“Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are. Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow. –Mary Jean Irion

Pat Mottola

Poet Richard Blanco and Pat Mottola

Pat Mottola bio:
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Pat Mottola teaches Creative Writing at Southern Connecticut State University, where she earned both an M.S. in Art Education and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. In addition to working with students at S.C.S.U., she is thrilled to teach both art and poetry to senior citizens throughout Connecticut. An award-winning poet and  Pushcart Prize nominee, her work is published in journals across the country, including War, Literature & the Arts, Connecticut Review, Main Street Rag, San Pedro River Review, VietNow Magazine, and Paterson Literary Review. Pat is President of the Connecticut Poetry Society. She served as editor of Connecticut River Review from 2012–2017. On a global scale, she mentors Afghan women writers living in Afghanistan and beyond. Their recent poetry collection, Maybe I Should Fly, is published by Grayson Books. She is the author of three collections of poetry, Under the Red Dress (Five Oaks Press); After Hours (Five Oaks Press); and A Town Like That (Grayson Books). Pat was the recipient of the prestigious CSCU system-wide Board of Regents Outstanding Teacher Award in 2019, as well as the J. Philip Smith Outstanding Teacher Award in 2021. Pat is the Poet Laureate of Cheshire, CT.

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People and their Poems with Sandy Carlson

Video-Women who Dare to Write -
                                     Afghan Women's Writing Project

FUN FACTS
 
Favorite Color – Blue
Favorite Poets – Edna St. Vincent Millay, Kim Addonizio, Marge Piercy, Rhina Espaillat, Sharon  Olds, Charles Rafferty, Richard Blanco
Favorite Books – The Poet’s Companion (Kim Addonizio & Dorianne Laux), Why Not Take All of Me (Joel Peckham)
Favorite Pets – French Bulldog (my grand-dog, Gaston)