A History of Wednesdays

Zach Savich reads at the Soap Gallery in March, 2022

That chilly January afternoon in 2015 when a bunch of us met at Suzie's Dogs & Drafts and decided to plunge ahead with the crazy idea that would become Lit Youngstown, we thought we'd begin with a reading series. Suzie's was a terrific downtown location with an artistic vibe and fun menu.

Soon we began hearing about a wonderful downtown art gallery and while we missed the tater tots, the Soap Gallery was quiet and we loved the changing exhibits by local artists.

We moved to Zoom during the pandemic, and then back to the Soap. It broke our hearts when the Soap Gallery closed, but we made a terrific landing at Westside Bowl, enjoying pizza, a great sound system, and more local art.

Big thanks to Suzie's, the Soap and the Bowl for being magnificent hosts. And very much thanks to series sponsors Mahoning County Commissioners (ARPA), POP! Art Books Culture, and the Wean Foundation. We are grateful to cohosts, and to open mic readers for trusting us with your work. Big shout-out to those who shared their writing for the first time.

Standing O to all of you who have come from near and far to grace our mic, who have read poetry (occasionally accompanied by a myriad of instruments), literary fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, Afrofuturism, horror, mystery, YA fiction, creative nonfiction, historical nonfiction, journalism and academic writing. Thanks for being part of our story.

2015

Fallen City writers 

Five Funny Guys: E. Hallaman (read by Jim Rogers), Bill Koch, Roger Jones, Jim Villani, Stephen Sniderman

Nin Andrews 

Car Bombs to Cookie Tables: a Youngstown Anthology ed. Jacqui Marino 

Paul Gentile, Larry Smith 

Sean Posey 

Maj Ragain, Joe Caley 

Pig Iron Press, Rust Belt Poets 

Philip Metres  

Jeanne Bryner, Karen Kotrba, Sherri Saines 

2016

Bill Lawson on "Puddler Poet" Michael McGovern

Philip Brady, Lynn Lurie 

David Giffels, Chris Jennings, Canfield high school students

Adam Hughes, Barbara Sabol  

Dianne Borsenik, John Burroughs, Matthew Minicucci

Mary Biddinger, Mary Quade

Greg Brown, Cee Williams 

MB Earnheardt, Randi Pappa

Jamie Marich, Johanna Slivinske

Chris Barzak, Lawrence Coates 

James DeMonte, Toby Terry   

Donna DeBlasio, Martha Pallante, Sean Posey 

2017

Molly Fuller, Robert Miltner 

YSU students published in CROW

Sean Thomas Dougherty, Terry Murcko

Mark Winne 

David Giffels, Lori Jakiela 

Nin Andrews, Allison Pitinii Davis, Rochelle Hurt 

Robert Pope, Thomas Welsh 

Jen Ashburn, Roger Craik, Jason Irwin

Caryl Pagel 

Nancy Christie, J. Everett Prewitt 

Kevin Haworth, Steve Reese  

Christopher Alonso, Sara Tracey, Bill Soldan 

2018

Sarah Minor, Krysia Orlowski 

Stacy Graber, YSU students published in CROW

Adam Hughes, Stephanie Sesic  

Jennifer Jackson Berry, Christian Anton Gerard

Lori Bodkin, Stacey Schneider

Melissa Barger, William Heath  

Tom Beck, Arthur Byrd, BeckyAnn Harker, Skye Hildebrand-Grapentine, Sue Hukari, Andrea Wells

Sherri Saines, Kari Gunter-Seymour, Kathleen Strafford

Dragana Crnjak, Mahmoud Kambris, Steve Reese, Sony Ton Aime

Kathleen McGookey, Rikki Santer 

Clarissa Jakobsons, Barbara Sabol 

Mike Geither

2019

January Marion Boyer, Arya Jenkins

YSU students published in CROW 

Russell Brickey, Tanya Pilumeli  

Joanne Lehman, Sarah Wells

Monica Kaiser, Sheryl St. Germain

Susan Grimm, Mary Grimm 

James Arthur, Cody Walker, Catherine Wing

Clint Elston, Brandon Noel 

EF Schraeder, Michelle R. Smith

Pam Anderson, Steve Thomas

2020

John Burroughs, Shelley Chernin

Holly Christensen, Chris Gibowicz

Cliff Richeal, Kayla Jeswald

Nikki Robinson, Terry Provost

Diane Kendig, Hannah Rodabaugh

Kathleen Strafford, Ted Lardner

Susan Petrone, William Heath

Kelly Bancroft, Jessica Jewell

Craig Paulenich, James Winter

Barbara Sabol

2021

Lee Chilcote, David Hassler

Darlene Montonaro, David Swerdlow

Adam Hughes, Renay Sanders

Laura Grace Weldon, Grace Curtis

Cris Harris, Kellie Kirksey

Heather Dobbins Gerard, Barbara Fant

Rose Himber Howse, Jason Baldinger

Nick Gardner, Couri Johnson

Michael Credico, Nicole Burdge

Amanda Howland, Laurin Wolf

Carly Sachs, Eliese Goldbach

Andrew Rihn, RC Wilson

2022

Samantha Imperi, Cassandra Lawton, Rachel Roberts 

Olney Review contributors ed. Brandon Noel & Tony Wade

Mitch James, Zach Savich

Cynthia Bosley, Jessica Jones

Christine Howey, Angie Orlando

Pauletta Hansel, Marjorie Maddox 

Quartez Harris, Kerry Trautman 

Rochelle Hurt, Debbie Allen  

Alice Cone, Jonie McIntire

Lynda Montgomery, Toni Thayer

Kelly Hambly, Jimmy Sutman

Eric Harper, Julie Cancio Harper

2023 

Joy Mistovich, Debra Derrenbacher  

Olney Review, ed. Brandon Noel & Tony Wade

Jim Daniels & Jeff Gundy

Genevieve Jencson   

B. Elizabeth Beck, Richard Ferris  

Rose Smith, Arya Jenkins

Stephanie Ginese, Stephanie Kendrick, Julio Montalvo Valentin

Gina Tabasso, Russell Vidrick  

Andy Roberts, Chuck Salmons  

Terry Murcko  

Jeremy Proehl, Jean Reinhold   

Christopher Barzak, Carrie George

2024

Sean Posey, Roslyn Torella   

Eric Sandy    

Karen Kotrba, Thomas Welsh  

Adam Brodsky, Liz Hill

Sarah Dravec, Mary Biddinger

Isaiah Hunt, Hilary Plum  

Stephanie Kendrick, Angel James, Mark Webb

Alex Puncekar, T.J. Sandella  

Roger Craik, Dave Lucas

James DeMonte, Michael Loderstedt

Molly Fuller, Robert Miltner

Daniel Bourne, Marlo Starr  

2025

Jessica Manack, Marie Vibbert

Cherise Benton, Paula J. Lambert 

Jennifer Hambrick, Christopher Johnston 

Amanda Stovicek D’Alessandro, Jyotsna Sreenivasan 

Jon Graham, David Prather

Marion Boyer, Steve Henn

Dianne Borsenik, Steven Concert

Ali Black, Melissa Craig, Dana Reeher

Mary Quade, Steve Skovensky  

Mike Dittman, Shei Sanchez  

Jane Ann Fuller, Wendy McVicker

Jason Harris, Mark Sebastian Jordan