Newton Free Library Poetry Reading Series 330 Homer St. Newton Centre, Mass. Resumes Feb 13 7PM Open mic and features.

Director: Doug Holder

READERS:

Beatriz Alba del Rio is a bilingual poet and lawyer. She has lived inCambridge since 1982, a city she adores. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Beatriz won the 1st Prize of the 2002 Octavio Paz Internationalpoetry Contest (Poem: "Ser" = "To be"), the 3rd Prize of the 2003 Pablo Neruda International poetry Contest ( Poem "Tristeza de Abril"= "Aprilblues" and the 2004 Cambridge Poetry award with the poem MASKS OVER MASKS in the category "female erotic poem" and her poem "Black Crows" was nominated in the category "female love poem." Her poetry has appeared in severalanthologies and literary magazines, inclluding "the new renaissance." As alawyer, Beatriz represents abused and neglected children and parents, mediates conflicts between families, and does some international work. Beatriz' languages: Spanish, English, French. She understands Portuguese andItalian. Beatriz' mission as a lawyer is to help people to create better lives. Her poetry speaks of longings. Some of her poems are songs to lovea nd to the unity of us all.


Nicole DiCello has received honorable mentions for her poetry, and wonfirst place in the Ithaca College poetry contest in 1996. She has been asked to read at festivals in Ithaca, NY, and for the Feminist Women'sWriting Workshop in New York state. She currently attends Barbara Helfgott Hyett's Writing Workshop for Publishing Poets in Brookline, MA. She lives in Leominster, MA and is working on her first book of poems, Red Shift,based upon astronomical phenomenon.



Gouri Datta Born in India, she started writing poetry around age 10.,both in English and mother tongue , Bengali. She has published severalworks: Book of Bengali poems , "Sukh, Dukho, Ittadi " ( "Pleasures, Sorrows, ETc. ") published in 1973. Book of Eng. poems published in '78, "Amaranths andElse " In addition, 2 books of Bengali short stories: "Maitry"( Friendship), and"Vaidehi "( Daughter of Videha ). She is currently, in a Bengali writers' group, "Lekhoni" (The Pen ) based in Newton, and Wingate Writers' Group ,based in Haverhill. She wrote while in College , Medical school and while working as a psychiatrist in various hospitals near Boston, including McLean Hospital inBelmont( which has inspired many writers. ) At McLean , Datta writes: "I met Doug Holder , whose vast love of the art form has spawned magazines , journals, publications, groups, rallies and a place for writers and poets to meet and move the world. Our talks turned to common interests, poetry in patient care and enhancement of the underprivileged, a cause espoused by Doug and and inspiration for me.'