All of the photographs for our upcoming PICTURE THIS: Photography & Poetry Exhibition have been uploaded—and now we invite you to add your words.

View the photo album and choose a photograph that speaks to you. Then create an ekphrastic response—a poem, story, or other piece of writing inspired by a work of art—based on what you see, feel, or imagine.

Space is available for two writers per photograph. To leave room for others to participate, please sign up for no more than two images.

First-time poets and writers are warmly encouraged to participate. PICTURE THIS is a family-friendly exhibition intended for audiences of all ages, so all submissions must be appropriate for public display.

Your finished piece must fit on one 8½” × 11″ sheet of paper; no frame is required. Email your completed work to artandculture@manchesterct.gov by the end of the day on Thursday, October 15. We will print and hang the selected pieces, and writers will be notified before the exhibition.

View the photographs and sign up here: https://bit.ly/PictureThisSignupSheet (click album then click through to see full image, title and artists name)

Dan Rentel (2027) and Alyssa Daly (2028) were featured in a recent special edition of “Today at Holy Cross” for their work with Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities. They organized, digitized, and catalogued materials for the Worcester Poetry Archive at the Museum of Worcester.

The Ewing Arts Awards have selected poet Rodger Martin as the recipient of the 2026 Ewing Award for Literary Arts. The Monadnock Region award ceremony, managed by The Keene Sentinel, will take place on Thursday, October 8, at 5:30 p.m. at The Park Theater, Jaffrey, N.H.

Congratulations Rodger!

It is difficult
To get the news from poems,
Yet men die miserably every day

For the lack
Of what is found there
~William Carlos Williams~

WHAT: 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.

WHO: The series will be open to the central Mass community at large.

HOW: 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:

From Shakespeare to Stern, Bradstreet to Bukowski, Yeats to Young, Rumi to Rich and any and all between. If you have no original work to read but want to offer poems from writers you love, please join us. The reading will be held in round robin fashion (2 poems
max each time) and the number of turns allowed for each person will be determined by the number of willing participants. We ask those who read to be sensitive to other attendees and not present overly long poems that will delay another’s turn. (One may also
participate by attending and simply listening, not reading, if they so choose.)

WHERE: Merriam Gilbert Public Library, Main St. West Brookfield, Ma. In the Library Meeting Room upstairs. (Elevator accessible)

WHEN: September through May. Generally, readings will occur on the third Thursday of every month, though some schedule adjustments may have to be made around holidays.

Time: 4:00-6:00 pm

WHY: To foster a creative community of writers and readers and to become exposed to writers beyond our own circles of interest. To celebrate what can be found in poems.

JOIN US: Come: read, listen, learn, savor.

SPONSORED: by the Merriam Gilbert Library and the spirit of poetry.

ONE POEM READING SCHEDULE: 2026-2027: 4:00 – 6:00 pm

9/17/26: Thursday
10/15/26: Thursday
11/19/26: Thursday
12/17/26: Thursday
1/21/27: Thursday
2/18/27: Thursday
3/18/27: Thursday
4/15/27: Thursday
5/20/27: Thursday

Poetry with Purpose Contest
July 25, 2026
Winning Entry. Congratulations Susan Roney O’Brien!

        Crotched Mountain Air
                        by Susan F. Roney-O’Brien

When I couldn’t hear the hermit thrush, you danced its song– arabesques, 
plies, glissades– and the breeze brought scents of brocade and star mosses 
from the forest floor to dance upon.

When I couldn’t see, we linked arms, walked. We stroked ridged bark–
root to first branch– plucked and crushed a leaf, inhaled green, listened. 
Wind strummed twigs like strings.

When memory abandoned me, your words seeded the spring meadow
with clover and we waltzed to remembered harmonies embedded 
in the marrow of our bones.

When I couldn’t stand without braces, you took my hand and led me 
to the garden where the clematis vine, purple with velvet suns, 
embraced the lattice, climbed, shining.

When I think of you, grateful for your care, the forest pathway opens 
to the mountain and I am the earth in April, coming into my own–
blossoming, blossoming.

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Openest Mic Returns to City Hall…This Time With Amanda Shea

Nationally renowned poet, activist and educator will perform a 20 minute set, then members of the community are invited to

share!

Fitchburg MA July 30 2026

The Openest Mic is delighted to invite you to the city hall of Fitchburg MA for an evening of poetry, music and
whatever else comes in the door! Everyone is invited to sign up at the event and we will showcase as many artists
as we have time for. All ages and talent levels are invited and encouraged to show off their original works: either
in a five minute spoken word set or with an acoustic original song. What constitutes spoken word? Poetry,
comedy, stories, or just sharing a viewpoint.

Maybe you’re not ready for the mic? That’s fine! Listen to an extended set from Amanda Shea! Amanda Shea
hosts WGBH’s Outspoken Saturdays, co-founded the ARTivism festival, has headlined Boston Black Pride and a
million other venues. She is Emmy nominated artist and a three time Boston Music Award winner, among many
other accolades.. She can create a jubilant energy and also share the most intimate depths. . Celebrate the 250 th
birthday of America by exercising your freedom of speech in a federal building, sharing the mic with this esteemed
poet!. To allow attendees to be truly unfiltered, this will not be streamed. Previous Openest Mic events are
available for viewing on YouTube and future events are usually streamed.

Admission is free and open to all. We ask attendees follow the same rules as any Openest Mic event: be polite
when people are speaking, no heckling and don’t overstay your time on the mic!

The Openest Mic was founded in 2023 with the mission of bringing artists together to collaborate and have fun.
Laura DiCaronimo hosts/curates and Tyler Hopp runs the A/V component. They have activated over a dozen
spaces including parks, breweries and Conquest Video, with over 200 performers gracing the mic. Poets,
dancers, yappers and many other types of creative have done many kind of acts at their shows, with the oldest
performer being 93 and the youngest being 4. In addition to hosting open mics, the Openest Mic has done
workshops with Fitchburg State University, the Fitchburg Historical society and just on a whim. We are always
open to collaborations of any type with any organization or individual as long as it sounds fun or does something
good for the world.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Laura DiCaronimo
co-founder
openestmic@gmail.com
@listenstotheradio

The Kunitz Medal Ceremony is happening TOMORROW Thursday July 23rd at 6:30pm at The Museum Of Worcester. Come honor Susan Elizabeth Sweeney!

Then, see if you can check out the Cinema Worcester’s showing of Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World at the Parkview Room.

         

           Fri     7/24.   7 pm

           Sat    7/25     1 pm

tickets $12 or Seniors $10

Enjoy your weekend Worcester!