KEYPORT -Creating a safe space for locals to vocalize their rhymes, poet and borough natvie Damian Rucci serves as the host to “Poetry in the Port.”
Poetry in the Port is a bi-weekly poetry reading series and open mic at Espresso Joe’s in Keyport. The show brings two to four featured poets from the local and national poetry scene to read their poems and then there is an open mic where anyone can read, recite, or perform their written work, according to Rucci.
The semi-monthly event takes place the first and third Thursday of every month, at Espresso Joe’s, located at 50 West Front St.
“I wanted to bring poetry and access to poetry to the people of the area. There had been poetry events in Keyport over the years, but they all went away. I had talked to venue owners around the Bayshore and many people told me ‘no one would come out to a poetry show’ I knew that wasn’t the case,” Rucci said. “Nichole Schumann of Espresso Joe’s offered me the opportunity to host a one time event. It was such a success that they offered me Thursdays to run the event. With Poetry in the Port, my plan was to destroy the idea that poetry is only for the rich or highly educated and show that poetry is for everyone. That poetry can even shine in Keyport, New Jersey, and it really has.”
This month the next show is going to be the fourth Thursday, at 7 p.m., Sept. 28, according to Rucci.
Having been a resident for 15 years, Rucci said that he started Poetry in the Port in December of 2015 and has been the host to 40 shows bi-weekly so far.
Rucci is a writer and poet whose work has recently appeared in Beatdom, Eunoia Review, Indiana Voice Journal, and basements and coffee shops across the country. He is the co-author of The Former Lives of Saints. Rucci is also the author of Tweet and Other Poems, and A Symphony of Crows. He is also the poetry editor at Blue Mountain Review, according to a prepared statement.
“I have always written for as long as I can remember, but June of 2015 was a time that changed my life forever. I was struck by a car on my bicycle that left me hospitalized and with mangled legs. I spent a good deal of time learning to walk again and during this time, I knew that I had to pursue my old passion. I almost died and on the ground, as they placed me into the stretcher, I knew it was time to pursue my dreams,” Rucci said.
Rucci has traveled across the country to deliver his brand of “Street Poetry” to listeners from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, all the way to Kansas City, Cleveland, and Chicago, according to a prepared statement.
“I have been very fortunate over the last two years to do hundreds of poetry readings across the country and due to this consistent momentum, I am now able to support myself from the written and spoken word at the moment. I have worked a series of odd-jobs before this point, from butcher shops, to overnight jobs and grocery stores. I will no doubt be working those kind of jobs again. I see traditional employment as a vehicle to get to the next step in my poetry career,” Rucci said.
While hosting the event Rucci explains that, “Poetry in the Port is a welcoming environment and we open our arms to anyone regardless of skill, experience, or background. We want to bring poetry into contemporary thought and think that through this art form we can really make a difference. Poetry has changed my life and I know it can really change the lives of others.”
Giving amateur and professional poets a local platform Rucci said, “I love seeing the variety of people that come to our events. We have a very diverse audience and have poets that are teachers, students, grave diggers, chefs, bartenders, and come from many more walks of life. It’s beautiful to see people who have a negative connotation of poetry in their head, walk into one of our events and fall in love with the art form.”
“I really try and bring people forward as best as I can into the poetry world and show them that poetry is alive and well in the 21st century…There is a whole world out there, that many people don’t realize and Poetry in the Port is just another column that is holding the national poetry scene up. I love being a part of that.”
For more information visit the Poetry in the Port Facebook page or Damian Rucci’s Facebook page.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].