Annual poetry competition generates wide interest
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

(l to r) Reference Librarian Cora Arsenault with Joy Darling, the thirdplace winner at the Hudson Public Library's poetry competition

Hudson - Cora Arsenault, the reference librarian at Hudson Public Library, was pleasantly surprised at the number of poems she received as entries for the library's annual poetry competition. The winners of the competition were announced June 26 at the annual poetry presentation at the library, gift certificates were given for first, second and third place, as well as an honorable mention for one of the several poems from the youth submissions.

This year's event was kicked off May 19 by a poetry reading by bg Thurston, a published poet from central Massachusetts. The interested candidates then had one month to submit up to two poems, which were displayed in the library and judged by a professional poet.

This year's judge, Heather J. Macpherson, was recommended by the Worcester County Poetry Association. Macpherson is a poet, writer, librarian, and founder and editor of the Ballard Street Poetry Journal. Her poems have appeared in publications like the Orange Room Review and Real Women Press. Macpherson spent nearly a week reading and reviewing the poems prior to the judging, where she presented the winning poems and gave writers feedback about their work.

Arsenault explained that each year she likes to get different judges to give the poets different creative perspectives on the diff erent styles of poetry.

With 25 poems submitted from 13 diff erent candidates age 16 through adult, Arsenault was impressed by the number of youth under 16 who expressed interest in entering the competition. In response to this, she extended the contest to incorporate a youth category, receiving five submissions. She explained that next year there will be either create a youth category as part of the existing annual event or have a separate a separate youth competition.

The winners of the poetry contest were: first prize went to "Through a Lens" by Emily Maddow; second prize to "No Longer" by Ali Hosseini; and third prize to "Turtle Home" by Joy Darling. The Youth Honorable Mention went to "Cemetery" by Angelina DeSocio. All the candidates received an anthology from the library that included all of the submitted poems. It is also available for library members to look at.

Darling, third-place winner and 15-year Hudson resident, explained that she had been writing since she was a child and was very happy to place in the competition. Her inspiration for her winning poem came from a snapping turtle she found as a hatchling and raised to be a tame 14-pound turtle.

"I adore turtles and I had never seen a snapping turtle growing up," Darling said. "I like to go to the river and watch them sunbathe."

"The poetry competition is a very popular library event, and I was pleased with the number of entries," Arsenault said. "I am not a poet, and I am learning so much about poetry through this event."

The adult library is expanding every day with new books constantly being added. A newly formed writers' group will meet the first Wednesday of every month in the Tavares Room from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The group will be facilitated by Hudson resident and writer Tiana Gorham.

As part of this series the library is sponsoring an author's discussion and book signing of "Vengeance Betrayed," the latest book of Hudson native P.D. LaFleur.