The Worcester Public Library is pleased to present a virtual panel of poets who’ve written about animals. Featuring poets Maura MacNeil, Susan Roney-O’Brien, and B.G. Thurston, each panelist will share some of their work, discuss what drew them to writing about animals, and tell stories about their pets and other beastie encounters. 

Maura MacNeil is a writer, editor and a professor of creative writing at New England College. She is the author of three poetry collections and is the founder and editor of the website Off the Margins. She serves on the board of the Monadnock Writers’ Group and is a New Hampshire Humanities-to-Go program presenter with the interactive writing workshop: Family, Memory, Place: Writing Family Stories.

Susan Roney-O’Brien earned her MFA at Warren Wilson College and is the author of five poetry collections. She hosts monthly poetry readings, teaches workshops and coordinates the Stanley Kunitz summer writing series.

After a career in computers and finance, B.G. Thurston now lives on a sheep farm in Warwick, Massachusetts. In 2002, she received an MFA in Poetry from Vermont College. She has taught poetry courses at Lasalle College, online at Vermont College, and conducted many poetry workshops. Her first book, Saving the Lamb, by Finishing Line Press was a Massachusetts Book Awards highly recommended reading choice. Her second book, Nightwalking, was released in 2011 by Haleys. Her third book about the history of her 1770’s farmhouse titled Cathouse Farm will hopefully be published this year. She hopes to return to teaching and editing poetry as soon as the pandemic recedes.

Program courtesy of our Summer Reading Sponsors