Nov. 12, 2024 was my last night of hosting the Newton Free Library Poetry Series. I have directed it for 23 years, and I have booked 100s of poets in that time span, with a fair amount from Somerville.

I was handed the baton by Robert K. Johnson years back, and it has been a pleasure meeting and listening to folks. I will be consulting with the library to make as smooth a transition as possible. I felt it was time to pass the series on to new leadership, who could bring new energy and innovations to this venerable long-running series.

I have been assured by the library that they are very interested in continuing the series, so stay tuned. The poets who participated this last night were (L to R): Li Min Mo, Alex Kern, myself as host, Jayla Tillison, and Mary Buchinger.