Bob Zappacosta — Poet, Performance Artist. A romantic revoluntionary tending to the transcendental fire within. Known for distilling his poetry to a pure essenece. Sometimes mellow, yet always powerful. Like a quick jab that leaves a riddle in your gut. Yeah, your very own pill to swallow, and like a true poet, he does not prescribe an interpretation to his work.

A poet for the common man. This is how critics and fans describe Bob Zappacosta, a Pasco poet whose first publication, a sampler chapbook called Aphyllous (To Everything There is a Season), was recently released.

"I've been told that my poems are universal in relating to people," he said. "At my poetry readings, I've met both college professors and high school kids who say they like my work." This delights the Holiday resident, who aims to share his work with the masses.

"I want to get people interested in poetry," he said. "I introduce it to people who would not normally go to poetry readings."

Bob Zappacosta accomplishes this goal by writing poems that address both personal and social issues — works with intriguing titles such as "Whispering Your Name," "Those Who Weep," and "With You Again."

Zappacosta also attracts audience interest by blending his literary efforts with other creative media. Citing Bob Dylan as a creative influence, he has staged muscial poetry readings with local musicians such as Bonnie Whitehurst and the Jumping Starfish. He has tried his hand at song lyrics, and hopes someday to release a CD that puts poetry to music.

"There are a lot of poets and musicians in [Tampa Bay]," he said. "The arts community here is growing. We just need to keep on doing it."

He also has framed individual poems with the resulting artworks being displayed at places such as the New Port Richey City Hall. And he has collaborated with local artists such as sculptor Candace Knapp and abstract painter Ann Kavanaugh.

Bob is co-founder of the Underground Poets' Society and currently serves as Resident Poet for the Pasco Arts Council. For years he has been performing poetry in coffee houses, lighthouses, brick houses, stone houses and wood houses, at patchouli oil and kava kava ceremonial centers, not to mention the schools, art exhibitions, book stores, poetry groups, hair salons, pizza parlors, and neon lighted Italian restaurants. What more can we say? He's strange!

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