Archivio Conz

Janine Pommy Vega (1942, New Jersey, USA – 2010, New York, USA) was an American poet, writer, and educator, closely associated with the Beat Generation. Inspired by Jack Kerouac’s "On the Road", she moved to Greenwich Village as a teenager, where she became part of the Beat literary circle, forming connections with poets such as Gregory Corso, Allen Ginsberg, and Peter Orlovsky. In 1962, she married Fernando Vega, a Peruvian painter, and the couple relocated to Paris, where she immersed herself in the artistic and bohemian scene. After her husband's unexpected passing in 1965, Vega returned to the United States and dedicated herself to writing. Her first poetry collection, "Poems to Fernando" (1968), published by City Lights Books, was a deeply personal reflection on love, loss, and grief. Over the next decades, Vega’s work was shaped by her travels through Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. She spent time in Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia, experiences that influenced her collections such as "Journal of a Hermit" (1974) and "Morning Passage" (1976). Her book "Tracking the Serpent: Journeys to Four Continents" (1997) documented her interest in ancient cultures and matriarchal traditions, reflecting her lifelong fascination with spirituality and indigenous knowledge. In 2001 she created her sculpture piano, “Geminids”, with a laminated sheet and printed poem. The Piano is one of the many pianos that Francesco Conz collected from different artists. Her later work, including "The Green Piano" (2005), continued to explore themes of memory, identity, and personal growth. Until her passing in Willow, New York, in 2010, she remained dedicated to writing, teaching, and advocating for the role of poetry in social change