Performance Poets Association Readings, hosted by Jack Zaffos and James Romano

About this event

Join us for readings from the Performance Poets Association! This month's feature poets are Maria Lisella and Diana Poulos-Lutz.

Open mic signup is also held at the meetup for those who'd like to share their own poetry. No registration required.

Maria Lisella is the author of At the Hour of Now (Bordighera Press, 2026), Thieves in the Family (NYQBooks, 2014), Amore on Hope Street (Finishing Line Press, 2009), and Two Naked Feet (Poets Wear Prada, 2009). Her poem The Lady in 5A aired on NPR-WNYC during National Poetry Month, Still a Man appeared in The New York Times and new work appears in Lily Poetry Review. Poetry editor for Voices in Italian Americana (VIA), she curates the IAWA-NY readings. The sixth Queens Poet Laureate (2015-19), she was awarded a Poet Laureate Fellowship from the Academy of American Poets in 2020.

Diana Poulos-Lutz is an award-winning poet and author from Long Island. Her poetry is shaped by mindfulness, meditation, nature, photography, and a deep commitment to reflection, equality, peace, and empowerment. Through her writing, she explores resilience, spiritual connection, memory, and the quiet beauty found in everyday life.

Diana holds a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from Long Island University and an M.Phil. in Politics from The New School for Social Research. Diana has previously taught Political Science and European Political Thought at Long Island University. She now works in a public high school library, where she also advises the school’s nationally recognized art and literary magazine and serves as a union president. Her background in political thought, civic engagement, and social justice informs the compassion and humanity that run through her work. Her newest book, What Makes a Home (2026), is her third full-length poetry collection, following Time to Rise (2020) and I Walk On (2023). Her work has also appeared in various anthologies, and her poem Can You Hear the Wolves? was adapted into a song by a local artist. Diana has received numerous local and regional awards, a nomination for a Pushcart Prize, as well as international recognition for her work.

In addition to poetry, Diana is deeply connected to her photography and the natural landscapes of Long Island, both of which continue to inspire her creative voice.