City Voices

LANDGREN HOW TO HAVE A DINNER AND A MOVIE DATE IN WORCESTER

WORCESTERIA

Move over Spotify, here’s ... the library?

Veer Mudambi

Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

When I was a kid, I remember picking up music — mostly CDs but also the odd cassette tape — from my local library. Free music has always been as much a part of modern library offerings as books and movies. When the Worcester Public Library launched the Freegal music streaming service in early February, it was the natural progression of things — from vinyl to cassettes to CDs to streaming.

The pandemic certainly spurred things as they figured out how to meet their patron’s needs during the shutdown. Freegal is a service for libraries worldwide providing digital access to an expansive collection of music and audiobooks — 15 million songs with no commercials or skip limits. So library patrons can choose a song they want to listen to and listen to it now. I know I have a bunch of stuff to catch up on! Libraries provide access to materials that individuals may not have, a varied choice which is curated to give a window into worlds that could remain closed due to many reasons. Among those materials are physical music collections. Jason Homer, director of the WPL, said the decision was

The Worcester Public Library is offering Freegal, a service for libraries that provides digital access to an expansive collection of music and

audiobooks. GETTY IMAGES

BAD ADVICE

A van is towed on Leavitt Street in Brockton because of a winter parking ban during a nor’easter that dropped over a foot of snow in the area in December. MARC VASCONCELLOS/THE ENTERPRISE

Neighbor hasn’t moved car in six months

Shaun Connolly

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

DEAR SHAUN: Our neighbors have had their car parked across the street for six months without moving it once and there’s no indication that it will ever be moved in the future. This arrangement effectively makes our street a one-way street, especially during snowstorms. I don’t think this is fair — why should we only get one way when we are paying for two ways? I waved at these neighbors once, so I feel like we’ve established a rapport, but I don’t know that I feel comfortable confronting them directly. How can I (tactfully) remedy this situation? — One Way

DEAR ONE WAY: Great job establishing rapport. It seems like you are best friends now because of this. That’s good. When you are friends you can do things that may not be good for the relationship, but you have some leeway because friends forgive their friends. In this case, your friend across the street has their car parked on the street and they have had that car out there for six months without moving it. This car is a metaphor for your relationship. This car is the immovable rock that is your neighborly bond. And you know what friends do to other friends? They pull pranks. Who is the definition of friendship in America? No, not the show, “Friends,” but the crew of “Jackass.” “Jackass” has warmed the heart of our country for the last two decades pulling pranks, doing stunts and laughing at each other’s misery. You, after waving that one time, are just as close to your neighbor as Johnny Knoxville is to Steve-O. A series of pranks to your neighbor and their car is just what this relationship needs. You can start small. The first prank can be subtle. Maybe just write “wash me” with your finger in the dirt on the car (that always gets ‘em). Then maybe after that you can set a firework off on top of the car. Make sure to run all the way back in the house before it goes off so the neighbor can run out and be all, “what the heck, who was that?” And you can giggle in your house. Finally to the coup de grace, is to enroll in the automotive program at Quinsigamond Community College. Then, once you learn all of the ins and outs of motor vehicles you can slowly, piece by piece, take the car apart, until, one day there is nothing left and you have rebuilt the car in their backyard. Your neighbor will think it is so funny, they’ll make a Tik Tok about it and it will go viral and then you two will be guests on the “Today” show talking about your amazing friendship. As I write this, I am jealous of how close you two are. Friendship is just so important.

Worcester comedian Shaun Connolly provides readers bad advice in his weekly column. Send your questions to woocomedyweek@gmail.com.

Poets

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and freedom of speech.

“I've been in front of (teenagers) in classrooms and audiences of public readings," he says, “and they are thirsty. They feel, 'I need something.'” He believes that many of them are waiting for the moment they can “finally present their thoughts publicly, and this whole thing may affect other kids, and keep them in the shadows, because of the level of intimidation, instead of opening more spaces for their voices.”

Matos notes that the young poets he's worked with over the years often respond to the events around them, and that he's seen students write in the past about such things as the Cold Storage Warehouse fire and the death of Officer Manny Familia, saying that poetry is a natural way for young people to process the complex emotions stirred by traumatic events, both locally and globally.

“Kids at home watch the news,” he says, “they discuss the news with their parents, and may develop their own mind on what the topic is.”

Another factor that bears some discussion in the matter is that it was a poem that triggered the backlash from SossaPaquette and his supporters. Amina Mohammed, Worcester's former Youth Poet Laureate, doesn't find that surprising.

“When it comes to people of color, there was a class I was in this semester, and someone mentioned we (Black people) rage out our anger through hiphop … I don't know what he was trying to get at, but first off, poetry, music, art in general … We don't use that as a place to express our anger. It's a place to tell our side of the story. So we can get through to people to be heard. Poetry, rap, song … it seems that's the only time people do care about the voice of a colored girl or a Black man.”

It should be noted that the name and racial identity of the poet has not been publicly revealed. The Sossa-Paquette campaign released a video featuring an audio recording of the poem, with its words transcribed, but as that poem was not published by the author, its contents cannot be posted here, as the recording is possibly illegal. Amusingly, as it's being used as a campaign video, the text of the poem is replaced at the end by a video of Sossa-Paquette, saying that he “approves this message.”

Mohammed has listened to the poem, and says she can understand why some of the diction might have gotten under some people's skin, but, “At the end of the day, that's her feelings.” She feels that there's a tendency for people to shut down perspectives that make people uncomfortable, which she sees as a mistake. “The answer isn't shutting her down. The answer is, 'Why don't I give her an open ear?' This is a reality of millions of people just like her. There are youth out there that really believe this, who live these sorts of lives, hoping they're not at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Matos agrees, saying, “No one should stop this young lady from expressing what she feels about the whole situation,” adding that it's hard to see how a teenage poet could NOT be affected by, “A video of a human being dying under the knee of another person.”

Young poet Kofi Dadzie — who as a student in Westborough won numerous slam poetry competitions in high school and who is now pursuing a hiphop career — says he doesn't believe that the poem held any malice toward police, but rather it's the depiction of what's for many people a dire lived experience that's spurring the anger.

“Black kids in high school out here deal with all sort of weird things around here,” he says, discussing microaggressions such as being the only Black kid in a history class and all eyes turning toward him when they studied the Civil Rights movement. He says that, in the more educated, affluent Northeast, “Racism is more covert and subtle.” He says that, “When someone criticizes the police … There's a lot of escalating that happens, especially in towns like this when there is a cultural gap … How do you expect us to grow as a people if you don't want people to learn about this stuff.”

Reflecting on his success as a teen poet, Dadzie says that a lot of the people who liked his poems, “didn't understand the full scope of what I was saying. They just liked the delivery.” Dadzie says he has written about his own hassles with the police before, including a poem from the point of view of a nightstick. “If you don't like it because it's making you uncomfortable,” he says, “then it's very clear you're part of the problem.”

Indeed, he says he nearly abandoned poetry at one point, because he tired of “making my trauma pretty.” Likewise, Frazier sees clearly that the words of poets of color, particularly young writers, aren't centered in discussions. “Often,” they say, “they want Black poets, young people to just be a prop. They don't want our words, they want us to be props for their grant deliverables. They want our spaces and they want our label … so much of our lived experience is in direct opposition to the pictures they paint of ourselves. The narrative that they tell each other, again and again.”

Mohammed agrees with that sentiment, saying the only way forward through division is not to shut down discussion, but rather for people to listen: “Sit down, keep quiet,” she says, “We're not having an argument. Let me just explain to you the life I had to live because of all these factors — not because of you, necessarily, but because of a system built on all these injustices and oppressions, centered on one group of people having a better life than another. And once people do sit down, we can have some sort of genuine dynamic, where we can both express our feelings, both talk things out, and not worry that one person is going to take offense, of this, that and the third. It's a lot of people going back and forth, yelling and screaming at one another, and nobody is truly listening.”

For Matos, “The principle thing here is a freedom of expression … All we can do is continue to encourage young people to get involved in social issues, to read and research about the cultures of all these divisions, and to eventually debate it. Why not? … If we're going to start censoring the expression of young authors, where are we going to end?”

Kofi Dadzie COURTESY OF YOUTHSPEAKS

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Worcester has a rat problem

William S. Coleman III

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Worcester has a Rat infestation problem, and no, I am not talking about our well paid hands in your pocket elected and appointed political leaders who welcome a freebie to any event.

I am speaking about the rodents roaming our city streets going through our trash and eating through the yellow bags seeking the leftovers from dinner to feed their overpopulating families.

As a city we need to look at other municipal communities who have addressed the problem with trash barrels.

The barrels will be owned by the city and will eliminate the need for residents to pay for trash bags plus the trash barrels are handled by a one truck pick up operation.

The Recycling operation has a separate barrel too.

It is my observation that with more home delivery options people are getting more stuff delivered to their homes.

The public health concerns of Rats in our city must have a human approach that includes an ongoing community education program and a willingness for our government leaders to look at the health impact on our city.

The Rat problem in our city must be addressed, I believe it is truly a major health concern.

William S. Coleman III lives in Worcester.

FIRST PERSON

Body art runs in the family!

Joe Fusco Jr.

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

Tired of penciling in her eyebrows every morning, my wife had them micro-bladed.

Her brows are very dark right now and she greets me each morning with a cigar and Groucho Marx rejoinder:

“I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know!”

Cyndi’s facial transformation made me curious about my immediate family’s body art. So, I texted them an inquiry:

My daughter Heather has a heart tattoo and an inscription in honor of one of her grandfathers that says, "Until I see you again."

Her husband Anthony has the Mandarin symbol for Strength or the image of an eggroll on his right shoulder. He’s not sure.

My daughter Amanda has an arrow because “an arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. When life is dragging you back, the arrow launches you into something great. So, just focus and keep aiming!”

Her husband Rich has an arm sleeve with roses and Amanda’s real name, "Jacqueline Evangeline Alexandria." Ouch!

Tattoos are more popular in Joe Fusco Jr.’s family than he realized. PIXABAY

My daughter Sami, the forensic psychologist, has a yellow rubber-duck named “Bubbles” on her left thigh.

Her husband Timmy has the New York Yankees’ insignia etched on his posterior, or so I’ve been told.

My son JoJo and his wife Bre are tattoo-less but do collect Funkos.

I’m not a body-art devotee. Some of the designs are stunning but I’m just not into pain that’s self-inflicted. Until I found out that my hero Joe Exotic has a penis piercing.

It’s the Prince Albert design where they insert a barbell or other jewelry through the urethra and out the underside behind the penishead.

I asked the counterperson at Zales if I could get mine in 18-karat gold with a Seniorcitizen discount but they just called security.

So, I’m saving my monthly checks and looking forward to the day that I’ll be the Tiger King of Central Massachusetts.

Roar!

Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist who lives in Worcester.

Library

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easy once they saw the possibilities. With so many things going online and the success of streaming platforms, which can be unaffordable for some, the WPL is always looking for avenues to provide services to people who might not be able to afford them but still have the same level of access. Three songs a week can be downloaded to a device. “Taking the money we were using for physical music collection and moving it to streaming services — fewer CDs to buy lately and rather than move that money somewhere else, we’re keeping it under the music umbrella,” said Homer of their juggling act. “Just very excited to make music more available to patrons.” It is common knowledge that numerous artists are releasing more singles on streaming and making fewer albums so Freegal is adding new stuff the whole time and the more users they get the more songs they will have on their platform. Users can create work from home playlists, workout playlist and share them.

The Freegal music app can be downloaded on mobile devices or computers — just choose WPL and enter library number and PIN. So, the next time you read the “Song to Get You Through the Week” column, go ahead and listen to it right away.

POETRY TOWN ‘Elm Park in Winter’

Dimitri Suriel

Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK

The pond is frozen, like our memories of a youth are frozen in time.

Though an empty playground sitting on a swing is the younger me waving, happy to know who he would one day be. I wave back, proud of the happy child I once was. Dimitri Suriel is a Puerto Rican/Dominican-American raised in Worcester, where a lot of his work is in searching for identity, while embracing the cultures and identities he holds.

A couple walks through Elm Park in January.

CHRISTINE PETERSON/T&G