As well-intentioned as your best friend, co-worker, or father-in-law may be, at the end of the day their book suggestions just might not be cutting it for you. We get it. Luckily, a handful of esteemed poets laureate from around New England have got your literary backs. Not only have they enlightened us on what they’re up to this year, but they’ve also graciously divulged their literary picks for the season. Move aside those tomes gathering dust on your nightstand: these tantalizing reads just might make you wish for a few more snow days.

Chard deNiord

It’s hard to know when Vermont Poet Laureate Chard deNiord even has time to read! But here’s what tops his list when he’s not giving readings around the state, teaching at Providence College, writing his next collection, or collaborating on an up-and-coming anthology Anonymoi with New Hampshire Laureate Alice Fogel.

 Chard deNiord’s top reading picks:
The Elephant’s Journey by Jose Saramago
Troubling Love by Elena Ferrante
The Last Shift by Philip Levine
Fast by Jorie Graham

Stu Kestenbaum

Hailing from Vacationland, Stuart Kestenbaum has been reading Maine-based poetry every week on Maine Public Radio as a part of his project, Poems from Here, in addition to writing his own work and producing his podcast Make/Time where he interviews creative makers and thinkers.

Stuart Kestenbaum’s top reading picks:
Our Only World, a collection of essays by Wendell Berry
Otherwise, a book of poems by Jane Kenyon
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard

Tina Cane

Recently appointed Rhode Island Laureate, Tina Cane is heroically bringing poetry to young people through her organization Writers-in-the-Schools, RI and relishing in the release of her latest book, Dear Elena: Letters for Elena Ferrante.

Tina Cane’s top reading picks:
The Car Thief by Theodore Weesner
Night Sky With Exit Wounds, poems by Ocean Vuong
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone, by Olivia Laing
Why Poetry by Matthew Zapruder

Alice Fogel

Alice Fogel, New Hampshire Laureate, has her sights set on an active 2017, both physically and politically. She hopes to continue hiking segments of the Appalachian Trail, and when she’s back in the state, she’ll be getting involved with literacy and refugees while also preparing for the spring release of her new book, A Doubtful House.

Alice Fogel’s picks:
The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
Landscape and Memory by Simon Schama
Black Square by Tadeusz Dabrowski
Disinheritance by John Sibley Williams

Emma Young

Representing the town of West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard is poet and printmaker Emma Young. Her upcoming book of poetry, Adamantine, will be finished in 2017, and, in typical Emma Young style, will be completely handmade, designed, bound, and printed on her nineteenth-century printing press.

Emma Young’s picks:
Songs of S. by Robert Seydel
The Woman Who Borrowed Memories by Tove Jansson
My Journey To Lhasa by Alexandra David-Neel

So there you have it. A list of reads from the most reputable source we could think of—a group of active, engaged New Englanders who have chosen to surround themselves with words for a living. So get crackin’. That groundhog says winter ain’t over yet.

Top photo Emma Young | Photography by Hannah Marlin

The post Welcome to Your Winter Reading List appeared first on Take Magazine.

Inside of a 10×10 insulated shed in a backyard of Portland, Maine, Water Dogs author Lewis Robinson can be found either writing his own work or producing his podcast, Talk Shop. Born out of a desire to celebrate and articulate the thriving writer’s community in the area, Robinson and his show have carved out a deep and fruitful niche in the podcasting world.

“There are droves of terrific writers in Maine, and many of my favorites are in the Portland area,” says Robinson. “I wanted to capture this moment of literary burgeoning through a series of conversations.”

And so he does. Each podcast, which runs between 45 minutes to an hour, is a captivating and revealing one-on-one conversation that sheds a much-enjoyed light on the people whose words we have happily devoured inside our own homes. So far he’s spoken with the likes of Sara Corbett, Ben Rybeck, Susan Conley, and Bill Roorbach, to name a few.  A writer himself, Robinson understands the processes and experiences of those he interviews, giving a true substance to these conversations that would otherwise be lacking from someone outside the field.

The value in creating this podcast and talking with writers, most of whom work solitarily, is not lost on Robinson. Talk Shop is an effective means for bringing together a group of people whose remote work-style can be a hindrance for creating community. The Portland writer’s scene, in particular, is a special one, and is emboldened by the efforts of Robinson and his show. “Our writing community, from my perspective, is warm and supportive. I enjoy the company of so many writers here, even though I don’t enjoy the company of writers generally. Here, we celebrate each other’s successes and commiserate about our failures.”

Written beneath each episode is a snappy description that sums up the show: “Writers talking shop in the original Portland.” That was a very intentional choice on Robinson’s part, whose allegiance to the Pine Tree State goes back to his childhood.

“The Talk Shop logo is a drawing by my 8-year old” – Lewis Robinson

“I call our Portland the Original Portland because Portland, Oregon was named after us.  Usually when people say ‘Portland’ it’s assumed they mean west-coast Portland.  Saying “Original Portland” is just a gentle response to that presumption,” he explains. “There’s also a decent amount of original thinking going on here, in my opinion.”

If you’re interested in listening to that original thinking firsthand, there are currently 18 Talk Shop episodes and counting waiting for you online. Coming down the pike is an episode with Nicholson Baker, and a brand new book from Robinson himself.

Top image by Sean Mewshaw | Courtesy Lewis Robinson

The post Talking Shop in the Original Portland appeared first on Take Magazine.