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2026 Reading Challenge

2026

READING

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John Burroughs has read 88 of 100 books.

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John Burroughs

Goodreads Author

Born

in Richwood, West Virginia, The United States

Website

http://crisischronicles.com

Twitter

jesuscrisis

Genre

Poetry, Biographies & Memoirs, Literature & Fiction

Member Since

February 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jesuscrisis

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John B. Burroughs of Cleveland served as the National Beat Poetry Foundation's 2022-2023 U.S. Beat Poet Laureate and 2019-2021 Ohio Beat Poet Laureate. He is the author of The Wrest of the Worthwhile: Unselected, Uncollected and New Poems, 1983-2023 (2023, Far Queue Press), Rattle and Numb: Selected Poems, 1992-2019 (2019, Venetian Spider Press), and more than a dozen poetry chapbooks including, most recently, Awash (2025, Pure Sleeze Press). From 2024 to 2026, he served as a Vice President of the Ohio Poetry Association.

A dynamic performer who has wowed audiences from Oakland to New York City, Maine to New Mexico, and myriad points in between, John has hosted numerous poetry events in the Greater Cleveland area including the Poetry+ series John B. Burroughs of Cleveland served as the National Beat Poetry Foundation's 2022-2023 U.S. Beat Poet Laureate and 2019-2021 Ohio Beat Poet Laureate. He is the author of The Wrest of the Worthwhile: Unselected, Uncollected and New Poems, 1983-2023 (2023, Far Queue Press), Rattle and Numb: Selected Poems, 1992-2019 (2019, Venetian Spider Press), and more than a dozen poetry chapbooks including, most recently, Awash (2025, Pure Sleeze Press). From 2024 to 2026, he served as a Vice President of the Ohio Poetry Association.

A dynamic performer who has wowed audiences from Oakland to New York City, Maine to New Mexico, and myriad points in between, John has hosted numerous poetry events in the Greater Cleveland area including the Poetry+ series at Art on Madison in Lakewood, Monday at Mahall's, PoetryElyria, and (with Dianne Borsenik) the Lix and Kix Poetry Extravaganza and Snoetry: A Winter Wordfest. He helps maintain the Cleveland Poetics blog and Northeast Ohio literary calendar at clevelandpoetry.com. Since 2008, has served as the founding editor for Crisis Chronicles Press, publishing over one hundred twenty books by esteemed writers from around the world. Find him at www.crisischronicles.com.

Older bio: John Burroughs, a.k.a. Jesus Crisis, is a nationally touring poet and performer, born in West Virginia, raised in Elyria, Ohio, and currently residing in Greater Cleveland. John is the author of Dogging Catastrophe (2022, The Grind Stone), You Can't Trust It to Remain (2022, Between Shadows Press), Loss and Foundering [NightBallet Press, 2018], The Eater of the Absurd [NightBallet Press, 2012], the collaborative book Oct Tongue -1 (with Mary Weems, John Swain, Steven Smith, Lady, Shelley Chernin and Steve Brightman) [2014, Crisis Chronicles Press]. and nearly a dozen chapbooks including Beat Attitude [NightBallet, 2015], It Takes More Than Chance to Make Change [The Poet's Haven, 2013], Water Works [Recycled Karma Press, 2012], Electric Company [Writing Knights Press, 2011] and, with Doug Manson and Bree, Identity Crises [Green Panda Press, 2009]. John has also published Cheap and Easy Magazine, Songs in the Key of Cleveland: An Anthology of the 2013 Best Cleveland Poem Competition, #ThisISCLE: An Anthology of the 2014 Best Cleveland Poem Competition, and the anti-censorship anthology Fuck Poetry.

John won his first poetry contest as a high school student in 1983. Around the turn of the millennium, John served as a playwright and occasional music director in residence for the Ministry of Theatre at Marion Correctional Institution. In 2007, his blog was ranked number 1 in several categories on MySpace when he abandoned it to create his own website. Subsequently, John won the first poetry slam he ever competed in; created PoetryElyria; formed Poets of Lorain County; has contributed irregularly to the Cleveland Poetics and Ohio Poetry Association blogs; served as the OPA's webmaster; has performed at bars, festivals, theaters, bookstores, libraries and galleries across the Midwest; and is perhaps most proud of his work (since 2008) as the founding editor of Crisis Chronicles Press. ...more

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John Burroughs's Blog

September 4 & 5: National Beat Poetry Foundation Honors and Virtual Festival Open Mic

I am grateful to be among those being honored by the National Beat Poetry Foundation this weekend. Hearty congratulations to all the other honorees.

This year's award recipients:

Donovan : New Generation Beat Poet Laureate (2026-Lifetime)

John Burroughs : New Generation Beat Poet Laureate (2026-Lifetime)

Richard Modiano : New Generation Beat Poet Laureate (2026-Lifetime)

Ma Yongbo : Ne Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 02, 2026 12:20

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John Burroughs’s books

Average rating: 4.76 · 451 ratings · 62 reviews · 55 distinct works

	Rattle & Numb: Selected and New Poems, 1992-2019 4.76 avg rating — 38 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Identity Crisis 4.87 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fuck Poetry by John Burroughs (Goodreads Author) (Editor / Contributor), Susan Amethyst (Contributor), Sarah Black (Contributor) 4.53 avg rating — 32 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Eater of the Absurd 4.92 avg rating — 26 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Electric Company 4.83 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	It Takes More Than Chance to Make Change 4.74 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2013	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Water Works 4.95 avg rating — 20 ratings — published 2012 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	6/9: Improvisations in Dependence 4.69 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2009	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Loss and Foundering it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 15 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	2015 Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology by John Burroughs (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Geoffrey A. Landis, Shelley Chernin (Goodreads Author) 4.79 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2015	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by John Burroughs

Hessler Street Fair Poetry Anthology (4 books)
by

John Burroughs (Goodreads Author) (Editor / Contributor),

Christina M. Brooks (Goodreads Author),

Steve Brightman (Goodreads Author),

Tom Kryss,

Scott Wannberg,

John Dorsey,

D.R. Wagner,

Frankie Metro,

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4.81 avg rating — 27 ratings

John is Currently Reading

John Burroughs is currently reading

Beasts, River, Drunk Men, Garden, Burst, & Light - Sequences & Long Poems

by Richard Hague

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Jul 13, 2026 12:03PM

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From Under the Truck: A Decidedly Un-Celebrity Memoir from the Enigmatic Actor

by Josh Brolin

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Jun 16, 2026 09:29AM

John Burroughs is currently reading

Collected Poems: 1950–2012

by Adrienne Rich

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Apr 28, 2026 04:41PM

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John’s Recent Updates

John Burroughs wrote a new blog post September 4 & 5: National Beat Poetry Foundation Honors and Virtual Festival Open Mic I am grateful to be among those being honored by the National Beat Poetry Foundation this weekend. Hearty congratulations to all the other honorees. Read more of this blog post »
8 hours, 20 min ago · like
John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing Rub This Daisy Into My Palm by Justin Chase Jones	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing Man as a Cactus by Jordan Alan Brown	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs wants to read Hair Shirt by Adrian Sobol	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs wants to read The Life of the Party Is Harder to Find Until You're the Last One Around by Adrian Sobol	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing Torch Song by Adrian Sobol	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
One of my favorite Ghost City Press chaps. Makes me want to read more by this author.
Sep 01, 2026 01:01PM · 1 like · like · see review
John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing For the Love of All That's Holy, Don't Buy a Boat When Venus is in Retrograde by Brenna Mar	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing Faggy Bird Poems by Joe Rupprecht	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs has read P Is for Pastrami: The ABCs of Jewish Food by Alan Silberberg (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Burroughs rated a book it was amazing The Café at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John’s Quotes

“I have nothing to say
and I am saying it
and that is poetry
as I need it.”
― John Cage

105 likes

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”
― Rumi

tags: inspirational

4330 likes

“Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world.”
― John Burroughs, Studies in Nature and Literature

tags: life, opportunity

1488 likes

“The one who comes to question himself cares for mankind.”
― Kenneth Patchen

38 likes

“There's more to life than books, you know. But not much more.”
― Morrissey

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John’s Friend Comments

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message 3: by John

May 01, 2026 05:53PM

Mark wrote: "You're reading Rich! Just a fun fact--years ago I once chauffeured her to catch a plane. She'd been at the college for a reading. Lesbians came from all over the region to meet her and hear her read."
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing this, Mark.

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message 2: by Mark

May 01, 2026 09:34AM

You're reading Rich! Just a fun fact--years ago I once chauffeured her to catch a plane. She'd been at the college for a reading. Lesbians came from all over the region to meet her and hear her read.

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message 1: by Ignomat

May 01, 2014 04:51AM

Hi John What a load of books you have written for a young guy and they are so reasonably priced/and you read so many books/So I thought you might be able to help me find From the Green Box by Marcel Duchamp/I have seen them on Goodreads but when I go to the site there is nothing there/I tried Amazon and Booktopia and Amazon had one for 800 dollars/Do you know of the whereabouts of a reasonably priced copy???Regards Lee Kwo/

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