Swampscott S.U.R.E. To Host Noted Poet For Reading, Book Signing

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Noted poet and Salem State University professor January Gill O'Neil will be in Swampscott next month for a poetry reading and signing of her new book "Glitter Road."

S.U.R.E. Diversity (Swampscott Unites, Respects, and Embraces Diversity) is hosting the event on Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Swampscott Senior Center.

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"O'Neil centers her poems around her time in Oxford, Mississippi, and her life both in the North and the South," S.U.R.E. member Ralph Edwards said. "They are deeply moving."

The book tells of those who lived through slavery, the horror of Emmet Till's death, and reflects on
Black history and how it is intertwined with her own, while also finding joy in our lives and our world.

S.U.R.E. Diversity, formed in 2016, is a volunteer community group aimed at celebrating all aspects of human diversity.

S.U.R.E.'s community projects include Tell Us Your Story (the story of our earliest ancestors to America), the Map Of Our Ancestors, and the S.U.R.E. Diversity Book Club. S.U.R.E. showcased the important film "Intelligent Lives," highlighting the challenges and successes of individuals with intellectual disabilities.

It sponsors the High School Heritage Festivals, and supports the annual town Pride Day and Juneteenth.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)