Author Description

Watertown has had an arsenal of poets and literary types for many years, but what makes this third annual Arts Market repertoire lively and innovative are the local writers who came together here for the first time in 2021, who welcomed others to their ranks in 2022, and who have enlisted still more for 2023. Calling themselves “The Lit Squad”—as a nod to both the Arsenal history and to grassroots literary movements—a writers’ exhibition space was obtained and organized by Elizabeth Rodgers and Monica Fairbairn to promote and foster the word-arts at the first Watertown Arts Market at Arsenal Park. Along with an annual sales table for local writers’ books and a platform of featured and open mic readings during the Market, we now have assembled this third sampler of writings by Watertown residents. We invite Watertown creative writers, in any language (with English translation), at any stage of career, to contribute samples of their work (two pages for poets, three for prose writers), to be presented together in alphabetical order and without editorial interference. We celebrate all Watertown writers, inspired by each other, by our diverse identities, traditions, and talents, and by the remarkable community we share We also had our first group reading at the Watertown Free Library this past May 20 and hope to organize more such events. This year we offer new works by writers who have contributed to previous samplers as well as welcoming Don Gervich (prose writer and writing coach), Phil Temples (a multi-genre writer and photographer whose work is featured on our cover) and his wife poet Barbara Ariel Cohen, poet Patti Cassidy, and short short fiction writer Barbara Ferullo. Explore, enjoy, and help spread the words! And meanwhile join and follow our Watertown Lit Squad Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/309535629422051). —The Watertown Lit Squad*