Ron Whittle Veterans Day Tribute Poetry Reading

Ron Whittle

Ron Whittle was born in Worcester, MA in 1947 and was educated in his hometown of Shrewsbury MA. Further education came by way of the U.S. Navy, Veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, the Apollo 13 recovery team, and 50 years of family living. Ron divides his time between his home in Worcester, and the shores of Cape Cod. Ron’s free-verse poetry is recognized as thoughtful, romantic, thought-provoking, serious, and funny. His wonderfully warped and quirky point of view will surely make you smile and perhaps give you a laugh. His influences include Tom Waits, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Edgar Allan Poe, Ogden Nash, Jack Kerouac, and Rod McKuen to name a few. Those who have enjoyed Ron’s previous work can hear and see him in appearances throughout New England. Ron has appeared on television shows such as “Wake Up and Smell the Poetry Starring Cheryl Perrault” and the Worcester Public Access Cable Vision.  Most recently, he was on the radio with poet and radio personality Tommy Twilight in Florence, MA. He has read at many major poetry events such as the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem, MA, the National Beat Poetry Foundation in Connecticut, the Great Falls Word Festival at Turners Falls, MA. and the Quabbin Garlic Festival in Orange, MA. He also recently appeared with other beat poets at the International Beat Poets yearly review. Much of his poetry has been published in both print and online journals such as Vietnam War Poetry, Lavida Life Magazine, The Quabbin Review, and the anthology Hope Through Community. Ron’s book Postcards From a War Zone was accepted into the collection at the acclaimed New York City’s Poet House. Ron’s books are currently available on Amazon as well as internationally. Ron is also a founder and co-host of the Poetorium Poetry Show at the Starlite Bar & Gallery in Southbridge, MA. Somehow, he survived and escaped the ravages of the COVID-19 epidemic, but could not escape the bodily damage left over from Vietnam. Three years later, he’s a survivor of cancer caused by the effects of Agent Orange.