MARCIA
LEBEAU
POETRY
ABOUT
Marcia LeBeau is a New Jersey poet by way of Brooklyn by way of Pennsylvania. She stumbled into poetry by accident when she wrote a radio ad for Courvoisier Cognac, which was deemed spoken word poetry. From there she took her words to the stage performing most notably at the Sugar Shack in Harlem and other venues throughout New York City. In 2010, she was runner-up in the Bowery Poetry Club’s One Club Poetry Slam, after which Bob Holman nicknamed her “Lady Zoyzia.”
Poetry led her to the classroom in Washington Heights to teach for New York Scores where she taught fifth-grade girls in an after-school literacy program which combined poetry and soccer. For her work with New York Scores, she received the Most Outstanding Writing Coach. She also trained with Urban Word in poetry pedagogy.
Marcia LeBeau's work has appeared in Rattle, Moon City Review, SLANT, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA in poetry from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize. She recently opened The Write Space, a literary hub for co-writing, workshops and events in the Valley Arts District of Orange, NJ.
Prenup
I can’t promise you I know how to sit across from a man,
as he lights his campfire heart, without letting it
warm me. And I won’t pour water over it before it glows
down to embers in the lambent hours of the morning.
As shadow flames sashay across my face, I just might throw in
the branches I’ve gathered from my forest. Make it blaze.
Published in New Ohio Review, Issue 28
NEWS
New Ohio Review publication
A "suite" of my marriage-ish poems appear in the Winter/Spring 2020/21 Issue 28 of NOR. Please consider ordering a copy to support this consistently strong journal. My poems are "Prenup," "Eleventh Anniversary," "Lucky," and "The Love Poem." Get NOR
The Write Space
On January 1, 2020, The Write Space officially opened its doors. And January 24, 2020 was the launch party. The space is a literary hub for co-writing, workshops and readings in The Valley Arts District of Orange, NJ. Go to thewritespacenj.com for details and become a subscriber to learn about events. Please reach out to me with questions: info@thewritespace.com
Poetry Out Loud Judge
On Feb. 5 & Feb. 12, 2020, I will be judging the Region 4 & 5 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Competition at Mayo Performing Arts Center and SOPAC.
Publication
Moon City Review accepted my poem, “Training” for the 2020 issue which will be released at AWP in San Antonio, TX.
Judging Student Poetry Slam for Montclair Book Festival,
March 26, 2020, 6-8pm.
The Sanctuary at the First Congregational Church of Montclair
South Mountain School Artist-in-Residence
I will again be the artist-in-residence for South Mountain Elementary School’s 5th grade. Looking forward to working with the students for four days culminating performance on April 3, 2020.
NJPAC Teaching Artist
In October 2019, after an extensive audition and interview process, I became an NJPAC teaching artist. I will have the opportunity to represent NJPAC in Poetic Justice residencies in schools throughout New Jersey.
Pushcart Prize Nomination
Many thanks to Adam Brooke Davis and Joe Benevento, the editors of Green Hills Literary Lantern, for nominating my poem, “Directives for Temptation” for a 2019 Pushcart Prize.
PUBLICATIONS
Inertia Magazine
Interpoezia
NOON
READINGS
2020
Sunday, 12/6/20, 2-3:30pm Watershed Literary Events, Zoom poetry reading featuring The Lady Mechanics of Verona: Theresa Burns, Jessica de Koninck, Tina Kelley, Marcia LeBeau, Elinor Mattern, Helen Mazarakis, and Carole Stone.
Saturday, 2/22/20, 7-10pm: Co-featured poet with Kenneth Hart: North Jersey’s Literary Community Reading Series, Classic Quiche, Teaneck, NJ, free admission
Saturday, 3/7/20, 3-5 pm: Performing in The Vagina Monologues, CSLNJ, Caldwell, NJ. $25 tickets
Saturday, 3/21/20, 1-4 pm: Girl Talk, group poetry reading at The Caldwell Public Library, free admission with a reception immediately following
2019
Sunday, 5/4/19- South Mountain Poets 32nd Annual Reading at The Burgdorff Center, Maplewood, NJ - 2 pm
Friday, 1/25/19 - The Rectangle Studio & Gallery, Broadsides: Art, Poetry, and Partnership. Opening and reading with Mary Tautin Moloney-7pm
TEACHING
Marcia is available to teach poetry workshops at the pre-K, elementary, secondary and high school levels.
Teaching Schedule
Artist-in-Residence
March/April 2020
South Mountain School, 5th Grade
