J.D. Scrimgeour explores High Street Park and Salem in a new collection

J.D. Scrimgeour, Salem's poet laureate, has published Poet in High Street Park, a collection of prose and poetry that centers on everyday life in Salem and scenes at High Street Park.

J.D. Scrimgeour is the poet laureate of Salem, Massachusetts and the author of Poet in High Street Park: Prose & Poetry for Modern Salem. The collection combines poems, prose pieces, essays and a short story that draw on decades of life in the city. Scrimgeour cites influences such as William Carlos Williams and Langston Hughes and emphasizes a rooted attention to everyday people. Several pieces focus on High Street Park, a modest park near his home where he has observed daily encounters and acts of care. Key details: - The book mixes genres and includes a poetic sequence titled Montage of Brick and Water modeled on Langston Hughes. - High Street Park is described as a small, largely grassless park behind the homeless shelter, two blocks from the author's house, and a site of community moments. - Scrimgeour wrote a master's thesis on William Carlos Williams' Paterson and notes Williams' and Hughes' influence on his work. - The collection contains two researched historical essays, including one on the Great Salem Fire of 1914 and one on local historical figures. - A short story titled "Prospect" grew from interviews about playing baseball in the Dominican Republic and acknowledges Salem's Dominican community. Summary: The book presents a local, attentive view of Salem that highlights community life, everyday encounters and elements of local history through mixed genres. It records changes in the city and reflects the author's literary influences and long residence. Undetermined at this time.