I woke up at 2:30 this morning. Nothing new…except for this. I met Tony at a reading in 2012, soon after Tagus Press at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, published both of our new books. At first glance, we had little in common, except for our shared Portuguese heritage. Tony was a math teacher and a fiction writer. He mastered both. He also mastered the art of the smile, something I was always envious of. I will probably have more to say later, once the shock of this wears down; perhaps in the form of a poem–what I do to keep from going mad. For now, my thoughts are with the Barcellos family, none of whom I ever had the pleasure of meeting in person. And to you, Tony, até à festa.

Sam Pereira, poet

Note: Anthony (Tony) Barcellos died on June 27th, 2024. The Portuguese-American Literary community is in shock and deeply saddened.