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| Poet/State Rep.--Denise Provost |
"I started writing – mainly, but not exclusively poetry
– as a child. I got a full scholarship to Bennington College
during my sophomore year of high school, based in large part on a manuscript of
poetry. In my senior year, I decided to go to law school, after having decided
that I was not suited for a graduate degree in English literature.
I graduated from Bennington
in 1971, started law school in 1972, graduated from law school in 1982. I worked
as a lawyer for the City of Newton, then was recruited
by the City of Somerville,
to work for reform mayor Eugene Brune. Working in local government gave me
ideas about how government could become more transparent and responsive. In
1993, I ran for Ward Alderman in Ward 5, coming very close against a long-time
incumbent.
The incumbent resigned a year and two weeks later, and the
Board of Alderman appointed a replacement. I ran against the appointee in 1995,
again coming close. After that second defeat, I figured my political career was
over. Then, in 1999, the ward 5 incumbent did not run for re-election, and one
of the at-large aldermen made the same decision. I ran for the latter seat, and
won.
I served on the Board of Aldermen for almost seven years,
running for state representative in a special election. I won that election in
February, 2006, and have since represented Somerville’s 27th Middlesex
District.
As my children got older, I found I was writing more poetry
again, and decided that I needed a teacher. I was accepted into Susan Donnelly’s
poetry writing workshop in 2010. Since then, I’ve had poetry published in
a number of print and on-line journals."