InkTank: Cincinnati’s Link to the Music Scene

The literary scene in Cincinnati and abroad is and will forever be inherently tied to the music scene. This is never more evident each year when InkTank opens its doors to local and regional arts & entertainment lovers as part of MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF). However the association between music & writing is not unique to Cincinnati, MPMF, and InkTank. The two have been intertwined for some time.

Where would Robert Allen Zimmerman be to this very day if he hadn’t immersed himself in the works of Walt Whitman, T.S. Elliot, and the Beats? What’s likely is that he wouldn’t be Bob Dylan, whose name he borrowed from Welsh poet Dylan Thomas as soon as he left home for life on the stage. Dylan, who has been rightfully labeled as “the most influential cultural figure now alive,” has woven his songwriting career around metaphorically rich poetry and prose. However, here is a bit of lore that is often left out of popular Dylan history: In 1971, Dylan published Tarantula, a book of poems many have described as “unconventional” from a traditional viewpoint, that quieted many literary critics who refused to categorize him as a “true” poet.

Dylan is certainly not the first and won’t be the last musician influenced by literature. From Leonard Cohen and John Lennon’s works to the poetry and prose of more recent artists like Steve Earle, Jewel, and Madonna, literary and musical arts continue to walk to the same beat.

Artists of all types share certain commonalities, thus it is important to support one another. The craft of composing songs, poetry, prose, or sculpting and painting all carry with them distinct emotional and professional risks. Artists know that even when they are satisfied with their work, and have gained acceptance from their audience, that the chances of acquiring mainstream attention is still a long shot. It’s no secret that artists also typically share similar socioeconomic status as most of us hover at or below the poverty line. But perhaps the ultimate tie that binds the novelist, poet, sculptor, photographer, the singer/songwriter, is the mutual appreciation of how difficult it is to be appreciated in a world dominated by mainstream images that attempt to tell us what defines “good” art. Locally, InkTank continues to amplify this beat by offering writing and literacy initiatives while incorporating music into its programming. In 2006, InkTank released Anything Can Happen on Main Street, a collection of sentiments and stories about Over-the-Rhine by local writers accompanied by a musical ensemble. Music has been a part of other InkTank events as well. Award-winning author, poet, Master Teacher at Purcell Marian High School, and InkTank board member Richard Hague, has periodically incorporated music into his public readings and InkTank and local indie-rockers like the Black Sites have occasionally popped in to entertain the InkTank Writers’ Salon. In recent years, MPMF has become more than a music festival, it has become an important contribution to the Cincinnati arts community.

“I think InkTank is representative of what makes Cincinnati such a unique city. Says MidPoint Music Festival Producer Dan McCabe. “Cincinnati is filled with creative minds that recognize a need and then mobilize to fill it.”

So how does InkTank mobilize to offer something up for these needs? By featuring an aspiring hip hop artist spitting rhymes at monthly Open Mic Nites. By encouraging local singer/songwriters to take part in our poetry workshops and even reading their works along with members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. By helping some of Cincinnati’s hottest bands entertain the Writers’ Salon at Carteaux and Leslie’s bookstore on Vine. InkTank has truly become Cincinnati’s link to the Music Scene.

Located in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, InkTank is the city’s link to writing and literacy initiatives. InkTank offers a wide range of programming—from basic literacy training to advanced creative writing workshops—with the mission of using writing to bridge the gaps between people of different socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds, and to contribute to the cultural richness of downtown Cincinnati. For more information on InkTank visit inkTank.org or call 513.542.0195.

Support our local artists. Check out InkTank at MPMF, Sept. 25-27.