"Strangely beautiful, haunting, a remarkable little city," says Joe Manning, poet, composer, songwriter, photographer, and now author of this charming, nostalgic, and compelling portrait of North Adams, a quiet mill town that sits almost unnoticed along the Mohawk Trail in … [Read more...]

"I can sit there and see where North Adams used to be," says Peter Cronin, from the deck of his hillside home. Author Joe Manning understands. He has been writing about North Adams for nearly five years, and he achieved wide acclaim for Steeples, his first book about this small … [Read more...]

In Gig at the Amtrak: Poems & Discoveries, Joe Manning plays words like a jazz musician plays the saxophone — edgy, earthy, blue-noted, a little behind the beat — like Hank Mobley, who inspired the title poem. And especially in the poetry born of his journeys in North Adams, … [Read more...]

I remember my Grandpa, his hat in his hand, The Star Spangled Banner being played by the band, The roar of the crowd as the pitcher took aim, When baseball was just a game. I Love Baseball is a collection of fifteen brand new songs about the grand old game, written by … [Read more...]