First Wednesday Reader Series: Sean Thomas Dougherty & Ben Gulyas (April 1 Westside Bowl)

First Wednesday Reader Series presents poets Sean Thomas Dougherty of Erie & Ben Gulyas of Cleveland on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00pm at the Westside Bowl, 2617 Mahoning Ave. Erin Stubbs will co-host with an open mic to follow. This reading will be downstairs in the Trophy Room, accessible only by stairs. Meagan Albani will provide ASL interpretation. The First Wednesday Reader Series receives support from POP! Art Books Culture.

Sean Thomas Dougherty’s books include Death Prefers the Minor Keys (BOA Editions), and The Dead are Everywhere Telling Us Things, winner of the 2021 Jacar Books Prize. His book The Second O of Sorrow won the Housatonic Book Award and was cowinner of the Paterson Poetry Prize.

Ben Gulyas hails from South Euclid. Along the road of poetry readings over the years he has found himself at home. He keeps trying to translate poetry into something useful like seeds, birds and moon atlases. Sometimes it happens. Birds inside moons, poems inside birds, the poet somewhere in between.

This reading is sponsored by Maryann Capanna in memory of her son Nicholas Rocco Capanna, who loved to write. We hold Nicholas in memory and thank Maryann for giving us the opportunity to celebrate him.

2026 Readings at Westside Bowl

May 6 Ben Lariccia & Abby Vandiver (upstairs by the main stage)

June 3 Philip Brady & Jacqueline Marino 

July 1 Meredith Doench & Erin Flanagan

August 5 Becca J.R. Lachman, Renée Nicholson & Rebecca Moon Ruark 

September 2 Nancy Krygowski & Jane McCafferty

October 7 Diane Kendig & Erica Manto Paulson

November 4 William Breeze & E.F. Schraeder

December 2 Theresa Göttl Brightman & Steve Brightman