Back in 2004, the first Bagel Bard meeting took place in the basement of the Finagle-A-Bagel Cafe in Harvard Square. As I write this introduction in January of 2026, I never thought it would last as long as it has—22 years. Nor did I think it would have such an impact on my own life, and the lives of other members.
We have had many venues over the years—the Au Bon Pain in Davis Square Somerville, the Au Bon Pain in Central Square Cambridge, and when the Au Bon Pain closed, we sought refuge—first at Panera Bread in Porter Square Cambridge, the Revival Cafe in Somerville, and finally, the Cafe Zing! in Porter Square, where we feel very welcomed. I guess you can call us literary nomads, Wandering Jews, whatever you choose.
The Bagel Bards was founded by Steve Glines, Harris Gardner and me—with the thought to create community for poets and writers, that resided outside the gates of the academy; some have called us the barbarians at the gate. In spite of this, we have an online literary magazine, The Wilderness House Press, and a yearly Bagel Bard Anthology. The anthologies are collected at the Harvard University Libraries, and archived in any number of university libraries.
But the Bards are more than a literary group. Over the years we have raised money for those in our group in need; we have helped members’ families grieve the loss of our poets/writers—we have lost more than a few over the years. We are a community, but not an exclusive one. Once you attend one of our meetings, you are a Bard for life, even if you never show up for another meeting.
We are group of writers of many different levels but many of our members are very accomplished writers. We are grateful to the Cafe Zing for providing a home for us. Our long table is a home for ongoing conversations about the most banal things—to the high holy of arts and writing.
We want to thank Phil Temples for putting this book of photos together, so you will have a chance to see the comments and faces of our members.
—Doug Holder, Bagel Bards Co-Founder
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