NEPC January Reading at Fruitlands Museum

Join the New England Poetry Club at Fruitlands Museum for monthly poetry readings this winter. January Poets: Jennifer L. Freed, Matthew E. Henry, and Hannah Mahoney

Sponsoring poetry in New England since 1915, the New England Poetry Club presents readings by poets with ties to the New England states and annual poetry contests. Members of the NEPC benefit from being part of a community of poets, gathering for readings by members with new books, and participating in monthly writing workshops.

Readings are free with admission to the Museum: $5 for nonmember adults, seniors, students, and children ages 5-13. There is no charge for Trustees Members or children under age 5. Please be sure to check in at the Museum Shop (white building) for your admission sticker before proceeding to the Art Gallery.

About the Poets

Jennifer L. Freed- Jennifer L Freed’s When Light Shifts: A Memoir in Poems (finalist, 2022 Sheila Margaret Motton Book Prize) explores the aftermath of her mother’s cerebral hemorrhage, touching on themes of identity and ability, healing and loss, and the altered relationships that emerge in a family crisis. Freed is also the author of These Hands Still Holding, a finalist for the 2013 New Women’s Voices Chapbook competition. Her work has been published in print and on-line journals including Atlanta Review, Connecticut River Review, West Trestle Review, The Worcester Review, and Zone 3, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and the Orison Anthology.. Other awards include the 2022 Frank O’Hara prize, the 2020 Samuel Washington Allen Prize, and honorable mention for the 2022 Connecticut Poetry Award. Please visit jfreed.weebly.com to learn more.

Matthew E. Henry- Matthew E. Henry (MEH) is the author of the Colored page (Sundress Publications, 2022), Teaching While Black (Main Street Rag, 2020) and Dust & Ashes (Californios Press, 2020). He is EIC of The Weight Journal and an associate poetry editor at Pidgeonholes. MEH’s poetry appears in The Florida Review, Massachusetts Review, Ninth Letter, Pangyrus, Ploughshares, Poetry East, Shenandoah, and Solstice. MEH’s an educator who received his MFA yet continued to spend money he didn’t have completing an MA in theology and a PhD in education. He writes about education, race, religion, and burning oppressive systems to the ground at www.MEHPoeting.com

Hannah Mahoney- Hannah Mahoney’s debut haiku chapbook, Shifting Light, was published in 2022 by Backbone Press. In 2021, she was a featured poet in A New Resonance 12, an annual collection showcasing emerging voices in haiku. Her haiku have appeared in several anthologies, as well as numerous print and online journals. She is a recipient of the Kaji Aso International Haiku Award and the Kaji Aso International Senryu Award. She also writes “regular” poetry and has had her work published in several journals, including the Ekphrastic Review, Unlost, and One Sentence Poems. She lives in Cambridge and works in children’s publishing.