Joe Weil

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Joe Weil (born March 24, 1958) is an American poet renown for his humor, story telling and eloquence. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate creative writing classes at SUNY Binghamton College.

New Jersey Bard at Poetry Reading

1 Life
2 Works
3 Bibliography
4 External links

[edit] Life

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, next to the Exxon Oil refinery. Joe Weil enrolled at Rutgers University where he studied under the novelist Jane Bernstein. In high school, Joe Weil excelled at making money for writing essays for fellow classmates on the poetry of John Donne and Christopher Marlowe. While doing so, he discovered much to his surprise, that he actually liked poetry. His first ambition was to be a composer. To this end he took up the study of composition and music theory while at Rutgers University.

He is a Geraldine Dodge Foundation poet and works as a poet in the New Jersey schools. Joe has run Poetswednesday, the longest running reading in NJ, at the Baron Arts Center in Woodbridge for many years, with Edie Eustace and Deborah LaVeglia. With Deborah, he has also ran the "Can of Corn" series to feature poets and help the homeless. Sometimes he performs old torch songs with her as well.

In 2002, he and Laura Boss were recipients of a grant to work in Paterson public schools to improve students' standardized test scores through creative writing.

Harvey Pekar has written the introductions to his last two books.

He has read with Allen Ginsberg, Diane di Prima, Dave Roskos, Matt Borkowski, Joe Salerno, Deborah LaVeglia, Hal Sirowitz, Sander Zuluaf, Barry Seiler and Nancy C. Harris to name a few. Perry Robinson, the noted jazz player, calls him "Maestro." Joe Weil always helps out his friends, and was especially instrumental in publishing the his best friend's work, the late Joe Salerno's The Tulip Tree and Only Here. Lately he has been editing the political poetry of Dave Roskos for an upcoming collection to be entitled Anarchy Then, Anarchy Now, Anarchy 4Ever! (Ayler Imprint Press).

He currently divides his time between NJ and upstate NY, where he directs the Allan Ginsberg Memorial School of Gay Literature in Albany. Joe is believed to be working on a new book of poetry.

[edit] Works

15 Cinquains for a Rainy Day
I've Seen the Light
Ode to Elizabeth & Other Poems
In Praise We Enter Virgins
A Portable Winter
The Pursuit of Happiness
Lament for the Bald Irishman
Rocky and Claire in Heaven

[edit] Bibliography

Paterson Literary Review
Black Swan Review
Big Hammer
Arbella
Ball Peen
Big Scream
Long Shot
New Jersey Bowel & Bladder Control
Palanquin Press
Bum Russ the Page
Red Brick Review
Identity Lessons
Body Parts