Arthur Russell and Maria Gillan
Linda Hillringhouse
Poet Frank L. Niccoletti had the idea that the Boathouse would be a great place for poetry. With approval from Barbara Priest, membership chairperson of the board of directors of the Verona Park Conservancy, he and poet and artist Linda Hillringhouse put together the reading.
The poem Niccoletti read at the Boathouse was “What happened in our house,” which has the epigraph “there is no shame that we can not share,” a quote by award-winning poet Maria Mazziotti Gillan, to whom he dedicated the poem.
Frank Vicoletti
Gillan is the founder and executive director of the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in Paterson and editor of the Paterson Literary Review. She’s also the author of 24 books. Linda Hillringhouse referred to Gillan as “a major presence in poetry for 45 years.”
“My poetry is intended for everybody,” said Gillan, who writes about family, love, grief, and relationships within the family.
Joe Weil
The Boathouse Poetry Reading was intended to benefit The Children’s Garden in Verona Park, and donations were collected.
Attendees expressed the hope that more readings would be held at the Boathouse.
Mark Hillringhouse
All photos: Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
Maria Mazziotti Gillan's newest poetry collection is When the Stars Were Still Visible (2021). Other recent publications are the poetry and photography collection, Paterson Light and Shadow, and the poetry collections What Blooms in Winter and The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets, a pairing of her poems with her paintings.
Maria's artist website is MariaMazziottiGillan.com and her poetry website is MariaGillan.com.
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