2024 WINNING POEMS (ABOUT PEOPLE) AND BIOS
BY SEBASTIAN CHROBAK
Sebastian Chrobak was born in 1988 in Bielsko-Biała, a beautiful city in southern Poland. His greatest passion is cinema. He appreciates films from all over the world, in particular from Asia (and especially from Taiwan, South Korea and Japan). He is also interested in football (soccer) and since childhood he has been a loyal supporter of FC Barcelona. He began writing haiku in 2020.
BY LINDA GOLDMAN
Linda Goldman, originally from New Jersey, has lived in Newton with her husband and daughters since 2008 and works at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Linda has written a few songs for guitar; this is her first poem. While caring for her elderly father, Linda became interested in the similarities of people experiencing the bookends of life, including the easy-to-fasten shoes that inspired this poem.
BY NANCY GAGNON
Nancy Gagnon, a lifelong resident of Newton, began her haiku adventure two years ago, when she saw Haiku Newton signs in various locations around the city. “I hadn’t read any Haiku since I was in the Newton School system more years ago than I care to remember,” she says. She began jotting down ideas and poems in her spare moments and, with the encouragement of others, she entered the 2023 contest. To her delight, was selected as one of the winners. “I so enjoyed informing my 14 grandchildren that I am now an award-winning published Haiku poet, even if it’s just on a yard sign,” she explains. “This year I have bragging rights again with the grandchildren.”