The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
SpeakEasy welcomes Sheedy as featured poet
TORRINGTON — On Sunday, Sept. 8, SpeakEasy welcomes author, journalist, essayist, and playwright Jack Sheedy as the feature reader, starting a 7 p.m. on Sept. 8. The monthly poetry/spoken word series is held at the Noelke Gallery, 15 Water St., with open mic signup starting at 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by writer Patricia Martin, SpeakEasy showcases poetry, essays, memoirs, storytelling, monologues, and other spoken word pieces the first Sunday of every month. Each evening spotlights a guest feature poet/writer, and provides fiveminute open mic slots for other voices to be heard. And all ages are welcome; snacks are available; admission is $5, used to support the gallery, the feature reader, and help pay for the snacks.
Sheedy, who grew up in New Hartford and Torrington and lives in Harwinton, has been a faithful participant in SpeakEasy since its inception in 2017. He is the author of the memoir “Sting of the Heat Bug,” published by Signalman Publishing, which he will read from at the event.
The poignant and humorous memoir recounts his growingup years in New Hartford with four siblings, his encounter with a kind doctor, his adventures at a roller skating rink, how he and his family survived the flood of 1955, and how he dealt with the loss of his beloved older sister Peggy. He is also an essayist and awardwinning journalist and playwright as well as an actor and member of the Nutmeg Junction oldtime radio show troupe.
Sting of the Heat Bug has been well received. “An elegant reflection on growing up, deferring dreams, and understanding loss…A carefully constructed remembrance that offers poignancy without sacrificing sincerity,” – Kirkus Reviews.
Sheedy edited his late wife Jean Sands’ second poetry collection, “Close But Not Touching,” published by Antrim House. Jack’s poetry has appeared in Mad River Anthology 2018 and Mad River Anthology 2019, as well as in BEATitude: National Beat Poetry Festival 10 Year Anthology and Poets to Come: A Poetry Anthology, celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of American poet Walt Whitman. Jack’s memoir, plus his late wife’s poetry collections Close But Not Touching and Gandy Dancing, will be available for purchase at the SpeakEasy event September 8. He is a feature writer, hard news reporter, memoirist, poet, essayist and playwright, with more than 1,000 published articles to his credit. His many honors include awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the New England Newspaper and Press Association; in 2000, his play Guardrail Nikes won the Connecticut OneAct Play Festival competition. He writes the column “Nutmeg Nuggets” for The Register Citizen and is a correspondent for Catholic Transcript, the magazine of the Archdiocese of Hartford.
For more information or to recommend a feature reader, visit the SpeakEasy Facebook page.