It was The Gloucester Notebook of T.S. Eliot that connected the writing of Young Tom and Charlie for Ann Charters, who found it while browsing on a summer afternoon at the Dogtown bookshop on Main Street. Though the two poets never met, they became associated in her mind by their strong responses to this coastal city.
Their poetry contains highly imaginative references — at times clear, sometimes obscure — to the city itself, its history, the Cape Ann geography, and the Atlantic Ocean. The seven poems in this anthology written by Eliot and Olson suggest this connection. With their words, they gave voice to the spirit of the place.
Founded in 2010, the Gloucester Writers Center is a working writers’ center in a working town. Each year, we host scores of programs — open mics, readings, workshops, and writing groups — all in support of our mission: To honour and celebrate Cape Ann’s rich literary legacy and to empower individuals to engage in writing stories in the spirit of civic engagement.
