Joe Weil

Joe Weil (born March 24, 1958) is an American poet renowned for his humor, story telling and eloquence. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate creative writing classes at Binghamton University. ["Ex-poetry slam champ to give free reading", "The Post-Standard", October 18 2006, p. B1.]

Weil grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey [James, George. " [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3DD103FF933A15757C0A961958260 In a Lodge by a Lake, Friends Celebrate a Poet's Soul] ", "The New York Times", April 20 1997. Accessed May 28 2008.] and was described by "The New York Times" as personifying that town: "working-class, irreverent, modest, but open to the world and filled with a wealth of possibilities." [Wind, Barbara. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E4D6153BF935A35751C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "IN PERSON; The Poet as Working Stiff"] , "The New York Times", December 6, 1998. Accessed February 28, 2008. "Joe Weil is Elizabeth: 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 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. [Allee, Rod. "A working man's poet spots the inner beauty", "The Record", April 1 1998, p. I01.]

Weil was a pivotal character at the Fringe Gallery and Performance Space in Newark NJ from 1996 until the Fringe closed its doors in 2003. His 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. His influence will be felt in future generations of poets.

Weil is currently an instructor of writing at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. In 2008, he 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," as well as new poems.

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
* What Remains (book, 2008)
* Painting the Christmas Trees (book, 2008)

Bibliography

* Paterson Literary Review
* Black Swan Review
* Big Hammer
* Arbella
* Ball Peen
* Stelton Review
* Palanquin Press
* Red Brick Review
* Identity Lessons
* Body Parts
* The Cartographer Electric!

References

External links

* [http://myspace.com/joeweil Joe Weil's myspace page, where you can read his blog]
* [http://www.bodypartsblogzine.com/ 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