April is National Poetry Month and Arlington is a literary town. So here’s a new one for your reading list: Written in Arlington, an anthology of more than 150 poems by 87 hometown writers, edited by Katherine E. Young, who served as the county’s inaugural poet laureate from 2016 to 2018. Cover artist Anya Getter is also based in Arlington. So is the book’s publisher, Paycock Press, run by editor, author and poet Richard Peabody.
Young says she was inspired by the talent she encountered during her tenure as poet laureate and wanted to find a way to highlight local voices. Released in November, the collection covers a spectrum of themes. Some poems reference Arlington landmarks and history—including memories of a county cleaved by racial segregation.
“Anyone can read any of these poems and find something beautiful or touching or meaningful,” Young says. “The book does what I wanted it to do, which is create community—especially when we’re sitting inside during a pandemic and can’t [be together].”
Made possible with a grant from Arlington Cultural Affairs, the anthology is available for purchase at Trade Roots in Westover ($17.95) and online.