Former U-S poet laureate Billy Collins once said that Peggy Freydberg's poetry made him feel like he had discovered a secret he wanted to whisper to many other people. Freydberg, a longtime Chilmark resident, died in March at the age of 107. She left behind a group of admirers who also knew the secret. Peggy started writing poetry when she turned 90 years old. She spoke of fear, anxiety, love, and growing old in a way that touched even those who don't typically read poetry.
Peggy's writings have been collected in the new book "Poems from the Pond, 107 years of Words and Wisdom -- the writings of Peggy Freydberg." The book was produced and edited by Laurie David, with a forward by WCAI contributor Nancy Slonim Aronie. Selections from the book will be read July 27th at the Martha's Vineyard Hebrew Center, 5:30 p.m. in Vineyard Haven. The readers will include a number of celebrity guests.
NPR's All Things Considered aired a story about Peggy in April, shortly after she died. Youcan hear the story by clicking on this link.