Living in Jersey City for more than three years has turned Radomir Luza Jr., into a pseudo-celeb in the downtown district. With his insightful eccentric deliveries in the not-so-forgotten art of poetry, Luza has found success in hosting events in his hometown and Hoboken.When he is not at Alliteration Alley at Victory Hall in Jersey City, he hosts a poetry night at the Ristra lounge in Hoboken called Monochrome Mondays. This month he performs at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. We recently caught up with Luza.
EM – What is poetry to you?
RL – Poetry to me is a way to express myself, first and foremost. If other people are touched and moved, so be it, but firstly I need to write for myself. Not to get any sort of a high, but to wage war on my neurosis and weaknesses. Writing, at its best, is the world’s most astute healer. It exists to give life and breathe and meaning to the written word. Whether written or spoken, poetry is so popular today because it gives you a glimpse of the human soul and the human psyche. It is an act of lawlessness on some other level, but poetry is a way for me to not use any other path but me to find myself.
EM – How would you describe the poetry scene in Jersey City?
RL – In one word: a desert without an oasis. There is only one seasonal performance night/poetry reading in the city, but other than that, there really is nothing. I ran Alliteration Alley until this past June, but because of a lack of attendance and my own busy schedule, the series had to be canceled. Jersey City is unlike Hoboken in that there really is no foot traffic. It is so large and urban that people keep to themselves and do not congregate at any one bar or institution or street, as you have in Hoboken with Washington Street. I will give the Art House Reading credit for drawing maybe 40 to 50 people a month, but outside of that the city lacks the initiative of artists or whomever to start their own readings or venues.
I must congratulate The Ground Coffee House on Jersey Avenue for trying to bring poetry back to life, but it stands lonely and alone in what should be a hotbed of poetry. The fact is that the second-largest city in the state could use some government intervention ($) in birthing a few venues in, say, libraries or coffee shops or City Hall.
EM – What projects are you involved in?
RL – On Nov. 10, I hosted Monochrome Monday, a Performance Night/Poetry Reading at the Ristra-Rodeo Lounge at 230 Washington St. in Hoboken. On Nov. 24, Sacha Chavez takes over the hosting reins. I am also giving a solo poetry reading at The Ground Coffee House at 8 p.m. on Nov. 14 at 530 Jersey Ave. On Nov. 15 I travel to the Big Apple alongside fellow comic Joe DeVita to perform as Trouble Squared at the Gotham Comedy Club at 34 W. 22nd St. I am also involved with Jay Chollick in an Evening of Theatre which will present two plays "Poor Orpheus" by him and "Beneath The Blood Red Bridge" by me, at The Vault Performance Space in Queens on Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. We are actively pursuing nights at The Manhattan Theatre Source and possibly La MaMa in early 2004.
I am currently in rehearsals with La MaMa’s own Electric Poetry Spoken Word Ensemble that will perform at La Mama with featured artist Reggie Cabico on Nov. 13 and throughout the season. I’ll be at the Actors Connection on Nov. 18 taking a seminar from Saturday Night Live’s talent coordinator, Josh Payne.
EM – Who are your influences?
RL – I think my greatest influences have been, and still are, my parents. I adore them. My mother, Libuse, died of ovarian cancer in August of 2001, and she was a Godsend. She was a courageous and tremendously talented actress and performer who had to escape Communist persecution with my father, Radomir Sr., from their Czech homeland in 1948. My father, a professor of European history at Tulane University in New Orleans for 25 years before he retired 10 years ago, fought alongside his father Gen. Vojtech Luza in the underground during WWII in Czechoslovakia. His father, my grandfather, was murdered by the Gestapo in 1944. My father is a gifted writer, but more than that he taught me about self-discipline, love and what it means to be true to your responsibilities. He is not perfect, but continues to be my hero.
Other than that, I would say Dustin Hoffman as an actor because he is incredibly patient and giving, regardless of his reputation. He just seems like a very accepting man. I respect the strength and growth he has shown in his life more than his career. That’s it. Every other artist I can think of is pretty messed up.
EM – Why have you chosen your career?
RL – Good question. I don’t really know. It’s more like it chose me. I really didn’t have the personality for anything else. I wanted to be famous and create something lasting and enduring, so art was it. It has led to many fears and doubts, and often I whack myself over the head with a spatula and ask why I ever got into this crazy field, but when things are calm and peaceful it is clear: art allows me to be myself, live life on my terms and still contribute a great deal to society. What could be better for a poor, little Czech boy from Vienna who grew up in catholic schools in New Orleans?
EM – What is the essence of poetry?
RL – For me the essence of poetry is feeling or sensitivity. It is not necessarily word play or intelligence, but the ability to feel what you are trying to say or write. Ask yourself what you are trying to say before every poem you write, and somehow that thread will probably weave itself into the poem. Do not be afraid of taking risks in your life or your writing. Personally, I find life much more difficult and challenging, but anyway, poetry is a reflection of that life, that struggle, that challenge, that inspiration that makes life worth living, or we’d all take razor blade to wrist.
EM – How is a good poem delivered orally?
RL – It has to be felt in order to be delivered objectively and accurately. Not known or understood, but felt. The soul and the heart feel. The brain understands and knows. The best poets, to me, are the ones who put every ounce of their being into what they are doing. You know, people don’t realize it, but performing, any kind, is often very difficult because a performer might have had an argument with his wife or father or best friend or may be feeling depressed or manic or unhappy or his or her house may have burned down and still has to give a performance. And one other thing people fail to understand. The big difference between being a performer and having a desk job is that no one sees you clicking your mouse or arranging your furniture or sleeping at your desk or making personal phone calls, but everybody sees what you do on stage. That’s why performers get paid so much and why they deserve it. They live life in a fish bowl.
Luza will host "Creative Loafing" at Ground Coffee at 530 Jersey Ave. in Jersey City on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m., and on Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. he will perform at Gotham Comedy Club at 34 West 22nd St. in New York City. For information on Luza call (201) 798-8963 or visit www.olla.com/radluza. q