Since 2021 I’ve been a member of the Literary Club of Cincinnati, an association of 100 or so people who love to write and share their writing with one another. Founded in 1849, the Club is the oldest continuously operating such organization in the United States. From September through early June we gather weekly for a member to read a paper he has written on a subject of interest to him. (I use the pronoun “he” because the membership is archaically all men, my least favorite aspect of the group. Nonetheless, I enjoy the company of these varied and serious writers, so I’ve participated in many of their activities.)
For several years the group has invited members to write personal essays to be published in a collected anthology. The 2026 publication, inspired by the prompt word “PLACES,” will have its launch in a public gathering on Thursday, Sept. 17, at 7 p.m. I’m one of eight writers who will read brief passages from published submissions in a program emceed by Cincinnati Poet Laureate Richard Hague, an esteemed member of the Club.
Our membership meetings at our historic home — loacated at 500 E. Fourth St., opposite Lytle Park in Downtown Cincinnati — are not open to the general public. However, this and other free Thursday events will welcome anyone interested in a taste of our output. I hope you’ll consider attending. No need to RSVP.
Here’s a link to further information about this event and the Literary Club.