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Poet and children’s author Hollis Kurman reads from her debut poetry collection, “Unlikely Skylight,” at Barnes & Noble in Bridgehampton on August 23. COURTESY THE AUTHOR
The cover of Hollis Kurman's debut poetry collection, “Unlikely Skylight.”
Poet and children’s author Hollis Kurman will read from her debut poetry collection, “Unlikely Skylight,” at Barnes & Noble in Bridgehampton Commons on Friday, August 23, at 4 p.m.
Kurman, who lives in Amsterdam and spends her summers on the East End, will be in the United States through Labor Day. Her reading will feature selections from the new collection, including several Hamptons-themed poems such as “Ocean Road,” “Smithtown” and “East End.”
Published by Barrow Street Books on June 15, “Unlikely Skylight” explores themes of memory, identity and resilience, blending domestic detail with global and historical context. The poems traverse a range of settings, from Amsterdam’s canals to Long Island’s coastline, often weaving together personal narrative, mythology and sociopolitical reflection.
Kurman’s poems have appeared in publications including Amsterdam Quarterly, Atlanta Review, Barrow Street, Rattle, Phoebe, and Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine. She is also the author of two internationally recognized children’s books: “Counting Kindness: Ten Ways To Welcome Refugee Children” and “Counting in Green: 10 Little Ways To Help Our Big Planet.”
A native of New York City, Kurman holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She serves on the Human Rights Watch Global Advisory Council for Women’s Rights and the Fulbright Commission NL Board, among other organizations.
For more information, visit holliskurman.com.
Staff Writer on Aug 18, 2025