50 States of Generosity: New Jersey

We’re continuing a series at Tweetspeak — 50 States of Generosity, in which we highlight the 50 states of America and give people beautiful ways to understand and be generous with one another by noticing the unique and poetic things each state brings to the country. A more generous people in the States can become a more generous people in the world. We continue with New Jersey.

Capital: Trenton Bird: The Eastern Goldfinch Flower: Violet Tree: Red Oak Animal: Horse

There are plenty of stereotypes about New Jersey. Portrayals in pop culture (I’m looking at you Sopranos and Jersey Shore) have not been the most flattering. Often overshadowed by its flashy next-door neighbor, The Garden State is bursting with its own history, culture, and hidden gems.

My husband and I spent a few years living in Hoboken, New Jersey, aptly called New York’s 6th borough. It was a lovely town with the best view of New York City around, and if you caught the sunset just right, you could be transported back to Marlon Brando’s New Jersey waterfront—gritty, but proud. We used to hop on the train with a pork roll, egg, and cheese in hand for breakfast during hot summers to pass the day at Asbury Park.

As you move away from the city and the shore, the pace slows and the scenery softens into farms, mountains, and peace. You can stroll among the grounds for sculpture or kayak through the Pine Barrens (Watch out for the Jersey devil, though!). Poet and New Jersey native William Carlos Williams admired the beauty of the Paterson Great Falls and wrote:

Paterson lies in the valley under the Passaic Falls
its spent waters forming the outline of his back. He
lies on his right side, head near the thunder
of the waters filling his dreams!

My father in-law, a born and bred New Jerseyan, spent his youth in the 60’s traveling the East Coast with the proudly self-proclaimed “World’s worst banjo band” called Your Father’s Mustache. One of his most requested songs was the “Jersey medley” in which he sings about the pretty girls in the state and New Jersey’s beautiful ‘tomatoes.’ Although Jersey tomatoes are fantastic, the song was not, in fact, about tomatoes. I’ll leave you to figure out the double entendre, but it was a big sing-along hit at my wedding, right next to that old Jersey standby- Born to Run—by “the boss” and Jersey boy himself, Bruce Springsteen.

New Jersey might not have the same glamour as New York, but it serves as a springboard for some of the most important parts of American culture. I might even say that a Trenton tomato pie rivals its pizza-loving neighbor.

An Ode to Jersey

Red vinyl booths
Cup after cup of hot coffee
black
To wash down pancakes doused in syrup
encased in amber Jurassic

A whiff of smoke
A jukebox buzz
A long ago dream

of gardens
and sea breeze

– Nikki Rank

Poetry Prompt: New Jersey Generosities

Use any of the things you learned about New Jersey (research more, if you want!) and put one or more of them into a poem. If you like, weave in a little generosity. Share in the comments.

More About New Jersey: Poets & Writers + Landmarks

If you make your way to Washington Crossing on Christmas Day, you might be able to catch a reenactment of the famous moment when General George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River to surprise the Hessians.

Hoboken is a tiny mile-square city chock full of history. The first organized baseball game in the United States was played at Elysian Fields in 1846 and right down the road is the birthplace of “Ol’ Blue Eyes”—Frank Sinatra.

Fans of Broadway’s Hamilton know that “everything is legal in New Jersey” and will recognize Weehawken’s Dueling Grounds made famous by Alexander Hamilton’s tragic duel with Aaron Burr.

Beloved children’s book author, Judy Blume was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and her Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is set in suburban New Jersey and was one of the most important books in my, and many other, childhoods. Is anyone else on the edge of their seats waiting for the movie to come out? If you happen to be driving on the Garden State Parkway through Monmouth, definitely make a pit-stop at the recently renamed Judy Blume Service Area!

Allen Ginsberg is the iconic poet of the beat generation and, like his mentor, the aforementioned William Carlos Williams, was raised in Paterson, New Jersey. Although he spent the 60’s traveling the United States, Ginsberg’s Jersey roots are deep.

George R.R. Martin, of Game of Thrones fame, was born and raised in Bayonne, New Jersey and drew inspiration for Westeros from his New Jersey childhood. Martin said, “My world was a very small world. For many years I stared out of our living-room window at the lights of Staten Island. To me, those lights of Staten Island were like Shangri-La, and Singapore, and Shanghai, or whatever.” Bonus New Jersey—GOT fact: Peter Dinklange, who plays Tyrion Lannister and is arguably the best character in the show was also born in New Jersey.

Photo by Hunter Reilly, Creative Commons, via Unsplash. Post by Nikki Rank.

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Nikki Rank

Nikki is a library Catalog Coordinator and educator based in the New York City area, who is passionate about literacy for all. She specializes in curriculum development for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse children as well as Creative Writing for young people. When not reading, writing, or chasing her two young kids around, she enjoys cooking elaborate meals for friends and hiking.

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