Join us on Friday, June 27th for an evening of poetry and celebration as Robert Breen launches his new poetry publication The Light of Civil Day!
Our cocktail reception begins at 6:30 – enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and the beautiful harp music of renowned harpist Julia Lane. At 7:30, Bobby will take the stage, and share his work. Come join the celebration!
All of Bobby’s books will be available for purchase at the event, and Bobby will be signing! Don’t miss your chance to snag your signed copies, and help us celebrate Bobby’s incredible work!
About the Author:
Philosophy of Poet Robert Breen
Tragic be as it may.
Time does not heal,
it whispers
an epic narrative differently.
Warfare ought
not occur after Troy.
I envision a Wordsworthian viewpoint stretching to feel a spontaneous flood of powerful feelings, recalling that spirit of serenity found in everyday experiences. Unswerving to be inclusive in writing and speaking, a communal language, with a sense of inquisitiveness to find the familiar in catching the heart of episodes, occurrences, in those relationships coexisting between nature and humanity.
Robert (Bobby) Breen was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, where he served for decades as a Boston firefighter. His poetry is deeply rooted in Irish-American heritage, working-class life, and the storytelling traditions of New England. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Breen honed his craft through Harvard University’s Summer Writing Program and has been published in The Harvard Summer Review. His work has earned numerous awards, including the Joy of the Pen competition and the Margaret F. Tripp Poetry Award. Breen’s writing reflects a lifelong friendship with Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, who celebrated Breen’s fireman’s helmet in his poem “Helmet” and considered Breen’s work rich with personal voice and lyrical strength. He lives in Brunswick, Maine, with his wife, Karen, and continues to write about place, memory, and the endurance of ordinary people.
About the Book
In The Light of Civil Day, Robert Breen—Boston firefighter, Irish-American poet, and observer of life’s quiet reckonings—delivers a collection of lyrical reflections on loss, love, endurance, and place. Grounded in the working-class streets of Boston and the coastal landscapes of Maine, these poems bear witness to the fragile moments of life and the deep human need for connection.
With the eye of a first responder and the heart of a storyteller, Breen explores both private grief and public tragedy. His poems, many previously published in respected journals, are informed by a lifetime of service, family heritage, and his friendship with literary legend Seamus Heaney. This collection speaks to readers who find grace in small details, reverence in ordinary moments, and resilience in the face of hardship. To learn more or purchase the book, click here!
Enjoy this example of Robert Breen’s work:
Skating
Your joy,
Our civility,
in harmony,
with sharing
a cooperation
to be amiable.
All in balance on a thin single blade.
We are also launching the newly printed Second Edition of Bobby’s magnificent collection, Shore Digger!
A moving collection of poetry by Boston firefighter Robert Breen, exploring Irish heritage, immigrant stories, and working-class life with lyrical grace and hard-earned wisdom. Inspired by his friendship with poet Seamus Heaney. To purchase Shore Digger, click here!
Can’t get enough? Us either! We are also carrying Bobby’s first chapbook, Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems!
Robert Breen is the author of Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems. His poems have been published in Harvard Summer Review, The Café Review, Boston Literary Magazine, and Communion Arts Journal. His correspondence with Seamus Heaney resides at Emory University’s Rose Library. His life journey has taken him from a Boston firefighter to a poet published by Harvard Summer Review and a lifelong friend of legendary Irish poet Seamus Heaney. He now lives in Maine. To purchase Undertow: A Tide Pool of Poems, click here!
Featured Musician:
Julia Lane – Celtic Harp, Song and Story
Julia Lane has had a lifelong passion for Celtic folk music and lore and is a self-taught player of the Celtic folk harp which she began in 1989. Her unique style has won three international competitions. Judge/harpist Kim Robertson praised her “innovative arrangements and energetic performance” and Irish harpist Dennis Doyle declared “she really captured the spirit of the music”. Her versatile solo performances include playing at the Maine state capitol rotunda to calm legislators as well as accompanying poets and fire-eating jugglers. Julia Lane is also an exceptional vocalist, “one of the Maine coast’s foremost voices”, whose voice has been called “lovely, vibrant, and haunting”, and compared favorably with Loreena McKennitt, Triona ni Dhonaill, and Judy Collins. Julia Lane’s performances include both original and traditional music and lyrics inspired by her Celtic heritage. Haunting ballads and spritely dance tunes are interspersed with legend and lore. She plays with her husband, Fred Gosbee as “Castlebay” performing at festivals, folk clubs, schools and arts centers, as well as on radio and television. They maintain a commitment to cultural education and have an ongoing exchange with folklorists and musicians worldwide. Castlebay’s historically informed entertaining presentations delight audiences from Cape Breton to Florida and in Ireland, England and Scotland. The duo has also created full theatrical musical renditions of historic stories which include both traditional and original music. Since 1985,Castlebay has recorded over 27 albums and have composed and recorded award-winning video soundtracks. After years of archival research, they have recently begun publishing a series of books containing transcriptions of traditional Anglo-Celtic songs sung in Maine with historical background information. The first, titled “Bygone Ballads of Maine Songs of Ships & Sailors” has received international attention. The second volume is due to be released in 2026 and will feature numerous Maine traditional songs with Irish sources.
For more information
website www.castlebay.net
phone 207-529-5438
email castlebay@castlebay.net