CT State Middlesex English Professor’s Poems Published in National Publications
Two poems by Connecticut State Community College (CT State) Middlesex English professor Christine Ruggiero have recently been published in national outlets.
Ruggiero’s poem “Remembering When it Began” appears in the 2025 Paterson Literary Review, founded in 1979 and recognized as one of the nation’s most respected poetry publications, featuring writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Philip Levine and Sonia Sanchez. In celebration of the publication of the latest issue, Ruggiero gave a reading of her work in November at the Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College in Patterson, NJ.
Ruggiero also learned that her poem “Death Education” was accepted for publication in Issue 13 of Molecule—A Tiny Lit Mag (2025), an online journal publishing poetry, prose, plays, interviews, reviews and visual art twice annually.
A longtime advocate for creative writing, Ruggiero revived and expandedcreative writing offerings at the Middlesex campus more than 20 years ago, after discovering the subject had not been taught since the 1970s.
Over two decades, she founded and served as editor of Pegasus, a student literary journal which she published for seven years, advised a creative writing club for 12 years, arranged for student poetry readings on and off campus, and helped bring noted authors, such as Richard Blanco, Andre Dubus III and Maria Maziotti Gillan to campus. She works closely with the Connecticut Poetry Circuit, continuing to organize yearly author events.
Among her proudest achievements, though, are mentoring student poets, several of whom have earned publication, won awards, and have written and read original poems for commencement ceremonies, a yearly traditionwhich began at Middlesex in 2013.
“Over the years, I've had a handful of student poets named ConnecticutPoetry Circuit contest winners who received publication in the Connecticut Review and enjoyed the unique experience of reading their poetry across the state of Connecticut, including at Sunken Garden Poetry Festival,” said Ruggiero.
Ruggiero has served as the program chair of English and foreign languages since 2024, and before that as discipline coordinator of English, from 2018–2024. Her courses include Creative Writing, Composition, Literature, College and Career Success, and Public Speaking.
Remembering When It Began
on the door of my youth, when I wish you were
more poised, refined, cultured; not Italian,
boisterous, with your “3 nuns in a bar” joke;
you cheer loudly from the bleachers, your voice
carries above all the other parents; at Christmas
you sing “Dominick the Donkey” at the top of your
lungs swinging me around the living room. You taught
me to dance, to love and support fiercely, to lead.
I taught you that sometimes daughters
will disappoint you, will need to say they're sorry.
Death Education
Unconscious
for two days
blood transfusions
keeping you alive
during your month-long
stay
you did not feel
the cold breeze
that woke me from slumber
which I took as a sign
to add a funeral dress
to my cart.
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