C. Desirée Finley (Fin) poet + writer
May 13, 2026 Fin joins John Shearer and Darlene Elias at The LAVA Center in Greenfield Mass for Writers Read. Come early and grab a bite at Peoples Pint and then come by. Lindy Whiton hosts this monthly LAVA writing share.
 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 Journal [Pushcart nom], Cape Cod Times, Willawaw Journal [Pushcart nom] Meat For Tea, and in winter 2025, The Brussels Review. Finley, who had long considered herself a "city kid" and has lived in California and NYC, says, when explaining her love of a small town, "I love the influence of quiet, of having a mountain in my backyard."
[banner: the orchard behind Hagar's--04/15/26] 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)
Stay in touch:
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." 
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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, I think, 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.
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All photographs and artwork on this website are under copyright.
© 2024, C. D. Finley
© 2024, C. D. Finley