The Northampton Arts Council is proud to announce the appointment of Lesléa Newman as Northampton's Poet Laureate. Lesléa Newman is the author of more than 50 books including the poetry collection STILL LIFE WITH BUDDY, the short story collection A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, the middle-grade novel HACHIKO WAITS and the children's books THE BOY WHO CRIED FABULOUS and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Her poems have appeared in many publications including SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE, THE SUN, LILITH, CIMARRON REVIEW and THE BARK. She has received many literary awards including Poetry Fellowships from the Massachusetts Artists Fellowship Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Highlights for Children Fiction Writing Award, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement, and three Pushcart Prize Nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. Recently, Lesléa has been a semi-finalist for the 2007 Pablo Neruda Poetry Competition and a finalist in the 2007 Sow Ear's Poetry Review Contest. Currently, she is on the faculty of the Stonecoast MFA Program at the University of Southern Maine.
Song for Ten Scallops
Who were waiting
in a Chinese fish market
to be scooped up, weighed
and wrapped in waxed paper
to be carried home, unwrapped,
and sautéed with soft mushrooms
and beads of brown rice,
to be slid into a wooden bowl,
sprinkled with tamari,
and lifted with chopsticks,
to become part of my body
to become part of the earth.
--Lesléa Newman
© 2000 Lesléa Newman from SIGNS OF LOVE (Windstorm Creative, Ltd., Port Orchard, WA)
Link to Lesléa Newman's website--click here.