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Solo/Duet: Music & Poetry Unite
April 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
An evening of poetry and music. Each evening will feature solo readings by area poets that will
bookend a musical duet performance in the Merriam Gilbert library in West Brookfield, Ma.
Each program will begin at 6:00 pm. The evenings are free and open to the public and sponsored
in part by a grant from the Mass Council of the Arts as administered locally by the West
Brookfield Cultural Council.
Poets Susan Roney O’Brien and Bill O’Connell. Music by Jerry Wilfong and Rich Falco.
Susan Roney-O’Brien lives on five acres abutting a state forest. She is the author of five poetry collections: “Farmwife,” which won the William and Kingman Page Poetry Book Award, “Earth,” a Cat Rock Press publication, “Legacy of the Last World,” published by Word Poetry, “Bone Circle,” published by Aldrich Press, a division of Kelsay books, and “Thira,” published by Kelsay in 2020.
She curates monthly poetry readings at The Thirsty Lab in Princeton, is part of 4 X 4, a group of visual artists and poets, and had been nominated for many Pushcart Prizes.
Bill O’Connell lives in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts between the Connecticut River and Quabbin Reservoir. Bill is a recent winner in the Atlantic Currents II writing contest for his poem “When We Were All Still Alive,” the title poem from his new book from Open Field Press. His other books are Sakonnet Point and On the Map to Your Life.
Jerry Wilfong is an active freelance bassist in the Boston area. He has performed with such distinguished jazz artists as Leni Stern, John Stowell, and Richie Cole, appears on several
recordings and can be heard live anchoring two working trios – “Bring Back Pluto” and “The Conversation.” More can be learned about Jerry at his Website.
Guitarist Rich Falco is professor emeritus and former director of jazz studies at WPI. Professor Falco remains a popular festival adjudicator, clinician and music lecturer.
He has presented at the annual MMEA (Massachusetts Music Educators Association) All State Conference on jazz guitar, big band directing techniques and jazz improvisation.