Joe Weil is an American poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate creative writing classes at Binghamton University.

Weil grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth, New Jersey

Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...

 and was described by The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

as personifying that town: "working-class, irreverent, modest, but open to the world and filled with a wealth of possibilities."

Weil's mother died of cancer when he was 17. Weil dropped out of Rutgers University

Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 to care for his ill father, a former boxer and glue-factory worker who became alcoholic. After his father's death, Weil became homeless. He found work in factories, and eventually found long-term work at National Tool.

Weil was a pivotal character at the Fringe Gallery and Performance Space in Newark, New Jersey

Newark, New Jersey

Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

 from 1996 until the Fringe closed its doors in 2003. He also directed a poetry series at the Sumei center for the arts in Newark where he featured the poet, Amiri Baraka. Weil's gritty realism and vision of blue collar existence combined with an edgy humor has made him a major contributor to the Fringe, the Newark Arts Community and the accessibility of poetry to all listeners. From 1989 until 2005, Joe Weil hosted the PoetsWednesday series at the Baron art center in Woodbridge, New Jersey with fellow poets, Edie Eustace, and Deborah Laveglia. Founded by Edie Eustace in 1978, PoetsWednesday is the longest running series in New Jersey. During Weil's tenure, the series featured such now well known poets as Hal Sirowitz

Hal Sirowitz

Hal Sirowitz is an American poet.Sirowitz first began to attract attention at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe where he was a frequent competitor in their Friday Night Poetry Slam...

, Kurtis Lambkin, David Roskos, and Bob Holman

Bob Holman

Bob Holman is a poet and poetry activist in the United States.- Career :After graduating from Columbia University in 1970, Bob Holman founded, with Sara Miles and Susie Timmons, the NYC Poetry Calendar, a free monthly publication with all the readings and poets "on the same page"...

 as well as Maria Mazziotti Gillan

Maria Mazziotti Gillan

-Life:She grew up in an Italian enclave in Paterson, New Jersey's Riverside neighborhood.She graduated from Seton Hall University and from New York University with an MA In Literature. She attended Drew University...

 and Lamont B. Steptoe

Lamont B. Steptoe

Lamont B. Steptoe is an American poet, photographer, and publisher.-Life:He was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Temple University...

, winners of the American Book Award.

Weil's latest book is "The Plumber's Apprentice," published in 2009 by New York Quarterly. He is currently poetry editor of Ragazine, an online journal, and continues to compose music. As a musician, Weil has played with the jazz saxophone player and composer Sweet Sue Terry

Sue Terry

"Sweet" Sue Terry is a jazz saxophonist and composer.While a student at the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut, Terry was a protégé of saxophonist Jackie McLean. McLean encouraged her to move to New York City, where she was later mentored by Clifford Jordan, Junior Cook and Barry Harris, who...

, the clarinetist Perry Robinson

Perry Robinson

Perry Morris Robinson is an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He is the son of the noted composer Earl Robinson. -Biography:...

, and Vic Ruggiero

Vic Ruggiero

Victor "Vic" Ruggiero, is a musician, songwriter and producer from New York City who has played in many ska bands, such as The Slackers, Stubborn All-Stars, SKAndalous All Stars, Crazy Baldhead and The Silencers...

, Weil's former roommate and keyboardist and songwriter for The Slackers

The Slackers

The Slackers are a New York City band, formed in Brooklyn in 1991. The band's sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, garage rock, and jazz...

. In 2006, Vic Ruggiero produced a CD of Weil's poems and songs called "I Hate Life."

In 2008, Weil published two books of poetry, Painting the Christmas Trees (Texas A & M University Press) and What Remains (Nightshade Press). These books contain some of his best-known poems, such as "Elegy for Sue Rapeezi," "Ode to Elizabeth," "Fists (for My Father)," "Morning at Elizabeth Arch," and "The Dead Are in My Living Room," which appeared in earlier chapbooks published by David Roskos of Iniquity Press/Vendetta books. The fall of 2008 saw Weil perform with Patricia Smith and Jan Beatty at the Geraldine R. Dodge poetry festival. Weil's poetry was also profiled in an NJPBS special, (see Youtube, Joe weil, NJPBS) a decade after he appeared on Bill Moyer's PBS documentary, "Fooling With Words." His poem "The Dead Are In My Living Room" was chosen as a featured poem for St. Patrick's Day on "Best American Poetry" online, and Weil has created a public morning Facebook show which now has 460 members.

Weil continues to live in Vestal, New York, and is an activist for student poetry series at the Belmar Bar as well as acting as the Binghamton National slam team coach. He is currently in a band called the Mooks.

On October 22, 2010, Weil married Emily Vogel in a small ceremony held in the company of friends.

Works

• 15 Cinquains for a Rainy Day
• I've Seen the Light
• Ode to Elizabeth & Other Poems
• In Praise We Enter
• A Portable Winter
• The Pursuit of Happiness
• Teaching the Dead (The Press Electrrrric!, online book, 2007)
• What Remains (book, 2008)
• Painting the Christmas Trees (book, 2008)
• The Plumber's Apprentice (book, 2009, New York Quarterly Press)

External links

• Joe Weil's myspace page, where you can read his blog
• Joe Weil's poem blog on Body Parts Blogzine
• http://users.tellurian.com/swaa/weil.html
• http://www.echonyc.com/~poets/vol8/Weil4.html
• http://www.wnet.org/foolingwithwords/Pweil_top.html
• Joe Weil's album of poetry "I Hate Life" streamed free.
• Joe Weil's articles on THEthe Poetry Blog.