Today is the first full day of autumn in New York and I am humming Vernon Duke’s tune with Sarah Vaugh’s lush voice in my mind’s ear.  It is also John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Louise Nevelson’s paradisal birthday.  While I believe that Trane is in heaven, where those delicious sinner, Charles and Nevelson–well who knows?  I have been printing and re–reading poems to start off the first asynchroous workshops I’ve ever offered.  I hope I do it well.  I love teaching poetry workshops, mostly for the dialogue within the classes.  I love working with fellow writers–knowledgeable and passionate and open to trying new things.  And for whatver reason my workshops work for poets–new poems emerge or old ones get refurbished.  And many new books start or morph in my workshops: Renato Rosaldo, Jordan Franklin, Metta Sama, Meghan Dunn are a few of my former “students” with books out or that are coming out.   But the best thing is that poets write new poems.  So I hope I get a good crew for the 9 Living Women Poets workshop.  https://fawc.org/24-pearl-street-program/

********I will also be teaching for the 92nd Street Y. I’ve taken classes and I know how rigorous and vigorous they can be. DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 24.  Guidelines and Info at  https://www.92y.org/class/adv-poetry-with-patricia-spears-jones

Yes it is autumn in new york-and it feels like “home”