Old Age, Retirement, and the Pandemic: New Poetry from Tom Carnicelli

On Thursday December 17 at 7:00 PM Tom Carnicelli will give a reading of poems from his latest collection, Older Still, at the York Public Library via Zoom. 

This is his third poetry collection, and his third reading hosted by the York Public Library. In his first two collections, Old Guy, Part One, and Older Guy, he explores his thoughts and feelings about old age and retirement. In the new book, he continues in that vein, but branches out to explore the experiences of other people too, such as this year’s high school seniors.

There are also ten poems about the pandemic. As he writes in his preface, Carnicelli does not write “seriously depressing poems” and writes about even the most serious topics “with not too heavy a touch.” Coronavirus presents quite a challenge, but he manages to take a lighter look at things like social distancing and hand washing.

Although he was an academic for many years, Carnicelli tries not to write like one here. These poems are meant to be accessible, understood and enjoyed by everyone.

Purchase his latest book, Older Still, here. 

Watch Tom Carnicelli’s talk below. 

Tom Carnicelli taught English at UNH for 46 years, retiring in 2013. He has lived in York since 1971, and has served on a number of town and local organizations, including the York School Board, the York Budget Committee, the York Tax Task Force, the York Library Board of Trustees, and the York Community Service Association. In 2019, he received a lifetime service award from the Town of York.