Mary Freericks is a prize-winning poet with publications in anthologies including To Give Life a Shape, For She is the Tree of Life, Poetry in the Garden, and Armenian-American Poets. She has taught poetry both for the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and California Poet in the Schools as well as in service courses to teachers in New Jersey, New York, and California. She has led workshops for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Foundation. Her poetry readings include Distinguished Poets Series, William Carlos Williams Poetry Center, International Women’s Writers, Armenian Students’ Association, and the Karpeles Manuscript Library.
Poet, teacher and artist, Mary is the author of three books of poetry, Blue Watermelon, 2017, and Cheer for Freedom, 2019, both focus on her childhood in Iran and immigration to the United States. Her latest book, Furs for a Vegetarian, 2020, focuses on her artist Russian mother. All are available on Amazon.
Her poems are included in a number of anthologies : For She is the Tree of Life; Grandmothers Through the Eyes of Women Writers, The Southern California Anthology, Vol. VI, Poetry in the Garden, The Feathered Violin: Understanding Women’s Poetry, Quorum Editions, Scintillations II, B.A.W.W., Jasmine Press, A Baker’s Dozen: Salute to Women in the Arts, Armenian-American Poets, a bilingual anthology and Armenian-American Poets, Manna Publishing, Euterpe: Poetry of the N.Y. Literary Society, Santa Barbara Poetry Anthology
Publication in periodicals includes, The New York Quarterly, The Christian Science Monitor, Ararat, Bitterroot, Cosmopolitan, the Leopold Schepp Foundation, Face-to-Face (cover)
Prizes: St. Agnes Eve (sponsored by Negative Capability), Alex Manoogian Poetry Award, N.J. State Council on the Arts Fellowship in Poetry
Readings: Night Cafe, New York City, National Armenian Students’ Association at Princeton University, Trenton State Museum, Passaic Community College Distinguished Poets Series, State Council on the Arts Fellows Readings, William Carlos Williams Poetry Center, The Glen Dallas Gallery and 10 West Gallery in Santa Barbara as well as Chaucer’s Book Store
Poetry Workshop Leader for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, Waterloo, Village, Nyack and Nanuet Libraries, sponsored by Poets and Writers of N. Y. and the N.Y State Council on the Arts and Bergen Community Museum In-
Service Course Instructor, The Poetry Within, Power Writing
Blue Watermelon is written just beautifully - Mary's writing takes you right into her childhood/young adult worldy experiences with perfect descriptions, emotions, and wonder. Gifted this book to my Persian friend who loves it as well.
ALISON GALINDO
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