Sunday, August 11, 2019: The 21st annual Tapestry of Voices collaborative celebration of the poetry of John Greenleaf Whittier takes place at the Whittier Home and Museum, at 86 Friend Street in Amesbury, MA from 3:00-5:00 pm. The reading features Stephen R. Wagner, Amesbury Poet Laureate and winners of the gathering of verses poetry contest. Readers include Harris Gardner, Lainie Senechal, Rhina Espaillat, Alfred Nicol, Chris Bryant, President of the Whittier Home, and several area poets, including myself and Priscilla Turner Spada, both members of Alfred Nicol’s bimonthly poetry workshop. the event is free and open to the public.

Sunday, August 18, 2019: The Newburyport Music Festival, Summer Concert #3: A Day in the Life of Newburyport is at 7:00 pm at St. Paul’s Church, at 166 high Street, Newburyport, MA. the concert features new poetry by Rhina Espaillat and Alfred Nicol and the world premier of Robert Bradshaw’s string quartet, “A Day in the Life of Newburyport, and features eight movements, eight poems and eight paintings by artists of the Newburyport Art Association. Connect with Newburyport Chamber Music Festival for tickets. Likely to be a sold out performance, it is wise to purchase tickets in advance (http://www.newburyportchambermusic.org).

Merrimac Mic is an open group of poets in Merrimac and the surrounding area, organized by Isabell VanMerlin, meets on the second Sunday of the month. This month on August 11 at 1:00 –2:30 pm at the Merrimac Public Library Community Room, 86 W. Main Street (Rt. 110), Merrimac, MA. Next month’s meeting is September 8, also at 1:00 pm. All are welcome and can read poems for about 5 minutes, depending on number of readers attending. Each year, Isabell edits an anthology of poems that readers in the past year submit. This is year 6. Check out:Jim Knowles calendar to stay updated: https://www.frostnewsline.blogspot.com.