Worcester County Poetry Association

Richard Fox Poetry Series: Paul Szlosek
2024-08-22 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Root and Press, 156 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA, 01604, United States
The Richard Fox Poetry Series is a monthly poetry open- mic with a featured reader. It honors the memory of the iconic Worcester poet and human-being extraordinaire Richard Fox.

This month’s Feature poet will be the iconic Paul SzlosekFree admission.

On-the-street parking.

Root and Press Books and Cafe has an awesome array of food and beverages and an expanded book selection at their new location.Signup for the open mic at joesyellowpad@gmail.com. Limited spots available.Sponsored by the ‘Fox Fund’ (Worcester County Poetry Association)

Paul Szlosek is a poet born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, but currently residing in the nearby metropolis of Worcester. The recipient of the 2023 Stanley Kunitz Medal as well as the Jacob Knight Award for Poetry in 2001, he was co-founder and host of the long-running Poet’s Parlor poetry reading in Southbridge and Sturbridge. In May 2019, Paul started a brand-new open mic and featured poetry reading series with poet Ron Whittle called The Poetorium at Starlite (also in Southbridge) which closed in March 2020 due to COVID, but reopened in June 2022 (in the two-year interim, he ran an online print version entitled The Virtual Poetorium). His poetry has appeared in various local & national print & online publications including The Worcester Review, Worcester Magazine, Radius, Sahara, Concrete Wolf, Soul-Lit, Diner, & Silkworm. Paul is probably best known in the Central Massachusetts poetry community for his fanatical obsession with obscure poetry forms. He has invented his own including the ziggurat, the streetbeatina, the hodgenelle, the lux, and the singsangsong which he often shares on his blog, Paul’s Poetry Playground.

The Richard Fox Poetry Series: Featuring Paul Szlosek
2024-08-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Root and Press, 156 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA, 01604, United States
The Richard Fox Poetry Series is a monthly poetry open- mic with a featured reader. It honors the memory of the iconic Worcester poet and human-being extraordinaire Richard Fox. Our feature will be Paul Szlosek, who was well acquainted with the poet Richard Fox.

Free admission. On-the-street parking. Root and Press Books and Cafe has an awesome array of food and beverages and an expanded book selection at their new location.

Signup for the open mic at joesyellowpad@gmail.com. Limited spots available.

Sponsored by the ‘Fox Fund’ (Worcester County Poetry Association)

Paul Szlosek is a poet born in Southbridge, Massachusetts, but currently resides in the nearby metropolis of Worcester. He was co-founder and host of the long-running Poet’s Parlor poetry reading in Southbridge and Sturbridge, as well as a past recipient of the Jacob Knight Award for Poetry. In May 2019, Paul started a brand new open mic and featured poetry reading series with poet Ron Whittle called The Poetorium at Starlite (also in Southbridge) which closed in March 2020 due to COVID, but reopened recently in June 2022 (in the two-year interim, he ran an online print version entitled The Virtual Poetorium which he still continues under the name The International Imaginarium For Word & Verse). His poetry has appeared in various local & national print & online publications including The Worcester Review, Worcester Magazine, Radius, Sahara, Concrete Wolf, Soul-Lit, and Diner. He’s probably best known in the Central Massachusetts poetry community for his fanatical obsession with obscure poetry forms, and has invented his own including the ziggurat, the streetbeatina, the hodgenelle, the lux, and the singsangsong which he often shares with readers on his poetry blog Paul’s Poetry Play Ground

Poetry Workshop at New Dawn
2024-08-20 19:00 - 21:00 | New Dawn Center, 84 Main St., Ashburnham, MA, 01607, United States
Come out to the New Dawn Writers’ Group’s Poetry Workshop. Every third Tuesday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm 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. The address is 84 Main Street, Ashburnham, MA. The workshop is being led by Fred Gerhard.

An evening of writing to poetry prompts, friendly critiques of poems anyone wants to workshop, and open discussion about poetry in general, writing poems, publishing, and presenting/reading poems well. This is a free monthly event, but donations to New Dawn are accepted to keep arts alive and well locally.

Fred Gerhard leads the Poetry Workshop, and is one of the open mic hosts, for the New Dawn Writers’ Group. His poems appear in numerous anthologies and magazines. His new book is Drifting to “Hello” (Khotso Publishing), and his first chapbook, Lilacs Still Bloom in Ashburnham: Songs of Spring came out in 2023 from 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

Booklover's Gourmet Open Mic
2024-08-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Booklover’s Gourmet
Please respond to Den Horan to reserve your spot!

Bob Perry, emcee

Open Mic Poetry

Saturday, August 17th, 2-4 PM

Join us for this monthly round robin style, open poetry share. The event is limited to 14 people and usually fills up quickly.

To sign up to participate, please email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or call 508-949-6232.

Slightly Off Beat Poets
2024-08-11 13:00 - 16:00
IMPORTANT: PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR FOR THIS OUTDOOR EVENT

WHAT: Slightly Off-beat Poets Presents: Katie Elizabeth Walsh & Tom Laughlin

WHERE: Betsy’s Backyard Stage 185 Arvidson Road Woodstock, CT

WHEN: Sunday August 11th, 2024 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

WHAT HAPPENS: Our feature poets of the month will each read for 15 minutes. Then we will take a quick break for book sales, snacks and the raffle before starting the open mic. Open mic will be round robin, one poem at a time until 4 PM.

COST: There will be a 50/50 raffle, split between the feature and the winner. 5$ to enter.

SIGN-UPS: There is room for 20 poets/ 40 total guests. To reserve a spot please email: roberteugeneperry@gmail.com

PLEASE NOTE: 185 Arvidson Road is a dirt road. GPS will send you to ways: If you come off Roseland Park Road (right near Roseland Park) onto Arvidson it will begin as paved and a sign will tell you when the pavement ends. Just stay to the right and 185 is about 1/2 mile up on the right side.

If it sends you up Child Hill Rd, you will make a left onto Arvidson dirt road and it will be less than a 1/4 mile on the left.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON STREET! Pull in the driveway and you can park on the grass along the edge or pull all the way around. Plenty of parking!

Katie Elizabeth Walsh works as a senior editor and accessibility consultant for an ed-tech company. She has been a guest lecturer at the University of Connecticut, a guest speaker for her town’s Out of the Darkness Walk, has taught at the True Colors Conference, and was a member of the Disability Coalition for the 2020 election. Katie lives in Warren, MA where she is controlled by three cats, one coffee maker, and infinite hair dye.

Tom Laughlin is a Professor of English and Coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts where he coordinates the MCC Visiting Writers Series; open readings for students; and the publication of the online literary magazine Dead River Review. He was a volunteer staff reader for many years for Ploughshares and has taught literature classes in two Massachusetts prisons. His poetry has appeared in Green Mountains Review, Ibbetson Street, Drunk Monkeys, Sand Hills, Blue Mountain Review,Pensive, The Main Street Rag, Superpresent Magazine, The Lowell Review, Molecule, and elsewhere. His poetry chapbook, The Rest of the Way, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2022. Website.

Arts in the Garden
2024-08-08 17:00 - 19:00 | Community Teaching Garden, 3 West Boylston Dr., Worcester, MA, 01602, United States
Join us at The Garden on August 8th at 5pm, which is our new ‘early’ start time! Admission is Free! Bring your non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to this family-friendly event. We even have an awesome new mural and an expansive port-a-potty! Hosted by Carl Gomes. Watch and listen to Glenn and Irena perform their music and muse!

Glenn Hilliard grew up in Cincinnati and studied music starting at an early age and has lived in Worcester Massachusetts for 38 years performing and teaching piano and formally working in Mental Health Rehabilitation Counseling for several years in the Worcester area. Glenn has performed with many area musicians and released his debut album in 2014, “A Road Less Traveled.” He is presently working on a new recording, duo with Brian Merrill, a gifted harmonica player/singer in his own right. The album is due to be released soon. Glenn in his music still works with his Gospel roots and works in Churches and Christian Coffeehouses but also enjoys playing his vintage style in various settings always respectful and sensitive to all beliefs and traditions, always to encourage and uplift. Glenn has performed at many Coffeehouses, Restaurants, Retirement Communities, Senior Citizen Centers, and Memory Cafes.

Irena Kaci is a poet and writer living in Worcester with her spouse and two children. Her poem ‘Onions’ placed 3rd in the 2023 O’Hara Prize Contest and her work has appeared in the Worcester Review , Atticus Review, and 45 online Journal. Irena’s work touches on themes of parenting, immigration , and longing. She is working on putting together her 1st chapbook

Poetorium at Starlite Poetry Open Mic & Reading Series Featuring Timothy Gager and Alan Ira Gordon
2024-08-04 19:00 - 22:00 | Starlite Bar and Gallery, 39 Hamilton St, Southbridge, MA, 01550
Please join us for a special double feature edition of our monthly open mic and featured poetry reading series The Poetorium at Starlite hosted by Paul Szlosek and Ron Whittle. It will be a full evening of poetry and spoken word starting with a brief interview on stage with our two featured poets Timothy Gager (Author of Joe the Salamander & The Best of Timothy Gager) and Alan Ira Gordon (Author of Planet Hunter, The Doggo Book, and his latest Pittsburgh and Other Poems) followed by poetry readings by our features, a 10-minute tribute to a dead poet by a guest reader (T.B.A), a short intermission, and then an open mic (with 5-minute slots for each reader). Admission is free, but a hat will be passed for donations to pay our feature and compensate Starlite for the use of their space. For more information, please get in touch with us at poetorium@mail.com or visit our website https//poetorium.home.blog/2019/04/29/the-poetorium-at-starlite-2/

Bestselling Author, Timothy Gager has published 18 books of fiction and poetry, which includes his latest novel, Joe the Salamander. He hosted the successful Dire Literary Series in Cambridge, MA from 2001 to 2018, and started a weekly virtual series in 2020. He has had over 1000 works of fiction and poetry published, 18 nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His work also has been nominated twice for a Massachusetts Book Award, The Best of the Web, The Best Small Fictions Anthology and has been read on National Public Radio. In 2023, Big Table Publishing published an anthology of twenty years of his selected work, with 150 pages of new material: The Best of Timothy Gager.

Alan Ira Gordon is an urban planning professor at Worcester State University and writer of science fiction/fantasy/horror poetry and short stories. His poetry publications include Analog Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and he’s a frequent contributor to Star*Line, the quarterly journal of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA). Alan’s science fiction/fantasy/horror poetry has received seven Rhysling Award nominations, a Dwarf Star Award, and an Analog Magazine year’s best nomination (Second Place Award). He has three published poetry collections: Planet Hunter, The Doggo Book, and his latest Pittsburgh and Other Poems, all released by Hiraeth Books. Planet Hunter was nominated for the SFPA Elgin Award. Alan guest-edited Issue #24 of Eye To The Telescope, the online publication of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA). His poetry, short stories, and articles have been published in various genre magazines and anthologies, a partial list of which can be found on his website.

Booklover's Gourmet Double Poetry
2024-08-03 15:00 - 17:00 | Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 E. Main St., Webster, MA, 01570
Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster, MA is pleased to present a Double Poetry Event featuring CurtCurtin and John Gaumond, both accomplished Worcester area poets with newly released books. Thereading and signing will take place on Saturday, August 3 rd at 3 p.m. and will be followed by an OpenMic hosted by Paul Szlosek. To sign up to read for the Open Mic portion, please emaildeb@bookloversgourmet.com or call 508-949-6232. Booklovers’ Gourmet is located at 72 East MainStreet in Webster, MA. The event is free and open to the public. Signed books will be available forpurchase.

Curt Curtin is a lifelong poet who has published six poetry collections: four for adults, one for youngadults, and one for young children. He’s also had many individual poems published in anthologies,journals, and three chapbooks and has twice been nominated twice for a Pushcart prize. In 2010 hereceived the first Frank O’Hara Poetry award from the Worcester County Poetry Association, and in2019 he won second place in the annual contest of the Connecticut Poetry Society. In 2023 Curt wongrants from both the Worcester Arts Council and the Mass Cultural Council to support his work.Curt taught college English and creative writing for 20 years at Westfield State College, MA, followingseveral years teaching younger students. He has been a featured reader in many poetry venues inMassachusetts and New Hampshire, and twice in Ireland. Updates on his poetry can be foundat www.curtcurtinpoet.com.

This reading will feature poems from Curt’s latest collection, In Our Name. The title comes from apoem entitled, “Possibility” which opens: “In our name, We, the state, embrace war without a trueaccount of outcomes, naming only the sins of enemies, hiding our gains behind a wall of flags.” Thecollection explores themes of violence, human suffering and the predatory forces of nature. Whilesometimes difficult and painful to read, the poems offer hope for humanity—encouraging readersto bear witness, become “compassionately wise,” and “set aside our ancient retributions.”

John Gaumond of Worcester, Massachusetts is a poet, photographer, gardener, and professor emeritus at Fitchburg State University. He received the Jacob Knight Poetry Award in 2006. His poems have been published in numerous journals, including Poets in the Galleries, The Connecticut River Review, Sahara, Worcester Magazine, The Longfellow Society Journal, The Leaflet, The Lancaster Times, The Issue, Ballard Street Poetry Journal, The Worcester Telegram and The Worcester Review. His photographs have appeared in The Worcester Review, Diner, Ballard Street Poetry Journal, The River Valley Current, the Worcester Telegram and Worcester Magazine.

“In his debut poetry collection, Finding the Words, John Gaumond stands in the rubble of hisruminations with his talents as a deft wordsmith. His utilization of rhyme and intellect combine toilluminate his subjects, enabling readers to see the world in extraordinary ways. The book portraysmysterious and tragic occurrences of his youth which required assuming responsibilities ofadulthood. A noble dignity and sobering acceptance are revealed to surmount life’s challenges. Hisekphrastic poems possess a deep wonder and imagination. From tender moments recalling MarilynMonroe’s smile, to the implications of abandoning the penny, this book fills me with admiration andrespect.” Review by bg Thurston

The Writers' Collective Presents: From Page To Stage
2024-08-02 19:00 - 20:00 | JMac/Brickbox Theater, 20 Franklin Street, Worcester, MA, 01608, United States

A Virtual Thirsty Lab with David Thoreen
2024-07-30 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Online Meeting, United States
The Thirsty Lab poetry reading, normally based out of Princeton, Mass., continues to meet virtually. On Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 David Thoreen will be the featured reader. Please Click Here to register.

David Thoreen’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Verse Daily, The AmericanJournal of Poetry, Flint Hills Review, New Ohio Review, Presence, and elsewhere. If youcatch him smiling you’ll know he’s been reading John Berryman or Stanley Elkin orWilliam Gay again. He teaches writing and literature at Assumption University.

Kunitz Medal Award Celebration
2024-07-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, 01609, United States
Celebrating Rodger Martin

Stanley Kunitz Medal Award CelebrationJuly 25, 6:30 p.m.Worcester Historical Museum30 Elm St.Worcester, MA

Arts in The Garden
2024-07-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Community Teaching Garden, 3 West Boylston Dr., Worcester, MA, 01602, United States
Join us at The Garden on July 25th at 6pm.

Admission is Free! Bring your non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to this family-friendly event.We even have an awesome new mural and an expansive port-a-potty!Hosted by Carl Gomes.

Watch Jared and Joanne perform their music and muse!

Joanne Johnson has been writing poetry for 50 years. She currently lives in Worcester with her husband of 45 years. She had two children. Joey, her oldest son died at age 35 years old. He had Neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy. Her younger son, Matthew lives in North Attleboro Massachusetts and is 34 years old. She started writing poems about grief after Joey died. She hopes that her writing will help others deal with their grief after losing a loved one. She has been published in Worcester magazine, the Grief Digest and has published a book called An Imperfect Journey on Amazon.

Jared Fiske is a performing musician out of central MA. He has been performing professionally for 20+ years. Fiske is perhaps best known for his work as a solo performer and songwriter, and as a member of the popular Americana/rock outfit “The Casters”. He also performs in an acoustic duo with his wife, Jessica, under the pseudonym “Never Say Never”. He was also a member of the (now defunct) folk-pop duo “Fiske and Herrera”, who recorded and toured throughout the country from 2006-2011. A lifetime fan of recording, Fiske has produced albums for many prominent local artists out of his home studio.

Fiske’s original song “Choice” was selected for use in a short film by the non-profit organization Planetaid.org. He also co-wrote the song “On a Monday” which received the $5,000 grand prize award at ourstage.com for best song across all genres. His music has been described as “Alluring and beautiful” by Tim Harrington of the band Tall Heights, and Worcester Magazine said of his most recent album “We’re Already Gone” that “there’s really no way to prepare oneself for how achingly beautiful and melancholy Jared Fiske’s new album is.” (Victor Infante). That same album was selected as one of the “best of 2021” in Worcester Magazine. You can catch Jared performing at bars, coffeehouses, town commons and festivals throughout Massachusetts

A Virtual Thirsty Lab
2024-07-23 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Online Meeting, United States
The Thirsty Lab poetry reading, normally based out of Princeton, Mass., continues to meet virtually. On Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024 Jennifer Freed will be the featured reader. Please Click Here to register.

Jennifer Freed is the author of When Light Shifts, a 2022 finalist for the Sheila Margaret Motton Book prize, and of the chapbook These Hands Still Holding, a finalist for the 2013 New Women’s Voices Chapbook competition. Her poems have appeared in various journals, including Atlanta Review, Bellevue Literary Review, BODY, and Rust and Moth. and have been nominated Best of the Net, The Pushcart Prize, and the Orison Anthology. Awards include the 2022 Frank O’Hara prize, the 2020 Samuel Washington Allen Prize, and honorable mention for the 2022 Connecticut Poetry Award. She taught English to college students in China about a year before the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, and to professionals in the Czech Republic about a year after the fall of the Berlin wall before returning to the Boston area, where she worked for many years in ESL and curriculum development. She has been teaching adult writing programs for public and private groups since 2014. Please visit her website.

Robert Eugene Perry, Featured Poet and Novelist at New Dawn Writers' Group
2024-07-23 18:00 - 21:00 | New Dawn Center, 84 Main St., Ashburnham, MA, 01607, United States
The Fourth Tuesday Author Series and Open Mic will be held from 6 until 9 p.m. Tuesday, July 23.This month’s guest author is Robert Eugene Perry , award-winning poet and author of five books, including his most recent book of poetry, ‘Earthsongs.’ The author will read and take questions starting at 6 p.m., followed by an open mic. at 7 p.m.

Robert Eugene Perry is a native of Massachusetts and the author of five books. His most recent book of poetry Earthsongs, was published by Human Error Publishing in 2022.

Perry has emceed the monthly Open Mic at Booklovers’ Gourmet in Webster, MA (USA) since May 2017.He has had several poems published in Worcester Magazine, as well as Florence Poetry Society’s Silkworm 16, Poetica Magazine’s Mizmor Anthology, NatureCulture’s Honoring Nature collection, National Beat Poetry Foundation Remembering Jack Kerouac on his 100th Birthday, Beat Style Love Poems and Natural Worlds anthologies, Meat for Tea: The Valley Review, his poem Primal was a finalist in the 2023 Beals Prize for Poetry and his poem Heard Steet/ Hadwen Park in Winter was a winner in the 2024 Poems in and out of Places sponsored by the Mapping Worcester in Poetry & the WCPA. His short story In the Company of Trees was published by Wordpeace Journal.

As a metaphysical poet, he finds inspiration in nature and endeavors to draw connections between our higher selves and the natural world.

Free People's Workshop
2024-07-22 19:00 - 21:00 | WCPA Office @ Salisbury House, 61 Harvard St., Worcester MA, MA, 01605, United States
Poets, Writers, Artists, Musicians, creatives in general meet for a few hours in the comfortable environs of the Salisbury House to share current work. Constructive dialogue always encouraged.

Booklover's Gourmet
2024-07-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Booklover’s Gourmet
Please respond to Den Horan to reserve your spot!

Bob Perry, emcee

Open Mic Poetry

Saturday, July 20th, 2-4 PM

Join us for this monthly round robin style, open poetry share. The event is limited to 14 people and usually fills up quickly.

To sign up to participate, please email deb@bookloversgourmet.com or call 508-949-6232.

A Walk in Thoreau's Shoes: Reading & Rambling
2024-07-20 10:00 - 12:00 | Goodnow Memorial Library, Town Hall Drive, Princeton, Massachusetts, 01541, United States
Princeton Art Society members, in partnership with Goodnow Memorial Library, are commemorating Thoreau’s 1842 walk in Princeton. We’ll meet at the library for an introduction and several readings from Thoreau’s essay, “A Walk to Wachusett.” Then we’ll regroup at the Mountain House trail head on Mountain Road, and make the approximately 30-minute climb to the summit. (Those who prefer not to walk can drive up the auto road; a small fee is charged unless you have a Massachusetts State Park Pass.) Enjoy refreshments and more readings at the summit. This event is FREE, and all are welcome!

Mountain House trail head is across from the intersection of Mountain Road and Gregory Road.No rain date; in case of bad weather we’ll stay at the library for readings and refreshments.

Fadi Yousef: Flowers for the Dying Moon
2024-07-18 19:00 - 20:00 | TidePool Bookshop, 372 Chandler St. Unit 101, Worcester, MA, 01602
Please join us for a special evening with poet Fadi Yousef at Tidepool Books as he reads from his new poetry collection, Flowers for the Dying Moon. Fadi will also sign copies of the book which will be available for sale at the bookshop.

In this collection of forty-nine poems, Fadi Yousef takes the reader on a personal journey about the power of love and joy, loss and grief. The power of family is evocatively threaded throughout the poems. The love and security a family brings and the pain and loss a family bears are all deftly woven together. Flowers for the Dying Moon displays a devotion to the existential palette from death and desire to war and wonderment. Flowers for the Dying Moon is Fadi Yousef’s second book. His first was The Homeless Gentleman with Fulton Press.

Fadi Yousef was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1977 and immigrated to the states in 1983 at the age of six with his family. He currently resides in Worcester, Massachusetts, and works for Worcester Public Schools as an Instructional Assistant. He attended Worcester State University from 1995-2000 and graduated with a degree in English Literature. He enjoys the liberating solace of a writing style I have coined as Romantic Existentialism. He has a ravenous appetite for reading as much poetry as he can in all its forms. Some influences include Pablo Neruda and Wallace Stevens, as well as Gibran Khalil Gibran. He views writing as a tool to look behind the curtain of the world’s stage.

Poetry Workshop at New Dawn
2024-07-16 19:00 - 21:00 | New Dawn Center, 84 Main St., Ashburnham, MA, 01607, United States
New Dawn Arts Center is proud to present a weekly writing workshop, taught by three local published writers as instructors, in-person, weekly on Tuesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 pm. Free, open to all, drop-in, no registration.

The first Tuesday will focus on fiction with Melissa Dorval, the second Tuesday, non-fiction/memoir with Kevin Scott Hall, and the third Tuesday, poetry with Fred Gerhard. The fourth Tuesday will be an “open mic” where all writers can come together and share what they’ve written.

Slightly Off-Beat Poets
2024-07-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Steve Veilleux Home, 112 Fabyan-Woodstock Road, N Groversdale, Connecticut, 06255, United States
IMPORTANT: PLEASE BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR FOR THIS OUTDOOR EVENT

WHAT: Slightly Off-beat Poets Presents: Eric Petersen (ESP) & Robin Boucher

WHERE: Steve Veilleux’s home: 112 Fabyan-Woodstock Road N Grosvenordale CT

WHEN: Sunday June 9th, 2024 @ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

WHAT HAPPENS: Our feature poets of the month will each read for 15 minutes. Then we will take a quick break for book sales, snacks and the raffle before starting the open mic. Open mic will be round robin, one poem at a time until 4 PM.

COST: There will be a 50/50 raffle, split between the feature and the winner. 5$ to enter.

SIGN-UPS: There is room for 20 poets/ 40 total guests. To reserve a spot please email: roberteugeneperry@gmail.com

PLEASE NOTE: 185 Arvidson Road is a dirt road. GPS will send you to ways: If you come off Roseland Park Road (right near Roseland Park) onto Arvidson it will begin as paved and a sign will tell you when the pavement ends. Just stay to the right and 185 is about 1/2 mile up on the right side.

If it sends you up Child Hill Rd, you will make a left onto Arvidson dirt road and it will be less than a 1/4 mile on the left.

PLEASE DO NOT PARK ON STREET! Pull in the driveway and you can park on the grass along the edge or pull all the way around. Plenty of parking!

ESP (aka Eric Petersen) was born in July of 1976. His mother went into labor at that bicentennial parade in Fitchburg MA. She walked from the parade to the nearby Burbank Hospital where he was born five days later. ESP has been writing since a young age. He is a graduate of Oakmont Regional High School. He had also attended classes at MWCC in Gardner.

The titles Sociopath; A true story, Shorty Stories, The Day After, and Retard can all be found on Kindle. He has been a feature at the Poetorium in Southbridge. He has an Essay and poem being published in How do you see the World?, a collaboration that will also be available on Kindle.

ESP is also a regular at Open Mics and poetry event about the region. His newest book Brutal Rhymes For Brutal Times is a compilation of over 30 poems written throughout his life. Some are brutally funny, some are brutally honest, some are sad. They are all brutal. In addition to writing, Eric has served the community working in human services for over 20 years.

Robin Boucher has studied writing for many years, participating in online classes with Grub Street & Stanford University, as well as regional classes with the Kunitz & Poems In and Out of Places workshops, Worcester Art Museum, the Frost Place, and the annual Mount Monadnock Pastoral Retreat.

She was the writer for the regularly appearing Millbury Youth Center Updates in the local papers during her time as the director. Robin participated in both the 2018 and 2022 Tale of Two Cities Project – a collaboration between poets from Worcestershire, England & the Worcester County Poetry Association. In 2023 she was honored to be asked by Tony Brown to be the first poet of the Shawna Shea Foundation’s Library Poetry Tour.

Robin uses observations, memories, life experiences, nature, and the art of others like films, or songs, or poems by other poets as they spur on the feelings that in turn generate the words.

Arts in The Garden
2024-07-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Community Teaching Garden, 3 West Boylston Dr., Worcester, MA, 01602, United States
On July 11th, We will be featuring the musical stylings of P.E. James, and the humorist Joe Fusco Jr.Admission is FREE and patrons are encouraged to bring non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to this family friendly event.Join us for an awesome time at Arts in The Garden!

Joe Fusco Jr. is a well-seasoned humorist/poet from Worcester, Massachusetts. He is the author of five books of semi-amusing poems and essays: “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 naughty ezine 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 Redemption Rock Brewery in Worcester. Joe has taught “Humor 101” for high-school students at Gateways Academy in Shrewsbury and for adults at the Worcester Senior Center, Eisenberg Assisted Living, Notre Dame Assisted Living, and The Residence of Orchard Grove. 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 thirty-nine years. He is a registered Independent and sleeps with one eye always open. More info on Joe can be found at joesyellowpad.com

PE James has been entertaining audiences by singing and playing acoustic guitar for over four decades. He is an interpreter of well known songs, having a large repertoire that stretches from the sing-along classics of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, to standards and show tunes, early 50s rock and roll, 60s folk songs, and acoustic rock songs of the 70s. He also writes and performs original material, and his songs have been played on radio stations in Worcester, Massachusetts and his native Pittsburgh, PA. His song “The Pantyhose Blues” has become a crowd favorite. He has recorded four CDs, and has also recorded TV shows for five different stations. P.E. plays at concerts, restaurants, and bars all through central Massachusetts, and he is also enjoyed on the circuit of assisted living, retirement, and rehabilitation facilities.

Night of Nostalgia
2024-07-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Barre Public Library, 19 Pleasant St, Barre, 01005, United States
Barre Public Library presents: a Night of Nostalgia for Those with Neuritis or Neuralgia as Jim Beschta and John Hodges perform a Greatest Hits Extravaganza.

Barre on Wednesday July 10th at 6:00 p.m.

Over the years, the Barre Library has been the location, before the Barre Hotel burned down, for readings by such poets as Galway Kinnell, Robert Bly, Joseph Langland, Robert Francis and maybe Denise Levertov. And the reading is FREE.

Poetorium at Starlite Poetry Open Mic & Reading Series Featuring Brad Davis and Linda Bratcher Wlodyka
2024-06-27 18:30 - 21:00 | Starlite Bar and Gallery, 39 Hamilton St, Southbridge, MA, 01550
Please join us for a special double feature edition of our monthly open mic and featured poetry reading series The Poetorium at Starlite hosted by Paul Szlosek and Ron Whittle. It will be a full evening of poetry and spoken word starting with a brief interview on stage with our two featured poets Brad Davis (Author of On the Way to Putnam: New, Selected, & Early Poems, & Short List of Wonders) and Linda Bratcher Wlodyka (Massachusetts Beat Poet Laureate, 2023-2025) followed by poetry readings by our features, a 10-minute tribute to a dead poet by a guest reader (T.B.A), a short intermission, and then an open mic (with 5-minute slots for each reader). Admission is free, but a hat will be passed for donations to pay our feature and compensate Starlite for the use of their space. For more information, please get in touch with us at poetorium@mail.com or visit our website https//poetorium.home.blog/2019/04/29/the-poetorium-at-starlite-2/

Brad Davis is a California-born Canadian living in northeastern Connecticut with his spouse. His tenth collection of poems, On the Way to Putnam: New, Selected, & Early Poems, was just released in May. Individual poems have appeared in Poetry magazine, The Paris Review, Vallum, Michigan Quarterly, Puerto del Sol, Brilliant Corners, Image, Connecticut River Review, LETTERS, Presence, and many other journals. He earned an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and has taught creative writing at two boarding schools and at Holy Cross and Eastern Connecticut State. In 2022, he was a Writer-in-Residence at Trail Wood, the Edwin Way Teale homestead and Audubon property in Hampton, CT. Other writing residencies include Mass MoCa and the Vermont Studio Center. A chapbook, Short List of Wonders, won the Sunken Garden Poetry Prize.

Linda Bratcher Wlodyka is the Massachusetts Beat Poet Laureate, 2023-2025. In the summer of 2023, Linda was chosen as a contributor to WordxWord a summer poetry festival in the Berkshires where she collaborated with a team of poets creating a very large poem that was read aloud for the audience at The Mount. She also has held the position as a docent at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s summer home in Lenox, MA from 2002 -2006. She retired as an educator from Mt. Greylock Regional School District in Williamstown in 2020. Linda’s poem, Secret Cottage, was voted Best in the Berkshires in 2012 and she was invited to the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield, MA to read that poem. Linda also has had three poems published in Red Barn Volume I, in 2016 after attending Peter Bergman’s workshop at Arrowhead the historic homestead of author Herman Melville in Pittsfield, MA. Linda has 3 chapbooks previously self-published, Her Spirited Cameo, Voices from the Blue Room, and Tick Tock. If Brambles Were Bookends: Collected Poems, is Linda’s first full-length poetry collection released September 2023. Her poems have been widely anthologized throughout the United States. She is a member of the Florence Poet’s Society and has recently been involved reading and choosing poems for publication in the anthologies, Silkworm and Naugatuck River Review.

Jonathan Blake and Bill Tremblay @ the Odyssey
2024-06-27 18:30 - 20:30 | Odyssey Bookshop The Village Commons, 9 College Street, South Hadley, Massachusetts, 01075, United States

Richard Fox Poetry Series
2024-06-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Root and Press, 156 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA, 01604, United States
The Richard Fox Poetry Series is a monthly poetry open- mic with a featured reader. It honors the memory of the iconic Worcester poet and human-being extraordinaire Richard Fox. This month’s Feature will be Heather Macpherson, a good friend of Richard’s and a remarkable poet herself.

Free admission. On-the-street parking. Root and Press Books and Cafe has an awesome array of food and beverages and an expanded book selection at their new location. Signup for the open mic at joesyellowpad@gmail.com. Limited spots available. Sponsored by the ‘Fox Fund’ (Worcester County Poetry Association)

Heather J. Macpherson writes poems, essays, and creative nonfiction. Her work has appeared in Sinking City, The Carolina Quarterly, Soundings East, Bennington Review and other fine places. She is the author of the hybrid chapbook, The Blue House on Cone Hill Road & Other (Dog) Habitations, Bottlecap Press, 2024. Forthcoming from Lexington Books later this year is Voicing the Less Dead, co-edited with Francesca Borrione. Heather teaches writing at Clark University.

Arts in The Garden
2024-06-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Community Teaching Garden, 3 West Boylston Dr., Worcester, MA, 01602, United States
On June 27th, We will be featuring the musical duo Playing Hookey, and the inimitable poet Ashley Wonder.Admission is FREE and patrons are encouraged to bring non-alcoholic beverages and snacks to this family friendly event.Join us for an awesome time at Arts in The Garden!

Ashley Wonder has been writing for over ten years. She performs with dynamic passion to give hope to her audiences. She started out performing in black churches in Worcester.Then she became a part of the Slam Community in 2014. Repping Worcester her hometown, in Oakland 2015, Decatur, GA 2016. She has had the opportunity to perform at the National Education Support Professional Conference (a part of the Massachusetts Teacher Association) in 2021 that had an audience of 2,000 people! She also had the honor to be a part of the “Still I Rise” Toni Morrison tribute Festival. She has participated in the discussion Black Creative Voices in Worcester 2021. Performed 2019 Women Of Consequence City Hall in Worcester. She has featured in Troy, New York at Poetic Vibe, all around MA, Boston (Hard Rock Cafe), RI including many colleges and universities such as Holy Cross, Wheelock among others. She enjoys teaching poetry workshops to youth of all ages to show how fun and interactive spoken word can be. She believes in the power of tea and naps.

Playing Hookey Duo: Linda Jones McCarthy and Deb Barron Northway: Linda Jones McCarthy is the author of several books, Including Spider in the Shower (as Lillie Jones), Old Bear and Friends and The Heart Remembers, and has recorded a CD of original songs and stories, Here We Go to the Sky. She performs with musical friend and fellow songwriter and arranger Rick Quimby as Owengale. Longtime host of The Folk Spot and In the Tradition on community radio station WCUW in Worcester, Deb Barron Northway’s background is in communications, instructional design and chimney sweeping. She sings purely for the joy of it. Now retired from jobs and obligations, Linda and Deb are Playin’ Hookey, harmonizing just for fun. They hope their music will be fun for you, too!

A Virtual Thirsty Lab
2024-06-25 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Online Meeting, United States
The Thirsty Lab poetry reading, normally based out of Princeton, Mass., continues to meet virtually. On Tuesday, June 25th, 2024 Susan Roney O’Brien will be the featured reader. Please Click Here to register.

Susan Roney-O’Brien earned an MFA from Warren Wilson College. She’s published two chapbooks: Earth and Farmwife and three full-length poetry collections: Legacy of the Last World, Bone Circle and Thira. Her poetry has been published widely, translated into Braille and Mandarin and nominated for many Pushcart Prizes. She won the 2020 Stanley Kunitz Medal in Poetry. She works with the Worcester County Poetry Association, runs a monthly on-line poetry reading series and facilitates free poetry workshops through area libraries. She, her husband Philip. and Oliver, their Chocolate Lab, live in central Massachusetts.

Free People's Workshop
2024-06-24 19:00 - 21:00 | WCPA Headquarters, 61 Harvard St., Worcester, Massachusetts, 01602
Creative writers, poets, visual artists, musicians meet to share current work. Constructive criticism always appreciated.

The Luminous Racetrack – Poetry Reading & Book Signing by Bill Tremblay
2024-06-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Booklovers’ Gourmet, 72 E. Main St., Webster, MA, 01570
Please join us for a special afternoon with the legendary poet Bill Tremblay at Booklovers’s Gourmet as he reads from his new poetry collection, The Luminous Racetrack: A Memoir in Poems (Lynx House Press, 2023). Bill will also sign copies of the book which will be available for sale at the bookshop.

The Luminous Racetrack is a collection of frank and lyrical poems based on Bill Tremblay’s childhood and youth in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It is a uniquely intimate coming-of-age story and a masterful witness to the details and beliefs of a bygone era. It is a graceful and magical narrative told with great skill and intelligence.

The Luminous Race Track flows like the Quinebaug River in its lyrical reportage of a boy’s coming-of-age in the mill town of Southbridge, Massachusetts, accruing poetic force stanza by stanza as it unfolds its masterful witness to local details and beliefs which Tremblay transfigures most gracefully into the universal narratives that resonate memorably, magically, and profoundly.

–Charles DeNiord

Bill Tremblay is an award-winning poet, novelist, teacher, editor, and reviewer whose work has appeared in ten full-length volumes of poetry including Crying in the Cheap Seats [University of Massachusetts Press], The Anarchist Heart [New Rivers Press], Duhamel: Ideas of Order in Little Canada [BOA Editions Ltd.], Shooting Script: Door of Fire [Eastern Washington University Press]. Hundreds of his poems have appeared in literary magazines and in such anthologies as the Pushcart Prize, The Jazz Poetry Anthology, Best American Poetry, 2003, In 1994, he published his novel, The June Rise {Utah State University Press}, which was widely and favorably reviewed, especially on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” In 2004, his book, Shooting Script: Door of Fire received the Colorado Book Award [2004]. He has received awards and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as at Yaddo. He was a Fulbright visiting Lecturer at Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, .Mr.Tremblay edited Colorado Review for 15 years and is the recipient of the John F. Stern Distinguished Professor award for his thirty-three years teaching in and directing the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Colorado State University. His latest book is The Luminous Race Track,(2023), poetic memoirs about growing up in his Franco-American working-class family in the town of Southbridge, Massachusetts where he has just been appointed the inaugural Poet Laureate.

Sunrise/Sunset: Poetry in Two Continents
2024-06-20 20:00 - 21:30
Sunset/Sunrise Zoom Reading: Poetry Bridging Continents: Poem in two languagesJune 20, 8 p.m. Zoom Registration

China poets: Zi Chuan, Chen Yihai. Sinan, Yue QiU.S. poets: Susan Roney-O’Brien, John Hodgen, Claire Golding, J.D. Scrimgeour, Rodger Martin, Jackson Caffrey

Please use this ZOOMLINK to register: You will receive a reading link shortly before the event.
