Kevin McLellan, ACT Financial Assistant and accomplished author and poet, has recently been honored by the Massachusetts Book Awards for his publication of poems, Ornitheology. The Massachusetts Book Awards honor significant works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s/young adult literature published by or about Massachusetts residents. McLellan’s book, Ornitheology, is a collection of poetry speaking on themes of collisions, near-misses, danger and vulnerability.
In a review of his work by Megan Alpert:
“…Whether to ‘act sick,’ to show vulnerability in a world full of threat and danger are at the heart of Ornitheology’s concerns. The speaker’s willingness to be vulnerable, at least with us, the readers, gives the book a sad and beautiful intensity, even as its touch is often feather-light. I’ve never heard a better expression of alienation than McLellan’s ‘It is as if I am my own species.’ Yet, the book insists on finding symmetry amid both exterior and interior danger…”
To celebrate this award, the Massachusetts Book Awards is hosting their Holiday Dozen, a book party scheduled for Wednesday, December 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Cambridge Public Library. This event is open to the public and features 12 recipients of the award, including McLellan, giving short presentations and reading their works, including an opportunity to mingle as well as a book-signing.
The full press release for this event can be found here.