Reading: 4 Local Poets

Nathan Cohen is a violinist, trumpeter, and director of the Rockport Public Schools orchestra and chamber music program. He performs regularly with the band What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?, of which he is a founding member, and freelances with other folk, pop, and classical ensembles around Boston and New York City. He loves the deliciousness of words, but is reluctant to call himself a poet. He believes that poetry’s role is inseparable from the role of music. As he says, “there is poetry under the surface of any good melody, and melody under the surface of any good poem.” He is honored to share some of his work at The Writers Center.

Ruthanne (Rufus) Collinson has worked as a journalist, editor, bookkeeper and turkey farmer. She has lived in Gloucester since birth and Gloucester is the source and spirit of her poetry. As Gloucester’s poet laureate, she is working with the schools to provide writing programs for Gloucester’s youth. Her poems have been published in various journals and in two collections by Folly Cove Books.

Ruth Maassen grew up in western Michigan and arrived on Cape Ann in 1980. In the years since, she has had the pleasure of working with many local writers on her poetry and fiction. Her poems have been published in Inkwell, Tar River Poetry, and other journals, and her Picking Raspberries was one of the Folly Cove chapbook series. As the poet laureate of Rockport, she is honored to be asked to read a poem at Town Meeting every April.

Sage Walcott, a former lawyer, and his wife Linda live in Gloucester near Ravenswood Park and Freshwater Cove where he and his dog often find inspiration for his poetry. Since leaving the legal profession, he has been teaching literature and creative writing at North Shore Community College.  He also serves on the Board of the Cape Ann Forum which, since 9/11, has been bringing distinguished lecturers to Gloucester.