Fall 2024

Section 1069 of ENGL1A
College Composition -- : Aug 19 - Dec 13 2024

Section 2616 of ENGL1A
College Composition -- : Aug 19 - Dec 13 2024

Summer 2024

Section 8692 of ENGL1A
College Composition -- : Jun 17 - Aug 11 2024

Spring 2024

Section 5699 of ENGL1B
Literature and Composition -- : Jan 29 - May 12 2024
This is an online course. (No Zoom and no Face-to-Face meetings).

No office hours

B.A. in English, City College of New York
M.A. in Education, City College of New York
Lifetime Teaching Credential State of New York
Single Subject English Credential, California
Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificate
Certification in Online Teaching, UCSD
Specialized Certification in Teaching Reading, UCSD

Academic Experience


2004-Present Adjunct Professor, English Dept. SRJC
2005-Present Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa, CA

1987-1992 Harriet Beecher Stowe Junior High, Harlem, NY
1993-2002 Murry Bergtraum High School, Manhattan, NY
2002-2004 Rancho Cotate High, Rohnert Park, CA
2004-2005 Geyserville High School, Geyserville, CA

My paternal grandfather was born in Rumsza, Poland and emigrated to New Jersey. Both of my maternal grandparents emigrated from Sicily, Italy to Brooklyn, New York. My Dad met my Mom after leaving New Jersey with the intention of finding an Italian bride. He carried his first photo of her in his wallet until he passed in 2007 after fifty-four years of marriage. My mother passed away in April 2010. I am a second generation Italian/Polish-American who grew up in Brooklyn, wanting to be a centerfielder for the Yankees. When that didn't pan out I set my sights on being an architect and attended Brooklyn Technical High School. After realizing that my calling was not designing my surroundings, but describing them, I turned my attention to writing. By the time I graduated college, I found teaching in my heart. I went on to earn my MA in Education. Twenty six years later, I still love what I do.

In the midst of my teaching, 9/11 changed everything. At the time, I was teaching in a school that was five blocks from the World Trade Center. The Manhattan Superintendent's office was inundated with all sorts of things sent to us from different parts of the country. There were teddy bears from Florida, flags from Texas, and letters from California which miraculously found their way into my hands. I had my students write back and because there was no teacher name, I addressed my cover letter: "To the Teacher Who is Cool Enough to Care." I stayed in touch with that teacher and not only eventually learned her name, but in July 2002, came to Santa Rosa to meet her. We have been married for 20 years and have two daughters. 

Professional Areas of Interest

Appeared in Off Broadway:
"No Place to Be Somebody" By Charles Gordone
"Love's the Best Doctor" By Moliere
"To Be Done with the Judgment of God" By Antonin Artaud
"Santa Claus and the Unicorn" By Harlem Dance Foundation
"Wonders of the Universe" By Harlem Dance Foundation

Public Television Productions:
Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN): "Jimbo's Fantabulous Allstars" 1995-2002
MNN: "Real Life: Northern Cali" 2002-2004
Community Media, Santa Rosa: "NYC TV" 2004-2005

Playwright, Off Broadway:
"Sarapo" Performed By Survivor Theatre
"The Dream in the Bathroom" Performed by Survivor Theatre

Professional Involvement and Community Service

Journalism Advisor, Catamount Newspaper, Rancho Cotate High School, 2002-2004
Safe School Ambassadors Advisor, Santa Rosa High School, 2005-2006
High School Senior and Non-Senior Awards Night Coordinator and Facilitator 2009 and 2010
"Poetry Out Loud" Judge, 2010-Present



 

"I discovered inside myself, even in the very midst of winter, an invincible summer." ~Camus

Presentations and Publications

Poetry and Fiction Published in Print and online in the following Literary Magazines:

Waterways: Poetry in the Mainstream                    
First Leaves                                                                           
Main Street Rag                                                                                 
Sleet Magazine                                                                                                                                                         
trapeze magazine                                                                   
Weirdyear                                                                          
Heavy Hands Ink                                                                
50 to 1                                                                                   
Flashshot                                                                            
Three Line Poetry                                                                
In Between Altered States                                                    
Death Head Grin                                                                                                                    
Down in the Dirt                                                                
Postcard Shorts                                                                    
Mad Scientist Journal                                           
50 Word Stories
Synchronized Chaos                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

and many others                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                T                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Honors and Awards

Nominee: Who's Who in Teaching, 1995