Sam Cornish

For those not in the know, Sam Cornish is Boston’s first poet laureate. Since 2008, Sam has reached out to schools and communities to bring poetry to the people. However, he’s been doing that long before he received his laureateship.

The author of 13 books of poetry, Sam’s been a favorite on the Boston literary scene for more than 35 years. And, he and I are with the same publisher! His latest book, An Apron Full of Beans, was recently published by CavanKerry Press.

Admittedly, I arrived late because I got lost driving around Harvard (parking in the area is horrendous). I heard the last 20 minutes of Sam’s reading and talk. His work touches on many themes, from racism and injustice to movies and pop culture. He said that Apron is arranged like a dream, with poem dipping into the past, present, and future. Some poems detail the reality of everyday living. Some are memoir. And some look back to address different generations. But all feel genuine, as if the poems are born out of a life filled with experiences.