Tag Archives: jay mccoy

Kentucky Great Writers: Jay McCoy, Jason, Howard, Gwyn Hyman Rubio

Jay McCoy, author of The Occupation (Accents Publishing), will be one of the featured speakers at tonight’s Kentucky Great Writers event along with Jason Howard and Gwyn Human Rubio.

The poems of The Occupation deal with homosexual relationships and the threat of HIV. Jay McCoy instructs the class “Writing for Recovery” at the NAMI Participation Station in Lexington, Kentucky. He is a Lexington-based poet and visual artist with deep roots in Eastern Kentucky as well as the general manager for the Morris book shop and co-founder of the Teen Howl Poetry Series.

Jason Howard‘s writings have spanned the careers of such musicians as Carly Simon, Dwight Yoakam, Ricky Skaggs, Jim James, and Jean Ritchie. A Few Honest Words: The Kentucky Roots of Popular Music (University Press of Kentucky) explores the many genres in which Kentucky musicians have helped contribute, from folk and jazz to hip hop and gospel.

Because Gwyn Hyman Rubio‘s father, a writer, had a fatal heart attack at 39, she stayed away from the profession as long as she could. In 1983, she realized her calling and was accepted into the MFA Program at Warren Wilson College. Her writing tends to explore human relationships, especially those of children and parets. Love and Ordinary Creatures (Ashland Creek Press) is from the perspective of a cockatoo and explores the bird’s relationship with his caretaker.

Open mic sign-ups start at 6:30pm with readings at 7. Featured guests begin at 7:30.

Visit the Facebook Event page for more info.

When:	Tuesday, May 24, 2016 @ 7PM
Where:	The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning
	251 W. Second Street
	Lexington, KY 40507
	(859) 254-4175

“Draw” by Jay McCoy

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She must be new. I’ve never seen her
here before—a vision in white, all
business except when she smiles
her crooked/coy grin, says I have pretty

veins. Her hazel eyes hold steady
my gaze as the cold needle plunges
into raised blue lines traversing
the bend of my right arm. Now

just hold this tight.

–Jay McCoy,
The Occupation
(Accents Publishing)

Jay McCoy is a Lexington-based poet and visual artist with deep roots in Eastern Kentucky. Currently, he fills his days working as general manager for the Morris Book Shop and a writing instructor. Jay holds degrees from Transylvania University, the University of Akron, and earned his MFA in creative writing from the Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University. He co-founded the Teen Howl Poetry Series as a venue for young poets to discover their own voice. Jay’s poetry has appeared in several anthologies and journals including Blue Fifth Review, Kentucky Monthly, Kudzu, Naugatuck River Review, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, and Still: The Journal.

2015—The Authors

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Barbara Goldberg is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry, including The Royal Baker’s Daughter, winner of the Felix Pollak Poetry Award. She is the translator of Scorched by the Sun, poems by the Israeli poet Moshe Dor. The two selected and translated four anthologies of contemporary Israeli poetry. Goldberg received two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as awards in translation, fiction and speechwriting. Her poems appear in Best American Poetry, Paris Review, Poetry and elsewhere, Goldberg is the series editor of the Word Works’ International Imprint.

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Jay McCoy Reads with Julie Hensley at the Morris book shop

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At 6pm today, the Morris book shop will host Jay McCoy reading from The Occupation and Julie Hensley reading from Viable (Five Oaks Press). Both authors will also be signing their books after the reading.

Jay McCoy has deep roots in Eastern Kentucky, works at the Morris book shop, co-founded the Teen Howl Poetry Series, and occasionally heads LGBT writing workshops for the Carnegie Center.

Julie Hensley is an Associate Professor at Eastern Kentucky University and lives in Richmond, Kentucky with her husband and two children. She grew up on a sheep farm and loves horses. Viable explores motherhood and fertility.

When:	Friday, December 18, 2015 @ 6pm
Where:	the Morris book shop
	882 E. High Street Lexington. KY 40502
	(859) 276-0494

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Accents Publishing Pushcart Nominations

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Accents Publishing is happy to nominate the following poems for the Pushcart Prize:

“My Mother’s Last Doctor Visit” by Patty Paine, originally published in Grief & Other Animals
“Distinguishing Characteristics in Four Polaroids” by Jay McCoy, originally Published in The Occupation
“Paratrooper” by Frank X Walker, originally published in About Flight
“In My Fuck Me Shoes” by Bianca Bargo, originally published in How I Became an Angry Woman
“Hard” by corey kirby, originally published in This Wretched Vessel
“Bare Feet” by Travis Stidham, originally published in This Wretched Vessel

Bigger Than They Appear Reading summary (Part 4)

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In 2012, the Lexington Public Library recorded and produced a reading held at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. This event featured readings from Bigger Than They Appear: Anthology of Very Short Poems.

For the full list of videos, click here.

The poets were asked to read one of their poems as well as someone else’s. Below are the poets, the time stamp where they appear in the video, and the poems they read. Katerina Stoykova-Klemer is the emcee between poets.

Jay McCoy, 00:12-01:32
- “On the Way Home from Lexington to Frankfort via Leestown Road” by Staci R. Schoenfeld
- “Selfish” by Jay McCoy
Christopher McCurry, 01:53-02:50
- “I Used To” by Chocolate Waters
- “Two in a Twin Bed” by Christopher McCurry
Larry W. Moore, 03:11-04:46
- “Statement of a Refugee from Babel” by J. Kates
- “To Li Po” by Frederick Smock
- “Grammar” by Larry W. Moore
Nancy Fletcher Cassell, 05:05-05:54
- “The wonder is” by Jan Seale
- “The Duty of a Biscuit” by Nancy Fletcher Cassell
David Park Musella, 06:11-08:03
- “No Small Typo” by Albert DeGenova
- “Misrepresentations: Skipping Stones” by David Park Musella
- “Beige” by David Park Musella
- untitled by David Park Musella
- “Mea Culpa” by David Park Musella
Mary E. O’Dell (of the Green River Writers), 08:22-10:15
- “On the Street” by E. Gail Chandler
- “Answers” by Georgia Wallace
- “No Sapling Love” by Mary E. O’Dell
Joe Peacock, 10:37-11:42
- “Autumn” by Jeanne Shannon
- “The Dying” by Joe Peacock
Sheila Bucy Potter, 11:56-13:02
- “December” by Sarah Freligh
- “Young Veteran” by Colleen S. Harris
- “Visit to a Winery” by Sheila Bucy Potter

Teen Howl #48

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The Carnegie Center’s back door.

This month’s Teen Howl will take place on December 3rd at 6pm at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. According to Elizabeth Beck, “We are featuring ALL Teen Howl poets”.

Teen Howl was founded in 2011 by Elizabeth Beck and Jay McCoy as a chance for the under-21 crowd to have their own venue for poetical self-expression. Named after Allen Ginsberg’s poem, the first meetings actually included readings from “Howl“. Teen Howl normally takes place at the Morris book shop.

The mission of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning is to empower “people to explore and express their voices through imaginative learning and the literary arts” (source). Street parking is available anywhere along Gratz Park (except along yellow lines), and guests may also get a parking pass at the front desk for designated Transylvania University parking lots.

When:	Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 @ 6pm
Where:	The Carnegie Center
	251 W. Second St.
	Lexington, KY 40507
	(859) 254-4175 ext. 21

Holler Poets Series 90: Maggie Smith, Jay McCoy, Squeaky Feet

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The 90th Holler Poets Series will feature award-winning poet Maggie Smith, Accents’ newest poet Jay McCoy, and musical guest Squeaky Feet.

Maggie Smith
(photo by Lauren Powers)

Maggie Smith has won awards for her books The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison (Tupelo Press, 2015) and Lamp of the Body (Red Hen Press, 2005). She is from Columbus, Ohio and received her Master of Fine Arts from The Ohio State University.

Jay McCoy is co-founder of the Teen Howl Poetry Series in Lexington, Kentucky (along with Elizabeth Beck). Teen Howl is an open-mic for the under-21 crowd and always hosts a teen and adult feature. Jay’s newest collection, The Occupation (Accents Publishing, 2015), is currently available from the Accents Store.

Squeaky Feet is a band featuring Arlo Barnette and Zoey Barrett. They also played at Holler 71 with GA Smith and Sherry Chandler. You can visit their Bandcamp page here or like them on Facebook.

<a href="http://arloandzoey.bandcamp.com/album/squeaky-feet">Squeaky Feet by Squeaky Feet</a>

Check out the Facebook Event page for more information.

When:	Wednesday, November 18, 2015 @ 8pm
Where:	Al’s Bar
	601 N. Limestone
	Lexington, KY 40508
	(859) 309-2901

The Occupation by Jay McCoy

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We are proud to announce The Occupation by Jay McCoy!

“These are brave and hard-won poems, full of poignant witness and startling affirmation in the face of life’s most heartbreaking challenges. Jay McCoy is a keen craftsman, constructing lyrics that whisper and sting and celebrate at once. Here is a poet who truly understands the full expressive potential of his forms, and who mines those forms to maximum effect. But be warned: this is not the typical bland stuff of mild-mannered chapbooks. McCoy’s delicately crafted but harrowing poems will make your hair stand on end.”

—Young Smith

“The Occupation marks the arrival of a brave new voice in American poetry”

—Garth Greenwell

Calling

Your voice through
the phone line cracked
on the other end before
you said the first word,

so I knew

what you needed/wanted
to say, but could not yet
wrap your mind around all
possibilities, positive/negative,

so I just waited.

You may order a copy at the Accents store; orders will begin shipping on or before November 30, 2015.

Teen Howl #39 featuring Jiv Johnson

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Tonight’s Teen Howl Poetry Series will feature the work of Jiv Johnson.

Teen Howl was created by Elizabeth Beck and Jay McCoy to give younger voices a stage and an audience. All are welcome, although the open mic is designed for the under-21 crowd.

When:	Thursday, February 5, 2015 @ 6pm (open mic sign-ups begin at 5:45pm)
Where:	the Morris book shop
	882 E. High St.
	Lexington, KY 40502

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