We are pleased to announce a new in-person member reading opportunity for members who have
published their first book or first chapbook! Please read on for the details.
As you may recall, our “members with new books” reading series has been on hold. The interest
in reading on the part of our prolifically publishing members overwhelmed our scheduling
capability. Our interim Poetry Fests were an attempt to fill the gap as we considered how to
resume this series. While we are still considering a long-term plan to expand member reading
opportunities, we have renewed our relationship with the Trustees of Reservations at The Old
Manse in Concord, MA, to once again be able to offer in-person readings. We have expanded to
a second Trustees’ venue: in-person readings will be held indoors at the Fruitlands Museum in
Harvard, MA, in February and March; and outdoors (weather permitting) at The Old Manse in
Concord, MA, in September, October, April, and May. These readings are held the third Sunday
of the month at 2 pm.
Once we secured these new venues, we offered the first opportunity to read in person to
members with new books who had been previously scheduled for upcoming virtual Poetry Fests,
which have been discontinued. These dates are now filled through December 2022. Those who
replied that they were not able to read in person, or were uncomfortable reading in person, will
have an opportunity to read on Zoom in January.
To give our audience a chance to hear new voices, and to give members who have published a
book or chapbook for the first time an opportunity to read, we invite NEPC members who have
published their first full-length book of poetry or first chapbook to read in person from their
new collection at either the Old Manse or Fruitlands beginning in February 2023.
Please note that this is an interim plan, that enables us to match our programming capabilities
with these venues. We understand that members with new books have been waiting for our series
to resume, and we are considering how to be able to meet this demand. Stay tuned for more
opportunities to read as they develop.
If you are a first-time book or chapbook author and would like to read in person, please email
Wendy Drexler at wendydrexler@gmail.com and David Miller at dpmiller1955@outlook.com to
request a date. Please indicate your preference for Fruitlands or The Old Manse and let us know
if you are open to either venue.
The readings at The Old Manse and at Fruitlands will be open to NEPC members and to the
public. They will be great opportunities to share your work with a wider audience and to sell
your book. The Trustees professionally manage and publicize these events (in addition to the
NEPC’s and the poets’ individual promotions).