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!
[ETA: I’m taking part in a free virtual session on science picture books on Thursday, May 22, in School Library Journal’s Day of Dialog! Register for free here, and there will be recordings available too! Hope to see you there!]
Okay, so far I’ve shared with you my “Rainbowfish” poem that was included in A Universe of Rainbows and my initial brainstorming and 2 other rainbowfish poems I wrote early on. Today, I’ll share the other 2.
This is how I generally approach poems for an anthology. I take whatever the theme/topic is, and then I play around with different approaches. I might write 5–10 different poems. My critique groups help me narrow down the group, and I further revise them. Then I usually send several choices to the anthologist, in this case, Matt Forrest Esenwine. Here are those last 2. You’ll notice the rainbowfish image. I almost always have some kind of photo/illustration in front of me when I’m writing a poem. It helps get my brain’s synapses firing, I think. I’m not a person who sees pictures in my mind, really. So having a concrete image is enormously helpful!
Out of the 5 poems I wrote, I ended up sending just 2 to Matt: “The Rainbowfish (shimmies)” and “Guess Who?” Matt chose “The Rainbowfish,” and we were off to the watery races. Some minor revision ensued, I believe centering around line breaks and whether the word “and” should remain at the end of the line: “glimmers, glides, and”; or move to the start of the next line: “and on his scales.”
I haven’t done a thing with the 4 unchosen poems other than share them here on the blog now :>) But for me, for my writing process, all of the group of poems are stepping stones to each other. I’m not sure any one of them would exist without the others. They’re kind of like different sides of a 5‑sided (in this case) die. Without one, the rest wouldn’t stand anyway–not at the beginning of the process. That’s why I wouldn’t say they’re stepping poems up to the mountain peak of the “chosen poem.” I don’t even know if the chosen poem was my favorite of the 5. An anthology needs a certain variety in tone, form, length, topic, etc. I always try to give the anthologist a bit of choice, mostly in gratitude that I’m not the one who has to manage the whole project! (Thank you, Matt!)
Okay, that’s all for this gorgeous anthology. I strongly suspect I’ll be using some of the poems in it as mentor texts for my own future poems. There are some real gems in here, all brought to life in stunning art by Jamey Christoph!
The Poetry Friday Roundup this week is with wonderful Ramona at Pleasures from the Page. She share a “Where I’m From” poem and links to all the other Poetry Friday entries. Be sure to check it out!
[ETA: On the last Friday of the month, the Poetry Sisters–with you?–are sharing golden shovel poems written to line from Elizabeth Bishop’s “Letter to N.Y.” I did first drafts to three different lines this morning…Hope you’ll join in! Here’s the Bishop poem.]
13 Responses
Thanks for sharing process. I wonder about all the poems you’ve never published. They are stepping stones but so many, I’m sure, should be shared.
Thanks for sharing this, Laura — and for your poem that ultimately ended up in our book! I also discussed at length the title of your poem and whether or not my editor would keep it as we intended (fortunately I won that discussion, ha!).
I like the lightness in both of your poems, rhythm, and their inner sparkle ! And how interesting to hear about their backstory, thanks for sharing all Laura!
Laura, I am always interested in how you work through a theme to make it a small beauty. Thank you for the careful way you offer your process. Looking back at my own blog today, I feel poem #1 became the stepping stone for #2. Thanks for enlightening me this morning. Also, I want to thank you for the consoling card you sent me.
Interesting, Carol. It’s definitely true for me sometimes, that one leads directly to another, so then they are stepping stones–especially if #1 unloads something I need for #2. Fun to see similarities and differences in our processes, isn’t it? You’re very welcome for the card. You and your family continue to be in my thoughts! <3
Charming poems — fun to read about your process too!
Thanks for sharing, Laura. It is, indeed, a wonderful book.
Interesting to know your process for writing for an anthology. I never realized you might submit multiple poems & let the anthologist select. Requesting A Universe of Rainbows from my library now.
Enjoy, Ramona!
Your poems shimmer! I’m a broken record, I know, but I always love reading about your process. 🙂
Thanks, Karen :>)
Laura, Thanks for sharing how you approached Matt’s anthology. It is a huge project to put one together and I like to think I worked with my participants as Matt worked with you. You need to be appreciated for giving him space to make the decision as to what to put in the book. Some authors are not as kind. I need to gather my poems in one place and keep track of what I’ve done with them — that organization might serve me well.
Thanks, Carol. I’m a big believer in thinking about the big picture and understanding the hard choices and hard work an anthologist must make/do! Gathering poems in one place gives me an idea for a future post. Thanks!