We love Jon Sands here at Team phati’tude.
He’s the man, he’s the man . . .

Jon Sands is a great up-and-coming poet that covers the gamut: teacher, activist, slam poet, spoken word artist and now, published author with his first poetry collection,  The New Clean.  Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, a child of the Midwest, Jon moved to New York City in 2006 as a response to a “feeling in my stomach and loins (mostly my stomach) that I am good at writing and performing poetry.” I think it’s safe to say that Jon has good instincts.  Since venturing into the Gotham City, Jon has quickly moved up the ranks in New York’s poetry community and has become a well-respected poet in his own right throughout the U.S.

The many faces of Jon Sands.

Jon has been a professional teaching and performing artist since 2007. He has performed and facilitated workshops extensively with university and arts organizations both nationally and internationally, and is currently the Director of Poetry Education Programming at the Positive Health Project (a syringe exchange center located in Midtown Manhattan), a CUNY Adjunct Lecturer with York Early College Academy, as well as a Youth Mentor with Urban Word-NYC (which involves facilitation of writing and performance workshops for New York City’s teen population, in both classroom and extra-curricular on-site program settings).

He currently heads three separate writing workshops at harm reduction/AIDS treatment centers in New York City (The Positive Health Project, Bailey House, and Schafer Hall), and ran a weekly writing program at Citiwide Harm Reduction Center in the Bronx in the Summer of 2010. He also delivered the 2010 commencement address at the Bronx Academy of Letters, and in December of 2010 performed and facilitated workshops throughout Germany in conjunction with the American Embassy.

“This little boy with a big voice from
the Midwest makes good!”

Jon’s work has appeared in decomP, The Millions, kill author, Suss, The Literary Bohemian, Danse Macabre, and others. He is a regular editor with phati’tude Literary Magazine, and is a featured contributor with Union Station Magazine, conducting a recurring interview column. He also starred in the 2011 web-series “Verse: A Murder Mystery” from Rattapallax Films as a bike messenger/poet who discovers a lost manuscript and unlocks a thirty year old murder. He’s a recipient of the 2009 New York City-LouderARTS fellowship grant, and has represented NYC multiple times at the National Poetry Slam. He lives in Brooklyn, where he makes better tuna salad than anyone you know.

Jon knows what it is to “Being Human Being” and we are thrilled that he is hosting the first installment of our new reading series, with hopefully more to come!

Check out Jon’s website, check out his photos on Facebook, his music on MySpace and his videos on YouTube.

G. David

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