Date: Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Location: Berkeley, CA
Mary reads from My Way Home. Mark Pawlak Reads from Special Operation. Event is by invitation only. Please contact Mary for information.
Event: Eastport Maine Arts and Poetry Festival Date: Saturday, August 15 and Sunday, August 16, 2026 Location: Rossport by the Sea, 54 Toll Bridge Road, Eastport, ME 04631
Mary reads from new poetry. Keynote Poet: Andrei Codrescu, poets include Charles Cantalupo, Michael Palma, Mark Pawlak, Valerie Lawson, Steve Lutrell, Little Fawn Ketchum, and others.
Event: Who Am I This Time? A class lecture on writing first person multiple points of view in the novel — sometimes referred to as “Serial First Person Point of View.” Date: Monday, July 13, 2026
Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying,” Donal Ryan’s The Spinning Heart, Joan Silber’s The Secret of Happiness, as well as the presenter’s My Way Home will be discussed as examples of the use of multiple first person points of view in the novel. Some of the craft topics to be discussed include: managing chapter transitions; establishing clearly distinguished voices in point of view characters; process (not voice) similarities between first person point of view and memoir; identifying whether your story would best be told in serial first person point of view, and exploring it is a form of omniscience. This class will offer practical techniques for keeping your story straight when managing a cast of several characters.
Event: Warren Wilson MFA Alumni Conference Date: Monday, July 13, 2026 Time: 7:30pm EST Location: Mt. Holyoke College, Cleveland Hall, Room L1, South Hadley, MA
Mary reads from My Way Home with other fiction, poetry, and mixed genre alums.
Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Time: 6pm Location: Tidepool Bookshop, 372 Chandler Street, Worcester, MA 01602
A reading and book signing for My Way Home. For more information, or to purchase the book ahead of the reading, please see the Tidepool Bookshop event page.
Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026 Time: 6pm Location: I Am Books, 124 Salem Street, Boston, MA (Boston's North End)
A reading of My Way Home. With Joe Bocchicchio , poet and non-fiction writer, sponsored by IAWA.
Date: Thursday, December 18, 2025 Location: Worcester, MA
A conversation with readers in the Tatnuck Book Group.
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 Time: 7pm Location: Milford Town Library, 80 Spruce Street, Milford, MA
Reading of My Way Home and discussion, followed by a book signing. Visit the library's Facebook event page for more information.
Date: Friday, November 14, 2025 Time: 7pm Location: Belmont Books, 79 Leonard Street, Belmont, MA
Reading of My Way Home and conversation with Novelist Louie Cronin, followed by a book signing. Visit the Belmont Books event page for more information.
Date: Saturday, November 1, 2025 Location: Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
Fellows Event: A Reading with Poet Paula Lambert and a presentation of a new libretto-in-progress by Composer Janet Lagah-Bona.
Date: Friday, October 10, 2025 Time: 7pm Location: Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA
Celebrate the launch of My Way Home with a reading and conversation with Writer Annie Pluto, followed by a book signing. For more information and to RSVP, visit the Porter Square Books event page.
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 Time: 4:30-5:30pm Location: Gibson's Books, 45 S Main Street, Concord, New Hampshire
Sponsored by the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. Mary reads from Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva, 2024), with Mark Pawlak, reading from Away/Away (Arrowsmith, 2024)
Sponsored by Rozzie Reads Series. Mary reads from Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva, 2024), with Mark Pawlak, reading from Away/Away (Arrowsmith, 2024)
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025 Time: 7-8pm Location: Norwich Bookstore, 291 Main Street, Norwich, Vermont 05055
Mary reads from Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva Press, 2024), With Kathleen Latham, reading from The Ones (Kelsay Books, 2024).
Date: December 4, 2024 Location: Grolier Poetry Bookshop, 6 Plympton St., Cambridge MA with Charles Coe (New and Selected Poems, Leapfrog Press), Helena Minton (Paris Paint Box, Loom Press) and Ellen Steinbaum (Leavings, Every Other Thursday Press)
Date: November 12, 2024 Location: On Zoom Sponsored by the First and Last Word Poetry Series, Gloria Mindock and Harris Gardner, hosts. Mary reads from Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva, 2024), with Mark Pawlak reading from Away/Away (Arrowsmith, 2024
Date: October 24, 2024 Time: 7pm Location: Tidepool Bookshop, 373 Chandler St., Worcester MA with Mark Pawlak (Away/Away,Arrowsmith Press)
Date: October 15, 2024 Time: 7pm Location: Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476 Sponsored by the Beehive Poetry Collective, "Poets With New Books" Series Mary reads from Lunch in Chinatown (Cervena Barva, 2024), with Mark Pawlak, reading from Away/Away (Arrowsmith, 2024)
Date: October 11, 2024 Time: 7:30pm Location: Loring Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain Center Chapter and Verse 2 with Richard Wollman
Date: September 26, 2024 Time: 7pm Location: Clark University/Worcester County Poetry Association Stockmal Reading honoring the legacy of Stanley Kunitz (U.S. Poet Laureate 1974, 2000)
Date: September 22, 2024 Time: 2pm Location: The Old Manse (the Emerson House), Concord, MA with Patty Crane, (translator The Blue House: Collected Works of Thomas Transtromer, Copper Canyon Press)
Date: August 4, 2024 Time: 3pm Location: Magazine Beach Park Nature Center, Memorial Drive (near Trader Joe's and the BU Bridge) "Poetry in the Park." Mary reads with Gary Stephens and Mark Pawlak. Hosted by Scott Ruescher.
Date: July 25, 2024 Time: 7pm Location: Gloucester Writers Center, 126 Main St., Gloucester MA with Mark Pawlak (Away/Away, Arrowsmith Books)
Event: First and Last Word Poetry Series hosted by Harris Gardner and Gloria Mindock Date: September 19, 2023 Time: 7pm Location: Online via Zoom
Mary Bonina and Mark Pawlak read from their new poetry manuscripts.
Event: Faculty Reading, Kettle Pond Writers Conference Date: June 19, 2023 Time: 7pm Location: Conference Lecture Hall, Paul Smiths College, Paul Smiths, NY
Mary reads from her memoir, My Father's Eyes, and Chen Chen reads from his poetry collection, Your Emergency Contact is Having an Emergency.
Event: Mom Egg Review (MER) Journal Launch for Vol. 21 (2023) Date: June 16, 2023 Time: 7-9pm Location: Online via Zoom
Mary reads with other contributors to the new issue.
Event: A Live Reading at the Gloucester Writers Center Date: March 16, 2023 Time: 7:30pm Location: Gloucester Writers Center, 126 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA
Mary Bonina and Mark Pawlak read new poetry. All welcome. Free of charge.
Event: Warren Wilson MFA Program from Writers Conference, Alumni Reading Date: July 13, 2022 Time: 6pm Location: Online via Zoom
Mary read poetry from her manuscript-in-progress with other alumni.
Event: Fellows Reading, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Date: November 15, 2021 Time: 7pm Place: Fellows Residence, Amherst, VA
Mary reads from her novel-in-progress, with Bethanne Patrick (aka "The Book Maven") reading memoir, and Cathrael "Kate" Kazin reading a short story.
Event: Writers' Room of Boston Reading Series Date: September 29, 2021 Time: 7pm Place: Online via Crowdcast
Mary reads from the beginning of her novel-in-progress, with Laysha Ostrow reading a short story.
Event: M. F. A. Post-Graduate Conference, Warren Wilson Program for Writers, Alumni Annual Reading Date: July 17, 2021 Time: 6pm Place: Online via Zoom
Mary reads from her novel-in-progress, with other alumni.
Event: Reading of the Italian-American Writers Association Date: Saturday, November 28, 2020 Time: 6:00 P.M. (log on just before 6 P.M. to make sure you are allowed into the room) Place: Online via Zoom
Register to attendhere. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Mary Bonina reads with B Amore.
Event: Cervena Barva Press Authors, Publisher's 15th Anniversary Reading Series Date: August 18, 2020 Place: Online via Press Facebook page
Mary Bonina and Mark Pawlak read from their books published by Cervena Barva Press.
CANCELLED Date: Friday, April 3, 2020 Time: 6:00 P.M. Place: Calandra Institute of City University of New York, 23 West 43rd Street, 17th floor, Midtown Manhattan, NY
Joint reading sponsored by Italian Americana and VIA, the only two Italian-American journals publishing creative work in the U.S. Hosted by Dean Anthony Tamburri. Mary reads with poets published in these journals to celebrate National Poetry Month.
CANCELLED Event: The School Street Sessions: Women Reading Women Date: Saturday, March 28, 2020 Time: 3:30pm Place: Omni Parker House, Holmes Room, 60 School Street, Boston, MA 02108
As part of Women’s History Month and the worldwide celebration of the contributions women have made throughout history, March presenters will read their own poems and the work of women who have influenced and inspired them. Readers will be Mary Bonina (Denise Levertov), Holly Guran (Lucia Perillo), Deborah Melone (Edna St. Vincent Millay), Elizabeth Quinlan (Martha Collins), and Deana Tavares (Maya Angelou).
Admission is free. To RSVP or for more information, please email or call Deborah Melone.
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Time: 7:00 P.M. Event: First and Last Word Poetry Series Place: Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue in the Cafe, Somerville, MA
Mary reads with Timothy Gager (author of fifteen books of fiction and poetry) and Chris O'Carroll (author of The Jokes on Me: Poems).