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Somerville Artist Michael Silverman: A consummate coffee–doodler
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Recently I caught up with Michael Silverman, one of the many artists in our creative burg. He writes, “My wife and I are both artists in Somerville in that we try to draw something every day at a coffee place. Over the last 6 years or so we have a stockpile of thousands of drawings. The whole thesis we have is to have fun with it.”
December 18
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Meg Smith is a writer, journalist, dancer and events producer living in Lowell, Mass., and who spent part of her childhood in Somerville. In addition to The Somerville Times’ Lyrical Somerville, her poetry has appeared recently in The Cafe Review, The Lowell Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Poetry Bay, Acropolis Review, and many more. She is creator of Poe in Lowell, honoring Edgar Allan Poe’s three visits to Lowell, and a board member of Lowell Celebrates Kerouac. She is author of six poetry books and a short fiction collection, The Plague Confessor. She welcomes visits to megsmithwriter.com.
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‘Homage’ by Kathleen Spivack
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Review by Dennis Daly
Spanning oceans and multiple generations, Homage, Kathleen Spivack’s newest collection of poems, delivers a movable feast of poets and other influencers of her estimable artistry. Spivack’s narratives celebrate famous poets, musicians, painters, and booksellers, many of whom she personally knew and some before her time, as well as teachers, a lighthouse keeper, and other oddly interesting individuals.
December 11
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Our poet writes: “My name is Sofia Swan, and I’m a 19-year-old student from Saugus, Massachusetts, currently attending Endicott College. I wouldn’t call myself a poet, but writing has given me a new way to explore my thoughts and emotions. Unspoken Weight is a poem about noticing the struggles in others and recognizing how trust and connection can feel both fragile and transformative. It’s a reflection on how we carry emotions and experiences, often without words, and how vulnerability can lead to deeper understanding. Writing this poem allowed me to put those feelings into a form I hope others can connect with.”
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Poet Heather Treseler discusses her award-winning new collection ‘Auguries & Divinations’
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I have been a Board Member of the New England Poetry Club for a few years now; and I remember judging our Motton Book Prize with other board members. When we came to discuss Heather Treseler’s poetry collection, Auguries & Divinations there was a hands down love for the book. We were impressed with her facility with language, the music of her work and the deep layers of the lines in this insightful new collection. So after she won the Award, I decided to interview the author, and she generously agreed.
December 4
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Jake Tringali is published in over 50 journals, and his poetry has appeared in various art installations. His first poetry book is Poetry for the Neon Apocalypse, which was nominated for an Elgin award. Host of The Outskirts Poetry Podcast. Co-founder of the Roslindale Film Society.
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‘Women and Children First’ by Alina Grabowski
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Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent Ed Meek
A creative literary take on the mystery novel
In Egypt when someone dies, relatives hire professional mourners to help the family and friends grieve. Jews sit shiva for seven days after the death of a close one. For many of us though, there is a funeral mass and service. Then, we are expected to get on with our lives. Alina Grabowski delves into the way women in a small town process the tragic death of a high school girl.
November 27
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I got this idea for a poem from a great ad for smoked fish. It is in response to the duct taped banana that recently sold for millions of dollars on the art market.
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Somerville’s Doug Holder retires as Director of the Newton Free Library Poetry Series
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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.
November 20
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Keith Tornheim, a biochemistry professor at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, has six recent books, The Sacrifice of Isaac; I Am Lilith, Dancer on the Wind, Spirit Boat: Poems of Crossing Over, Can You Say Kaddish for the Living?, Fireflies, Spoiled Fruit: Adam, and Eve in Eden and Beyond. His poems have appeared in Ibbetson Street, The Somerville Times, Boston Literary Magazine, Muddy River Poetry Review and Poetica.
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Endicott College Professor Richard Oxenberg Wrestles with God in a new book ‘God: A Dialogue’
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I met Richard Oxenberg at Endicott College where I have taught for 15 years. Oxenberg, a professor of philosophy at Endicott has a new book out Two Philosophers Wrestle with GOD: A Dialogue.
The book concerns a series of conversations that he had with another distinguished philosopher Jerry Martin. Martin has claimed he had an actual conversation conversation with God. Oxenberg and I have talked about his book on a number of occasions; so I decided to interview him.
November 13
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Michael Minassian lives with his wife in Southern New England. He is a Contributing Editor for Verse-Virtual, an online poetry journal. His poetry collections Time is Not a River, Morning Calm, and A Matter of Timing as well as a chapbook, Jack Pays a Visit, are all available on Amazon. For more information: https://michaelminassian.com.
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‘Lunch in Chinatown’ by Mary Bonina
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Review by Off the Shelf correspondent Lee Varon
Mary Bonina’s latest chapbook Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva Press,2024), is a window into the lives of immigrants who come to this country seeking a new beginning. In her work as an ESL teacher Bonina taught English to adult students from all over the world.
November 6
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Some years ago, I was the guest poet for the Voices of Israel organization. I traveled to Israel, lectured and gave workshops. I stayed on a kibbutz, and also at the home of poet/artist Helen Bar-Lev. I am glad to reconnect with her!
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Poet Joey Gould
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Recently I caught up with Joey Gould, a well-admired poet in Massachusetts and beyond. Gould is all about breaking the traditional labels that have been entrenched in our society.
From their website,
“Joey Gould is the author of The Acute Avian Heart (2019, Lily Poetry Review). Joey is a long-time contributor to Mass Poetry, for which they assist the Poetry Festival Planning Committee, lead workshops for Student Day of Poetry events around Massachusetts, write web articles for MassPoetry.org, and judge slams for Louder Than a Bomb MA. Their work has appeared in Paper Nautilus, Drunk Monkeys, The Compassion Anthology, Memoir Mixtapes, and District Lit, amongst others. They have twice been nominated for Bettering American Poetry and once for a Pushcart Prize. Since their first public reading as a fellow of Salem State University’s Summer Poetry Seminar, they have performed in The Poetry Circus, Elle Villanelle’s Poetry Bordello, and The Poetry Society of New York’s Poetry Brothel. In addition to their Mass Poetry work, they have taught workshops for the Salem Poetry Seminar and Salem Lit Fest. They write 100-word reviews as poetry editor for Drunk Monkeys. Most important, they like Pusheen and painting their nails.”
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