Eric Edwards, who grew up in Woods Hole and still lives here, will speak at the Woods Hole Public Library on Monday, February 27 at 7 PM. He will be sharing and celebrating the publication of his most recent book, a collection of prose poems titled Black Apple.
As Eric puts it: “After nearly a half-century of ignoring, avoiding, or denying publication, One Bird Books’ editors and friends convinced me to publish my prose poems in a public way”. He continued to say “ Brought up on the casual streets of Woods Hole in the fifties and sixties, I ended up in the writing program at Boston University after winning the BU Poetry Prize as a special student. There I got involved with the prose poem, as well as all the other formal and informal modes of lineated poetry that would occasionally slip into print around town.”
People who have read Eric’s poetry in any of his books, or journals such as Spritsail, where he served as poetry editor under Mary Lou Smith for several years, could be excused from knowing that he was writing this other form (prose poems) all along. He occasionally teaches haiku to adults and high-schoolers, and how to read poetry for adults. In the past he has traveled with Robert Holman (of the PBS special: Language Matters) to “read poetry somewhat abroad”
Even before this new book is officially launched by One Bird Books, Eric would like to read from his collection to local people interested in prose poetry, in Woods Hole, where he first read poetry with Padraic Colum, Herman Ward, and Kate Nace (now retired Professor Kate Nace Day). The book, “Black Apple, Collected Prose Poems, 1975-2022” which was just published last November, is now available to order.