Letter from our President
To our Friends, Colleagues, and community,
Here are the big headlines to catch you up and clue you in:
This will serve as the July/August newsletter
Because of all the additional activity necessitated by the summer readings series at Longfellow, this newsletter is going out a week or so later than anticipated–but then we’ll give our communications team a well-deserved breather until September 10th, when we’ll return (moving our newsletter releases up a little earlier in the month). Remember, you can always go to our website for complete listings of events, upcoming contests, and more.
A momentary stay. . .
Some mornings, my head reels and my heart races. You too, perhaps? The news each day seems to herald the destruction of some additional aspect of our democratic society: scientific and technological advancement, medical research, education, freedom of thought and expression, the vibrant cultural life that reminds people we are not alone–for all of my life, such things were neither Republican nor Democratic issues but features of the common good. And somehow, all are presently under attack. I’m guessing you’re also struggling to make sense of this present moment, anxious over what all this will mean–not only for ourselves, but our children and grandchildren. I would never recommend how you should interpret all this or how you will choose to respond–that’s best saved for the political arena. But I will remind you of Robert Frost’s wise acknowledgement of the role poetry can play for our overall well-being. Simply reading a compelling poem––let alone, on those lucky mornings, actually composing a new one––is certainly “a momentary stay against confusion.” It is also a reminder of the commonality of our lives. There have been so many times recently poems have simply kept me afloat.
I’m hoping you’re making use of these tools as well.
WE (too) THE PEOPLE is in full swing!
Hopefully, many of you were able to join us (either on the lawn behind Longfellow House in Cambridge, or from the comfort of your living room couch) for the marvelous reading (no, more of a concert!) by Robert Pinsky, performing with saxophonist Stan Strickland on July 6th for the launch of We (too). And, hopefully, you were in the audience once again on July 20th for a stirring reading by Diannely Antigua and Stephanie Burt (with a wonderful musical performance by Todd Brunel). We’re so grateful for these performing artists, and for our partners in these events: the Longfellow House-Washington Headquarters Historical Site, and the Friends of the Longfellow House. It is somewhat astonishing to have had all this come to fruition in a mere six months, from concept to launch! The total in-person, live-stream, and video audience for the Pinsky event numbers well over 500. If you missed the launch, you can watch it using this YouTube link.
Want to watch the Antigua/Burt performances?
All who attended in-person can tell you what a rousing success the Antigua/Burt reading was––but our live stream of the performance suffered technical difficulties, making many poems difficult to hear. We apologize for disappointing you, and are taking steps to reduce the risk of that occurrence for future readings. (Like the weather, something things are beyond our control!) But the videographer did capture a perfect version of the performances, and you can now view them, if belatedly, here.
The T-Shirts have arrived . . . and are going fast!
Hopefully by now you’ve seen the beautiful WE (too) t-shirts for summer 2025, adorned with the delightful ‘quill-bearers’ logo and complete reading series lineup. Warning: there are only 70 t-shirts remaining, so if you want to be the well-dressed poet this summer––and help support our poetry programming––make sure you secure your own while supplies last. Photos and order forms are available here.
Hope to see you at a reading soon!
With my warm regards,
Steven
–President, NEPC