C. Desirée Finley, poet + writer
On twitter as @coastalwrite & Instagram/aletafin
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, who attended Breadloaf in 2018 for fiction, says her writing is now influenced by, "having a mountain in my backyard."
"Spring is officially here. It comes in spurts, seemingly in no order at all. Tiny snowfall is deposited secretly in the night, and temps zoom to 55 degrees and then back down to 19. I love that it comes in spurts. It shakes us out of our linear thinking..."
[ mid-March thought + banner portrayal of 'out of order' spring 3/20 ] MOTIVATION:
"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)
A favorite annual event is November's 30 Poems in 30 Days, a fundraiser for the Center for New Americans. In 2023 it culminated in 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. Personally, let me say, Big Thanks to Sarah Sullivan, Laurie Millman, all the students, all the writers, and the writing-reading community, all working so hard for such a good cause.
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." |
we're always on the coast of something, right?
(click to view coastalwrite feed) (& weekly poem as image) I am a longtime doodler/artist. I've done paintings and portraits and now have come to create what I call doodles. Here's the doodle for Pandemic Ennui.
I used to do quite a bit of photography. Here's a photo of mine from California days. This one is called, The Swimmer.
And, here's a photo I quite love - two people at the top of a dune. I call it The View.
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All photographs and artwork on this website are under copyright.
© 2024, C. D. Finley
© 2024, C. D. Finley