The Dionis Coffin Riggs Day of Poetry has been established on her birthday, August 6, to annually commemorate not only the work of Riggs but the work from poets who have been members of the poetry group she established in her home 50-plus years ago, which continues to this day: the Cleaveland House poets. The group meets biweekly in the parlor. Some members are established poets, others early in their writing life; many have passed on. The reading will run from 5 to 6 pm.
According to a press release, this year members of the Cleaveland House poets, family, and friends will come together and read their favorite Dionis Coffin Riggs poems in honor of this remarkable woman at the West Tisbury library, which has offered to host this annual poetry reading.
Many poets have been nurtured through Dionis Coffin Riggs’s Cleaveland House poets, strengthening their voices, hearing their words in their voice and then having another voice read back to them, plus garnering the support they needed to bring their voices and poetry into the wider world. The release says the group looks forward to sharing Dionis Coffin Riggs poems, and continuing to bring her voice and the voices of so many poets who were and are Cleaveland House poets to the public every August.
Cleaveland House poets have lost many members over their history, including most recently Judith Neeld, Andrea Quigley, William Waterway, Jane Brown, Dr. Russell Hoxsie, and Jane Cochrane, to name a few. Present members include group facilitator Fan Ogilvie, Eleanor Bates, Holly St. John Bergon, Nan Byrne, Peter Lederman, Chris Legge, Arnie Reisman, Brooks Robards, Susan Puciul, Jennifer Smith Turner, Annette Sandrock, and Valerie Sonnenthal.
The event is free and open to the public.
For further information, contact Valerie Sonnenthal at 774-563-8282 or vsonnenthal@gmail.com.
