Where I Come From

T'is rumored there are few poets south of the Edison Bridge...just clam diggers. Admittedly, we Monmouth County poets body surf and tan in the sun, but we also write poetry - often on the beach. Our poet hstory goes back to Philip Freneau, who wrote "The Battle of Monmouth" in the 1700's. You can visit Philip Freneau's grave im Matawan or visit Dorothy Parker's house in West End or Stephen Crane's in Asbury Park. Walt Whitman vacationsd in Ocean Grove and wrote "Fancies of the Navesink" sitting where Twin Lights Lighthouse is now. Today we have a Pulitzer Prize nominee living in Neptune. US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky was born and raised in Long Branch. We also claim fine contemporary poets like John Baldwin, Virginia Bryan, Dr.Carl Calendar, Emanuel di Pasquale, Nancy Drake, Frank Finale, Gladys Goldberg, Gilda Kreuter, Colleen Lineberry, Bob McKenty, Laura McCullough, Paula Newcomer, Alissa Pecora, Thomas Reiter, Beverly Rosenblum, Lorraine Stone, Michael Thomas, Dr.Christine Redman-Waldeyer and me!