Marchitti, Elizabeth: - Elizabeth Marchitti is married to John, her personal Patron of the Artist. They have four grown children and eight grandchildren. She has been writing poetry for many years, and occasionally a short story or an essay. Her work has been published in Lips, The Paterson Literary Review, The Journal of New Jersey Poets, Sensations Magazine, and some small local journals. In 2010, her poem "The Music Tree" won First Prize in the annual Art, Photography and Poetry Exhibition at St. Catherine's of Ringwood. She also judged the competition in 2015 with two other New Jersey poets. In 2011, her mini-chapbook, "In Praise of Stillness," won first prize in the contest sponsored by Sugarland Press of Texas. She has been known to read in local Open Mike events, as she loves to read her poems aloud, and interact with the audience. She has been a member of a small group called Café Poets for a number of years, and also leads another, known as Writing for Fun, at the Totowa Library. She wishes to thank her poet/friends for their continual inspiration, especially Maria Mazziotti Gillan and Laura Boss for their continuing workshops. Perhaps she should also thank Pablo Neruda, William Stafford, Wendell Berry, Ted Kooser, Mary Oliver and Naomi Shihab Nye for their inspiring poetry. Art saves us.