Ryerss Museum and Library, the Fox Chase Reading Series venue. Photo/G. E. Reutter

The Fox Chase Reading series kicked off the winter/spring season with a reading at Ryerss Museum and Library featuring poets Mike Cohen and Anthony Buccino. The series continues until the summer break with a reading each month at Ryerss.

“We are offering a group of diverse poets many who have appeared in magazines nationally and internationally,” said G Emil Reutter, who assists in coordinating the series and contributes to NEast Philly.

Poets Nathalie Anderson and Teresa Leo will appear on February 26th followed by Marie- Elizabeth Mali and Dilruba Ahmed on March 25.

Diane Sahms-Guarnieri the poetry editor of The Fox Chase Review added, “We are celebrating National Poetry Month on April 29 with a special event in memory of Northeast Philadelphia Poet and former Father Judge Teacher Louis McKee.” continue reading »

Louis McKee. Photo by G.E. Reutter

Poet and educator Louis McKee passed away Nov. 21  at the age of 60, (1951-2011) after a long illness.

McKee taught English at Father Judge High School for three decades. Thousands of students passed through his class room, a right of passage at Judge. Many of those students followed in his footsteps, becoming teachers themselves.

Robert Burns, an English teacher at Central High School was one such student. Burns remembered the influence of McKee: continue reading »

Diane Sahms-Guarnieri signs books at Ryerss Museum & Library. Photo by G.E. Reutter

Lawndale poet Diane Sahms-Guarnieri celebrated the release of her latest collection, Images of Being, with a book launch at Ryerss Museum and Library this past Saturday.

Sahms-Guarnieri, a native of Roxborough has lived in Lawndale for more than two decades. She said the common thread in the book is Philadelphia: “Images of Being is a reflection of my life, triumphs and defeats and those Philadelphians who have woven themselves into who I have become.” continue reading »

Diane Sahms-Guarnieri

As Fox Chase gears up for its second annual Poets on the Porch event at Ryerss Museum and Library, six of the seven poets slated to read at the event have shared some of their work with us. You can see them perform other works at Ryerss on Aug. 20 at Ryerss at 1 p.m.

Another Shirley Temple
By Diane Sahms-Guarnieri

A curvy path, down steep steps
that lead to a sidewalk.
“Don’t step on the cracks.”
I tug on his tattooed arm
my blue name never washing off.
His Popeye the Sailor Man’s grin
animated eyes squint. continue reading »