C. Desirée Finley, poet + writer
Daily comments on twitter as @coastalwrite - we're always on the shore of something, right?
![]() About C. Desirée Finley
If you've ever had the feeling you ought to be named something simple, e.g., a one syllable name, I can sympathize. My names are too fancy. Over time I've come to insist that people me by my last name (or a truncated version of it). I wonder why I still hold onto the C. and for that matter, why the Desirée? Maybe someone can help me with that question. Likewise, there's confusion about where exactly my home is located. I've lived on both coasts and in cities primarily. It's odd to me that I'm now in a rather rural setting. Even as I say that I recognize how truly grateful to be here I am. The mountain sitting there in its various attitudes is soothing. This particular area is welcoming in its quiet way. There is, I'll add, a supportive writing community here in western Mass. I used to live on the west coast (and as such I'm always uncertain as to whether I will re-migrate back there). Now, mountains have replaced the ocean. It's taken me a long time, pretty much until now, to realize the value of community. In this tiny town there is so much of it. Despite knowing many local writers only virtually, I have a deep fondness for them. When you share writing, you share a piece of yourself on a regular basis, and you listen to others doing the same--you know them. There's no 'only' about it. I am a poet and fiction writer. Modestly published: look for my work in Straw Dog Writers Pandemic Poetry, Silkworm Journal (14 and 15), Willawaw Journal and 30 Days of Poems anthology. I was awarded 2nd place in the regional 2020 Poet's Seat Poetry Contest. Member of Straw Dog Writers Guild, Florence Poets Society, the New England Poetry Club, SCBWI, and Willamette Writers from my Portland days, I spend time writing. I always have. My dad introduced me to the idea of beauty in the unlikeliness of things. Of course, that was in Manhattan where everything is in (apparent) disharmony, but it works anywhere. I now witness beauty in the apron of land behind where I live, how I can see the river when enough leaves have fallen in autumn. At midnight looking out at moonlight on the snow, I am momentarily stunned--it's so beautiful. Now that I live by the side of a mountain, the poet side of me has stepped forward. 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. Expect more hybrid things. don't hold your breath but they're coming. >>Visit Fin's poetry page> ![]() R E S O U R C E S
Western Mass. Links for Writers: (short list)
Stay in touch:
Find me on Twitter @Coastalwrite (I closed out FB) Send an inquiry using the contact form or perhaps I'll see you virtually (!) or omg, potentially in-person For more graphics + visual things, visit FinleyDesignArt.com (with photos + drawings) Bio box (somewhat recent)
"At the Close of Day in Pieces (above) 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," Fin says.
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All photographs and artwork on this website are under copyright.
© 2023, C. D. Finley
© 2023, C. D. Finley