In 1967, when I first became one of the ministers of the Church in Harvard Square, the Unitarian Womenís Alliance invited me to speak at an upcoming meeting. That occasion launched my research into the life and literary work of the poets of Cambridge. What a fascinating field! Anne Bradstreet, Americaís first poet, lived in a house in what is now known as Harvard Square.

A decade later I was invited to be the producer and moderator of a weekly Boston television series sponsored by the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Forum (the weekly public affairs radio program which I directed). This ministry was cosponsored by the interfaith chaplains of Harvard and MIT, as well as the First Parish in Cambridge. In that role I rejoiced to find a book called Cambridge USA: A New World by Christopher Rand, emphasizing the amazing metaculture both inside and outside the bounds of the city itself. In the field of literature, I found fascinating poets both inside and far outside the literal bounds of the city itself. Welcome to some samples of my discovery.

HFV 2006