Bass River Press (an imprint of the Cultural Center of Cape Cod) and Calliope Poetry have teamed up to publish a new poetry collection that explores the beauty, history, and multifaceted heritage of Cape Cod and its neighboring islands.
From the Farther Shore: Discovering Cape Cod & the Islands Through Poetry features 118 poems that journey throughout the Cape, the Elizabeth Islands, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket. Edited by Alice Kociemba, Robin Smith-Johnson, and Rich Youmans, the anthology brings the region to life, focusing on famous landmarks and people, traditional industries, historical episodes, and the natural beauty that have made the region a world-renowned destination.
The editors are all well known in the Cape’s literary community. Alice Kociemba is founding director of Calliope Poetry and the author of Bourne Bridge (Turning Point, 2016) and was guest editor of Common Threads, the poetry discussion project of Mass Poetry (2015 & 2016). Robin Smith-Johnson teaches at Cape Cod Community College and is the author of two books of poetry: Dream of the Antique Dealer’s Daughter (Word Poetry, 2013) and Gale Warnings (Finishing Line Press, 2016), as well as co-founder of the Steeple Street Poets in Mashpee. And
Rich Youmans is the associate director of Calliope Poetry. His books include Under a Gull’s Wing: Poems & Photographs of the Jersey Shore (co-edited with Frank Finale) and Shore Stories: An Anthology of the Jersey Shore, both published by Down the Shore Publishing.
The poets range from the well-known and established (e.g., Mark Doty, Brendan Galvin, Gail Mazur, Marge Piercy, Linda Pastan, and two Pulitzer Prize winners: Stanley Kunitz and Mary Oliver) to those who are at the start of promising careers. All, through their words, present the Cape and islands in a way that only poetry can do.
“Poetry can capture not just the facts of a region, but also its spirit,” says Youmans, who previously edited anthologies about the Jersey Shore. “It can uncover little-known aspects, make the commonplace seem new, and transport readers so that they can experience what makes the region so compelling.”
“One of the amazing things about this type of anthology, especially about a region that’s loved by so many, is how many poets have written about it,” Kociemba says. “In many cases, the poems added to our knowledge of the Cape & islands. A great find in the Provincetown Library was Steven Bauer’s “Marconi Station: South Wellfleet,” which focused on Guglielmo Marconi and the first wireless transmission between the United States and Europe, to King Edward of Britain.”
Themes found throughout the book include the quality of light that draws artists to the region, the fragility of the environment, the erosion of the shoreline, and the pressure of development impacting the ecosystem. It also contains poems that highlight those who live on the Cape and islands year-round.
“The final section of the anthology, Off Season: We Live Here, was a way to balance the history, notable people, and landmarks with the often hardscrabble life that goes on behind the scenes, along with the love of the solitude that the Cape provides to a ‘year-rounder,’” notes Robin Smith-Johnson, a native Cape Codder.
“We launched Bass River Press in 2015 to provide an opportunity for local poets to publish their work and reach an audience,” says the Cultural Center’s Communications Director Lauren Wolk. “In each of the first three years, we published a collection by a single poet. But when these three editors approached us with the idea of publishing an anthology, we decided to partner with Calliope and create something unique, exciting, and absolutely worth adding to any library, large or small.”
As in other years, the South Yarmouth Library Association supported the publication of the anthology with a grant to fund the inclusion of local artwork on the cover, in this case a painting by Sandwich artist Mary Moquin
From the Farther Shore: Discovering Cape Cod & the Islands Through Poetry is available from bookstores and gift shops throughout the Cape and islands, as well as through online booksellers. Copies can also be purchased from the Cultural Center of Cape Cod (cultural-center.org/bassriverpress). The book costs $20 + $5 for shipping/handling.
The official launch of the book will take place on Sunday, August 29, from 2-4 p.m., at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, 307 Old Main St., in South Yarmouth. There is no admission fee. All are welcome, but those who have not been fully vaccinated are expected to wear masks. For more information, go to cultural-center.org.
