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Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, with 20+ years of experience, operates the Writers House in Waterfront South. NVHA is a non-profit organization that celebates poetry and its impact on communities. Based in Camden, NJ, we offer workshops, readings, and writing sessions for all ages, fostering creativity and education.
While honoring Nick Virgilio’s legacy and inspiring lives through the art of poetry.
Our mission is to foster the creative and spiritual practice of haiku and poetry for everyone, especially youth, to enhance literacy, deepen appreciation of nature and human experience, and build connected communities. We also aim to advance the legacy of Nick Virgilio, Camden’s esteemed poet, through collaborations with academic, civic, and cultural institutions.
Nick Virgilio reading his poetry.
Founded in 1989, the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association (NVHA) aims to inspire and support the writing of haiku poetry, especially among young people, and to honor the legacy of Camden’s own Nick Virgilio. Over the past decades, the NVHA has:
See a haiku writing session and poetry workshops designed for children. We offer workshops customized for elementary, middle school and high school. These engaging teaching events inspire creativity and enhance literacy through the art of short-form poetry.
Robin Palley is a haiku poet and served as Senior Vice President, Healthcare Consulting, at Epsilon, a Publicis Groupe company.
Warren is a writer, technologist, and educator from North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and the founder of _mixlit press.
Geoffrey Sill is an Emeritus Professor of English at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University, where he taught for (40) years British and American literature for forty years.
Vanessa Woods is a fierce advocate, compassionate healer, and innovative leader in the mental health landscape.
“Interstellar Storyteller” Reet Starwind is a Camden region organizer, educator, and creative director.
Henry Brann has been a member of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association since its inception. He’s published two chapbooks of his poems.
Kevin C. Shelly is a writer and retired journalist. He wrote the book Lynne Bogue Hunt: A Sporting Life, reviewed by Field & Stream as a “must-have.”
Bonnie Squires is president of Squires Consulting, a woman-owned communications company.
William Davis is a Camden city native who grew up with a passion for reading and writing. William used his love of writing and sports to become the sports editor of his high school paper
Faryn Kushner’s life and creative pursuits have been interwoven from the beginning. From her time in art school, to supporting others as a patron of the arts, she’s had a long-time appreciation for artistic expression.
Erin O’Neill is the Assistant Director of Communications for Rowan University’s Division of Information.
Camille handles social media and communications for NVHA. As a freelance writer, she enjoys writing on current trends for beauty and lifestyle brand NaturallyCurly, and writing features on prominent young scholars for ASSIST, a non-profit student exchange organization.
Born and raised in the city of Camden, Nasar Rider is a Web Design specialist responsible for managing The Nick Virgilio Website as well as keeping many of The Writers House programs flowing. A young talent with an extreme love for community art, whether through his young endeavors as a mural artist in Philadelphia.
Juwan was born and raised in the city of Camden. He studied Criminal Justice at Rutgers University. A master of aesthetics, he loves to study music and film from the early 1900s. You can always find him spinning vinyl on his 1915 Victrola. Thee Sinseers, Sade, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway.
Sean Lynch is a writer and editor who lives in Philadelphia. His fifth poetry collection, Halo Nest: Poems on Grief is now available from Alien Buddha Press. Previous books are, the city of your mind (Whirlwind Press, 2013), Broad Street Line (Moonstone Press, 2016), 100 Haiku (Moonstone Press, 2017), and On Violence (Radical Paper Press, 2019).
Nycir Keen is a Philadelphia-based poet with roots in competitive slam poetry. An active performer and spoken word artist, Nycir Keen has been a member of the Collective Mic since 2017 and is a frequent poet for the Gullah Traveling Theater in Beaufort, SC as well as being a student performer for the Land and Body program hosted by Power Street Theater.
(And ever in our hearts, and in loving memory – Nick’s brother Tony Virgilio and Father Michael Doyle who together inspired the creation of The Writers House)
Monsignor Michael J. Doyle, former pastor of Sacred Heart Church, needs little introduction. Irish born, Fr. Doyle briefly taught in Absecon but ministered almost exclusively to the city of Camden. Friends, supporters and associates include late peace activist the Rev.
Robin Palley is a haiku poet and Senior Vice President, Healthcare Consulting, at Epsilon, a Publicis Groupe company.
Bonnie Squires is president of Squires Consulting, a woman-owned communications and fundraising firm.
Henry Brann has been a member of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association since its inception.
Erin O’Neill is the Assistant Director of Communications for Rowan University’s Division of Information.
The Nick Virgilio Writers House is dedicated to fostering an accessible and inclusive creative space in Camden’s Waterfront South District. Whenever possible, we host our poetry readings and events in our garden, weather permitting, to provide a pleasant experience. We are committed to ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all our guests. Our first floor meets ADA compliance, with full wheelchair accessibility. Our second and third floors are accessed by stairs. We are seeking a grant to enhance accessibility to these upper floors in the future.
The Nick Virgilio Writers House features a wheelchair-accessible ramp and restrooms on the first floor.
Assistive listening systems are available upon request.
Closed captioning is provided for our Zoom meetings and YouTube videos.
Large print versions of our books can be ordered through print-on-demand services.
Sign language interpretation is available at our poetry readings with prior notice.
Part of the mission of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association is the preservation of Nick Virgilio’s legacy. When Nick died in 1989, the NVHA was created to memorialize him as one of the first, and one of the best, writers of American haiku poetry and to give readers new ways to access the full range of Nick’s poems, in both published and unpublished formats.
In 2020, the NVHA published an article on Nick Virgilio’s legacy in the database of The Haiku Foundation, Haikupedia.org. The article discusses Nick’s early days, his life in haiku, and the vast trove of unpublished poems he left at his death. This archive, approximately 8,750 typed pages, each page containing from one to 10 poems, is housed in the Special Collections department of Robeson Library at Rutgers University-Camden.
Through a collaboration between NVHA and Robeson Library, the archive has been digitized and made available, free of charge, to the public. Using this digital collection, writers, teachers, and students who search the database will be able to compare Nick’s published poems with over 20,000 early drafts and fragments of poems to see how Nick wrote his haiku and polished them over time. (Click on “Nick Virgilio Haiku Archive: Home” to start your search).
Another way the NVHA is working to preserve and extend Nick’s legacy is by collecting and editing all of his published haiku and letters with other poets of the day. Nick published some 800 haiku in his lifetime, most of them in limited-circulation magazines like American Haiku, Modern Haiku, and Frogpond. Many of these magazines are now out of print, available only in special collections of libraries. With the assistance of The Haiku Foundation, the NVHA has published a collection of all of Nick’s published works, along with the place and date of their first publication. Collected Haiku is available in our bookstore.
Copyright © 2025 Nick VIrgilio Haiku Association. All rights reserved.
President
Robin Palley is a haiku poet and Senior Vice President, Healthcare Consulting, at Epsilon, a Publicis Groupe company.
She was formerly VP of Marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a founder of WebMD’s consumer portal and VP of Global digital marketing for GSK. A University of Pennsylvania grad, earlier in her career she was a reporter and editor for the Philadelphia Daily News, Inquirer, Philly.com, KYW Newsradio and KYW TV news. With Henry Brann, she administers the organization’s annual Nick Virgilio Memorial Haiku and Senryu contest. Her work has been published in Frogpond and many haiku anthologies.
Vice-President
Warren is a writer, technologist, and educator from North Philadelphia. He is the host of House Poet: A Spoken Word Dance Party and the founder of _mixlit press
He was featured in Best American Poetry 2021, edited by Tracey K. Smith, and will be featured in the anthology A Black Philadelphia Reader: African American Writings About the City of Brotherly Love (Pennsylvania State University Press, June 2024). His latest book, Bird/Diz [an erased history of bebop] (BUNNY Presse), was released in November 2022. Warren was the Programming Director of NVHA from 2019 to 2021 and is currently pursuing his MFA in poetry at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
Treasurer
Geoffrey Sill is an Emeritus Professor of English at the Camden Campus of Rutgers University, where he taught for (40) years British and American literature for forty years. After his retirement in 2016, he joined the Board of Directors of the NVHA. His new edition of Nick Virgilio’s haiku, titled Nick Virgilio: Collected Haiku, 1963-2012, from Red Moon Press was a finalist for a Touchstone Award and is available from NVHA or your local bookstore (ISBN 978-1-958408-13-1).
Fundraising Committee Chair
Vanessa Woods is a fierce advocate, compassionate healer, and innovative leader in the mental health landscape. Born in Liberia and now a proud American, Vanessa’s journey has been defined by a relentless pursuit of knowledge and a deep-seated passion for empowering others. Armed with a Master of Legal Studies in Healthcare Compliance from Drexel University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Holy Family University, Vanessa has woven her expertise in law and therapy into a pillar of transformative change.
Licensed to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and soon to be New York, Vanessa’s decade-long career has spanned the gamut of mental health care. From the raw intensity of inpatient hospitals and correctional facilities to the nurturing atmosphere of school-based programs and homelessness initiatives, Vanessa has met the human spirit in its most vulnerable moments, offering empathy and strength.
Her passion for advocacy has propelled her to the executive board of the New Jersey Counseling Association as the President Elect, where she co-chairs the policy and advocacy committee . A champion for legislative change, Vanessa played a pivotal role in passing groundbreaking bills expanding mental health access for millions and enabling pre-licensed professionals to provide supervised treatment under Medicaid.
As an Approved Clinical Supervisor, Vanessa mentors aspiring therapists through partnerships with local universities, ensuring the next generation is equipped with her innovative approach. She’s even been featured on numerous podcasts and interviews, sharing her unique training methodologies.
Vanessa’s vision extends far beyond traditional therapy. She founded the South Jersey Coping Clinic, a thriving Minority, Women-owned business that embraces a whole-person approach. By integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI and Virtual Reality along with traditional therapies such as CBT, DBT as well as experiential such as yoga, massage, and reiki,she is delivering personalized mental healthcare that celebrates individuality and fosters community connection.
Her transformative work has not only touched countless lives but has also ignited a spark of hope in the fight against mental health stigma.
Vanessa Woods is more than a therapist; she’s a beacon of resilience, a catalyst for change, and a testament to the power of authentic connection.
Her story is a testament to the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and an unyielding belief in the human potential for healing and growth.
Community Outreach Committee Chair
“Interstellar Storyteller” Reet Starwind is a Camden region organizer, educator, and creative director. Whether creating entire fictional worlds, rhyme schemes
Or in-person events, he takes pride in weaving intricacy and creativity into captivating entertainment for the ears, eyes, and imagination. A spoken-word artist and frequently featured speaker, Starwind has partnered with downtown Camden Fireworks, the Nick Virgilio Writers House, and the African American History Museum of Philadelphia, among others. Outside of poetry he’s busy crafting his passion project: an original animated series by the name of Dreamers’ Playlist.” Dreamers tells its nostalgic action-fantasy tale by carefully combining literary, musical, and visual arts into a uniquely invigorating experience.
Building Committee Chair
Henry Brann has been a member of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association since its inception. He’s published two chapbooks of his poems.
He has appeared in several anthologies and was the editor of the Nick Virgilio Writers House Anthology, Vol. One. A friend of Nick Virgilio and his brother Tony, Henry was also the director of the play “Nick of Time…Nick of Time” about Virgilio by Joseph Paprzycki and the producer of the movie version of the play? that premiered at Haiku North America in Santa Fe. A past president of NVHA, Henry serves on the Board of Directors as he has for the last twenty years.
Kevin C. Shelly is a writer and retired journalist. He wrote the book Lynne Bogue Hunt: A Sporting Life, reviewed by Field & Stream as a “must-have.” His work has been published in numerous regional and national magazines, including Philadelphia, New Jersey Monthly, Philly Style, Field & Stream, Upland Almanac, Quail Unlimited, Wildfowl, and The Wine Spectator.
He has worked as an investigative, features, and narrative enterprise reporter for the Courier Post. He was formerly assistant city editor of The Press of Atlantic City, where he covered the casino industry, Atlantic City government and the environment. He’s been Pulitzer-nominated and won two New Jersey Press Association Awards in public service, as well as for breaking news, features and columns. His investigative reporting earned additional honors and awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Folio Magazine Awards, and The Bayonne Writer’s Group recognized him for best short story. Spaniel Journal honored him for the best essay. Most recently, he is at work on a true-crime book.
Bonnie Squires is president of Squires Consulting, a woman-owned communications and fundraising firm, specializing in universities and non-profit organizations.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa alumna of the University of Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in English Literature as well. She was an officer of Temple University’s Board of Trustees under then President Peter J. Liacouras and was a Special Assistant to Liacouras for eight years at Temple. She has written a weekly opinion column for the Main Line Times for decades and her articles have appeared in media across the country. She is a past president of the American Jewish Congress-PA and NJ. She published a volume of poetry, New Eden, and her work is included in the Doubleday anthology, Haiku.
Marketing and Education Committee Chair
William Davis is a Camden city native who grew up with a passion for reading and writing. William used his love of writing and sports to become the sports editor of his high school paper
“The Castle Crier,” and to become an All-State football and All-American track athlete at Camden High School. With a dozen scholarship offers to choose from, William chose to pursue a degree at Fordham University in New York City where he earned a Bachelors in English with a minor in Creative Writing. After graduating, William pursued a career with the Jesuit philosophies he developed in mind; a career of service. In homage to the mentors who helped him along the way, William began to work in service of the youth as he spent over 20 years as a family service worker enrolling young children into pre-k schools while servicing family needs to becoming a counselor in a pre-college program and assisting students with finding postsecondary success. Currently, William has expanded his reach to work in service of the community at large by partnering with corporations and diverse organizations for common goals. William has also turned his passion for writing into various art forms that include: poetry, music, script writing, speeches, and a self-published book on Amazon. He is Community Liaison for EMR in Camden.
Faryn Kushner’s life and creative pursuits have been interwoven from the beginning. From her time in art school, to supporting others as a patron of the arts,
she’s had a long-time appreciation for artistic expression. As an active servant leader in the community, her focus remains on bolstering the educational pursuits of the underserved. As a board member with Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, she works to promote one of the most accessible and evocative forms of art, poetry. Faryn works as a consultant in the pharmaceutical space at Epsilon. While her work is centered in data science, art manifests in many forms.
Secretary
Erin O’Neill is the Assistant Director of Communications for Rowan University’s Division of Information Resources & Technology and focuses on connecting people with information about technology systems and services.
She previously spent nearly a decade as a reporter and editor for The Star-Ledger, NBC and AOL. She earned her bachelor’s degree in literature from Stockton University and her master’s degree in journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and holds Certificates of Graduate Study in Management of Information Systems and Integrated Marketing Communication and New Media from Rowan University. She lives in the Cooper Grant neighborhood in Camden with her husband and son.
Camille handles social media and communications for NVHA. As a freelance writer, she enjoys writing on current trends for beauty and lifestyle brand NaturallyCurly, and writing features on prominent young scholars for ASSIST, a non-profit student exchange organization.
She’s also a founding member of a service and arts-based leadership development non-profit in Camden called Watu Moja, through which she’s been able to travel and better understand the world we live in. During her downtime you might find her drawing, studying Spanish, or watching reruns of The Great British Baking Show.
Born and raised in the city of Camden, Nasar Rider is a Web Design specialist responsible for managing The Nick Virgilio Website as well as keeping many of The Writers House programs flowing.
He is young talent with an extreme love for community art, whether through his young endeavors as a mural artist in Philadelphia or his success as an audio master. He is also a Program Director for the Muse Collaborative. He is a decorated musician as well, responsible for curating music for various art shows in Camden as well as creating lush experimental tunes for all.
Juwan was born and raised in the city of Camden. He studied Criminal Justice at Rutgers University. A master of aesthetics, he loves to study music and film from the early 1900s. You can always find him spinning vinyl on his 1915 Victrola. Thee Sinseers, Sade, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway. and Sabrina Claudio are a few artists that make up his distinct musical selection. Juwan believes his only duties are to LEARN and LOVE.
Sean Lynch is a writer and editor who lives in Philadelphia. His fifth poetry collection, Halo Nest: Poems on Grief is now available from Alien Buddha Press. Previous books are, the city of your mind (Whirlwind Press, 2013), Broad Street Line (Moonstone Press, 2016), 100 Haiku (Moonstone Press, 2017), and On Violence (Radical Paper Press, 2019).
He’s the founding editor of Serotonin Press, a publisher of literature on mental illness. He has been the editor of magazines, journals, anthologies, and books, including Rocky Wilson’s The Last Bus to Camden, Chidi Ezeobi’s Remind the World: Poems from Prison, and Beyond the White Stone Lions by Lamont Steptoe. He has worked with the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association and Writers House in various roles since 2020, including as an editor, program director, grant writer, and archivist.
Nycir Keen is a Philadelphia-based poet with roots in competitive slam poetry. An active performer and spoken word artist, Nycir Keen has been a member of the Collective Mic since 2017 and is a frequent poet for the Gullah Traveling Theater in Beaufort, SC as well as being a student performer for the Land and Body program hosted by Power Street Theater.
Nycir has a passion for facilitating creative and safe spaces for writers and has hosted several writing circles in the Philadelphia area. Nycir is also the host and founder of the Day-Trolley Open Mic.
Monsignor Michael J. Doyle, former pastor of Sacred Heart Church, needs little introduction. Irish born, Fr. Doyle briefly taught in Absecon but ministered almost exclusively to the city of Camden. Friends, supporters and associates include late peace activist the Rev.
Daniel Berrigan, Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Corrigan, housing activist Sister Peg Hynes, farmworker activist Cesar Chevez and most notable to NVHA, haiku poet and Camden native Nick Virgilio. Narrated by Martin Sheen, a recent documentary called “Poet of Poverty” focused on Doyle’s poetry and his monthly letter to his congregation. His writing was collected as a book titled, “It’s a Terrible Day, Thanks be to God.” Fr. Doyle was a master tailor of words, a tireless fighter for social justice and peace, nd brought a plethora of inspiration, support, creativity and knowledge to NVHA.
