Falmouth is rich in poets, and the Woods Hole Public Library is proud to be offering an evening with two of the most illustrious reading from their new work. They are Jarita Davis and Alice Kociemba, both of West Falmouth. Both are well-published and active authors.
Jarita will read selections from her new book “Return Flights,” which was just published in April by Tagus Press in their “Portuguese in the Americas” series. This volume is a collection of her poems about the Cape Verde Islands and their cultural heritage, which Jarita shares. As fellow Cape Verdean-American Frank Gaspar says “This poet takes you out of your world and into another so deftly, so beautifully, you will feel as though you have lived in each one of these poems.” Others have been full of praise for Jarita’s clear narration of the “Cape Verdean culture that is shaped by separation and longing—longing for the home that has been left behind and for loved ones who have departed.” Her earlier volume “There Should be More Water” introduced us to these themes, and we hunger for more.
Alice Kociemba, who is founder of West Falmouth Library’s Calliope Poetry Group, and editor of Common Threads, the Massachusetts Poetry organization’s annual poetry festival and discussion group, will read her new book “Bourne Bridge” which features this place, this area of Cape Cod where she lives. Through simple yet telling details like a favorite flannel shirt with a torn elbow, a mackerel sky foretelling change, her poems celebrate the ordinary moments of life that hold so much meaning. With a mixture of humor, poignancy, and keen insight, this collection pays tribute to the power of family, the influence of place, and the importance of relationships that, like the bridge in the title poem, provide the connections that sustain us.
The readings will be held at the Woods Hole Public Library on Monday, May 9 at 7:30 PM in the lower level meeting room, which is handicapped accessible. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Library at 508-548-8961.