C. Desirée Finley (Fin) poet + writer
C. Desirée Finley is a writer and artist now living in western Massachusetts. Her poetry is published in Straw Dog Writers Pandemic Poetry, Silkworm Journal (print), Cape Cod Times & Willawaw Journal [Pushcart nomination] and some local anthologies. Finley says her writing is now influenced by, "having a mountain in my backyard."
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Banner update: Snow has finally come - here's a 'backyard' view as of 12/01/24
The big push for raising funds by a month of poetry has just ended. If you haven't had a chance to donate to the Center for New Americans, remember, their work is more important than ever. The link will stay active. Will you donate to them? For those donating I'll put together a little booklet of poems. To those who have already donated, Thank You for supporting this wonderful organization and all the ways they make a difference in the lives of immigrants. Looking for the link? Click the kitty (image).
 C. Desirée Finley (Fin)
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 autumn and at midnight, looking out at moonlight on the snow. I've lived on both coasts, in cities and ocean adjacent. 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. Even essays are somehow different. Poetry affects everything." Finley is a member of Straw Dog Writers Guild, Florence Poets Society, New England Poetry Club, SCBWI, and Willamette Writers (from her Portland, Oregon days). She finds grounding and connection in western Massachusetts' community of writers. Mostly, she spends time writing and drawing and always has. >>Visit Fin's poetry page> If new to western Massachusetts and looking to connect with the writing community, here are a few links: R E S O U R C E S Western Mass. Links for Writers: (short list)
[ * link to readings from last year * ]
In 2023 we celebrated with two poetry readings: one live at Smith College, which was livestreamed, and a virtual reading (I'm in that one). Both are fun to view. While April will always be poetry month, November has emerged as a special time of purpose and sharing. Big Thanks to Sarah Sullivan, Laurie Millman, all the students at CNAM and the entire writing-reading community working so hard for such a good cause. NOTE: this year's (2024) donation link is: https://cnam.org/civi/pcp/info/?reset=1&id=966 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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*we're always on the coast of something, right?
(Apologies, I've stopped using Twitter - try Instagram and FB) 
And now for the visual side of me...
I've been an artist in oil and acrylics and mixed-media for ages, primarily portraiture. This core of painting morphed into photography, which began with film and transitioned to digital. While photography and art (and web) were how I made my living, I'm now a full-time writer. I do not do visual art commissions but I continue both art and writing slaloming between them. When I get stuck in writing, I draw. When I get stuck in painting, I write and many combinations therein. Creating comics is a new love, and here's one, which I named, 'Pandemic Ennui,' done, believe it or not, in Paint. 
I used to do lots of photography, but it's taken a bit of a back step due to eyesight issues. California required a new definition of beauty. There is so much more green in New England. Now that I have two new corneas (transplants!) photography and the desire to capture a moment in time, has revived. I hope to have a rendezvous with my SLR. I love the visual and it feeds so much of what I think and feel. I've tried over the years to separate the visual side of me from the writerly side and I've discovered I am not able to separate these two creative entities. They remain conjoined. It's probably a good thing as one practice reaches over and helps the other. Here's a photo from Santa Cruz days called, 'The Swimmer.'
Here's another photo I quite love - two people at the top of a dune. I call it, The View. Visit Design and Gallery pages for a peek at more art.
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All photographs and artwork on this website are under copyright.
© 2024, C. D. Finley
© 2024, C. D. Finley