Feature: Doug Holder on Charles Coe’s “Memento Mori”

Charles Coe, who is one of our editors at CambridgeEditors, recently released his newest collection of poetry, Memento Mori. This collection captures the essence and pride of Boston and Cambridge, explains Doug Holder, a Somerville-native himself. Holder’s brief review of Memento Mori explores the nostalgia of life through the keen eyes of a Bostonian.

Image Source: http://dougholderresume.blogspot.com

Holder first reviews Coe’s “Poem for an Absent Friend,” which takes place in the Boston Commons. Holder remarks that for him, and many other Bostonians, the Commons “has often been a stage for any number of dramas.” This could not ring truer for me as well. Although I am a newcomer to this city, I vividly remember the Commons being stormed by fans after the Red Sox won the World Series. People climbed lamp posts and lit firecrackers. It was dramatic, to say the least, and has become a cherished Boston memory for me.

Image Source: http://dougholderresume.blogspot.com

Not only does Coe conjure up nostalgia in his poem, but the relatability of human loneliness, too. He writes:

“A young couple near the fountain holds a baby. / An older woman with a camera clicks the shutter / as we pass and we are captured in a frame. / Perhaps 100 years from now / someone flipping through a dusty scrapbook / will pause a moment to contemplate our faded images, / tow ancient and mysterious ghosts…”

The feeling of wanting to be remembered is something most people feel, and Coe captures the bittersweet nature of remembrance and memory perfectly. Through this imagery does Coe capture in a frame the love he, and Holden, have for Boston. Perhaps, then, Holden’s review of Coe acts to preserve this feeling–– these memories–– for future Bostonians.

To all of our Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville-based poets, readers, and writers: enjoy this beautiful, sunny day in Boston, and check out CambridgeEditors, here.

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It All Started with Coffee…

In a time-honored tradition of the literary arts, our latest story began in a coffee shop. CambridgeEditors founder, Harte Weiner, met with Somervillian poet, Doug Holder at Bloc 11 Cafe. Holder wanted to get the inside scoop on the life and work of a seasoned editor.

These kindred spirits discussed everything from W. H. Auden to the Cambridge-Somerville arts scene. You can find the full article on The Somerville Times.

Photo credit: Jaclyn Tyler Poeschl

This month, its Holder’s turn to be in the spotlight, as he was recently named February Artist of the Month by the Somerville Arts Council. Holder’s love of poetry was sparked  in the 1970s when he stumbled upon a copy of On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, and he has been writing and teaching ever since.

Photo credit: Eater Boston

While CambridgeEditors is proud to work with writers and editors across the globe, it is hard to imagine setting up shop anywhere besides this city by the Charles River. Decades ago, acclaimed poets and editors would gather as part of Boston’s Saturday Club. Holder and Weiner’s meet-up and hundreds more like it prove that same spirit of artistic community pervades this metro area to this day. We feast on coffee, on scones, on Lowell and now on Holder.

To all our Cambridge- and Somerville-based artists, thank you for making this place such a vibrant arts community! We love working with you and living beside you.

 

by Veronica Wickline