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Sal Amico M. Buttaci has had his poems, stories, letters, and articles published in Newsday Magazine, New York Times, USA Today, Cats Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, and many other publications here and overseas. He is a long-standing member of the New Jersey Poetry Society, Inc. and a member of its executive board.He’s written several books, including Promising the Moon, a collection of poems dedicated to Sharon, and A Family of Sicilians: Stories and Poems. Pudding House Publications released his chapbook Greatest Hits: 1970 to 2000. As co-founder of "The Saturday Afternoon Poets," along with Paul Juszcyk, he has done hundreds of poetry readings, most of them in New Jersey libraries, schools, coffeehouses, and on local radio and cable TV. Sal Amico M. Buttaci is an English teacher at Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Garfield, New Jersey, as well as an instructor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ. He lives in Lodi, NJ, with his soul mate and wife, Sharon.
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Paul Juszcyk is
a graduate of Montclair State University where he attained degrees in
Communications and history. He is currently an educator, teaching social
studies at an elementary school in Clifton.
Juszcyk is co-founder of a popular local poetry group called "The Saturday Afternoon Poets" and has also co-produced, created and hosted a cable TV poetry program called Eyes of the Angels. He has been published in many publications, such as Passaic Review, Poet’s Pride, The Inside Outlook, Poetidings, North River Review, Chasing the Wind and PoetryMagazine.com. His other current books of poetry are A View From The Porch and Other Poems, For All Intense and Porpoises, and Greatest Hits: 1980-2000. He is also a long-time member of the New Jersey Poetry Society. |
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How it all began I first met Paul Juszcyk back in 1980 when he asked me to be a guest on his cable TV program, The Eyes of the Angels. I was honored to be selected as one of the twenty poets who got a chance to discuss poetry and read some of my poems. We remained friends and through the years we’d discuss the idea of starting a poetry-reading group that would deliver poetry to all who wanted to hear it as well as read some of their own to an audience. Finally in 1996 we co-founded "The Saturday Afternoon Poets," affiliating our reading group with The New Jersey Poetry Society, Inc. of which we both are members. Since 1996, under the auspices of "The Saturday Afternoon Poets," featured poets have read their works in local libraries, schools, coffeehouses, cable TV and on the radio. We differ from most other poetry-reading groups in the sense that we include young poets in our readings. As teachers, Paul and I are well aware of the importance of young poetic voices carrying on the tradition of writing good poetry and making it available to the public. The logical next step after co-founding "The Saturday Afternoon Poets" was to co-author a collection of our own poetry, entitled Two Can Play This Game: The Saturday Afternoon Poets, just published in India. We hope in the future to release poetry collections by other featured "Saturday Afternoon Poets." We invite library program directors to contact us and schedule readings and poetry workshops. |
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NJ Poetry Society Inc. Buttaci has been a member of The New Jersey Poetry Society, Inc. since 1975 when Vivian Meyer, President and Founder of NJPS, invited him to join. He has maintained his membership since then. From 1996 to 1998, he was the Editor of the society's newsletter Poetidings. From 1995 to the present, he has done poetry workshops for the society, and for several years now has sat on the executive board as vice president of workshops and seminars. "Belonging to the New Jersey Poetry Society, Inc. has always been an honor for me because I love being in the company of those who write and love poetry. My only regret is that with a membership of over 250 very few members feel the need to participate in attending workshops and readings or even to submit their poetry for publication. I feel that the value of club membership increases in direct proportion to one's involvement in that club." We are always looking for new members, but we'd love to have members who want to actively participate in all that the society offers. While NJPS headquarters is in the Princeton, NJ, area, there are local chapters in other parts of NJ. Right now we want to encourage members to start chapters in all NJ counties, especially Bergen, Passaic, and Essex. Anyone interested in joining the NJ Poetry Society, Inc. can contact the current President Edith Kaltovich at luciakalt@aol.com |
E-mail Salvatore Amico M. Buttaci
Copyright © 2004 by Salvatore Amico M. Buttaci
All Rights Reserved.