No matter the glamor of the places, including New York City, San Francisco, Greece and Italy, to which she has traveled to delight admirers with her poetry, Maria Famà prefers the profound appeal of her native turf, dubbing it “a rich environment” possessive of “a special vibe.” On Sunday, the revered wordsmith will further confirm her connection to the community by joining peers Linda Pizzi and Al Tacconelli at the South Philadelphia Branch for its An Afternoon of Poetry celebration.
“I’m a big believer in libraries, not only as repositories of knowledge but also as community centers,” Famà, who, like many loyal locals, protested then-Mayor Michael Nutter’s plan to curtail and shutter services, said from her East Passyunk Crossing home. “Therefore, to have this opportunity at a new space really fills me with joy.”
The eager reader will deliver around 30 minutes of material at the Point Breeze haunt, blending published and yet-to-be-printed pieces that find her combining spiritual, compassionate, and humorous elements to foster the belief that everyone’s take on the world merits merit. Having developed a great rapport with library supervisor Renee Pokorny, who helped to publicize Famà’s canon when in the same role at the Fumo Family Branch, the scribe approached the Bella Vista resident about the possibility of another occasion to promote poetic reflections.
“She has always been a huge ally, and I’m glad that we’ll be able to read together in South Philly because it’s truly an inspirational place,” Famà said. “I’m particularly enthusiastic about trying out some new stuff, too, because it’s always telling to see how receptive people are to it and how much polishing of it I might need to do.”
The novel offerings from the poet will come from “The Good for the Good,” which she is hoping to release within a year as her seventh collection. The pieces and their established predecessors come from an irrepressible dedication to her craft, an allegiance that has made Famà a huge proponent of revisions.
“Like all people with this pull toward creating whatever it is they wish to bring to life and offering their artistic commentary on the world, I have to put my thoughts out there to strike up a kinship with the experiences of others,” the practitioner said. “No matter what I’ve done in life, I’ve always been able to say my great abiding passion has been writing. I’m never going to stop believing that there is so much more than meets the eye to discover and chronicle, so that’s why every occasion to share my estimation of our combined journey will make me work hard to encourage similar curiosity for who we all are.”
She owes her rampant regard for writing to an amazing upbringing among a family of storytellers. Parents Rosario and Francesca proved voracious readers who encouraged her to explore the power and possibility of words, with their daughter proclaiming that sharing tales with children registers as the greatest gift imaginable.
“Everything about the thought of putting my thoughts on paper appealed to me,” Famà said, adding that childhood often found her pretending to write books. “I became eclectic in my tastes because everything looked as if it could provide some sort of lesson, and when I was growing up, having so many sources of inspiration greatly influenced me.”
She grew very serious about written expression while a student at the former St. Maria Goretti High School, with its literary magazine, The Patroness, as a key component of her maturation. Coming of age in a critical period of societal change, she found no shortage of opportunities to evolve as a student of the world and thus as a devotee of welcoming influxes of information.
“I absolutely loved learning then and cherish it now, too,” Famà, who attended Temple University and the University of Rome and taught at St. Nicholas of Tolentine School, said. “You’ve got to be willing to take in so much because so much change occurs and you need to adapt to what age and forces beyond your control throw at you.”
Owning enough observations to commit to print, she saw her inaugural book, “Currents,” appear in 1988. The ensuing 28 years have seen her win national and international acclaim as a producer of delightful and insightful poems teeming with heartfelt stances on our obligations to self and others, particularly through traditions and notions of duty.
“You should never try to suppress your immersion into the grand picture, Famà said, giving a nod to “The Stairs,” an entry in 2007’s “Looking for Cover” that addresses the need to persist no matter the confusion that surrounds someone because life on earth and in the universe “is matter/is energy/that will not be destroyed.” “I will never stop wanting to be the initiator of or participant in discussions that center on our individual and shared gifts.”
An accompanying biographical paragraph for Sunday’s 2 p.m. library gathering reveals that allegiance to her beliefs has led Famà to garner two Aniello Lauri Awards for Creative Writing, the Amy Tritsch Needle Award for Poetry, a reading engagement through National Public Radio, appearances in three film documentaries, and kudos from the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Awards, including a ’15 Editor’s Choice commendation. She also recently received Pro Loco Award in Literature, a fine feather to have in a literary cap that seems destined to add a few more plumes.
“We have to keep searching for meaning and acknowledging the substance we’ve already found,” Famà, who also plans to issue the eponymous “Skeeter Tales” about her dearly departed feline, said. “Keep probing, and you’ll come up with some thoughts that you might never have thought imaginable.” SPR
Event: An Afternoon ofPoetry celebration with Maria Famà, Linda Pizzi and Al Tacconelli
When: Nov. 6 at 2 p.m.
Where: South Philadelphia
Branch, 1700 S. Broad St.
Contact info: 215–685–1866
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com.
Photo by Maria Young
