BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Worcester County Poetry Association - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Worcester County Poetry Association X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Worcester County Poetry Association REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T200000 DTSTAMP:20261018T235029Z CREATED:20261005T114717Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261018T235029Z UID:13550-1792440000-1792440000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Dirty Gerund features Sarah St. George DESCRIPTION:The Dirty Gerund meets Monday nights at Ralph’s Diner in Worcester: “Sign-up” is out at 8:00pm\, show starts at 9pm. $2-7 suggested donation. \n\n\n\nTonight Features Sarah St. George: \n\n\n\nSarah St George is a poet turning up the volume in the quiet corner of Connecticut. She began her open mic journey at the Gerund over a decade ago and returning feels like coming home. Her work has been featured in several journals and anthologies including The Quiet Corner Poets and Alabaster & Mercury Volume 3. She hosted Coffee\, Tea\, & Poetry in Putnam CT from 2017-2024 and now runs the Rose City Poetry Series in Norwich CT. Her work is a courageous amalgamation of brutal truth and absurdist humor\, exploring themes such as grief\, trauma\, surviving sexual abuse\, healing\, and neurodivergence. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/13550/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261019T200000 DTSTAMP:20261005T115700Z CREATED:20261005T115657Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T115700Z UID:13558-1792431000-1792440000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:"Shut Up and Write" at Root and Press DESCRIPTION:Root and Press are hosting “Shut up and Write” every first and third Monday from 5:30-8:00pm at their location in Shrewsbury St. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/shut-up-and-write-at-root-and-press-2/ LOCATION:Root and Press\, 156 Shrewsbury St.\, Worcester\, MA\, 01604\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261017T160000 DTSTAMP:20261009T120953Z CREATED:20261009T120950Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261009T120953Z UID:13603-1792245600-1792252800@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Booklovers' Gourmet Open Mic Features Paul Richmond DESCRIPTION:Open Mic Roundtable Poetry with Special Feature Paul Richmond October 17th @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm \n\n\n\nPlease join us for our Monthly Open Mic Poetry Roundtable moderated by Robert Eugene Perry. This month will also feature a reading and book signing by Paul Richmond! \n\n\n\nAll local poets are invited to bring original poems to share in a supportive\, nurturing environment. There is space for up to 14 readers and usually fills up quickly! \n\n\n\nListeners are always welcome.To sign up \, please call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/booklovers-gourmet-open-mic-features-paul-richmond/ LOCATION:Booklovers’ Gourmet\, 72 E. Main St.\, Webster\, MA\, 01570 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T210000 DTSTAMP:20261011T112306Z CREATED:20261011T112302Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261011T112306Z UID:13637-1792090800-1792098000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:New Dawn Writers Group and Poetry Workshop in Ashburnham DESCRIPTION:New Dawn Poetry Workshop: Come out to the New Dawn Writers’ Group’s Poetry Workshop. Every third Tuesday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. We will discuss poems and writing\, write to prompts\, give feedback\, encourage one another\, and discuss upcoming projects. It’s a friendly\, pressure-free atmosphere at the New Dawn Arts Center in Ashburnham. Many of our poets have had books come since joining the workshop. Join in the fun! The address is 84 Main Street\, Ashburnham\, MA. The workshop is being led by Fred Gerhard. \n\n\n\nFred Gerhard leads the Poetry Workshop. His poems appear innumerous anthologies and magazines. His is the author of two poetry books\, Drifting to “Hello” (Khotso Publishing)\, and Lilacs Still Bloom in Ashburnham: Songs of Spring (Local Gems Poetry Press).He is also an editor at Quabbin Quills Press and Smoky Quartz. For many years he led a poetry therapy group in Worcester at UMASS Memorial’s Community HealthLink. More about him can be found at FredGerhard.com. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/new-dawn-writers-group-and-poetry-workshop-in-ashburnham/ LOCATION:New Dawn Center\, 84 Main St.\, Ashburnham\, MA\, 01607\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T203000 DTSTAMP:20261010T114552Z CREATED:20261010T114549Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261010T114552Z UID:13632-1792090800-1792096200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:WWC and Spicy Water Distillery present Bards at the Barrel featuring George Smith DESCRIPTION:The Worcester Writers’ Collective and Spicy Water Distillery in Millbury present Bards at the Barrel. While the Bards typically assemble on the second Thursday of every month\, this month takes place on the third Thursday. This month’s feature is George Smith with a poetry\, prose\, and storytelling open mic to follow. Admission is free\, but preregistration is required. For details\, contact info@worcesterwriterscollective.org URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/wwc-and-spicy-water-distillery-present-bards-at-the-barrel-featuring-george-smith/ LOCATION:Spicy Water Distiller\, 108 Elm Street\, Millbury\, Massachusetts\, 01527\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261015T160000 DTSTAMP:20261007T102821Z CREATED:20261007T102650Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261007T102821Z UID:13568-1792080000-1792080000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:"One Poem" at Merriam-Gilbert Pubic Library DESCRIPTION:ONE POEM is an open poetry reading series meant to provide a venue for writers to share their work as well as the work of established writers they admire. For every original poem a person reads\, they will be asked to compliment that poem by reading a poem of their choosing by another established and published writer. This event will be held monthly. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/one-poem-at-merriam-gilbert-pubic-library/ LOCATION:Merriam-Gilbert Public Library\, 3 West Main St.\, West Brookfield\, Massachusetts\, 01585\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T203000 DTSTAMP:20261011T121710Z CREATED:20261010T114840Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261011T121710Z UID:13634-1792004400-1792009800@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:WCPA Board Meeting DESCRIPTION:The Worcester County Poetry Association’s monthly Board Beeting is held from 7-8:30pm every second Wednesday in the Boardroom of the Salisbury House (61 Harvard St.) in Worcester. All welcome to attend\, only members of the board vote. \n\n\n\nAgenda for October 2026 WCPA Board MeetingDownload URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/wcpa-board-meeting-2/ LOCATION:Salisbury House Boardroom\, 61 Harvard St.\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01609\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261014T100000 DTSTAMP:20261012T152950Z CREATED:20261008T021417Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261012T152950Z UID:13586-1791972000-1791972000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:"Another Inscrutable House": Elizabeth Bishop Graveside Reading DESCRIPTION:And look! my last\, or \n\n\n\n next-to-last\, of three loved houses went. \n\n\n\nThe art of losing isn’t hard to master. \n\n\n\n — “One Art” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMapping Worcester in Poetry is hosting its annual graveside reading to mark Elizabeth Bishop’s death on October 6\, 1979. This year\, local poets will gather under autumn trees to read aloud her poems about cherished\, lost\, imagined\, and “proto-dream” houses and to help make Worcester her home. \n\n\n\nReaders include Elizabeth Bacon\, Clair Degutis\, Judith Ferrara\, Claire Mowbray Golding\, John Hodgen\, Carolyn Howe\, Evan Plante\, Susan Roney-O’Brien\, Susan Elizabeth Sweeney — and Bishop herself\, performing “Filling Station” because somebody loves us all. If you’d like to participate\, contact Beth (ssweeney@holycross.edu). \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBishop\, The Armory\, Key West (ca. 1938-1942) \n\n\n\nTo find Bishop’s grave\, enter the main gate at Hope Cemetery  and continue on Curtis Avenue. Take your fourth left onto Beech Street (after Elm\, Larch\, and Bush)\, proceed for one block\, and park. Her grave is behind the nearest tree on the left side of the road. We’ll be there to welcome you with smiles\, poetry\, and refreshments. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/another-inscrutable-house-elizabeth-bishop-graveside-reading/ LOCATION:E.Bishop Grave at Hope Cemetary\, 119 Webster St.\, Worcester\, MA\, 01603\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T203000 DTSTAMP:20261001T113444Z CREATED:20261001T113441Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T113444Z UID:13516-1791916200-1791923400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:The Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon Features Eve Rifkah DESCRIPTION:In collaboration with the Shawna Foundation\, Art DuBois hosts Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon: Where Words Gather. This month features Eve Rifkah with Open Mic to follow. Keep this one in your calendar\, every second Tuesday. \n\n\n\nwww.shawnafoundation.org URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/the-shivering-mouse-poetry-salon-features-eve-rifkah/ LOCATION:Shivering Mouse Poetry Salon\, 446 East St.\, Uxbridge\, Massachusetts\, 01569\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261013T210000 DTSTAMP:20261010T113626Z CREATED:20261010T112743Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261010T113626Z UID:13612-1791914400-1791925200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Worcester Writers' Collective DESCRIPTION:The Worcester Writer’s Collective meets Tuesday nights from 6-9pm at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC)  in Worcester. Writers of all genres are welcome to write and workshop in community. info@worcesterwriterscollective.org  URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/worcester-writers-collective-13/ LOCATION:JMac/Brickbox Theater\, 20 Franklin Street\, Worcester\, MA\, 01608\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261012T200000 DTSTAMP:20261005T114624Z CREATED:20261005T114622Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T114624Z UID:13548-1791835200-1791835200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Dirty Gerund DESCRIPTION:The Dirty Gerund meets Monday nights at Ralph’s Diner in Worcester: “Sign-up” is out at 8:00pm\, show starts at 9pm. $2-7 suggested donation. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/dirty-gerund-2/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T130000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261010T160000 DTSTAMP:20261009T121316Z CREATED:20261003T115946Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261009T121316Z UID:13536-1791637200-1791648000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:CANCELED - bg Thurston Poetry Workshop DESCRIPTION:UPDATE: Due to low enrollment\, this workshop will be rescheduled for Spring 2027. Please check back! \n\n\n\nJoin poet bg Thurston for a Poetry Workshop Saturday\, October 10th from 1-4pm in the Boardroom of the Salisbury House (61 Harvard St.) \n\n\n\nThe cost for the workshop is $35\, and enrollment is capped at 10 participants. The workshop includes an optional tour of Stanley Kunitz Boyhood Home led by bg Thurston. \n\n\n\nRSVP to Susan Roney O’Brien\, susanroneyobrien@gmail.com by October 5th to take part. \n\n\n\nThe Key to Poetry—Unlocking the MysteryOnce I owned the keyto an umbrageous trailthickened with mosseswhere flickering presencesgave me right of passage–Stanley Kunitz from “The Testing Tree” \n\n\n\n“For me\, Poetry has been the endless pursuit of one discovery after another. Thepoems I love best appear to be like rooms that change each time I enter them. Ifind that most of us are ever hoping to unlock the magic of each poem andpossess its meaning. How can we become comfortable with ‘the unknowing’and let our writing embrace the mysteries inside and around us?” – bg Thurston \n\n\n\nbg Thurston lives on a sheep farm in Warwick\, Massachusetts. She received herMFA in Poetry from Vermont College in 2002. She has taught poetry courses atLasell Village\, online for Vermont College\, and conducts poetry workshops.Her third book of poetry\, The Many Lives of Cathouse Farm/Tales of a RuralBrothel\, was published in 2025 by Cervená Barva Press and is the culmination of adecade of historical research about her 1770’s farmhouse. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/bg-thurston-poetry-workshop/ LOCATION:Salisbury House Boardroom\, 61 Harvard St.\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01609\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T203000 DTSTAMP:20261002T115911Z CREATED:20260929T115303Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261002T115911Z UID:13507-1791486000-1791491400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Beyond the Page Features M Campbell and Karen Elizabeth Sharpe DESCRIPTION:Beyond the Page is back for its second reading. Join host Pamela Gemme and feature poets M (Maia) Campbell and Karen Sharpe for a reading and open mic. Keep this one in your calendars! Every second Thursday at 7pm. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/beyond-the-page-poetry-reading-and-open-mic-2/ LOCATION:Greendale Family Branch YMCA\, 75 Shore Drive\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01605\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T210000 DTSTAMP:20261010T113645Z CREATED:20261010T112624Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261010T113645Z UID:13608-1791309600-1791320400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Worcester Writers' Collective DESCRIPTION:The Worcester Writer’s Collective meets Tuesday nights from 6-9pm at the Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC)  in Worcester. Writers of all genres are welcome to write and workshop in community. info@worcesterwriterscollective.org  URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/worcester-writers-collective-12/ LOCATION:JMac/Brickbox Theater\, 20 Franklin Street\, Worcester\, MA\, 01608\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261006T190000 DTSTAMP:20261003T121436Z CREATED:20260923T005342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261003T121436Z UID:13492-1791306000-1791313200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:The Richard Fox Reading Series Featuring Tom Ewart DESCRIPTION:Join us on October 6th as we feature the irrepressible Tom Ewart. Our special host will be Cheryl Bonin as I will be in Maine at an undisclosed location \n\n\n\nWe’re keeping the 5pm start for October. November 3rd and December 1st will start at 6pm because I’m teaching a Humor class for WISE at Assumption University. Go figure! \n\n\n\nOwners Tony and Nequel Germano have a plethora of delightful entrees\, apps\, desserts\, and their famous\, homemade ice cream.The Broadway also serves beer and wine and breakfast until closing (with mimosas!).They will take one-hour of parking ($2\,00) off your ticket with a food purchase. \n\n\n\nWe have a separate room for our shenanigans. Admission is still Free!. All of the tip jar $ goes to our feature. \n\n\n\nSign up for the open mic at joesyellowpad@gmail.com. Five minute maximum and limited spots.The Fox Poetry Series\, in honor of the iconic poet Richard Fox\, is sponsored by the Worcester County Poetry Association through a generous donation from the Fox family.I’m pleased as punch to continue this exciting open mic/feature every 1st Tuesday of the month except for July at such a welcoming venue.Join us on October 6th. Now\, You can heckle Tom! \n\n\n\nTom Ewart is eighty-two years old enough to know better and generally doesn’t; that’s why he writes. To quote E.M. Forster\, how will he know what he thinks before he sees what he says? Even then\, he still has to puzzle it out. He lives in Central Massachusetts beside a marsh\, where his spooks may still be seen slipping through the tree line.  URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/the-richard-fox-reading-series-featuring-tom-ewart/ LOCATION:The Broadway Diner\, 100 Water Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01604\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T200000 DTSTAMP:20261005T114506Z CREATED:20261005T114504Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T114506Z UID:13546-1791230400-1791230400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Dirty Gerund DESCRIPTION:The Dirty Gerund meets Monday nights at Ralph’s Diner in Worcester: “Sign-up” is out at 8:00pm\, show starts at 9pm. $2-7 suggested donation. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/dirty-gerund/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T200000 DTSTAMP:20261005T115439Z CREATED:20261005T115436Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261005T115439Z UID:13554-1791221400-1791230400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:"Shut up and Write" at Root and Press DESCRIPTION:Root and Press are hosting “Shut up and Write” every first and third Monday from 5:30-8:00pm at their location in Shrewsbury St. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/shut-up-and-write-at-root-and-press/ LOCATION:Root and Press\, 156 Shrewsbury St.\, Worcester\, MA\, 01604\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T200000 DTSTAMP:20261011T114452Z CREATED:20260919T183651Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261011T114452Z UID:13480-1790708400-1790712000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:A Virtual Thirsty Lab with Beth Sweeney DESCRIPTION:The Thirsty Lab poetry reading\, normally based out of Princeton\, MA\, continues to meet virtually. Join us on Tuesday September 29th VIRTUALLY ON ZOOM with our featured reader\, Beth Sweeney. \n\n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nSusan Elizabeth (Beth) Sweeney’s poems have appeared in Diner\, Worcester Review\, Journal of Irish Literature\, and elsewhere\, and have won an Academy of American Poets Prize\, a Frank O’Hara Poetry Prize\, and other awards. Her chapbook\, Hand Me Down\, was a semifinalist in the 2012 New Women’s Voices Competition. Close and Apart\, a sequence of poems\, was adapted by composer Matthew Jaskot and performed by a dozen musicians at the world premiere in 2023.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA past president of the Worcester County Poetry Association\, Beth now directs Mapping Worcester in Poetry\, an initiative supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In 2025\, she guest-edited “Across the Mutual Landscape\,” a feature in The Worcester Review; guest-curated the exhibit The Poem Next Door at the Museum of Worcester; and established the Worcester Poetry Archive there\, which now holds over 1500 items. In 2026\, Beth received the Stanley Kunitz Medal for Poetry from the WCPA. Her current project is The Blackstone\, a song cycle written for adaptation by Matthew Jaskot\, which will premiere in February 2027. \n\n\n\nBeth holds the postion of Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities at the College of the Holy Cross\, but she can often be found ankle-deep in autumn leaves or late winter snow at Elizabeth Bishop’s grave in Hope Cemetery\, reading Bishop’s poems with other local poets to celebrate her birthday or honor her death. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/a-virtual-thirsty-lab-with-beth-sweeney-2/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T190000 DTSTAMP:20260908T200800Z CREATED:20260908T131706Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T200800Z UID:13460-1790704800-1790708400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O'Hara DESCRIPTION:It’s Worcester Pride and the Museum of Worcester is partnering with Love Your Labels as we read City Poet: The Life and Times of Frank O’Hara. \n\n\n\nThe definitive biography of Frank O’Hara\, one of the greatest American poets of the twentieth century\, the magnetic literary figure at the center of New York’s cultural life during the 1950s and 1960s. \n\n\n\nCity Poet captures the excitement and promise of mid-twentieth-century New York in the years when it became the epicenter of the art world\, and illuminates the poet and artist at its heart. Brad Gooch traces Frank O’Hara’s life from his parochial Catholic childhood to World War II\, through his years at Harvard and New York. He brilliantly portrays O’Hara in in his element\, surrounded by a circle of writers and artists who would transform America’s cultural landscape: Willem de Kooning\, Franz Kline\, Helen Frankenthaler\, Jackson Pollock\, Gregory Corso\, Jack Kerouac\, Allen Ginsberg\, LeRoi Jones\, and John Ashbery. \n\n\n\nJoin us for a discussion at Salisbury House for a discussion of moderated by Stanley Kunitz Award winner Judith Ferrara. Following our discussion\, we will have a tour of Love Your Labels on-site! \n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE \n\n\n\nSalisbury House\, 61 Harvard StreetMore info: The Novel Historian: Museum of Worcester September Book Club | Museum of Worcester URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/city-poet-the-life-and-times-of-frank-ohara/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260929T190000 DTSTAMP:20260901T194215Z CREATED:20260901T194212Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T194215Z UID:13432-1790701200-1790708400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Poetorium Too Reading DESCRIPTION:Poetorium Too Poetry Reading & Open Mic Featuring Stephen Campiglio\, Claire Schaeffer-Duffy\, & Simon Hunt  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nPlease join us for a special Tuesday triple feature edition of our monthly open mic and featured poetry reading series  Poetorium Too at TidePool Bookshop (located at 372 Chandler Street in Worcester\, MA) on September 29th\, 2026 from 5 pm to 7 pm hosted by Paul Szlosek and (hopefully) Ron Whittle.  It will be a full two hours of poetry and spoken word featuring 20 minute readings each by poets Stephen Campiglio\,  Claire Schaeffer-Duffy\, & Simon Hunt\, followed by the passing of a hat to pay our features\, a short intermission\, and then an open mic with 5-minute slots for each reader if time allows (in order to fit everything planned into our allotted time\, if the event runs too long\, readers may be restricted to one poem). \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nStephen Campiglio lives in southern Worcester County and works at Connecticut State Community College in Manchester\, where he also founded and directed for 12 years the Mishi-maya-gat Spoken Word & Music Series. He co-edited and contributed to the Noh Place Poetry Anthology and was a winner in Mapping Worcester in Poetry: Poems in and Out of Places. His poetry\, and his Italian translations\, have also appeared of late in The Closed Eye Open\, Delos\, Gradiva\, Italian Americana\, Poet Lore\, SurVision\, and Wild Roof Journal\, and a featured section of his poems translated into Italian by Barbera Carle has appeared in Journal of Italian Translation. Stephen recently won the inaugural Bill Tremblay Poetry Prize (sponsored by the Jacob Edwards Library) and had a poem selected for the collection\, Remembering Wallace Stevens\, published by Moon Arts Center. His book-length translation from the Italian\, with Elena Borelli\, of Giovanni Pascoli’s 1903 volume of poems\, Canti di Castelvecchio\, was recently published by Italica Press. \n\n\n\nClaire Schaeffer-Duffy is a poet & freelance writer living in Worcester\, MA. A childhood spent overseas left her eternally hungry for travel. Writing has allowed her to pursue that yearning. Her reviews and essays have appeared in various publications including America Magazine\, Commonweal\, and Consequence. Her reporting for the National Catholic Reporting has garnered a number of awards from the Catholic Press Association. She comes to poetry late in life grateful for a form that inculcates marvel. \n\n\n\nSimon Hunt moved to Massachusetts\, after having lived in Monterey\, California\, for 20 years and Las Vegas\, Nevada\, for three. He has been a teacher for more than four decades\, predominantly in California and predominantly at the high school level.  Simon was born in what is now Zimbabwe and also lived in South Africa and the United Kingdom as well as the USA during his childhood.  His poems have been published widely in print and online journals. 2018 saw the publication of his first collection\, Lesser Magi\, and in 2019 his first play\, Re-run\, was performed.  Endlings\, his second collection of poems\, was published in 2023.  The father of two\, he served the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation in Carmel\, California\, as a volunteer tour docent and trustee for over a decade.  He lives in Ashburnham\, with his wife\, novelist Melissa (Dorval) Hunt. \n\n\n\n—————————— URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/poetorium-too-reading/ LOCATION:TidePool Bookshop\, 372 Chandler St. Unit 101\, Worcester\, MA\, 01602 ORGANIZER;CN="Paul Szlosek":MAILTO:poetsparlor@hotmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260927T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260927T180000 DTSTAMP:20260914T215235Z CREATED:20260914T215110Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260914T215235Z UID:13476-1790524800-1790532000@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:2026 Frank O'Hara Prize Winner's Reading DESCRIPTION:We hope you’ll join us in just under two weeks for the 2026 Frank O’Hara Prize Winner’s Reading! \n\n\n\nSunday\, September 27th\, from 4-6pm in the Salisbury House Ballroom\, 61 Harvard St. in Worcester. \n\n\n\nEvent begins with readings from the 2026 Frank O’Hara Prize Winners and concludes with a reading from 2026 Judge\, January Gill O’Neil. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFirst Place Prize – M (Maia) Campbell\, Masachusetts\, for “apologia poetica”Second Place – Dr. Huili Zheng of Rutland\, Massachusetts\, for “Legoland at Night”Third Place – Michael Milligan of Worcester\, Massachusetts\, for “Among the Trees” \n\n\n\nM (Maia) Campbell URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/13476/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T210000 DTSTAMP:20260901T211449Z CREATED:20260901T211446Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T211449Z UID:13439-1790449200-1790456400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Poets at Large Presents Knowles and Aeroelastic Flutter DESCRIPTION:Poets at Large will continue its seventh season on Saturday night\, September 26th with two disparate types of poetry. The show begins at 7 p.m. at The Vanilla Bean Café\, 450 Deerfield Road\, in Pomfret\, CT and featured that night will be Frederick-Douglass Knowles II and performance artist duo Aeroelastic Flutter. Suggested donation is $10.00. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nKnowles is a Hartford Poet Laureate Emeritus\, an English Professor at CT State Community College and author of BlackRoseCity (Author House 2011). He is the recipient of The Nutmeg Poetry Award\, a Connecticut of the Arts Fellow in Artistic Excellence in Poetry/Creative Non- Fiction\, and a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee. He will be showcasing work from his newest book\, Sinking in Moonlight Alone. \n\n\n\nAeroelastic Flutter is a spoken word and sound collaboration\, combining the often-absurdist poetry of Jim Whitten with the guitar work and sound exploration of Nicholas Pecsok. Their project experiments with lo-fi audio and borderline performance art\, challenging audiences to reevaluate how poetry can be performed and defined. \n\n\n\nPoets at Large has brought over 150 published and awarded poets to the area since 2020 and dozens of people have participated in the open mic portions during that time. Poets at Large is a project of Windham Arts. All events are ADA compliant and are recommended for ages 16 and up. Readings for the rest of the season are sponsored in part by donations from bankHometown\,Charter Oak FCU\, WHZ Financial and The Putnam Area Foundation. Contact karen.warinsky@gmail.com to sign up for the open mic; 5-minute max as time allows. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/poets-at-large-presents-knowles-and-aeroelastic-flutter/ LOCATION:Vanilla Bean Cafe\, 450 Deerfield Road\, Pomfret\, CT\, 06259\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Karen Warinsky%2C Poets At Large":MAILTO:karen.warinsky@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260925T123000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260925T123000 DTSTAMP:20260921T221422Z CREATED:20260921T221419Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260921T221422Z UID:13488-1790339400-1790339400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Why We Need Hero(ines): The Power of Biography featuring Megan Marshall DESCRIPTION:As part of Homecoming Weekend\, Worcester State University welcomes Megan Marshall\, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and past president of the Society of American Historians\, for a talk on the power of biography and the stories of women who have shaped American history and culture. To take place in the Blue Lounge of the Worcester State Student Center. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/why-we-need-heroines-the-power-of-biography-featuring-megan-marshall/ LOCATION:Massachusetts END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T200000 DTSTAMP:20260919T185007Z CREATED:20260901T222838Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260919T185007Z UID:13452-1790103600-1790107200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:A Virtual Thirsty Lab with Eve Rifkah DESCRIPTION:The Thirsty Lab poetry reading\, normally based out of Princeton\, MA\, continues to meet virtually. Join us on Tuesday September 22nd  VIRTUALLY ON ZOOM with none other than Eve Rifkah\, our featured reader! \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n!!REGISTER HERE!! \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nEve Rifkah was a welfare mom for too many years. She worked as a divider in a skirt factory\, in a cardboard box factory\, as a compositor for the local rag\, a free-lance reporter\, and wandering adjunct English professor\, after getting an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She was co-founder of Poetry Oasis\, Inc. (1998-2012)\, a non-profit poetry association. Founder\, and editor of DINER\, a literary magazine. She is the 2021 recipient of the Stanley Kunitz medal. The play\, Outcasts the Lepers of Penikese Island\, was based on her first book. She lives in Worcester\, MA. \n\n\n\nWebpage: eve-rifkah.com URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/a-virtual-thirsty-lab-with-eve-rifkah-4/ LOCATION:Virtual Online Only END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260919T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260919T160000 DTSTAMP:20260901T194543Z CREATED:20260901T194539Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T194543Z UID:13436-1789826400-1789833600@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Open Mic Roundtable Poetry with Special Feature Susan Marie Powers DESCRIPTION:Open Mic Roundtable Poetry with Special Feature Susan Marie PowersSeptember 19th @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pmPlease join us for our Monthly Open Mic Poetry Roundtable moderated by Robert Eugene Perry. This month will also feature a reading and book signing by Susan Powers! \n\n\n\nAll local poets are invited to bring original poems to share in a supportive\, nurturing environment. There is space for up to 14 readers and usually fills up quickly!  \n\n\n\nListeners are always welcome.To sign up \, please call 508-949-6232 or email deb@bookloversgourmet.com. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSusan Marie Powers is a life-long educator who has enjoyed working with an enormous variety of students including gifted children\, university students\, international students\, and residents of a drug rehabilitation facility. She lived in several places in the United States before settling deep in the beautiful woods of Northeast Connecticut with her husband. \n\n\n\nDue to her interest in both literature and psychology\, Powers attained graduate degrees in English literature and clinical psychology. No matter where she was living or whom she was teaching\, she continued to write essays\, stories\, and poetry. Her first book of poetry\, Break the Spell\, was published by New London Librarium press in 2010. You will find her poetry in Tiferet\, Sixfold Magazine\, and the Orenaug Mountain Poetry Journal. Her poetry also appears in the 2024 anthology Personal Freedom and the 2025 collection Lost Love (Orenaug Mountain Publishing). \n\n\n\nIn February of 2024\, Powers was awarded a 10-day residency by The Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs\, Arkansas to work on her eco-poetry collection. In November of 2025\, Powers returned to WCDH where an 11-day-scholarship resulted in the completion of Gather Your Chi. A great debt is owed to WCDH for supporting artists in their creative endeavors. \n\n\n\nCurrently\, Susan Marie Powers is the Inaugural Poet Laureate for the town of Scotland\, Connecticut. She conducts workshops for all ages\, hosts open mics\, and continues to marvel at the beauty of the natural world.  URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/open-mic-roundtable-poetry-with-special-feature-susan-marie-powers/ LOCATION:Booklover’s Gourmet END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260916T183000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260916T203000 DTSTAMP:20260823T190939Z CREATED:20260823T190936Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260823T190939Z UID:13411-1789583400-1789590600@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:The Poetry Extravaganza with Joe Fusco Jr. DESCRIPTION:Once in a bluish moon\, I book myself for a Feature\, especially if I have a new book to share like ‘Here We Go Again.’ \n\n\n\nJoin us at The Mill in West Boylston on September 16th. Hoping to see past featured performers from both of my venues help us celebrate my book release. \n\n\n\nThe Mill is right off Rt 190\, has a spacious parking lot\, serves delectable apps\, entrees\, and desserts with a full bar. \n\n\n\nWe have a separate room with AC for our monthly shenanigans. Admission is still free. All of the Tip Jar proceeds go to the Feature. My reading will not be sponsored. \n\n\n\nThe Poetry Extravaganza (PE) is the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 6:30-8;45 pm. Sign up for the open mic at jfjr6969@gmail.com. Five minute maximum\, Please! There are no language restrictions. We are not kid-friendly! \n\n\n\nJoin the Fun on September 16th! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJoe Fusco Jr. is a well-seasoned humorist/stand-up poet/storyteller from Worcester\, Massachusetts. He is the author of six books of semi-amusing poems and essays: “Here We Go Again (2026)\, “Random Thoughts from a Curmudgeon “(2023)\, “Pondering the Pandemic during The Rust Years” (2021); “Hmm…That’s Different” (2020); “Three Score” (2014); and “The Lost and Found Essays” (2012)\, all available at local bookstores and Amazon.Joe’s musings have appeared in Damfino Press\, Ballard Street Poetry\, Worcester Review\, Asinine Poetry\, Soul Lit\, and the e-zine Clean Sheets. He was a co-winner of the Jacob Knight Poetry Award in 2002 and was named Best Poet by Worcester Magazine readers in 1999 and 2002. Joe is a Humor Columnist for Worcester Magazine and the last Worcester Mega-Slam winner in 2017. He features at bookstores\, libraries\, clubs\, and coffeehouses throughout Central Massachusetts and Belgium. He is the host of The Poetry Extravaganza at The Mill in West Boylston and The Richard Fox Poetry Series in Worcester. Joe has taught “Humor 101” for high-school students at Gateways Academy in Shrewsbury\, and for adults at the Senior Centers of Worcester\, Lancaster\, Millbury\, Princeton\, and Auburn\, as well as Eisenberg Assisted Living\, Notre Dame Assisted Living\, The Residence of Orchard Grove\, Overlook in Charlton\, Hillside Village in West Boylston\, and Christopher Heights Assisted Living. He taught ‘Humor 102’ for WISE at Assumption University and will teach ‘Humor 103’ in November 2026. He is the Vice-President of Programming for the Worcester County Poetry Association.Joe has lived in lovely Worcester with his better-half Cyndi and their large family for forty-one years. He is a registered Independent and sleeps with one eye always open. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/the-poetry-extravaganza-with-joe-fusco-jr/ LOCATION:The Mill\, 185 W. Boylston Street\, West Boylston\, Massachusetts\, 01583\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T210000 DTSTAMP:20260901T221654Z CREATED:20260901T221651Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T221654Z UID:13442-1789149600-1789160400@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Brain Wash DESCRIPTION:BRAIN WASH POETRY & OPEN MIC AT HUNCHBACK GALLERY CO-SPONSORED BY W.A.G. & POETORIUM \n\n\n\nBRAIN WASH: \n\n\n\nPOETRY & OPEN MIC \n\n\n\nSEPTEMBER 11TH\, 2026 \n\n\n\n6PM TO 9PM \n\n\n\nAMONGST THE ART\, THE WORCESTER ARTISTS GROUP IS HOSTING THE POETORIUM AT HUNCHBACK GALLERY \n\n\n\nFOR A NIGHT OF POETRY! FREE! \n\n\n\nFEATURED POETS & AN OPEN MIC! \n\n\n\nALSO A UNIQUE AUDIENCE GROUP POEM \n\n\n\nASSEMBLED AND READ AT THE END \n\n\n\n(ANONYMOUS & NOT REQUIRED)! \n\n\n\nFEATURING \n\n\n\nSTEVEN BIZEL \n\n\n\nEVE RIFKAH \n\n\n\nCLAIRE SCHAEFFER-DUFFY \n\n\n\nMC’D BY PAUL SZLOSEK \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSteven Bizel is an extremely talented poet living in Pittsfield\, Massachusetts who has been a regular attendee of The Poetorium Too at TidePool Bookshop since August of 2025.  \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nEve Rifkah was co-founder of Poetry Oasis\, Inc.\, and founder and editor of Diner\, a literary journal. She was the 2021 recipient of the Stanley Kunitz award. Eve has published seven collections of her poetry\, the latest being Sustenance published in August of 2026 . The play\, Outcasts the Lepers of Penikese Island\, was based on her first book\, Outcasts the Penikese Island Leper Hospital  \n\n\n\n1905-1921. \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClaire Schaeffer-Duffy is a freelance writer in Worcester\, MA. A childhood spent overseas left her eternally hungry for travel. Writing has allowed her to pursue that yearning. Her reviews and essays have appeared in various publications including America Magazine\, Commonweal\, and Consequence. Her reporting for the National Catholic Reporting has garnered a number of awards from the Catholic Press Association. She comes to poetry late in life grateful for a form that inculcates marvel. URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/brain-wash/ LOCATION:Hunchback Gallery\, 75 Webster ST\, Worceter\, Massachusetts\, 01603\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Paul Szlosek":MAILTO:poetsparlor@hotmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260910T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260910T203000 DTSTAMP:20260901T171902Z CREATED:20260901T171857Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T171902Z UID:13422-1789066800-1789072200@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Beyond The Page: Poetry Reading and Open Mic DESCRIPTION: URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/beyond-the-page-poetry-reading-and-open-mic/ LOCATION:Greendale Family Branch YMCA\, 75 Shore Drive\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01605\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260910T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260910T193000 DTSTAMP:20260803T224548Z CREATED:20260803T153323Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T224548Z UID:13380-1789063200-1789068600@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Poet Stephen Campiglio & Soprano Xuemei Jiang DESCRIPTION: URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/poet-stephen-campiglio-sopranoxuemei-jiang/ LOCATION:Jacob Edwards Library\, 236 Main St.\, Southbridge\, MA\, 01550\, United States END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260909T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260909T203000 DTSTAMP:20260901T222102Z CREATED:20260901T222059Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260901T222102Z UID:13450-1788980400-1788985800@worcestercountypoetry.org SUMMARY:Monthly Board Meeting: September Edition DESCRIPTION:Join us in discussing our various happenings and future! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\nAGENDA – WCPA Board \n\n\n\nWednesday\, September 9 th \, 2026\, from 7-8:30pm \n\n\n\nSalisbury House Ball Room \n\n\n\n\nOpening Poem – Irena Kaçi – 5min\n\n\n\nWelcome – Everyone – 5 min – Appoint a Timekeeper\n\n\n\nDedicated time for member comments – 10 minutes\n\n\n\nSecretary’s Report – Linda Warren – 5 min\n\n\n\nFinancial Report – Treasurer\, Mary Driscoll – 5 min\n\n\n\nProgramming Report – Joe Fusco\, Jr. – 5 min\n\n\n\nExecutive Director’s Report – Irena Kaci – 5 min\n\n\n\nDiscussion: Establishing a series of workshops on the use of AI forliterary artists – 15 min\n\n\n\nDiscussion: Review of the staffing needed for The Curt Curtain PoetryContest – 15 min\n\n\n\nDiscussion: Mercantile Holiday Bazaar – 10 min\n\n\n\nPromote and Connect: Announcements\, news and connections\, and itemsfor future agendas – Everyone 10 min.\n\n\n\n\nADJOURNNext Board Meeting – Wednesday\, October 14th\, 2026 URL:https://worcestercountypoetry.org/event/monthly-board-meeting-september-edition-2/ LOCATION:WCPA Headquarters\, 61 Harvard St.\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01602 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR