Paula Camacho is President of the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society which selects and supports a Nassau County Poet Laureate and serves the poetry community in countless ways by encourages the poetic voice through events, contests, anthologies, scholarships and more. She is a breast cancer survivor and participated in various poetry organizations over the years. She moderated the Farmingdale Poetry Group for 20 years. She taught a poetry class, You Can Write Poetry, in the Adult Education program at the Farmingdale High School. She served on the Nassau Council for the Arts for three years. Her poetry has won various awards, including the Alice Abel National Literary Contest. She has published nine collections of poetry. Her latest collection, Transmutation, is a 2021 finalist in the Blue Light Poetry Prize. This year she became the Walt Whitman Birthplace Poet of the Year, 2023. She holds degrees in Nursing and Theology and lives with her family in Farmingdale. Maria Manobianco is a retired substitute school teacher for the NYS system, Farmingdale School District; an Adult Education Workshop Leader, Metaphysical Studies, L. I. Schools;, and the Director of Arts Programs for Children, Hofstra University, 1986 - 1987 Maria's educational background is: Master of Arts Degree in Studio Art, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education, New York University, NY, NY Studies in Esoteric Psychology, New Age Center, Hicksville, NY Mythology Classes, guest scholar, Adelphi University “You Can Write Poetry,” Adult Ed, Maxwell Wheat, Farmingdale H.S. NY Master Class, Billy Collins, Walt Whitman, Huntington, NY Advance Fiction Writing, Barbara Rogan, SUNY of Farmingdale, NY Maria is the Archivist for Nassau County Poet Laureates Soc. 2007-2015; received a Pushcart Nomination for Sonnet, “On Meditation” from Local Gems, 2015; Published Chapbook: Thoughts, Thoughts...; Poetry Book: Between Ashes and Flame; YA Fable: The Golden Orb a Mythical Tale; Poetry Book: The Pondering Self; Poetry Book: Til the Music Stops, Dance..; Prose / Poetry Book: From My Book Shelf; Published Donna Rogers' article, “Farmingdale Artist Exhibits at Adelphi” ;The Farmingdale Observer Columbus Lodge; Navigator (newsletter); Sons of Italy (Poetry); The Golden Lion, Sons of Italy, state newsletter; The Long Islander’s poetry News Quarterly; Special Edition on Dreams, George Wallace; Long Island Sounds: Anthology of Poetry, Tammy Nuzzo- Morgan; Mid Is. Y JCC honorable awards, Gayl Teller; PPA Literary Review Vol. 6-27; and Bards Annual Anthologies, Local Gems See less
