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

Banner update 05/05/025:  beach end, photography by C D Finley
PictureC. Desirée Finley (Fin)
C. Desirée Finley (Fin) is a writer and artist now living in western Mass. Her poetry is published in Straw Dog Writers Pandemic Poetry, Silkworm Journal (print), Cape Cod Times & Willawaw Journal [Pushcart nomination] and some local anthologies like the amazing Meat For Tea. Finley says, "I've lived on both coasts, in cities and ocean adjacent, but what has influenced my writing most of all is having a mountain in my backyard. In addition to poetry, I write quirky short stories and have experimented with hybrid forms. It all begins, as Ocean Vuong would say, with curiosity." 
>>view poetry page


​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>

Finley is a member of Straw Dog Writers Guild, Florence Poets Society, New England Poetry Club, SCBWI, and Willamette Writers (from her CA-Portland, Oregon days). She finds grounding and connection in western Massachusetts' community of writers. Mostly, she spends time writing and drawing and always has. 

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: 
  • sorry, Twitter (X) as @Coastalwrite is now inactive
  • I've reactivated FB as C D Fin Finley mainly to post photos of my cats and to be in support of various writing folks:)
  • Instagram as @aletafin
  • @rivering.bsky.social - a fledgling social a/c 
  • send an inquiry using the contact form
  • perhaps I'll see you virtually
  • or at an in-person event

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.
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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." 
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And now for the visual side of me...
I've been an artist (oil + acrylics, mixed-media) for ages working primarily in portraiture.  That core of painting morphed into photography, which began with film in the 70's and transitioned to digital. While photography and art (and web) were how I made my living, I'm now a full-time writer and I continue to slalom between art and writing. Creating linear drawings is a new love. Here's one, which I named, 'Pandemic Ennui.'

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Now that I have two new what I call pre-owned corneas, (transplants!) photography and the desire to capture moments in time, has returned. Soon, I think, there will be a rendezvous with my SLR. The visual feeds so much of what I think and feel anyway.  Here's a photo from California days called, 'The Swimmer,' ​and another photo I quite love - two people at the top of a dune, called, The View.  Visit Design and Gallery pages for a peek at more art. 

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Use the Contact  page to be in touch.

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view poetry / view graphics / ​view blog / 
All photographs and artwork on this website are under copyright.
© 2024, C. D. Finley  
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  • About
  • poetry
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Design >
      • Gallery