Poet and alumna Diannely Antigua ’09. (Photo Credit: Savuth Thor)

Diannely Antigua, a Dominican American poet and educator, who was born and raised in Haverhill, MA, has been receiving critical acclaim for her debut poetry collection “Ugly Music,” which was published this year by YesYes Books.

On Wednesday, October 9, 2019, she will deliver a special reading and discussion of her work at Northern Essex Community College’s Haverhill Campus, 100 Elliott St. Free and open to the public, the reading will be held from 2 to 3:15 pm in the Pentucket Bank Lecture Hall, located in the Spurk Building.

Antigua holds an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts: Writing from NECC, a Bachelor of Arts in English from UMass Lowell, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from New York University (NYU). Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including “Washington Square Review,” “Bennington Review,” and “The Adroit Journal.” She is the recipient of several fellowships and a nominee for the Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net.

On her decision to revisit her alma mater, Antigua reflects on NECC’s role in shaping her career. “NECC saw me grow in insurmountable ways,” she says. “And I’m excited to come back and read from my debut poetry collection, ‘Ugly Music,’ which couldn’t have been possible without this community.”

She hopes that people will feel both encouraged and challenged by her reading and by the complex power of poetic arts in general. “More than anything, I am a firm believer of speaking truths out into a room,” she adds. “I feel honored to be able to share those truths with NECC.”

Antigua previously spoke on campus as the keynote speaker during NECC’s 8th annual Peace Poetry Contest Reading in 2016. When she graduated in 2009, she also served as the student commencement speaker. Her debut poetry collection, “Ugly Music,” was published earlier this year and has gone on to receive several accolades, including the Pamet River Prize.

Sponsored by the NECC Liberal Arts: Writing Option program, the reading will serve as an opportunity for anyone who has an interest in poetry or literary arts to hear from an accomplished professional in the field. The event will include a question and answer session following the reading.

For more information about this event or the Liberal Arts: Writing Option program, please contact Patricia Portanova, NECC Associate Professor of English and program coordinator, at pportanova@necc.mass.edu.

To learn more about Antigua and to view samples of her work, please visit her website.