Remembering 1995 Poetry Alumna Jennifer Martelli
The MFA Program for Writers mourns the passing of 1995 poetry alumna Jennifer Martelli, who died on September 25, 2025 from pancreatic cancer. She was 63. Jenn’s life and art were recently honored in an essay, “An Everyday Genius: Remembering Jennifer Martelli,” published on the Poetry Foundation website. And on February 17, many from the Boston poetry community gathered virtually to celebrate Jenn’s contributions and achievements as poet, editor, teacher, and activist. Among the hosts for that event were three of her fellow MFA graduates, Subhaga Crystal Bacon, Brandel France de Bravo, and Barbara O’Dair.
Jenn was the author of four chapbooks and four full-length collections of poetry, most recently Psychic Party Under the Bottle Tree (Lily Poetry Review Books, 2024).
L-R: Martha Peeples, Brandel France de Bravo, Barbara O’Dair, Jennifer Martelli, Subhaga Crystal Bacon; front: Laure-Anne Bosselaar
From “Land Masses” by Jennifer Martelli
Think about it: you’ve lost people, there was a last time, and
I’m not talking about death. They’re still there, apart. Maybe in sleep,
I’m trying to hold onto something. I’ve never wondered
how much time I have left, but how far back, how deep, how long
have I been separating. From you. From my body. From the land.
I believe—and there’s no science to back this up—on the last day
the giant land masses touched, horses galloped up and down unhooked
coasts under the moon. Some horses were roan. Some gold.
