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Poem-a-Day: #4
regal lion suns, soaks spring from weathered veldt: beagle on the deck –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I love watching our beagle, Captain Jack Sparrow, sun on the deck right outside the window where I’m writing. He just soaks up the sun out of the planks of the deck. Cheryl Wilke sent me the
Poem-a-Day: #3
eyes–dry, sandy beach packed down by day’s heavy feet– welcome high tide’s sweep –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved —————————————————————————————————————- I know more and more poets (including me) are at least thinking about e‑publishing as print publishers buy fewer and fewer poetry collections and anthologies. Terrific poet David L. Harrison has fought in those trenches
Poem-a-Day: #2
leafy whiskers sprout on beech’s smooth, pale bark chin– no shaving ’til fall –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved I’m also at Laura Shovan’s Author Amok blog today with a villanelle and a post about my poetry-writing rituals. Hope you’ll drop by and say hi!
Poem-a-Day: #1
pond wears white swan gown velvet folds, feathers flutter– dragonfly pin shines –Laura Purdie Salas, all rights reserved April is always a busy month for me, and this year that’s truer than ever. But I hate to see National Poetry Month just slide by without doing something particular to celebrate it. Liz Garton Scanlon, one
When Writers Go to Conferences That Aren’t for Writers
I went to the Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference Saturday, which has an audience of mainly librarians and teachers. Here’s a quick slideshow: I debated going. I was exhausted and had work to do. And it’s not aimed at writers, so the practical me wondered, “What will I get out of it?” But?I went and had
Writing Rhyming Nonfiction
A Leaf Can Be…, my first rhyming nonfiction book Bloggers have been so kind about sharing A Leaf Can Be…, and I haven’t posted every single time because I felt awkward constantly saying, “Read about me! Read about my book!” And because I’ve been blogging on autopilot the past couple of weeks with family medical
Storytime at the Red Balloon
Saturday morning, I spent storytime at The Red Balloon Bookshop, a wonderful indie children’s bookstore I don’t get to often enough because it’s across town. They invited me to do a storytime to help celebrate I Love to Read month. Here’s a 1:26 minute slideshow of what we did. The kids at storytimes are generally
Fiction for Hire–Second Try Is the Charm
Almost a year ago, I posted about my first fiction for hire book, which ended up getting accepted by the editors but rejected by the set creators/reviewers (that only happens to about 2 in 100 books in this line, so it was kind of crushing). I decided to give it another try. I submitted a
CLN’s Books for Breakfast and the Funny Things Children’s Writers Say
Saturday was the Children’s Literature Network’s annual Books for Breakfast event. It was a blast! Here’s a very brief slideshow to give you a taste of what it was like: pictures, laughter, door prizes, food, goody bags, a contest, authors, illustrators, and–most of all–books. Wonderful books! Twenty-five writers and artists had two minutes each to
wholly to be a fool for Randy
My husband Randy and I have been married 24 years today, which is pretty hard for me to believe! I am not good at love poems to people (somehow it’s much easier to write a love poem to a cranberry bush or a snowman or a pencil), so I’m sharing this e.e. cummings poem instead.
Getting Crafty With Promo Items (BookSpeak luggage tags)
I’ve blogged recently about promo items I’ve been creating through Vistaprint.com?(note: that is an affiliate link for me–please only use this link if I’m giving you helpful information!), and I thought I’d share how I made the luggage tags that I’ll be including in the swag bag for my table mates at the Children Literature
Reviews–Do They Matter?
I hope so, because BookSpeak! is definitely getting more buzz than Stampede! did. But Stampede got some lovely posts online from wonderful poetry people, a nice review in Booklist, and was a Minnesota Book Award Finalist. And it didn’t matter, sales-wise. I’d pull out my royalty statements for proof, but they’re so tear-stained I probably
Focusing in on My Word of the Year
Each year, I choose an annual theme, an idea I originally got from Steve and Vicki Palmquist of Children’s Literature Network. But it’s been so hectic lately I haven’t yet chosen mine for 2012. Which should be a good clue. I need to FOCUS! There are lots of ways I need to apply this theme
Poetry Friday: In Praise of Music, Dishsoap, and Pictures (by students)
Last week, I went to Marshall, MN, for a young writers conference. Kids from all over southwestern Minnesota came to the university there for a day of writing fun. It was an uneventful drive on a sunny, warm, January day (in Minnesota?!) through farm country. Becky Fjelland Davis gave a rousing keynote describing different writing
BookSpeak! A Proud Poetry Nerdie
In a few days, the Cybils finalists will be announced, and I’ll have six weeks to talk poetry books with my delightful co-judges! I’m excited to learn which books the first-round judges selected. Meanwhile, it was fun to have BookSpeak! Poems About Books named as a Poetry Nerdies winner (one of five–check them all out
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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