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[My Writing Life] Generosity and NCTE
My Writing Book of the Day: Take Joy, by Jane Yolen. Jane debunks the myth that writers must be miserable. Yay! Because, really, who wants to be around miserable writers? And read their work? Quick quote: “Serendipity is not so simple as luck. It is the result of a conscious forging of links. The writer
[Poetry Friday] Four Poetry Things on a Friday
1) Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out, by Ralph Fletcher. All of Ralph’s books are wonderful, but this?is my favorite. He even’signed my worn?copy?at NCTE in 2011–score! “Most people seem to think that writing a poem is like emotional oil gushing from the soul, an expression of our deepest selves…But crude oil
[My Writing Life] Poets in the Pink at NCTE
Great Writing Book of the Day: Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury. 10 essays by?one of the most creative minds ever. If you’re not a Bradbury fan, you will be. “What can we writers learn from lizards, lift from birds? In quickness is truth. The faster you blurt, the more swiftly you
[My Writing Life] In Prison
Last week, I told you I was going to prison to speak in a RIF-related event.You guys gave me great advice–thank you! I wanted to let you know how it went. I was there with a bunch of fantastic writers, like Marion Dane Bauer and Sharon Chmielarz and John Coy and Patrick Jones and Tom
[My Writing Life] I’m Going to Prison
Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater I’m spending an evening soon at the Minnesota Correctional Facility — Stillwater. It’s a RIF-connected program, and I don’t really know what to expect. Several of us Minnesota children’s writers and/or poets, including John Coy, Patrick Jones, Sharon Chmielarz, and Marion Dane Bauer, will take part. We’ll each give a
[My Writing Life] Crying During Poetry Readings
Yesterday, I posted about a retreat/conference I was part of recently. As part of that, I was asked to present a Pick 5 booktalk of 5 great recent poetry books. And I only had 5 minutes. Well, the best way to share a poetry book is to read a poem from it, so I chose
[15 Words or Less Poems] Webs
Photo: Laura Purdie Salas Wake up your poetry brains with 15 Words or Less (guidelines here)! This week’s image makes me think of: 1)?Scuba diving 2) Bat wings 3) Wading in Lake Superior and feeling the sharp rocks right through my water shoes And here’s my poem first draft: My Feet need gentle things: rainy
[Reading Life] Why I’m Not Reading Good Books Anymore
As my life gets busier, my reading time is eroding. Thus, my new vow: I am not going to read good books. You read that right. I am not going to read good books. Instead, I’m saving my reading time for great books. When I find myself thinking, “This is decent,” but I’m thinking ahead
[Poetry Friday] Sea Change (Another Rachel Carson poem)
Last Friday, I shared a poem I wrote about Rachel Carson. That poem appeared in Cricket Magazine. Today, I’m sharing the second Rachel Carson poem I wrote (this is when I was working on poems for Dare to Dream). I always knew that a time hook was great for articles, but it helps with poetry,
[Poetry Friday] Rachel Carson: Reborn at Sea
While working on poems to submit for Dare to Dream, the fantastic new anthology edited by Jill Corcoran, I wrote two poems about environmental pioneer Rachel Carson. Jill chose a different poem, but I’m excited to say that both my Carson poems will be shared publicly. This first one, a triolet, is in the September
Poetry Friday: Just Like That (my poem from Dare to Dream)
A couple of weeks ago, I shared “Faith of a Mustard Seed,” by Hope Anita Smith, from?Dare to Dream…Change the World, a poetry anthology conceived of and edited by Jill Corcoran (Kane?Miller, 2012). Several of the poems have stuck in my mind since reading them, which is really saying something, given my meory. Hope Anita’s
[Writer’s Muse-ings] Put in the Time to Make Great Finds, or Why I Stink at Thrift-Store Shopping
I was admiring a cool room design in a magazine. It used an old library cart on wheels (a thrift-store find) as a bookcase. Love that! Functional and reflective of my love for libraries! And I happen to need some new bookshelves. So I searched online, but?nothing fit my budget. I didn’t even try actual
Poetry Friday: Petting Zoo and the Poetry Friday Anthology
I have several poems in The Poetry Friday Anthology (Common Core K‑5 edition): Poems for the School Year with Connections to the Common Core, a new?offering from Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong (of PoetryTag Time fame:>) I want to share some other poems, but I like to get permission before sharing someone’s entry from an
Sketches from Water Can Be…!
A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about receiving Violeta Dabija’s pencil sketches for Water Can Be…, our 2014 follow-up to A Leaf Can Be… I’m so excited that I got permission from both the publisher (Millbrook Press) and Violeta to share a couple of sketches here. So… and Aren’t they beautiful? I love the
Why I’m Glad Writing Is Not a Performance Sport
1) I’ve been watching some of the Olympics, and it’s so heartbreaking when a supremely skilled athlete has a bad day and watches golden dreams slip away. 2) I’m “driving” a prop car for Minnesota Brass this season in our Bonnie & Clyde show. Due to a perfect storm of drill changes, storms, equipment issues,
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Are You Looking For?
Go to my Poetry page for:
- National Poetry Month projects through the years
- Small Reads Roundups (poems grouped by topic)
- Introductions to several favorite poetry forms