 the first thing I did was sign up for LexPoMo. The tradition continues!

Coleman Davis

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 @ 1:21pm

Bio:

Coleman Davis is the resident forest elf at Owsley Fork Writers Sanctuary.

Reason for signing up:

lexPoMo in June~ thirty days, thirty poems no problem ....lol

Website:

share.google/7AVg0XGQLm3Xrglyj

H.A.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 @ 6:51pm

Bio:

H.A. is a teacher, writer, and adventurer. She believes we are all made of stories and she is honored when others share theirs with her.

Reason for signing up:

I love the PoMo poets. They inspire me.

AJ Kline

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 @ 8:25am

Bio:

Anna Kline is a songwriter and poet, who lives in Mt. Sterling, KY. A hound with her nose to the ground, she follows the scent and welcomes the adventure, wherever it may lead.

Reason for signing up:

I want another crack at Lex PoMo.

Website:

annaklinecreates.com

Nancy Jentsch

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 @ 8:16am

Bio:

Nancy is a second-career poet, retired teacher, mother, wife, grandmother and friend who gets a real lift from reading and writing poetry.

Reason for signing up:

Can't imagine June without LexPoMo.

Website:

jentsch8.wixsite.com/my-site

Leah Tolle

Monday, May 4, 2026 @ 11:11pm

Bio:

Leah is an eighteen-year-old halfway through her sophomore year of college as an English minor. This is her second year participating, and she's freakin' pumped! Leah enjoys fiction, writing, and, uh...

Reason for signing up:

I LOVE POETRY :D

Jaime Quackenbush

Monday, May 4, 2026 @ 1:34pm

Bio:

Jaime is an educator, mother, musician, and free spirit who writes and dances her way through a magical life in Sleepy Hollow, NY with her two kids and two black cats.

Reason for signing up:

I participated last year and loved the shared community and productive inspiration. Looking forward to another month of powerful writing!

Linda Meg Frith

Monday, May 4, 2026 @ 7:25am

Bio:

Linda Meg Frith earned an MSSW at the Kent School of Social Work,
University of Louisville. . In previous iterations of her life, she taught adult education, classes
of poetry, vocabulary and public speaking.
She has published poetry in River and South, eMerge, Rainy Weather Days,
Amethyst Review, Eclectica Magazine, and most recently was the featured
poet in the September issue of Tipton Poetry Journal. She received a
Pushcart Prize nomination for her poem, Home is Where the Hurt Is.
Linda Meg currently lives with her Chihuahua, Jasmine, in Louisville, KY

Reason for signing up:

Love of poetry, love of community.

Leah Tenney

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 8:15pm

Bio:

Leah writes poetry, short stories, and archaeologically inspired novels. She spends a great deal of her time cuddling a large black cat and making friends with rocks, plants, and insects.

Reason for signing up:

This is my third year participating in #LEXPOMO. Each year I'm incredibly inspired by all the other amazing writers, and I grow in my own poetry practice.

Website:

threadconfessional.com

Bernard Deville

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 7:51pm

Bio:

Bernard is a retired bookseller and teacher who lives in Lexington with his wife and a wonderful collection of cats, dogs, and books.

Reason for signing up:

It's keeping up the tradition!

Tasha Lee

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 6:18pm

Bio:

Tasha Lee is a lifelong writer and past participant of Lexington Poetry Month. She believes in maintaining a healthy amount of whimsey at all times.

Reason for signing up:

I enjoy being part of this community.

Guillotine Harlot

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 2:54pm

Bio:

Abigail is a zillenial who has somehow managed to infiltrate a radio station run by a bunch of 18-23 year olds (WRFL) and become a NWS certified storm spotter. She also enjoys gardening on her family's rural acreage, taking care of her cats, playing Fallout, nose to tail cooking, going to the gym, and working her way through the many classic films she has yet to watch. She is an enthusiast for the Swedish language, onomastics, and her big yellow box of Lego bricks.

Reason for signing up:

I wanted to see if I could do better than I did last year

Laura Foley

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 2:30pm

Website:

lexpomo.com

Manny Grimaldi

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 9:17am

Bio:

Manny Grimaldi co-founded Yearling Poetry Journal in collaboration with Chris McCurry as editor-in-chief at Workhorse in Lexington, and worked the publication as managing editor from 2021 to 2026. He recently won the Browning Literary Club Prize in Poetry from WKU, awarded by Creative Writing faculty, and spends much time performing his work regionally. Manny is author of two full length poetry collections-- Riding Shotgun with the Mothman, and Finding a Word to Describe You.

Reason for signing up:

Because!

Michele

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 8:47am

Bio:

Michele LeNoir is an eclectic creative who balances her artistic practice with gardening, family time—especially with her grandson—and life-coaching former refugees she once taught. She lives with her spouse and a small menagerie of a horse, a dog, and three cats.

Reason for signing up:

Returning for my third year of LexPoMo, I am back to engage with the beautiful spirit of this community and to embrace the challenge.

Website:

michelelenoir.com

Amy Le Ann Richardson

Sunday, May 3, 2026 @ 1:19am

Bio:

Amy Le Ann Richardson is a writer, educator, and community organizer based on her family farm in Carter County. She is the author of three poetry collections, including Out of Places (Pine Row Press), and editor of the forthcoming anthology Rooted, Resilient, Rising: Women Growing Food across the Mountains (University Press of Kentucky). She is founder and director of the Bloodroot Young Writers Collective, an inaugural National Arts Futures Fellow, and co-founder of the Appalachian Literary Arts Festival in Morehead, Kentucky.

Reason for signing up:

For the love of poetry.

Website:

amyleannrichardson.com

John Vance

Friday, February 27, 2026 @ 1:26pm

Antheia

Monday, January 12, 2026 @ 12:16pm

Bio:

Antheia is a queer poet and fiction writer from Eastern Kentucky. Her work has been featured in Merion West, Roi Faineant, The Genre Society, Down in the Dirt and more. She is currently obtaining her MFA in Creative Writing.

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