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Communicare:

Wire Words/Neigborhood Poems

Wire Art at the East Branch

Have you noticed the new addition to the fencing at the East Branch Library?

This art installation, called Communicare: Wire Words/Neighborhood Poems,

from Somerville artist Danielle Krcmer uses lines of poetry in wire form to

adorn the architecture of the library.


If you haven't stopped by to read it yet, be sure to check it out!

The poem that Danielle used to create this art is Proverbs from Purgatory,

by Somerville's Poet Laureate, Lloyd Schwartz.

This poem uses "altered aphorisms," common literary devices that are

blended into each other to form new versions of phrases we're very familiar with.

If you'd like to learn more about this piece, click here!


We asked Danielle to answer some questions we had about the Communicare piece: you can read our questions and her answers below!


You're a Somerville artist, and a lot of art is influenced by place - what role does life in Somerville play in your art? Recognizing the library and Somerville poet laureate Lloyd Schwartz in your art, are there other local people and places that you find yourself inspired by?


I love the artist community of Somerville, when I moved into my studio at Vernon Street in December 2020, it felt like coming home. In that building alone there are many artists whose work inspires me. Since moving to Somerville in 2003 I have been amazed by all the Somerville Arts Council programs and events; the wire poetry pieces have been funded by a Local Cultural Council Grant from the Somerville Arts Council. Somerville's urban landscape, its density, and little pockets of nature are definitely something I'm tuned into as an artist. I used both porches and fences as sites for the wire poems, because we have so many fences in front of our houses and the porches are fairly visible from the street. The library fence is a great length to be able to stretch the poem into a line and walk along it. Doug Holder and Linda Haviland Conte were the first two poets I worked with and both were very generous with their work and with helping move the project along. Linda's poem Best Wishes was the perfect poem to start the Communicare: Wire Words/ Neighborhood Poems project.

If you were to create an aphorism to add to the poem, what would it be? 


That's a great question! The first one I can think of is: "A rolling stone needs to stop eventually." I tend to go go go, and so I like the reminder to stop and rest or reflect, but I like how Lloyd Schwartz begins and ends his poem with the same line so I'd have to sneak my aphorism into the middle somewhere.


How long does it take you to create a word from wire?


I've gotten fast now so it takes me about three minutes per word depending on how long the word is and how complicated the letters are, t's and i's take longer to make.


How long did you spend creating the pieces that go around the East Branch fence?


I'm not very good at tracking my work time, when I started it took me about an hour per line, so judging from that - making the wire words took around 12 -15 hours total, which is about the same amount of time it took me to install the piece at the library, since each word is attached to the fence individually.


What's something you would like Somerville residents to know about your art?


I work in a wide range of materials and I like having a mix of solo studio work and collaborative work and architectural commissions. I participate in Somerville Open Studios each spring and I'm on Instagram @daniellekrcmar.

Holiday Closures

Please be aware that the library will be closing for the winter holiday

the following days:


All library locations will be closing at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 24th.


All library locations will be closed on Sunday, December 25th,

and Monday, December 26th.


Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, December 27th.

Upcoming Programs

Wednesday, December 7 from 6:30-8:30pm in the Central Auditorium

This month, the library is pleased to display the artwork of local artist

Simi Rabinowitz in the Gallery @ SPL with his exhibition: Natural Wonders. Please join us for a reception celebrating the exhibit. 

Learn more here

Thursday, December 8 at 7pm on Zoom

This webinar covers the ways that our digital lives—including app use, social media, purchases, GPS data, and more—expose information about our reproductive choices. Participants will learn how to map out their own personal risk profile and will leave with strategies to protect themselves, as well as protect the safety and choices of those around them.

Register here

Saturday, December 10 at 3pm in the Central Library Auditorium

Somerville-based synthesizer musician Robin Amos presents PKD,

a multimedia suite inspired by the writing of Philip K. Dick.


Presented to the public for the first time in its entirety, the performance

features electronic music by Robin Amos and Blaik Ripton (who perform

with video artist Allison Tanenhaus as the band The Square Root of

Negative Two), with additional visuals by Vidumami.

Register here

Sunday, December 11 at 2:00pm in the Central Library Auditorium

Welcome back to Getting Cozy, our monthly crafting event at the SPL

that takes place during the winter months. For this session our craft

will be decorating gift bags!


Registration is required for these sessions. We love kid's crafts,

but Getting Cozy is for adults only.

Register here

Thursday, December 15 at 6:30pm at the East Branch

For December's Craft Night we'll be making yarn gnomes! Please note,

this craft is for older kids 9+, tweens, teens and adults.

All materials will be provided, but if you have a stash of yarn you'd like to use, you're welcome to bring it (the thicker the yarn, the quicker the project)!

Learn more here

Monday, December 14 at 7pm in the West Branch Atrium

Join us as we welcome Derek Murphy to talk about his show Preserving Worlds: a documentary series about aging virtual worlds.


Preserving Worlds is a travelogue that takes you through some of the most interesting and impactful online games and communities of the past forty years to see what it’s like to visit them today. Along the way, you’ll meet people who are working against obsolescence to keep the communities they care about alive and accessible.

Learn more here

Wednesday, December 21 at 2:30pm in the Central Library Auditorium

Get into the holiday spirit and celebrate the beginning of winter break with a make-your-own-taco bar, gifts, cookies and cocoa, and holiday music!

Learn more here

2022 Staff Picks

Looking for recommendations? Check out our

What Should I Read Next? reading recommendation service!

The Dawn of Everything by David  Graeber and David Wengrow

A new interpretation of the anthropological and historical evidence we have for human history, The Dawn of Everything shows us just how many assumptions about human nature Western historians have made for generations. By looking through the lens of indigenous thinkers, and cutting edge research on paleolithic humans, Graeber and Wengrow show us that another reality is possible, because it has already happened.



Recommended by Tim, Reference Librarian

A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa

As someone who also has a chronic illness, O'Rourke's extensive journalism and lived experiences as person with disabilities absolutely blew me away. My hope after reading this is to see more research conducted on autoimmune diseases, better information and publicity on the subject, and continued advancements in the ways we speak about and treat chronic illness.


Recommended by ShanTil, Community Services Librarian

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

Astonishing retelling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of Jordan Baker. I'm a pedestrian reader but Vo reminded me how exquisitely language can be used.



Recommended by Karen, Deputy Director

The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad

Faraz Ali is a high-ranking policeman who's been summoned to his hometown of Lahore by his powerful father to "investigate" a murder--i.e., arrange a cover-up. But Faraz is a man of integrity and wants to actually solve the murder, no matter the consequences for his career or his family.


Recommended by Kevin, Head of Reference

The Upper World by Femi Fadugba

Esso tries to stay out of trouble, but he knows it's coming...because he's seen it when an accident knocks him into a different world where he can view slices of the past and future. Set in modern London among a group of teen characters, this story is suspenseful and filled with intriguing ideas that will make you think. 



Recommended by Ellen, Head of Teen Services

The Emergency by Thomas Fisher

Dr. Fisher is a black ER attending physician writing about his 2020 experience in his native South Side of Chicago but actually writing about the caste system in health care. Dr. Fisher writes in accessible language and includes detailed endnotes. 


Recommended by Alyssa, Reference Librarian

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

This retelling of Carrie tackles racism after biracial Maddy is publicly outed after passing for white her whole life. The bullying of Maddy intensifies and some of her classmates have ulterior motives to being on her side. Everything comes to a head the night of prom when Maddy reaches her breaking point. 


Recommended by Keri, Generalist Librarian

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A romantic fantasy set in Edwardian England where Robin Blyth will discover the hidden world of magic within his own when he takes a dead end government post. Instead he finds danger, intrigue, and even more than he could have expected. A beautiful queer love story runs throughout this first in a series novel.


Recommended by Brigid, Generalist Librarian

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