by Mary E. Cronin | Jan 30, 2026 | Cape Cod, Community connections, Poetry
When I lead a poetry workshop in an elementary classroom, I often read my poem “Firefighter Face,” and I share with students the steps I took to create this poem. “Firefighter Face” appears in the poetry anthology Amazing Faces (illustrated by Chris Soentpiet, from...
by Mary E. Cronin | Dec 12, 2025 | Cape Cod, Community connections, FDNY, Poetry, Teaching
So much has happened in the last few months, so here’s a recap! In June, I retired from full-time teaching. Yes, I miss my job as a Literacy Coach and my daily contact with students! But I love having more time for writing, and for… leading poetry workshops in local...
by Mary E. Cronin | Apr 13, 2025 | FDNY, Poetry, SCBWI
“There is something about this manuscript that cries out for publication. It may take you a while to ‘get there’ but you must.” Noted poet and anthologist Lee Bennett Hopkins saw something in me and in my firehouse poems that was worth nurturing and...
by Mary E. Cronin | Mar 21, 2025 | FDNY, Poetry
Writers often talk about the long road to publication. This is one of those stories, and it isn’t over yet! I started writing poems about firefighting after my father died in 2006. It was a grief project, a way to feel closer to him. And it helped. I was so proud of...
by Mary E. Cronin | Nov 29, 2024 | Conferences-workshops, NCTE
Because I am a Literacy Coach, the writer part of my brain and the educator part of my brain are often working in concert… but going to the NCTE Convention in Boston last week brought that to a whole new level! For four days, I learned from, collaborated with, and...