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Poet Tom Sexton (photo by Kevin Harkins) Thanks to Michael Burwell of Alaska for sending us two recent commentaries on the late Tom Sexton and his final book of poems, “Dark Cloud in Isabel Pass” (Loom Press, 2025). Michael’s review-essay appears in “Cirque” literary magazine of Alaska and Nancy Lord’s…
Read More »Chath pierSath is the author of several books including the poetry collections “Echoes Lost to the Wind,” “On Earth Beneath Sky: Poems & Sketches,” and “This Body Mystery: Paintings and Poems.” His paintings have been exhibited in Europe, Asia, and North America. He holds a graduate degree in community social…
Read More »Pollard Memorial Library hosted the 4th annual Elinor Lipman Award for Writing on Oct. 30, 2025, announcing that UMass Lowell student Julia Magee won the award including a $1000 prize for a work of short fiction. From Westford, Mass., Julia is an English major at UML studying creative writing this…
Read More »With his book Estate Sale, Dan Murphy won the 2024 Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry at the University of Utah Press. A writer with Lowell roots, he lives in the region with his family. Former US Poet Laureates Natasha Trethewey and Robert Pinsky call the book “a lovely…
Read More »This news release is reprinted from regalhousepublishing.com David Moloney I spent my twenties working in juvenile residential homes, mental hospitals, and a county jail. During that time, I wrote constantly—journals, stories, notes—keeping the muscles loose, even if the writing went nowhere. After my wife became pregnant, I left the jail…
Read More »Writer Joe Blair of Iowa by way of Westford and UMass Lowell and other locales, has a Substack newsletter account like Dick Howe Jr., executive editor and publisher of this blog. Joe’s Substack is called “Parts & Labor” (He a professional HVAC guy–heating, refrigeration, etc.) His new post is as…
Read More »Living Madly: Natural Wonders By Emilie-Noelle Provost Looking directly at the sun for more than a few seconds will damage your retina. Because I didn’t have protective glasses to wear during the solar eclipse on April 8, I used the camera on my phone to watch the moon gradually overtake…
Read More »Alison By David Daniel At six p.m. the bar in the hotel lobby in Montego Bay is already busy, revelers tuning up to ring in the New Year. Passing, carrying my suitcase and a large gym bag, I hear someone call my name. Carl and Babs, a couple I got…
Read More »Starting Baseball in Haverhill, 1961 By Mike McCormick I was standing on the grass behind our back door when Dad emerged with a baseball glove and ball. “I got this for you,” he said as he handed it to me. “Try it on, see if it fits.” I slipped the…
Read More »Book Review: Breslin: Essential Writings, edited by Dan Barry. The Library of America. 2024. 723 pages. $40. Review by David Daniel [This review originally ran on The Arts Fuse website] The idea of columnists like Breslin as “deadline artists” is apt. The task was coming up with an idea, tracking…
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