Jersey City’s 2020-2022 Poet Laureate, Susan Justiniano | RescuePoetix hosts Poems of Gratitude, featuring creatives Renes “Pudge” Cruz (Jersey City) and Lisa “Rubi G” Ventura (Washington Heights NY/Central NJ) in an environment that is conducive to creativity and culture, share their experiences through workshop prompts, participant engagement, poetry, spoken word performances.
Poems of Gratitude and Hope will be Tuesday, December 13, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Jersey City City Hall, 280 Grove St, 2nd Fl, Jersey City.
This event is free and open to the public. The first 25 who register will receive a swag bag from the Jersey City Office of Cultural Affairs.
This event is FREE and open to the public but audiences must register in advance:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poems-of-gratitude-hope-tickets-473431264657
This event will have an English ASL interpreter. This is a bilingual event.
“We know it’s healthy to be thankful for what’s around us, but often we don’t pause long enough to really consider the many things that are worthy of our gratitude. And as with writing, sometimes it’s hard to focus on specifics. Giving thanks and reigniting hope, remind us of all we have, despite what we don’t have, despite our differences. Poems of Gratitude is a day of hope for family, friends and ourselves.”
Through prompts and performance, we will:
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Practice the art of noticing.
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Cultivating a sense of gratitude
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Collaborate as writers: building and getting to know each other as people.
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Generate inspiration for further poem writing and celebrating one another
Lisa “Rubi G.” Ventura: Washington Heights bred poet, essayist, and workshop facilitator:
Lisa “Rubi G.” Ventura (she/her) is a Black Dominican poet, essayist, writing workshop facilitator, and yogi. She has been published by Dominican Writers, Raising Mothers, Economic Hardship Program in conjunction with Slate, among others. Lisa was interviewed for The Nation’s Going for Broke podcast series and Refinery29’s Somos. She has served as an empowerment panelist and is a VONA alumni. Her work has also been showcased by Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, The Billie Holiday Theatre, Bold Voice Collaborative, IDEA Cultural, and Morris-Jumel Mansion. Her poetry collection “Con Qué Papel Me Envuelves La Luna” is forthcoming this fall.
Renes “Pudge” Cruz: Poet, Artesano, Special Education Teacher, Advocate, and Survivor:
Renes “Pudge” Cruz: Renes is a native to Jersey City, and has been an Educator there for 21 years. He has had the honor of being surrounded by local artists, authors, and musicians that have influenced his earlier stages in art. He now attributes much of his visual art to the Torres/ Cartagena /Aponte Families and their involvement in maintaining the Puerto Rican culture. His poems “My Brother”, “Nana”, and “Buscando a Africa” have been featured on both “BMR” and “The House That Time Built” albums and is currently working on His solo project entitled “Solace, The deconstruction of a man”.
Pronouns: He, His, Him
Susan Justiniano | RescuePoetix: Poet, Writer, Spoken Word Artist, Recording Artist, Teaching Artist, Advocate and Arts Administrator:
Susan Justiniano | RescuePoetix is a self-taught bilingual poet, with a deep love for knowledge, music, coffee, food, dogs, and the color red (not always in that order). She is twice honored Poet Laureate: The first Puerto Rican woman Poet Laureate of Jersey City, NJ (2022-2022) and State of New Jersey Beat Poet Laureate (2022-2024)
Words are embedded in her life. Her passion for them started at age 9 with a dictionary, notebook, and the latest paperback she could get her hands on. As a globally published and performing poet, she has recorded poems to music, in English and Spanish, and is deeply immersed in the arts across communities throughout the usa.
RescuePoetix™ poetry is designed to connect on a level far deeper than what the eye can perceive. her words weave stories of strength, growth, experience, and love in its many forms. Her audio poetry is found on streaming platforms.
More info: You can find her everywhere: https://linktr.ee/rescuepoetix
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