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Former Poets Laureate

Mimi White
Mimi White, poet and teacher,
was poet laureate from 2005-2007. She has been working
for over twenty-five years with students of all
ages to help them create original and authentic work, be it poetry, memoir or non fiction
writing.
Mimi White has worked in a variety of settings including schools, libraries, prisons,
residencies for
the elderly, and universities. She has been a member of the faculty at the University of
New
Hampshire, Northern Essex Community College, and Lesley University. Her poems have been
published in dozens of journals. They include Poetry, Harvard Review, West
Branch, The Seattle Review, Yankee and Rivendell. Her
book of poems, "The Last Island" was published in 2008.
Read some of Mimi White's poetry.
Read about her What is Home project .
Read more about Mimi.
John Perrault
John Perrault practices law, teaches literature, and writes.
His The Ballad of Louis Wagner and other New England Stories in Verse, published by
Peter Randall, is being distributed by University Press of New England.
Johns poetry has appeared in The Café Review, The Christian Science
Monitor, Commonweal, Poet Lore and elsewhere. His
new collection of poems, Here Comes the Old Man Now, is published by
Oyster River Press. He was poet laureate of
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 2003-2005.
John is available for readings, concerts, and writing workshops. He also presents a ballad
program for libraries, historical societies, schools and other non-profit organizations
through the New Hampshire Humanities Council entitled "The Ballad Lives." For
information, please go to www.nhhc.org -type in
"John Perrault" and follow the links. He is also on the New Hampshire State
Council on the Arts Touring Roster. Go to www.nh.gov/nharts
-click on "arts & artists" and follow links. John's website is at www.johnperrault.com He may be contacted
directly at rockweed@comcast.net
John's project as poet laureate was to pair artists and
poets to create a combined work, displayed in various public locations in
Portsmouth. Find out where here.
Third Shift
Hunching over
his overtime work
he watches words
rattle down the line
minding the verbs
how they vibrate
minding the sound
of the nouns
scooping out duds
for the bin--
all night he labors
under the overhead lamp
making little black widgets
according to type
stacks them in stanzas
labels the tops
wraps them up ready
to ship out
invoices
tucked inside.
by John Perrault |
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Maren Tirabassi
Maren C. Tirabassi is author or editor of eleven books. New this year are Daybook
For New Voices with her daughter Maria I. Tirabassi, Transgendering Faith -
Identity, Sexuality and Spirituality with Leanne McCall Tigert and The Artist's
Hand a book and CD collaboration with singer/songwriter Bryan Sirchio. Celebrating its
first anniversary is the holiday spoken word CD -- Sticky Mittens and Angel
Feet with Yankee humorists Neil English and Rebecca Rule. Portsmouth Poet Laureate
from 2001-2003 her first project was the book Portsmouth Unabridged - New Poems for an
Old City which boasted more than ninety local poets from age nine to one hundred. Her
second year she ran a Humor in Poetry festival. Maren teaches poetry in
a wide range of settings and travels as a facilitator for United Church of Christ
(Congregational) workshops and conferences.
Bang and Spangle in
Portsmouth
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This
fourth of July
I am little proud to be american,
as we pursue our unjust war
against people starved by our embargo,
whose tyrants we created,
eat our grotesque carb-less meals,
drive our belugas, choose for president
the madman with the
stuffed god in his pocket.
Circling the tattered remains of parade
are boys on decorated bicycles
while girls with glow circles in their hair
sit on blankets.
One old man with a slice of blueberry pie
held like a blue-mouthed ducks bill
is entertaining a toddler
wearing chocolate ice cream.
I find my place on the hill
above this little New Hampshire town
and pray that it is not willingness
to be deceived
that makes us stare into the night
at shooting stars,
but something deeper
a waiting to be surprised by beauty,
by hope for tomorrow.
I will start by believing in fireworks,
and just maybe I can fumble
my way
back to the country.
by Maren C. Tirabassi
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Maren Tirabassi
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Robert Dunn
Robert is a "recovering poet laureate" and longtime resident of Portsmouth who
has, on occasion, distributed copies of his poems to people he met on his walks around
town. One of Robert's undertakings as poet laureate was to bring poems out into the street
and we can now enjoy various
works around the city and in the parking garage. In 1997, during his tenure, the Poetry Hoot was born. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.
Robert says he is "an apple picker, currently celebrating his salad days."
He recently published I Hear
America Singing.
Rumors
I hear you can tell the trees apart
by the sound of the wind in their branches:
The sighing of the pines is nothing
at all like the wind in the willows.
Elms in full foliage gently
rustle, aspen are easily rattled.
All under the leaves of life they tend:
Oaks to creak at a higher pitch
and maples more apt to tap
imperiously at your window.
And I have heard the news and so have you,
so let us talk of things indifferent.
And the wind will tell the trees apart
by the rumors passing through.
by Robert Dunn |
Robert Dunn

© Photo: Nancy G. Horton |
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Esther Buffler
Esther came to poetry later in life from a long career in story telling and
professional theater. She devoted the last 25 years of her life to writing, teaching and
sharing her talents in New Hampshire.
She staged a touring production about American women poets, was poet in residence at star
island
and promoted poetry in local schools. She published five collections of poetry
including Only Now.
She produced the audio CD compilation "High on Poetry with
Esther Buffler and Friends" highlighting the best of the Portsmouth Poet Laureate
Program of 1998. Her last book, It's All Ahead, is published by Phineas Press and
is available at RiverRun book store. Esther died in August, 2002 at the age of 93.
Currently a fund in her memory supports an annual poetry residence in the Portsmouth
schools.
No Skirmish
at 80
A great pile of things;
coming up at 90
can be even more;
who cares?
Amazingly memory does.
by Esther Buffler
Published in ONLY NOW, 1999 |
Esther Buffler
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Buy
"High on Poetry - With Esther Buffler and Friends"
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