Southern Jewel: The Elements Within by Ty A. Patterson is forthcoming in the fall of 2014. Meredith Etc proudly presents Southern Jewel: The Elements Within by Ty A. Patterson. Patterson shares an honest portrayal of a young life which was full of error, drama, and carefree living. Below is an excerpt from the poem Real Woman, Real Man: All we want to do is be in our comfort zones. But even that is twisted. Some comfort zones include alcohol, drugs, gossip… all because we use the excuse “only God can judge me”… but we forget that one day HE WILL! This work is based on Patterson’s evolution from an innocent child in rural Mississippi, to a young woman who strayed away from her upbringing, into a mature woman who shares treasured advice through her writing which is grouped into Then and Now intermediate paragraphs followed by poems and letters.