Poet Laureate - Woodbury, CT
Appointed poet laureate in the fall of 2021, my term runs through 2024. See Related Links below to like my Facebook page and/or follow my Instagram account. Reach out via my contact form about appearances, readings, and poetry.
Woodbury Public Library Poet Laureate Page | Like my Facebook Page | Follow me on Instagram or Twitter
Poetry and Music
I was one of six poets from the Connecticut Poetry Society whose work was chosen by composer Sarah Marze, who is completing a project this summer entitled, "Let Us SIng: Contemporary Art Songs for Young Singers." At the CPS Spring Fling in early June, Sarah gave a presentation on art songs, explaining how different a poem can be when set to music. During her presentation, all the poems selected for "Let Us Sing" were read. In this video, I read Dust and Sarah then sings an early version of her original composition.
"In our consumer society, where we read books to help us eliminate clutter and “stuff” from our lives, we often forget how our parents, grandparents, and ancestors honored and cared for their far-less-abundant possessions. In “Take Her Coat,” a father encourages his daughter to take the “good coat”—one of but two—of her recently deceased mother. Donning the coat, the daughter is enveloped in not just silky satin and soft camel hair but in the comfort of memories as well. This simple poem speaks to what truly has value."
(Contest judge B. Fulton Jennes, poet laureate, Ridgefield, CT)