About C D Finley : writing and drawing my way through life

C. Desirée Finley (Fin) poet + writer

C. Desirée Finley (Fin)

C. Desirée Finley is a writer and artist currently living in a quiet hill town in western Mass. Her poetry can be found in Straw Dog Writers Guild's (2020) Pandemic Poetry, Silkworm, Cape Cod Times, Willawaw Journal, Meat For Tea, and, (winter 2025) The Brussels Review. Finley, who has long considered herself a "city kid" and has lived in California and NYC, when explaining the comfort of a small town, says, "I love the influence of the river, of quiet, of having a mountain in my backyard."
[banner: blossom in a cup, May 2026]

Finley attended U. Mass., Simmons Graduate School of Management and LaSalle University, where she was a writing fellow. She is a member of Straw Dog Writers Guild, Florence Poets Society, New England Poetry Club, AWP, and Willamette Writers (from her CA-Portland, Oregon days). In California, Finley volunteered as an Americorps literacy tutor and with Young Writers in Santa Cruz before attending Bread Loaf Writing Conference in 2018. Now fully transplanted and Berkshire adjacent, she finds both grounding and connection in western Massachusetts' community of writers. Mostly, she spends time writing and drawing, and always has. In addition to poetry, Finley writes short stories and has experimented with hybrid forms. "It all begins, as Ocean Vuong would say, with curiosity," she admits. Finley was guest on WMUR's Poet Talk, a radio program housed at U Mass, Amherst. You can listen in on spotify. Poet Talk's intrepid host is Ellen Miller-Mack and she's on Thursday nights. Past interviews with local and regional writers are easily accessed and are a good listen.

>>view Fin's poetry

MOTIVATION (for writing):
"I love the apron of land behind where I live, how I can see the river when enough leaves have fallen in winter, looking at moonlight on the snow. Now that I live by the side of a mountain, the poet side of me has stepped forward, and even though I used to think of myself as a strictly a fiction writer, there is a bleeding through from one genre to another. Poetry affects everything."
>>Visit Fin's poetry page>

If new to western Massachusetts and looking to connect with the writing community, this page offers a few links:

R E S O U R C E S
Western Mass. Links for Writers: (short list)

Straw Dog Writers' Guild
Florence Poets Society
Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop
Forbes Library Writing Room group with Tzivia Gover, MFA
Writers In Progress
New England Poetry Club
The LAVA Center
Workshops with Mass MOCA, The Clark Institute, and Williams College Museum of Art. Jan Freeman and other talented leaders.
In 2025 First Sundays (a switch from Tuesday) have an in-person connection at LAVA in Greenfield Mass., thanks to Paul Word Richmond - find him on FB.
2nd Sundays is an evening online venue for those wishing to share poetry. It's managed by Straw Dog Writers and you'll find a sign-up on their site.

The Straw Dog Writers' Guild Resources page offers lots more information about local writing community activities. There are lots of things going on in Easthampton, Northampton, Turners Falls and Greenfield.

Stay in touch:

Instagram as @aletafin
FB as 'C D Fin Finley'
@rivering.bsky.social - a fledgling bluesky social a/c
use the contact form

At the Close of Day in Pieces (below) was written in the winter of 2020 when communication was limited to what we heard about each other's day and what we told each other.
"I was (am) grateful for that communication, how we tried (still try) to be with each other in words even if our physical lives were (are) separate."

As far as the visual side goes, Finley admits that
besides writing, "pretty much forever," she has been an artist since grade school, working primarily in portraiture. That core of painting morphed into photography, beginning with film in the 1970's and transitioning to digital. Creating linear drawings is a new love. Here's one, drawn during early 2000, which is named, 'Pandemic Ennui.'

Finley adds, "Now that I have two new what I call, "pre-owned corneas," (transplants!) photography has returned. Soon there will be a rendezvous with my SLR. The visual feeds so much of what I think and feel. It's a miracle to be able to see again." Visit Design and Gallery pages for an historical peek at more art and photography.

Winner 2026 Poet's Seat Poetry Contest
C. Desirée Finley (Fin) earned top prize at the 2026 Poet's Seat Poetry contest, an honor announced April 28, 2026. Fin says she's thrilled to receive this honor and has introduced the chair (which grand prize winners get to keep for an entire year!) to her cats, who promise to take care of this new furniture. Fin hopes the Poetry Seat chair (which now resides in her home) will encourage her to shift from a habit of deep introversion to being considerably more engaging, potentially urging her to host poetry events. "I definitely feel this honor invites me to be more outgoing and less "turtle-like," Fin says. "I hope it will encourage me to do more outwardly facing poetry events, to invite more folks to participate in poetry and I look forward to that."

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Use the Contact page to be in touch.

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C. Desirée Finley (Fin) ​poet + writer ​

C. Desirée Finley (Fin) poet + writer