Nathan McClain and Marsha de la O will read from their work Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m., at Blue Raven Gallery (374 Main Street, Rockland, ME 04841). The event is hosted by poet Bruce Willard

Nathan McClain is the author of Scale (Four Way Books, 2017) and Previously Owned (Four Way Books, 2022), a recipient of fellowships from The Frost Place, Sewanee Writers' Conference, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and a graduate of the M.F.A. Program for Writers at Warren Wilson.  A Cave Canem fellow, his poems and prose have recently appeared or are forthcoming in Poetry Northwest, Green Mountains Review, Zocalo Public Square, The Critical Flame, and On The Seawall, among others.  He teaches at Hampshire College and serves as Poetry Editor for The Massachusetts Review. 

Marsha de la O was born and raised in Southern California. She earned her MFA from Vermont College and is the author of two collections of poetry: Black Hope (1997), winner of the New Issues Poetry Prize, and Antidote for Night (2015), winner of the Isabella Gardner Prize from BOA Editions. De la O is associated with the landscapes and cityscapes of Southern California, and her poetry is known for its nuanced observation and description of the region.

A former bilingual schoolteacher in Los Angeles and the rural community of Santa Paula, de la O now lives in Ventura, California. She is the recipient of the 2014 Marcus Memorial Poetry Prize, the dA Poetry Prize, and the Ventura Poetry Prize. With her husband, poet Phil Taggart, she publishes the poetry journal Askew.

For questions or additional information, contact: Poetry@blueravengallery.com 

RSVP: https://form.jotform.com/251136220715143

There is nothing like a poem to inspire, heal, and provoke. As Major Jackson says, “a poem advances our humanity in language.” Blue Raven Gallery Poetry Reading Series brings some of the most prominent and distinguished voices in poetry to the central Maine coast. The readings take place in Blue Raven Gallery’s one-of-a-kind space, where poets and audience members are surrounded by a curated collection of some of the country’s best painting, photography, sculpture, and contemporary art. This is the last reading of the year, with more to come in 2026.