Sawyer Free Library Invites Young Poets to Enter the 2025 Poetry Without Paper Contest

~ Sawyer Free Library

New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings

Calling all young poets and aspiring writers! The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to launch the 2025 Poetry Without Paper contest, continuing its decades-long tradition of inspiring creativity in Gloucester’s youth. Running through April 30, 2025, the competition aligns with the culmination of National Poetry Month—an ideal time for young voices to share their poetry and perspectives. This year’s theme, New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings, invites students to reflect on fresh starts and new possibilities. The theme also echoes an exciting milestone for the Library itself as it prepares to reopen in September in a newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space.

Coordinated by Sawyer Free Library’s Children’s staff in collaboration with renowned poet and former Gloucester Poet Laureate John Ronan and Library Board member Dawn Sarrouf, this beloved annual competition provides a creative platform for students to showcase their talent in a supportive community of writers.

The contest welcomes submissions from children and teens living in Gloucester or attending its schools in three age groups: elementary, middle, and high school. While participants are encouraged to explore the theme “New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings,” poems on any topic are welcome. Poetry submissions may be enhanced with video, images, or music but should be 30 lines or fewer, original, and previously unpublished.

Winners will be selected from three age groups: high school, middle school, and elementary school. First-place winners in all categories will receive $150 Cape Ann gift certificates, second-place winners will receive $100 gift certificates, and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate with Honorable Mention winners presented with a poetry book. All winning poets will receive a certificate, be able to present their poems at an awards ceremony in June, and be invited to appear on an episode of 1623 Studio’s production, The Writer’s Block with John Ronan. Additionally, all winning entries will be on display at and published online by the Library.

Poems must be submitted through the Library website at SawyerFreeLibrary.org from March 1 to April 30. For more information, contact the Children’s Librarian at tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Students do not need to be library cardholders to enter the contest, but for those interested, the Sawyer Free Library offers library cards for children of all ages. Starting from birth, anyone who resides or attends school in Gloucester can obtain a Library card for free by applying in person, online, or by mail. For more information, visit the Library at 21 Main Street, online at sawyerfreelibrary.org, or call 978-325-5551.

Uncovering Rockport’s Dark Past: Author Talk with Rob Fitzgibbons & Wayne Soini

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join local authors Robert Fitzgibbons and Wayne Soini at the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday, March 27 at 5:30 pm for a riveting discussion on their book, Murder in Rockport, Massachusetts: Terror in a Small Town, which sheds new light on two chilling unsolved murders that shook the small seaside town in the 1930s.

On May 21, 1932, Finnish tailor Arthur Oker was brutally murdered in his shop in Rockport, sending shockwaves through the community. Just over a year later, on Halloween night in 1933, Swedish immigrant and fellow churchgoer Augusta Johnson was slain in her home, deepening the town’s fear and sparking an exhaustive investigation. Authorities searched every house, interviewed 2,500 households, and even enlisted the help of a mystic—yet the crimes remained unsolved.

Through newly uncovered state police archives, Fitzgibbons and Soini reveal long-lost details about the murders, the extensive efforts to solve them, and a surprising suspect who emerged decades later.

Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. For more information, contact jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Nature’s Voices Writing Workshop: Communicating Sense of Place through Essay

~ Sawyer Free Library

On Saturday, April 5 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Sawyer Free Library, in collaboration with the Gloucester Writers Center, is hosting the final session of Nature’s Voices, a three-part writing workshop designed to help participants step away from daily demands and reconnect with the natural world.

Led by photographer and essayist Mark Thayer, Immersion, Observation, Reflection: Communicating Sense of Place through Essay will guide participants in crafting essays that capture the beauty, complexity, and personal resonance of the environment around them.

Participants will meet at the Gloucester Writers Center located at 126 East Main Street. The session begins with a 30-minute guided outdoor walk, where participants will engage in mindful observation, gathering impressions and inspiration from nature. The group will then return indoors for a 90-minute writing session, with prompts from Mark designed to spark creativity and deepen one’s sense of place. Whether you’re an experienced writer or just beginning, this workshop offers a fresh perspective and invigorating creative exercises.

This free session is open to adults (18+), rain or shine. Please dress for the weather and bring rain gear if necessary. Pens, notebooks, and an open mind are encouraged!

Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Limited space available. For questions, contact Meg O’Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

“A Decade in Gloucester” with local author Laura Plummer at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday evening March 20 at 5:30 p.m. for an engaging evening with award-winning local writer and poet Laura Plummer as she discusses her debut chapbook, A Decade in Gloucester: Reflections on History and Home. Through heartfelt poetry and prose, Plummer explores the unexpected discovery of her Finnish ancestors’ deep ties to Gloucester—connections she uncovered after moving to the city in 2014.

This beautifully crafted collection offers a unique perspective on Gloucester’s history and its profound influence on Plummer’s sense of place and belonging. Through her writing, she paints a rich literary portrait of the seafaring city that captured her heart.

All are invited. No registration is required for this event. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.

Russ Smith Scholarship: Now Accepting Applications

~ michaeldekoster

The Gloucester Schooner Festival Committee is now accepting applications for the next round of the Russ Smith Scholarship. This scholarship is given to Cape Ann youth with the goal of advancing their Maritime career. Application is open until March 31st and can be found at MaritimeGloucester.org/sf-scholarship. Individuals must upload a letter explaining the applicant’s need and outlining plans for a future career in maritime fields or service. While strong preference will be given to those continuing a career at Maritime Academies or Maritime institutions of higher learning, all youth looking for a maritime career of any kind are encouraged to apply. 

The Scholarship Committee does from time to time make awards to organizations that support getting locals young people on the water and active in maritime activities. Individual scholarships start at $500 and organizational scholarships start at $1,000. 

Scholarship awards will be announced April 11 at the annual Gloucester Schooner Festival Kickoff Event and Fundraiser at the Gloucester House & Blue Collar Lobster.​​​  

Requests for additional information can be made by emailing info@maritimegloucester.org.

Boston Light with Lighthouse Keeper Sally Snowman at SFL on Thursday evening

~ Sawyer Free Library

Guiding Light: The Legacy of Boston Light with Keeper Sally Snowman

📅 Thursday, March 13
🕠 5:30 – 6:30 PM
📍 Sawyer Free Librarya, 21 Main Street, Gloucester

Join the Sawyer Free Free Library for a captivating evening with Sally Snowman, the Keeper of Boston Light, as she shares the rich history and personal stories of America’s first established light station. Since 1716, Boston Light has illuminated the way for mariners entering Boston Harbor, and as the last manned Coast Guard Light Station in the country, it holds a unique place in maritime history.

As the 70th and final keeper, Sally Snowman has spent over two decades maintaining this historic beacon. In this engaging presentation, she will recount her experiences as a 21st-century lighthouse keeper, offering insights from her co-authored books and sharing stunning images from Boston Light’s 307-year history.

🔹 Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org
🔹 Questions? Contact lsvensson@sawyerfreelibrary.org

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand from Sally Snowman, Ph.D., educator, author, and historian, as she prepares to retire and close a remarkable chapter in maritime history.

For Veggie Gardeners: Square-Foot Gardening Workshop

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

🥕 In this workshop, the Backyard Growers team will introduce you to the Square-Foot Gardening Method, which helps veggie gardeners make the most of often limited growing space to grow the most food possible for a household. We’ll show you how to do this by using gridded square-feet instead of rows.

🍅 You’ll work with us to create your own custom vegetable garden plan for the season.

💚 This is an interactive workshop. All are welcome!

Purchase tickets or reserve your spot

🎟️ Tickets are free for Backyard Growers Program participants (e.g. those who grow food with us in our Community Garden, Backyard Garden, or GrowBag Garden Programs.) Tickets are $20 for the general public. Proceeds from our spring gardening workshops are essential to support our work throughout the year connecting communities with equitable access to the resources, knowledge, and space to grow their own food.

🎉 THANK YOU for supporting our work and being part of our community!

March 21st Bach Birthday Concert

~ chasnaz

This concert, performed by Heinrich Christensen on the 1893 Hutchings/Fisk pipe organ with the Jubilate Chamber Choir directed by Mary Jodice, is the fifth in a series celebrating the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was born on March 21st, 1685, and is considered the greatest composer of all time. This musical offering for the Cape Ann community is made possible through the generosity of H. Woody Brock.
The concert features selections from Clavier-Übung III, sometimes referred to as the German Organ Mass, a collection of compositions for organ published in 1739, based upon Lutheran chorales (harmonized hymn tunes), which will be sung a cappella by the Choir. The collection of pieces is considered Bach’s most significant and extensive work for the organ, containing some of his most musically complex and technically demanding compositions for the instrument. It opens with the majestic Prelude in E-flat and concludes with a monumental triple Fugue known as the “St. Anne,” depicting the Trinity in a glorious combination on the “organo pleno,” pulling out all the stops! Organist Heinrich Christensen is the Music Director of King’s Chapel, Boston.
The concert will be held on Friday, March 21st at 7:30pm in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church, located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street). Parking is available on the green. The admission for the event is $35 General, $5 Students (all ages), under 12 free. An elevator is available from the side door at 10 Church Street. For more advance ticket purchases and more information please visit: http://www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org