Congratulations to NEPC poet Carolyne Wright on her new book!

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Masquerade is a jazz-inflected, lyric-narrative sequence of poems, a “memoir in poetry” set principally in pre-Katrina New Orleans and in Seattle, involving an interracial couple who are artists and writers. Moved by mutual fascination, shared ideals and aspirations, and the passion they discover in each other, the two are challenged to find a place together in the cultures of both races and families, amidst personal and political dislocations as well as questions of trust—all against the backdrop of America’s racism and painful social history. The twentieth century’s global problem, the color line, as W. E. B. du Bois named it, is enacted here in microcosm between these lovers and fellow artists, who must face their own fears and unresolved conflicts in each other. Similar stories have been told from the male protagonist’s point of view; Masquerade is unique in foregrounding the female perspective. Here are online links for a few of the poems that will be in the book: 

Purchase

Purchase Masquerade here.

Join us for poetry at the Longfellow House Sunday, July 11, 3 pm!

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Portrait of Alondra Bobadilla (left) wearing a coral colored shirt and a black and white portrait of Porsha Olayiwola (right) in a black shirt and light colored jacket
Photo credit: (right) Carlie Febo

July 11 Porsha Olayiwola & Alondra Bobadilla

Porsha Olayiwola is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the Black, woman, and queer diasporas. She is an Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and the author of i shimmer sometimes, too forthcoming with Button Poetry. She is the current poet laureate for the city of Boston.

Alondra Bobadilla‘s poetry demonstrates how creative expression can be a powerful tool for youth to examine feelings around issues, find their voice, and speak up about the changes they want to see for their future. She was named Boston’s first-ever Youth Poet Laureate in January 2020.

Register today!

Each reading takes place at 3:00 PM. Events are free and open to all, but require advance registration. Please click here to register for one or more readings.

Mark your calendars! Brockton Public Library Poetry Series Everyone Has a Voice Saturday, July 17, 2021 2:00 pm LIVE AND IN PERSON!

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Mark your calendars! This will be GOOD!
Brockton Public Library Poetry Series

Everyone Has a Voice

Saturday, July 17, 2021 2:00 pm

LIVE AND IN PERSON!

East Branch Library Lawn

54 Kingman Street, Brockton MA


With featured poets Jean Dany Joachim and Leonardo Nin, student poet Ayanna Blake, and an Open Mic

NEPC poet and board member Wendy Drexler is reading with NEPC poet (and award winner!) José Edmundo Ocampo Reyes on Thursday, June 17, 7 pm!

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Rozzie Reads Poetry and Open Mic

Thursday, June 17th, 2021, 7 pm on Zoom

Sponsored by Friends of the Roslindale LibraryFeatured Poets

Born and raised in the Philippines, José Edmundo Ocampo Reyes is the author of Present Values, winner of the Jean Pedrick Chapbook Award from the New England Poetry Club. His poems have appeared most recently in Scoundrel Time, Solstice, and Memorious; and have been anthologized in The Powow River Anthology (Volumes I and II), Villanelles, and The Achieve Of, The Mastery: Filipino Poetry and Verse from English, mid-‘90s to 2016. 

Wendy Drexler’s third poetry collection, Before There Was Before, was published by Iris Press in 2017. Her poems have appeared  in Barrow Street, J Journal, Lily Poetry Review, Nimrod, Pangyrus, Prairie Schooner, Salamander, South Florida Poetry Review, among others. Her work has been featured on Verse Daily and WBUR’s Cognoscenti, and in numerous anthologies. She is poet in residence at New Mission High School in Hyde Park, MA, and is programming co-chair for the New England Poetry Club. 

To sign up for this Zoom reading, contact hguran@aol.comand let me know if you want to read in the open microphone 

Friends of  Roslindale Branch Library

www.friendsofroslindalelibrary

Congratulations to NEPC poet and board member Jennifer Markell on her new book!

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Jennifer Markell‘s first poetry collection, Samsara, (Turning Point, 2014) was named a “Must Read Book of Poetry” by the Massachusetts Book Awards, 2015. Her work has appeared in publications including The Bitter Oleander, The Cimarron Review, Consequence Magazine, RHINO, Tinderbox Poetry Journal, and The Women’s Review of Books. For the past twenty years Jennifer has worked in community mental health and as a psychotherapist. She lives with her husband and two well-versed cats. Singing at High Altitude (available for pre-order from The Main Street Rag) is her second book of poetry.

“The high-altitude singing in Jennifer Markell’s poetry comes not only from birds on the wing. In these poems we hear dreams and longings, odes and elegies, love-songs and laments. We hear also of piercing childhood memories, harsh societal bewilderments, and dire ecological warnings. These beautifully crafted and deeply moving poems are the songs of ongoing life on this earth, and they rise as high as we allow our imaginations to take them.”–Fred Marchant, Author of Said Not Said (Graywolf Press)