After being uprooted from her life in Italy in 1968, Rita Monte turned to poetry to express how she felt about leaving her home country, which led her to a world of like-minded poets.

Monte, Baldwin resident, wrote her first poem called “Italia” upon arriving from Italy at age 12. From there, she has won several poetry contests with some of her work being featured at the annual Italian Festival at Hofstra University. Her journey to becoming a successful poet has encouraged her to share what she has learned through being a host of WHPC Radio and an upcoming co-host of the Festival of the Spoken and Written Word.