Requires a nice yearly summary before launching into the complete archives.

WCPA Annual Meeting and Board Elections

Rushelle Frazier welcomed our 2016 annual contest winner, Heather Treseler, who opened the WCPA annual meeting with a poem. After brief remarks the minutes from the 2016 meeting, the 2016 treasurer’s report and The Worcester Review were delivered. Board elections followed with the following members elected to the board. The business meeting was then adjorned.
Following the business meeting we enjoy refreshments and then our guest performer, Lulu Hawkes, entertained us with her poetry.

2017-2018 WCPA Board

Craig Blais
Norman Chaplin
Jim Cocola
Bob Cronin
Kristina England – Secretary
Rushelle Frazier – President
Bob Gill – Treasurer
Carle Johnson
Mila Keaton – VP, Publicity
Anne Marie Lucci
Heather Macpherson
Sou MacMillan
Rodger Martin
Diane Mulligan – Editor, The Worcester Review
Catherine Reed
Joseph Reynolds
Robert Steele

Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 WCPA College Poetry Contest

Manuscript Prize
Julie de Oliveira – winner
Carmellite Chamblin – honorable mention

Performance Prize
Rheannon Swire – winner
Morgan DeAngelis – honorable mention

The reading was held on Sunday, April 2, 2017 in the Saxe Room at Worcester Public Library (3 Salem Square, Worcester)

22nd Annual Bloomsday Ramble

Held on June 16, 2017

Thanks to everyone who joined organizers Kristina England, Jay Lavelle and Heather Macpherson throughout the day.

2017 Presentation of the Stanley Kunitz Medal to Carle Johnson

July 27, 2017
Worcester Historical Museum

In addition to honoring Carle Johnson the event included a small tribute to Dan Lewis, who passed on July 19, 2017.

Congratulations to the winners of the WCPA Annual Poetry Contest: The Frank O’Hara Prize

First Place – Richard Fox
Skating on the Edge of Flesh

Second Place – Jeff Walt
Each Morning I Rise Like a Sleepwalker
and Rot a Little More

Third Place – Jennifer Freed
On Their Anniversary She Whispers His Name

Honorable Mention – Marsha Kunin
In the Garden of the Blind Barbarian

The Winners’ Reading was held on Sunday, September 24 where we heard from the winners and the contest judge, Lori Desrosiers.

Thanks to the First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St, Worcester, for hosting us once again and to all the volunteers who made the event possible.

9th Annual Gregory Stockmal Reading

Thank you to those who attended the 9th Annual Gregory Stockmal Reading which was held on Wednesday, October 18 at Clark University and featured Pam Bernard.

The annual Gregory Stockmal Reading continues the efforts of Greg Stockmal to honor American poet Stanley Kunitz and his legacy in Worcester.

The event was co-sponsored by the Friends of the Goddard Library, Clark University, the Gregory Stockmal Fund and the Worcester County Poetry Association.

Thanks to John Gaumond for the event photos.

Library Update

The library committee, headed by Ann Lewis, has completed their effort of organzing and shelving the WCPA’s book collection. Additionally, the bookshelves were given new life with a fresh coat of paint by Carol Stockmal. Ann, Carol, Judy Ferrara and John Gaumond unboxed every book, sorted it by category and then by author, and arranged the books. There’s even a little (very little really) room for some careful additions.

We are grateful for their many hours of work in sometimes cold and dusty circumstances. Join us at our next board meeting on January 3rd to check out the library.