You’ve probably seen him at one of the hundreds of clubs, bars, libraries and bookstores he has performed in, or in minor roles in movies like The Pelican Brief and Made in Heaven and in television shows like Sex and the City and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
A self-proclaimed poet doing reading engagements wherever he can and auditioning for acting roles so he can get that big break, Radomir Luza, Jr. clings tightly to his main work: poetry.
At 37, Luza moved to Jersey City from Philadelphia a year and a half ago with his wife Monica to be closer to New York City, the place, he says, where the action is.
He has a new self-published book out, Shoes in a Magazine, a collection of his early poetry dating from 1987 to 1990 about painful experiences he needed to write about in order to let them go and move on.
“In the book, I speak of myself,” Luza said recently. “I had a lot of anger. It was about me being upset.”
During that time, he was in and out of mental hospitals dealing with manic-depression.
“Creativity and insanity go hand in hand,” Luza said. “A lot of artists have claimed to be insane.”
Now he feels great, he said, and the book “is an early-life testimonial that we can all overcome even our biggest hurdles. It can be stark and painful, but it is always honest and real.”
Shoes in a Magazine is his fifth self-published poetry book. His other books include Porch Light Blues, Broken Head Light, This n’ That: Handwriting from a Wounded Heart, and A Prayer for Monica. Currently, he is working on a sixth book.
“I have about 150 new poems and am looking to come out with the new book soon,” he said. “I am writing and acting full-time, I’ve written lots of work.”
His style of poetry now is more focused on politics, the world, and philosophical topics like religion and existence – not tragic and sad like Shoes in a Magazine.
“I ask why the world is the way it is,” Luza said. “In both poetry and stories, I try to look at society as a whole. My connection with the audience now is awesome. I have and impressive stage presence. My delivery is as well as my poetry.”
Luza also is a writer, actor, comedian, director, and producer. He heads his own production company, Radman Productions, based in Jersey City.
His writing has been published in newspapers, magazines and literary journals nationwide. He has acted in, directed and produced plays, commercials, television and radio shows and films.
Luza has read his poetry and performed stand-up comedy in New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, St. Louis, Biloxi, New Jersey and Florida.
He retired from stand-up comedy last year after 12 years, and now reads poetry full-time, while auditioning in the city for acting parts.
“I am more a stand-up poet than a comic,” Luza said. “Stand-up comedy is the hardest thing to do.”
He said he always felt nervous doing stand-up because in comedy a performer is measured by how well he entertains the crowd and makes them laugh.
Luza said he has 10 agents and two managers working for him. This year he hopes to get more work in New York as an actor.
“My goal is to touch people,” he said. “We need people to get out there.”
He will be reading at the Vault in Queens, N.Y. April 28. For more information, Luza can be reached at 798-8963 or at radluza@aol.com.