Evelyn KandelEvelyn Kandel served as Nassau County Poet Laureate from 2019-2022. While the pandemic made it difficult for in-person readings and library time with children, she continued her adult poetry class using Zoom. Author of six books of poetry, her most rcent, Let There Be Clouds, includes her photographs of the sky - taken daily for a month, each accompanied by a poem. Her work has appeared in journals and anthologies, most recently in COVID, edited by Gayl Teller, and Paumanok Transition, edited by Kathaleen Donnelly. During the Korean War Kandel became one of the earliest women to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, attaining the rank of Sergeant. In 1952, she was one of four women - Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines - to represent the military on a U.S. Postage Stamp titled Women in Our Armed Services. She also was featured on recruiting posters. "They said, 'Hey, gorgeous. We Want You!'" Kandel recalled. Post-military, Kandel studied at Columbia University on the GI Bill, then worked as an art teacher and department head at exclusive Portledge School, retiring in 1999. She turned from painting to small sculptures and poetry during a residency in Saratoga, then began focusing on poetry alone. Since 2009 she has taught Writing Poetry and has since inspired countless poets. This is her fourth class anthology. Read More Read Less