Welcome, and happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I’m so happy you’ve dropped by. Whether you’re a regular participant in the Poetry Friday world, or you ended up here from a search or a link, please know that we’re a welcoming community! Read, comment, think, share, and enjoy!
Howdy! Lots to share this week, because I’ve been so behind. Partly life stuff, partly my chronic pain flaring up. So excuse the image/info dump, please!
First off, I’m presenting two places to two favorite groups–educators and writers!
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Next up, check out the lovely birthday gifts I received from Randy featuring Chiara Fedele’s wonderful Flurry, Float, and Fly art!
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Also, I’m incredibly grateful that review journals have responded positively to Flurry! It’s not a given that books get reviewed at all. I’m thrilled!
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For more about Flurry, see Molly Hogan’s great post from last week!
Also, last week, I shared Margaret Simon’s beautiful new book, Wood Duck Diary, and she offered a giveaway. I dutifully jotted names on sticky notes because I was too lazy to try to find a digital way to choose the winner.
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Patricia Franz, you won! Please email your address to me or Margaret, and she’ll send you a copy–you’ll love it!
Speaking of giveaways, I’m giving away a free virtual visit with a classroom that adds its snowflakes to my Padlet.
And finally, a poem. Bet you thought you’d never make it there, huh? This one was inspired by my chronic pain. Ugh. Trying to write about pain, but in a kid-accessible way. This is the first draft–I may or may not come back to it!
And for more (but less painful) poetry, don’t miss the Poetry Friday Roundup with…Patricia Franz! Too funny–at least I know she’ll see the notice that she won Margaret’s book :>D
22 Responses
Oh, yay!! So excited to be the winner! Thank you, Laura! And congrats on the glowing reviews! I have pre-ordered Flurry, Float, and Fly and look forward to reading it to my grandson. I hope you’re finding relief from that awful back pain!
Thanks, Patricia <3
Laura, good luck with your presentations, Laura. I wish I were near Des Moines so that I could hear your talk. I can’t wait to read Flurry, Float, and Fly! The artwork is gorgeous, and I have no doubt that your words do them justice.
It makes me so sad to think about a painful bully living inside you. : ( I hope you are able to find some relief.
oops! sorry about the double Laura!
Hehe, no worries!
Hooray for the good news like great reviews and conference time. But, ugh! So sorry you are dealing with chronic pain. A change of season always remind those achy parts that pain is there. Wishing you rest and recovery and relief from that bully.
Laura, wishing you relief from the chronic pain. LOVE all these snowy glowy reviews! And a Halloweekend SCBWI?? Sounds magical. Looking forward to seeing you at NCTE. xo
Laura, I’ve been here quite a while today with all the exciting news and interesting URLs. Congratulations on your presentations coming up, and especially on the birth of Flurry, Float, and Fly! with all the great reviews.
Congrats on the great reviews and hope you enjoy all your upcoming events. Sorry to hear about the chronic pain bully (which I also know too well).
Pain like a science bully! Now that is bad! Hope you feel better soon. Great news about your book. You inspire me.
In my yoga class this morning, our instructor talked about how we carry the ache of our troubles in our hips. We did many hip openers and I feel the soft throb of it all still in my right hip. Pain on the outside often becomes pain on the inside. I hope you find relief. I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks in Denver!
I need to start yoga back up. I have to make so many accommodations for my wrists that I kind of gave it up. But I need it! Can’t wait to see you in Denver!
Like others, and I hope the group wishes help, I am sorry for the pain. Best wishes for finding relief from that terrible bully! I hope your poem finds a place in classrooms, would be helpful! I have a niece with Cerebral Palsy, older now, but she has had some pain nearly all her life. She has found some relief with CBD gummies, FYI. I’m looking forward to reading this new book, know I will love it like all your others! Congrats for the super reviews, Laura!
I’ve had a couple people recommend CBD gummies at night. I’m glad your niece has found some relief. I know there are lots of kids living with pain from various conditions, and nobody talks about it. I might dig in more to this.…thanks!
Congratulations on the wonderful reviews, Laura! Hope you are feeling better soon.
Congrats on your book and forth-coming conference!!! Your poem is delightfully painful, and I do hope that bully moves along. Lovely new phone skin too, thanks Laura!
It looks like it’s going to be a conference. I am sorry you are in chronic pain. Your poem and the bully with the hard stare got to me. And I love your birthday gifts. Wonderful.
Roosters are an effective antidote to chronic pain, I understand…glad you got a good dose! I will grab a copy of FLURRY FLOAT FLY at NCTE and wave it around during our session on nonfiction poetry. Can’t wait to see you!
Heidi
Ah, that would be lovely–thank you! Looking forward to seeing you. And when’s your session?
Looking forward to seeing you IRL at NCTE! Congrats on the positive buzz for F F and F. Sending whatever pain relief I can spare.
Congratulations on all the amazing reviews, Laura! And Randy’s gifts are so thoughtful and lovely! I’m so sorry about the chronic pain. Hope, hugs, and fingers crossed that you can travel and not have it flare up even more. I’m so sorry!
Ooh, those are some lovely gifts. Have fun in Denver! I always love to see your reports about going to these conferences and am looking even more forward to this one — I suspect you’ll have such a good reception to your work. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear your ideas on digging into chronic pain and kids — I’ve thought about trying to touch on that with autoimmune diseases (and am taking the first tentative steps by featuring a character with some of the post-Covid lingering issues that so many have) but I don’t feel like I have my emotional boundaries tight enough quite yet to be wholly successful.