Sponsored by The Prattsville Art Center NY

Let's celebrate Winter Solstice with a fun Free Authentic Poetry workshop! Saturday December 7th, 1-3PM EST

Explore poetry from world known poets: Nadia Colburn, Oscar Gonzales, Susan Cooper, Patricia Monaghan & others. Relax with guided meditation, and free write with creative prompts and enjoy discussion in a warm circle of creatives. All writing levels welcome!

Register by writing to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com
Joy,
Jerrice

Join Me at Citiot for Book Reading & Signing of Coral in The Diaspora! Sunday December 1st, 1-2 PM

404 Main Street, Catskill, NY. Info@nycitiot.com

Looking forward to meeting you! Joy, Jerrice

101 Broadway, Kingston, NY.

Please join me for a reading & discussion of my book Coral in The Diaspora on Sunday November 24th at 1-2PM

Contact the Reher Center to register & save your space. info@rehercenter.org or 845-481-3738

So looking forward to experiencing a reading at such an important historical space! Joy, Jerrice

I will be joining Kevin Godbey the host of Kingston Happenings in Kingston, NY, to share details of the upcoming reading of my book Coral in The Diaspora at The Reher Center in Kinston, NY on Sunday November 24th from 1-2PM.

The radio interview will be on Monday November 11th from 9-10PM on WKNY 1490 AM or streamed live on Radio Kingston. Kevin and I will also discuss my background & experience as a Poet & Author and I will read some unique poems from Coral in The Diaspora, giving a taste of the reading to come at The Reher Center in Kingston, NY. I hope you will tune in for the show! Joy, Jerrice

Saturday, November 2nd 1- 3PM (EST)

Sponsored by the Prattsville Art Center NY

Do you need to know it all or can you handle knowing as it unfolds? There’s so much in the mystery of life that is beautiful.  The surprises can be just as uplifting as knowing definite things.  …And do we ever really know how it will turn out….the things that will happen?  For today, let’s celebrate, honor, feel wiser because of the mystery. Poets: Robert Bly, Paul Homes, Penny Harter and others give us a glimpse of their understanding of the mystery and its beauty. Enjoy guided meditation, poetry reading, creative writing, sharing, and group discussion.  This 2 hour workshop which will gather on Google Meet.  Register by writing an email to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com  

Lion Eyes Books ~ 66 Main St, Stamford, NY 12167

Sunday October 20th 1-3PM

Autumn sparks changes in nature and in us. The subtle changes of acorns thumping the earth, each day is a dance of intimate color of leaves captivating us. How are we like the rich season of Autumn? How do we embrace this season?  What qualities do we have in common with Autumn?  In this workshop we will look closely at the subtle changes in us and in nature. How our thoughts like leaves float in the wind.  We will search for the perfect soft places to land.   Poets like Wendell Berry, Saigyo, Carolyn Riker, Joy Harjo, Ki no Tomonori, Amanda Newbery and others will spark the scents, tastes, sights that we admire so much about autumn. $25 for this 2 hour workshop includes guided meditation appropriate for the season, creative writing with prompts, reflection, sharing & group discussion. I hope to welcome you in our circle of poets and meditators! Relax, Become glorious like the new season! Register by writing to Jerrice@AuthentitcPoetry.com

Lion Eyes Books - Reading & Conversations with Authors:

Sandra Arnone ~Necessity of Snow & Breathless Soul

Jerrice J Baptiste ~ Coral in The Diaspora & Wintry Mix

Q & A with Refreshments served

No pre-registration required - 66 Main St, Stamford NY 12167

Questions: Contact: Jerrice@AuthenticPoetry.com

Free Authentic Poetry Workshop - Sponsored by Prattsville Art Center NY! Saturday October 5th, 1-3PM EST

Auburn, Amber, Crimson, mustard yellow, eggplant purple are among the many various colors of Autumn that come into our lives. What colors appeal to you and why? What energy centers do they awaken in you or invigorate? In this workshop, we will explore through guided meditation, reading poetry from world known poets from the East & West: Matsuo Basho, January Gill O’Neil, Marilyn Chin, Bruce Weigl, Emily Jungmin Yoon, Paul Lawrence Dunbar and others to serve as inspiration for your own writing and discovery of which activities of Autumn you can embrace based on the colors that attract you. Open your mind, Lift a pen, & write effortlessly. Autumn is the perfect season to start a meditation & creative writing practice in a loving circle! Register by writing to Jerrice@AuthenticPoetry.com

Reading & Q&A of Coral in The Diaspora - Mountain Top Library 12PM EST

Jerrice will read and discuss her inspiration for her book Coral in the Diaspora! Hope to see you at the library in Tannersville, NY.

Please join me and local poet Sandra Arnone (Sandi) for a collaborative book talk at The Stamford Library, NY on Wednesday September 18th,
3-4PM EST.

We will both read from our new books and have a discussion, Q &A.
Looking forward to sharing our creative process with you!

Joy
Jerrice

Featured Poet - Jerrice J. Baptiste - Saturday September 14th 2PM EST
Woodstock Public Library - Reading from Coral in The Diaspora! Book signing & reading event! Hope you can join the celebration! Order your copy of Coral in The Diaspora at abodepress.com/shop

Before You Fall Asleep - Sponsored by The Prattsville Art Center NY

Saturday September 7th, 1-3PM EST

So much can be revealed before we fall asleep. Memories may sneak in of experiences that can only be considered precious, memorable, worth talking about. Poems by Tennessee Williams, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Gwendolyn Brooks, St Teresa of Avila and others give us a sharp look into their minds before sleep. This workshop meets on Google Meet, includes guided meditation, poetry reading, writing, sharing and group discussion.
All writing levels welcome!
To register write to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

You are invited to an in- person Poetry Barn Book Launch Party: Poetry reading and a book signing will follow Sunday August 18th, 2-4PMEST. Register with The Poetry Barn in West Hurley, NY. Space is limited. Looking forward to celebrating Coral in The Diaspora with you!

Poetry reading with two other incredibly talented poets: Joanne Godley & Mary k. O’Melveny. Reading on Zoom from 7:00-8:30PM EST. I will read from Coral in The Diaspora!

Register: abodepress.com/events

Saturday August 3rd, 1-3PM EST - Free on Google Meet

Summer’s Dance offers us a chance to explore the tastes, smells, sounds and sights of summer from incredibly gifted world known poets: James Baldwin, Li Bai, Nikki Giovanni, Pablo Neruda, Claude McKay and others. Enjoy guided meditation, creative writing with prompts, Sharing and group discussion. Breathe & live a little easier! It’s Summertime!

Register by writing to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

Have you ever opened an old shoe box and revisited the letters and postcards that were sent to you or letters exchanged with an old pen pal? In this workshop, we get to explore the meaning of letters sent and received in our lives.  We also get to write poems, letters to someone dear.  Poems by Trapeta B. Mayson, Sharon Olds and others will create a stepping stone to writing our own valuable messages.

Please register directly with the library! 6093 Main St, Tannersville, NY 518- 589- 5707 info@mountaintoplibrary.org

All writing levels welcome! See you at the library!

Whether we are aware of it we are part of a vast universe.  Wordless, silent, outspoken we play a role.  We also get to explore the moon, the stars, the sun in our poems and how we relate to them.  Poems by Tracy K. Smith, Kabir, Steven Schnur and others will offer their own connection to the universe which will help you embrace yours.

 Please register directly with the Library

6093 Main St, Tannersville, NY. 518 589- 5707 info@mountaintoplibrary.org

All writing levels welcome! See you at the library!

Mountain Top Library - Tannersville, NY

I fly is a workshop that allow us to connect to wings, planes, dreams.  Poems by Elizabeth Bishop, Patricia Hooper, John Gillespie Magee Jr. Dolores Hayden and others will serve as inspiration for freeing your own poems.  

Please register with the library directly!

6093 Main St, Tannersville, NY. 518- 589- 5707 info@mountaintoplibrary.org Hope to see you there!

Authentic Poetry workshop - Free on Google Meet.
Saturday July 6th, 1-3PM EST
Sponsored by The Prattsville Art Center, NY.

What are your most precious memories? How have you expressed and honored them? Memories are like feathers layered upon wings. World known poets Dana Naone Hall, Joy Harjo, Lola Ridge, Joyce Peseroff and others will give us insight into how remembering and giving voice to our experiences can help us take off and soar. This 2-hour workshop includes guided meditation, poetry reading, creative writing with prompts, reflection, sharing and group discussion. Become lighter in mind, body & spirit in a safe circle of poets. All writing levels welcome! Register by writing to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

Blossoms & More Wisdom - Sponsored by Prattsville Art Center, NY.

Authentic Poetry Workshop: Blossoms & More Wisdom

Jerrice J. Baptiste - Facilitator

Late Spring blossoms leads to the beginning of full Summer deliciousness of fruits and more wisdom from the East & West. World known poets: Li Young Lee, Ellen Bass, Lao Tzu, Wendy Cope, Julia Fehrenbacher and others shed light on how to be even more grounded in the natural world during this unfolding gorgeous season. What are the blossoms of your heart, and in your hands? This nourishing Authentic Poetry Workshop includes: guided meditation, creative writing with prompts, sharing in a circle of poets, and discussion. This free workshop takes place on Google Meet.  All levels of writing welcome!!!   

 Register by writing to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

Please join me at the Elting Memorial Library - New Paltz, NY.

Wednesday May 15th, 2024 from 7:30-9:30PM EST in person or by Zoom

I hope you will be part of this incredible reading and participate in the open MIC.

~Joy, Jerrice

A Poem Calls Me – Saturday, May 4th 1-3 PM EST, Free Google Meet!
Free on Google Meet!
Sponsored by The Prattsville Art Center & Residency, NY!

Is there a poem inside of you that needs space to be created? A Poem Calls Me is a two-hour workshop on how to welcome the muse again. Creating space for your inner voice without the inner critic swallowing that which is beautiful. Through guided meditation, reflection, poetry reading of world known poets, sharing & group discussion we will simply create space for poems to be born.
What have you wanted to write about but keep putting it off? Do you have a phrase, a fragmented sentence, an image that you’ve carried, but now you feel ready to write this poem, free verse, stream of consciousness writing or through a form.
This workshop is about those: one word, one line, one phrase, one image, you’ve tucked away in memory, in your journal, on a piece of napkin by your lamp table, or in your jacket’s pocket. Bring them alive in this workshop! Create space and finally let it see the light of day!!!

What Do Poets Do When Sun Comes Through?

What do poets do when sun comes through?

They sculpt beauty that inspires.
Words of hope to cope.

Wake up! Sun is coming through.
Hope is rising too.

Heat in Winter
Natural elixir

Mind unfolds when sun comes through.

(From the poetry book: Wintry Mix – Jerrice J. Baptiste 2014)

Let your mind unfold, given the time, the attention, the intention. World Known Poets: Richard Jones, Jane Hirshfield, Tom Sleigh, Billy Collins and others have had poems that called them and just like you they created the space. They will inspire us to write. Begin or finish the poem that you’ve been cradling in your mind or eyeing just one line on the page. Bring it to life with the Authentic Poetry process!!! Register by writing to Jerrice@AuthenticPoetry.com Hope to see you in our circle of poets, a non-judgmental atmosphere. No previous writing or meditating experience necessary to enjoy this workshop and others.
~Joy, Jerrice

A Gentle Tune Waking Up Your Universe- Wed. April 24th, 2-4PM

Music the great healer merges with poetry by Rumi, Cass Adams, Rabia, Zsuzsanna Budapest, and other poets to nurture your body, psyche and soul.  Discover the poetry about music that can create a sanctuary in you as you work, and then rest.  Enjoy writing with ease as you integrate the sounds around you.  What better way to wake up with positive energy than to appreciating poetry intermingled with music. This workshop includes guided meditation, poetry from world known poets, creative writing with prompts, sharing & group discussion.

Register directly with the Library - 518 -263- 4655 / hunterpubliclibrary@gmail.com

Funded by Poets & Writers - New York Council on The Arts

A Practice of Self Tolerance – Free workshop - Hunter Public Library - Wednesday April 17th, 2024, 2-4 PM

You are rising to a new level of consciousness at each age.  Remembering to strive for self-tolerance not to judge yourself harshly is a practice. Poetry by Kabir, Walt Whitman, Saigyo, Marianne Bonita Fogg Smith, St. Catherine of Siena, and others will be a beacon to self-appreciation and nurturance and gentle mindfulness as you engage in daily life. This workshop includes guided meditation, poetry from world known poets, creative writing with prompts, sharing & group discussion.

 Register directly with the Library - 518-263-4655 or hunterpubliclibrary@gmail.com

Funded by Poets & Writers - New York Council on The Arts

When Someone Deeply Listens to You!

Wed. April 10th, 2024, 2-4PM

It’s amazing when we feel heard and validated in our communications with others.  When Someone Deeply Listens to You is a transformative experience.  In this free workshop we will aim towards practicing good, effective listening so that we can feel nurtured.  Poets like Marilyn Nelson, John Fox, Mary- Elizabeth Cotton, Rumi, and others have shared their experiences in their poems about listening which helps us to better serve others and meet our own needs as well.  This free workshop includes guided meditation, poetry from world known poets, creative writing with prompts, sharing & group discussion.

Register directly with Hunter Public Library - 518- 263-4655 or

hunterpubliclibrary@gmail.com

Funded by Poets & Writers - New York Council on The Arts

Please join me on Saturday April 6th, 1-3PM for a Free Authentic Poetry workshop: As Wild As The Forsythia

Sponsored by The Prattsville Art Center & Residency, NY!

The untamed forsythia awakens the eye with its brightness. What if you could be as wild and as glowing as its flowers? In this workshop we will allow ourselves to be as wild on the page. Enjoy guided meditation, visualization, poetry reading, creative writing with prompts, Sharing. Poetry from the East & West will create lively group discussions. We will explore poems from Frances Chung, Billy Collins, Don Mee Choi, Mary Mackintosh, Virginia Shreve and others. No writing & meditating experience necessary, just an open wild mind! Register by writing to Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

The Poet’s Journey from Aloneness to Connectedness is an Authentic Poetry workshop which allows us to honor our journey of being born alone as human beings and to find our way to connectedness as poets with all that is in our surroundings and beyond. World known poets: Wendell Berry, Arlene Gay Levine, David Whyte, Derek Walcott do remind us in their generous writings how lonely the journey can be, yet we get offered many chances to discover and create a common bond.

Enjoy Guided Meditation, Poetry from world known poets, creative writing with prompts, sharing & group discussion in a welcoming gentle atmosphere! All writing levels welcome! No previous meditation experience necessary! Welcome to our circle!!! register by writing to Jerrice@authenticPoetry.com

Joy

Jerrice

Traveling with The Fortunate Ones - Saturday March 16th workshop - 1PM- 3PM EST on Google Meet!

Sponsored By Prattsville Art Center, NY

Who are they the fortunate ones? Do they live in total bliss? Do they not know any suffering? Discovering the poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Rabia of Basra, Alberto Rios, Anthony De Mello and other world known poets & spiritual figures will shine their light on who can be seen as the fortunate ones. 

Travel the path to determine for yourself whether they are indeed fortunate and where you stand in the realm of this discussion.

During the two hours of this workshop you will enjoy guided meditation relevant to the topic, Reading poems from world known poets on this topic, Be inspired to write with creative prompts, Become more in tune & aware of your body. Reflect, Share your own inner voice, Engage in discussion with other participants. No previous writing or meditating experience necessary. All are welcome to experience the process of Authentic Poetry! Register by writing to Jerrice at Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com

Register now! Space is limited. Looking forward to welcoming you into our circle! Joy, Jerrice J. Baptiste

Please Join me for an exciting Authentic Poetry workshop on Saturday March 2nd, 1PM-3PM EST on Google Meet. Sponsored by Prattsville Art Center & Residency, NY.

Icicles are nature’s crystals. If we could see our lives through them what would we see? Our poems would either grow cold or warmer based on our histories, current experiences and memories. World known poets, K.S. Moore, Dg Nanouk Okpik, Mary Oliver, Rabia of Basra and poetry in my adult poetry book "Wintry Mix" will reveal the magic of icicles.

They are never too far from our Winter’s poems. Imagine them in a guided meditation, visualization, poetry reading, writing with prompts, sharing and group discussion. This workshop will take place on Google Meet. Space is limited, reserve your place in the circle of writers of all abilities. Register at Jerrice@authenticpoetry.com No previous writing or meditation is needed to enjoy this workshop and upcoming others.

See you soon I hope in our circle of welcoming creatives.

~ Joy & Peace
Jerrice J. Baptiste - Poetry Facilitator

Poetry Workshop: Illuminating Your Heart with Love

Join teaching artist and poet Jerrice J. Baptiste on Saturday, February 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for this FREE Poetry Workshop at Stamford Library!

Love flowing from your heart is a gentle practice that requires presence. Participants will learn when and how to open their hearts to love with courage and learn how to accept love in return.

Love is the perfect stillness and the greatest excitement, and most profound act, and the word almost as complete as His name. - ~Rabia of Basra (c.717-801)

World renowned poets from East and West, including Maya Angelou, Rabia of Basra, Jeff Foster, Tada Chimako, and others will be a beacon to guide us through cherishing our own practice of loving from the heart.

Enjoy free guided meditation, poetry, creative writing with prompts, sharing, and group discussion in a safe circle.

Space is limited and registration is required by Wednesday, Feb. 14 by calling the library 607.652.5001 or by stopping in the library today!

About Jerrice J. Baptiste

Jerrice J. Baptiste is the founder of Authentic Poetry workshops in The Hudson Valley, NY for the past 20 years. as well as a teaching artist/poet at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.  Jerrice has been a recipient of a CREATE Grant for poetry performance & Teaching in Prattsville, NY in 2022.  Jerrice has been Poet-in-Residence at The Prattsville Art Center for the past three years. She is also a recipient of a residency for the Women’s Leadership Program at The Omega Institute in 2019.  She has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize for 2024 and as Best of The Net by Blue Stem for 2022.

Jerrice has been the featured poet on Planet Poet: Words in Space in Roxbury, NY, The Woodstock Poetry Society, and The International Women’s Writing Guild.  Her poetry has been published and forthcoming in Urthona: Buddhism & Art, Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & The Arts, Artemis Journal, The Yale Review, Mantis, Poetica Review, The Minetta Review, The Banyan Review, Kosmos Journal, The Caribbean Writer, Big Wing Review, Chronogram & hundreds of others. Her poetry and collaborative songwriting are featured on the Grammy nominated album, Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti.