Our organization came together as a result of a local library event in the fall of 2016. The Athol Library in Western, Massachusetts offered local authors a chance to meet and to hawk their wares at a book expo. Our founders Steve Piscitello and Garrett Zecker were fatefully and perhaps strategically placed side-by-side. Having never met before, they quickly developed a bond due to similar writing styles, and as a result, something somewhat akin to the creation of life, Quabbin Quills was born.
Through the collective efforts of other local authors from that evening, a name for our first anthology was hatched. Located in the nearly forgotten Quabbin Valley, we naturally went with a reservoir theme. Given the number of years of experience among our group, time seemed to be the other logical choice. Thus, the poetic title of Time’s Reservoir found its way into our email chain.
But it wasn’t enough for Steve to just have a collected anthology in print. He had united these authors with Garrett’s help, and he wanted to do more than just put out sweet stories and melodic poems. Having worked for an afterschool non-profit for many years, Steve began thinking about the possibilities of a grant-funded organization capable of raising money for scholarships and other educational programs for young writers in the Quabbin communities. Now thanks to Steve’s non-profit employer, the name Quabbin Quills quickly became a thing! And then, several government forms later it was a genuine entity. (Sounds oxymoronic, don’t it?)
Now with one anthology under our belts, and grant contributions from the Local Cultural Councils of Barre, Hardwick-New Braintree, New Salem, Oakham, Orange and Warwick, as supported by the Mass Cultural Council state agency, we are making good on people’s dreams. So whether you’re a retiree looking to finally do something with a short story you’ve crafted with love, or a young adult looking to make your mark on the literary world, consider joining us!
The world needs writers; without them all the pages in life would be blank.
Stay tuned for Mountains and Meditations, our second anthology in the Spring of 2019.