Joe Weil was born and raised in Elizabeth, N.J. Along with poet Deborah La Veglia and scholar Edie Eustice, Mr. Weil directs Poets Wednesday, the longest running poetry series in New Jersey. He has read his work with such notable poets as Alan Ginsberg, Phil Levine, and Gerald Stern. A three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Mr. Weil is a union activist and a tool maker, and presently resides in Cranford, NJ. His poetry and essays have been published widely in poetry journals and magazines. Mr. Weil is the author of three books of poetry, the most recent IN PRAISE WE ENTER.