Poet Biographies
PETER E. MURPHY was born in Wales and grew up in New York City. Author of eleven books and chapbooks, his prose and poetry have appeared in Guernica, Harpur Palate, Hippocampus, The New Welsh Reader, Rattle, The Sun and elsewhere. Drunken Fairy Tale, A Memoir of Ruin and Redemption, is forthcoming in 2025 from Toplight Books, an imprint of McFarland. He is the founder of Murphy Writing of Stockton University in Atlantic City. www.peteremurphy.com
LURAY GROSS grew up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm in a household full of music and books. She is the author of three previous collections of poetry, Forenoon, Elegant Reprieve (1995–96 Still Waters Press Poetry Chapbook Competition winner), and The Perfection of Zeros. She was the 2002 Poet Laureate of Bucks County and resident faculty at the 2006 Frost Place Festival and Conference on Poetry in Franconia, NH. She was the recipient of a fellowship in poetry from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and, in 2000, named one of the Council’s Distinguished Teaching Artists. A storyteller as well as poet, she has worked with thousands of students and teachers over the last twenty-some years.
SUSAN POMERANTZ is retired after many decades of teaching high school English to wonderful students in South Jersey. She has embraced her retirement with a full-time life of writing, reading, gardening, traveling, and spending precious time with family and friends. Her debut novel “Flowers from the Holy Land” is awaiting a publisher. Her short stories have been published in The Long Story, Twisted Vine, and Stories Through the Ages: Baby Boomers Plus 2023.
DIANE OESAU was a co-founding member of It Ain’t Pretty, a women’s writing collective that performed in Philadelphia. She is a retired school librarian, finding new purpose as a volunteer reader/mentor to local students. Haiku is her primary mode of artistic expression, and composing them is her way of remaining present in the world. Her poems have appeared in the Haiku Day compilations published by Moonstone Press.
DERRICK OWINGS spent has spent many years learning and developing his poetry mainly the Dodge Poetry, Peter Murphy and Cave Canem workshops. Currently retired from 25 years of teaching, he is an extreme romantic, believing that all things, conditions and hearts can be transformed through the arts. In addition to writing poetry, Derrick has also authored three books for children. Their titles are Shmoopy Moonpie Says Hi!, Graystork and Seagull , and Lightning Bug and Butterfly. His poems have appeared in the Haiku Day, 27th Poetry Ink Anthology and Remembering Audre Lorde compilations published by Moonstone Press.
JOANNE RIZZO is a poet whose work has been showcased globally. In 2019, she participated in the Middlebury Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, where she worked with the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Jericho Brown. Joanne is a former elementary school teacher who, upon retirement, settled in the New Jersey Pinelands. She spends much of her time hiking and observing the wildlife that frequents her backyard. The healing power of nature serves as a profound influence on many of her poems. Among her current projects is a chapbook on the Pine Barrens, in which she hopes to share the mysteries and beauty of the region’s unique ecosystem.
TODD C. C. EVANS, while growing up in Trenton, NJ, won a writing contest with Ebony Jr. Magazine. As a young actor, Mr. Evans played a role in a documentary film based on the life of Black Millionaire, A. G. Gaston. Todd’s work reflects on music and the ups and downs of urban street life and modern day situations. He has co-written two songs on the Imani Record Label. Mr. Evans is featured on the Imani Label album entitled Live All Over the Place. Mr. Evans has published a short novel entitled, Staggerlee Booker T. and Me by FavorTwoU Publications. Todd’s latest book is entitled A Rose for Ruby. He has published 5 other chapbooks and poetry books Mr. Evans has been featured in the Courier Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Burlington County Times, and the Trenton Times.
Mr. Evans founded the Willingboro Open Mic 10 years ago and the Don Evans’ Players Theater Group in Willingboro, NJ 9 years ago. He founded the Heritage Cultural Book Fair, which is a traveling coalition of tri-state authors who sign and sell books collectively. Mr. Evans has the distinction of hosting two of the longest running open mic’s in New jersey The Willingboro open mic and Classic’s books open mic in Trenton N.J. both 10 years. He has won several poetry slams and awards as well as hosting other events in the tri -state. Most recently Mr. Evans short Xmas play Redemption alley was picked to be read at Mccarter theater 2021.
Todd resides in southern New Jersey with his wife they have two sons by birth. He and his wife has cared for three foster children. He is a proud Pop-Pop of three grandchildren. Mr. Evans has been a youth football, baseball and basketball coach for many years. He attended Morgan State University and is a graduate of B.C.C. and B.C.I.T. in South Jersey.
LISA DeVUONO was one of the founders of It Ain’t Pretty, a women’s writing collective that performed in Philadelphia. In addition to the full-length manuscript This Time Roots, Next Time Wings, her poetry has appeared in the Mad Poets Review, Paterson Literary Review and the anthology Grit Gravity & Grace: New Poems about Medicine and Healthcare. She is the author of the chapbook Poems from the Playground of Risk, published by Pudding House Press, and was the recipient of an honorable mention in Passaic County Community College’s annual Allen Ginsberg Contest. Ms. DeVuono was recently named Poet of the Year by the Mad Poets Society, and is the new poet laureate of Montgomery County, PA.
Lisa is participating as registered guest but not presenting at this workshop.