Ira Joe Fisher has always felt like a writer. His penchant for poetry dates back to high school English class, where he encountered the likes of Walden and Thoreau and his love for language was fueled by much reading. Delighting in the written word — coupled with his drive to perform — became the winning combination and launching pad for a storied career as an award-winning writer, poet, actor, reporter, educator, and stand-out communicator.
Hailing from Little Valley, New York, the author’s first job in broadcasting was at 16 on WGGO in Salamanca. The cold temperatures that marked his youth agreed with Ira as he revels in winter; perhaps a foreshadowing of the title of his fourth poetry collection, The Birth of Snow (Athanata Arts, 2024). The book launch for this release will take place on Wednesday, March 26 at 7:00 p.m. (in his newer hometown since 1990) at The Ridgefield Library. All are invited to the celebration, where the author will be interviewed by his former Ohio colleague, television reporter Edie Magnus. The event will also feature a reading and book signing. Registrations are encouraged, though walk-ins are welcome. Save your spot here.
“Ridgefield’s Poet Laureate Ira Joe Fisher is truly a town treasure. Ira Joe freely shares his wit and wisdom through his poetry, teaching and workshop sessions and his support for organization across our community. The Ridgefield Library is thrilled to be the site of the book launch for Ira’s latest volume, The Birth of Snow,” Brenda McKinley, Ridgefield Library Director
After military service, Ira continued his writing and broadcasting career in Spokane, Washington, where he met and married his wife, Shelly. They share four adult children, all of whom are writers. The author wrote for Spokane Magazine and hosted a radio show on KHQ Radio and was a reporter on KHQ-6 TV, where he appeared on the show, The Noon Thing. Next was a post at WKRC in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked alongside news anchor, Nick Clooney (actor George’s father), his longtime mentor and friend, to whom he dedicated The Birth of Snow for the profound effect the senior Clooney had on his life.
Ira headed for the Big Apple, enjoying reporting at ABC (then a stint back to Cincinnati for The Ira Joe Fisher Show), and finally, returned to New York to work at NBC and CBS — where he appeared for many years on CBS Television’s Early Show. Those who grew up in the Tri-state area may remember him as the personable weather reporter who could famously write backward (he still can, and signs sketches with his moniker as such). But what fans may not know is that Ira won his two Emmys for his writing on television versus reporting the weather. And that he acted for five years in the 42-year, off-Broadway classic, The Fantasticks, during his broadcasting days in Manhattan. “I’d leave my day job at 6:00 p.m., perform in the Village at 8:00 p.m., then race back to midtown for the 11:00 O’Clock news,” said Ira Joe Fisher, Author and Communicator.
Writing remains close to his heart and Ira has penned not only a humorous essay collection, Wide and Wavy Out of Salamanca, but also three previous poetry collections: Some Holy Weight in the Village Air, Songs from an Earlier Century, The Creek at the End of the Lawns.
In addition, he remains very involved in the goings-on in Ridgefield: he’s the emcee for the Holiday Tree Lighting and publishes a video poetry series in Ridgefield’s Hamlethub (cleverly titled P-06877-etry). He’s also been the emcee for the Ridgefield Playhouse’s Film Series, does special appearances on their stage, and was a former Board member. Essentially, Ira is part of the very fabric of the community which has been named the best town in Connecticut more than once.
“My fourth collection of poems — The Birth of Snow — is in the world I am delighted. It celebrates all of the seasons, but winter has always held an enchantment for me, so the title poem sparks from my heart and the love there for snow…and how it whistles over the Great Lakes to fall upon places and people I love,” said Ira Joe Fisher, Author and Communicator.
Warm, witty, and a writer’s writer, Ira Joe Fisher is the consummate creative.
Join the community to salute this hometown hero and his latest release, The Birth of Snow on March 26 at 7:00 p.m. at: https://ridgefieldlibrary.librarymarket.com/event/ira-joe-fisher-birth-snow-114304.
*Image courtesy Dylan Fisher