Literary Cleveland’s Board of Directors is excited to announce that Christine Howey will be leading the organization as Executive Director beginning January 1, 2019. Christine brings a unique combination of business acumen, literary talent, and an unparalleled passion for our mission.
Most recently, Christine wrote, produced and performed in a play and film titled “Exact Change” which was featured at a number of local theaters, including Playhouse Square, as well as at the New York International Fringe Festival. She has published four books of poetry and was named Poet Laureate of Cleveland Heights (2016-2018). Christine has led numerous writing workshops, including several at Literary Cleveland, and has been a columnist and theater critic with Cleveland Scene and other publications. She has also been the creative director of branding and advertising with various advertising and communications companies.
As Christine notes, “I am thrilled to have been selected to be the next Executive Director of Literary Cleveland. Throughout my life, words and stories—those I have read and those I have written—have saved me. Words have defined who I am, what I want, and how I proceed through life. And I am eager to help others experience how that sharing of words, poems, lyrics and stories can change lives for the better.”
Under the leadership of founding Executive Director Lee Chilcote, Literary Cleveland has attracted over 400 members, involved more than 2000 program participants, and conducted over 200 hours of programming annually. As a result, Christine realizes she is filling some big shoes: “I have great respect for the outstanding work outgoing Executive Director Lee Chilcote and the Board of Directors have done to bring Literary Cleveland to this point. It is a strong and thriving organization, and I look forward to helping Literary Cleveland grow in its mission to be a vital and involved part of the life of Cleveland readers and writers.”
Literary Cleveland was founded in 2015 with the mission to create and nurture a vibrant literary arts community in Northeast Ohio, and the organization is committed to the values of inclusivity and partnership. Programs include writing classes in all genres, events for readers, an annual Inkubator workshop that is open and free to the public, and publication of an online literary magazine, Gordon Square Review. Through its Cleveland Stories program, Literary Cleveland helps give voice to people in underserved communities, encouraging and developing writing and presentation skills.
