Books

Edge of Highway (Finishing Line Press, 2025)
Make Space (Finishing Line Press, 2023)

Poems

“One Morning Along the Towpath, Yardley, PA,” written in collaboration with Arlene Geller.
Neshaminy: The Bucks County Historical and Literary Journal
(print) https://neshaminyjournal.org/

“Detour”
Thimble Literary Magazine, Vol. 7 No. 4 (print and online)

“The sky held odd and white for days after,” RockPaperPoem

“Exit”
US1Worksheets (print)

“Eastbound”
Amethyst Review

“Respite”
San Antonio Review

“Yield”
San Antonio Review

“U-Turn”
San Antonio Review

“Night”
the engine(idling

“Along the Towpath”
Eunoia Review

“The Flood That Year”
Eunoia Review

”The Last Summer Before Everything”
Eunoia Review

”Under the Perseid Meteor Shower”
Eunoia Review

“Restoration”
Finalist, 2023 Julia Peterkin Literary Award in Poetry,
South 85 Journal

“How to Be a Tomato” (reprint from the Atlanta Review)
“Poet’s Corner,” Bucks County Herald (9.21.2023)

”In a Moment”
Rattle, November 2022 Ekphrastic Challenge,
Editor’s Choice.

”How the wind will”
Heron Tree

”receiving”
Heron Tree

“At the kitchen table, maybe in the afternoon”
Hole in the Head Review

“Driving River Road in April”
Hyacinth Review

“Pulled from his bureau’s top drawer
and all a glimmer”
Cider Press Review

”After Lunch in Some Seaside Town”
Burningword Literary Journal

“There is a Mermaid in Aisle Seven”
A Certain Kind of Swagger: Poems from Christopher Bursk’s Poetry Masterclass (print / anthology)

“Heart Failure and the Sugars”
Finalist, 13th Annual
Narrative Poetry Contest,
Naugatuck River Review
(print)

"How to Be a Tomato"
Atlanta Review (print)

”Our City”
Ekphrastic Review

“Even though I will eventually tire”
Amethyst Review

"from the Commute, Mile 28:
Post Election Recollection, Year Two,"
formercactus

"Two Sisters Posing for the Camera
with Budd Lake Fading in the Distance,"
formercactus

”Letter to Stephen, Regarding that Night in April,”
Finalist in the 10th Annual
Narrative Poetry Contest,
Naugatuck River Review
(print)

“How Anxiety Interferes,”
POETiCA Review

“Regarding Matthew,”
POETiCA Review

“Ghosts,”
POETICA Review

"Near the End of Things, My Sister and I Visit Our Father,"
Naugatuck River Review (print)

"After the New Age Fair, "
Atlanta Review (print)

"On Sharing Carvel With Aunt Roneta,”
The Paterson Literary Review (print)

“Planting Garlic,”
ArtsBridge (print)

Interviews and Reviews

Lynn Fanok interviews Poet J. A. Lagana for the Newtown Bookshop’s monthly reading series, November 2024 & 2025

“Review of Make Space, by J. A. Lagana,” Mad Poetry Society Book Review, January 22, 2025,

Readings

Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA
Forgotten Voices Poetry Group
Saturday, December 5, 2026, 1PM,

Newtown Book Shop, Newtown, PA
Thursday, November 13, 2025, 6PM

Newtown Library Company, Newtown PA
Friday, October 17, 2025, 6PM

Bucks County Arts Council, Doylestown, PA
with Nathalie Anderson, Cheryl Baldi, and J. C. Todd
Thursday, April 3, 2025, 7PM

Bucks County Poet Laureate Celebration
Bucks County Community College, Newtown, PA
Saturday, November 16, 2024, 1PM

Newtown Book Shop, Newtown, PA
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 6PM

New Hope Arts Center, New Hope, PA.
New Hope Poets
Sunday, November 10, 2024, 4PM,

Princeton Library with US1 Worksheets
Sunday, November 3, 2024 , 2PM

Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA
Forgotten Voices Poetry Group
Saturday, October 5, 2024, 1PM,

Phillips Mills Literary Salon, New Hope, PA
May 30, 2024, 7PM

Farley’s Bookstore, New Hope, PA
with Mary Jo Lobello Jerome, Vasiliki Katsarou, and Joanne Leva.
Friday, January 26, 2024, 6PM

The Ice House, Bethlehem, PA
Saturday, November 4, 7PM

Common Place Reader, Yardley, PA
Saturday, October 14, 2023, 4PM

Bucks County Arts Council, Doylestown, PA
Thursday, October 5, 2023, 7PM

ArtWRKD, Newtown, PA
with Mary Jo Lobello Jerome, Lynn Levin, and Nicole Steinberg
Saturday, July 22, 2023

Four poets and four recently released books! I am so pleased to be celebrating the launch of my first collection, Make Space, along with these stellar poets, Mary Jo Lobello Jerome, Lynn Levin, and Nicole Steinberg who each have new releases of their own. Visit their websites to learn more about each poet and their new book(s).

Phillips Mills Literary Salon, New Hope, PA
June 20, 2023, 7PM

Newtown Library, Newtown PA
February 17, 2023, 7PM

Peace Fair, Buckingham Friends, Solebury, PA
September 17, 2022

Awards & Recognitions

Runner-Up, 2024 Bucks County Poet Laureate Contest

Finalist, 2023 Julia Peterkin Literary Award in Poetry

Runner-Up, 2021 Bucks County Poet Laureate Contest

Finalist, 2021 Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Contest

Finalist, 2019 Bucks County Poet Laureate Contest

Finalist, 2019 Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Contest

Finalist, 2018 Bucks County Poet Laureate Contest