Word Count Literary Festival 2026

Wednesday, April 8

An Evening with BUFO | Live Reading, Bicentennial Poem Debut, Bites & Beverages

6:30-8 p.m.
Burton D. Morgan Hall, Western Reserve Academy

Join the students of BUFO, WRA's Literary Magazine, for a live reading and the debut of a newly commissioned Bicentennial poem by Kari Gunter-Seymour, Ohio Poet Laureate, written in honor of Western Reserve Academy’s 200th anniversary.

Presented for the first time before an audience, the poem marks a singular moment in WRA's history — using language to reflect on two centuries of learning, continuity and change.

Gunter-Seymour will be joined by Dave Lucas, former Ohio Poet Laureate; Mary Biddinger, poet and director of NEOMFA; and Seth Borgen, WRA’s writer-in-residence, for an evening of readings that situate the Bicentennial work within a broader literary conversation.

Guided by students, these writers will share poems and prose in celebration of language, legacy and place. Light bites and beverages will be served as we gather in conversation.

Register to Attend

Thursday, April 9

OH—What’s Next? Living and Thinking in Ohio | Moderated Panel

6:30-8 p.m.
The Hudson Library & Historical Society

What does it mean to write from, think about and call Ohio home?

Moderated by WRA English Department Chair Elliot Zetzer, join Kari Gunter-Seymour, Dave Lucas, Mary Biddinger and Seth Borgen for a conversation exploring the power of place. Ohio has shaped the lives, memories and imaginations of those who live here, and Western Reserve Academy has called Ohio home for 200 years.

In this discussion, the panel will reflect on how landscape, history and community influence the voices that emerge from this region — and how writing rooted in Ohio can illuminate who we are as individuals and as a community.

Register to Attend