The Adirondack Center for Writing (ACW) will host Sophie Morelli for the first reading from her debut collection of poems, Fathom (Bottlecap Press, 2024) on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m. at ACW (15 Broadway, Saranac Lake).

Fathom is inspired by one of Lake Placid’s most well-known ghost stories, “the Lady in the Lake.” For those who are not familiar, in 1933, Mabel Smith Douglass took a row boat across Lake Placid and never returned. Thirty years later, almost to the day, local divers discovered her body perfectly preserved one hundred feet below the surface of the water. Morelli’s poems reach beyond a retelling of Mabel Smith Douglass’s passing to focus on the many facets of her life, the untimely deaths of her family members, and Morelli’s own understanding of grief and loss.

“Believe it or not, I didn’t know the story of Mabel Smith Douglass (“the Lady in the Lake”) before reading Sophie’s beautiful and emotionally layered debut, Fathom,” said Tyler Barton, ACW’s program manager. “I appreciate how the book provides a primer on both Douglass’s death and her life, honoring her as a full human being rather than an archetype in a spooky story. People already well-familiarized with the story will certainly find something new in this book. It was a pleasure to hear early drafts of these poems at last year’s Anne LaBastille Writing Residency, where Sophie completed this collection, and I’m so excited for Adirondackers and the wider world to discover her work through this smart, haunted, and heartfelt ode to home.”

A question and answer session will follow Morelli’s reading and conclude with an open mic where all are welcome to share up to five minutes of their own writing. There is no cost to attend; register online at adirondackcenterforwriting.org/lady-in-the-lake.

Sophie Morelli is an Adirondack-based poet holding a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Writing, as well as a Master’s Degree in English Education, both from SUNY Potsdam. She was an Anne Labastille memorial writing resident in the fall of 2023 and her work is featured in Querencia Press and Illuminated Press. Her poem “When They Turn The Sun On Again” was part of ACW’s Postcard Poems broadside series. She currently works as content writer for The Pack Labs.

The Adirondack Center for Writing has been bringing people and words together for 25 years through provocative events and meaningful programs. For more information about ACW, visit adirondackcenterforwriting.org or follow @adkctr4writing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.