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Howdy, Campers--Happy New Year and Happy Poetry Friday! Today's host and my (very odd) poem are below.
To start the new year--and we hope yours is copacetic thus far--we, at the brand-ndew corporate headquarters of TeachingAuthors, will each be offering a book, a tip, a tool--something which helps us read / write /create.
 |
| The new corporate offices of TeachingAuthors.com |
Ready? Hang on for the wild ride (or better: a wild
write): Esther started us off in her
post telling us about Shaun Levin's Writing Map, MY WRITING LIFE. Fascinating concept, sure to set your teeth on fire.
Today, it's my turn. As regular readers know, I've been an instructor in
UCLA Extenstion Writers' Program since the invention of goat cheese. Recently, UCLA Extension Writers' Program invited its instructors to offer a writing tip in under one minute. The videos that have been filmed so far can be viewed
here; more will be added as they're filmed, including mine--coming soon.
What's so cool about these is that when you're feeling parched, dried-out, and California-drought-ish, wondering what in heaven's name to write, or why the heck you think you
can write, simply watch one of these babies and try the tip.
I especially like
this 49-second tip by poet Rick Bursky. Could you do me a favor and watch it right now? Because what comes next assumes you've listened to him.
Okay--you've watched Rick? Thank you kindly.
So today's poem is the third draft of a poem inspired by his tip. It may not be for kids, it may not be much, but I was grabbing things from all over the internet and deep in the darkest corners of my brain, and
man was it fun to write!
CHANGES
by April Halprin Wayland
Once upon a time, there was
a train came down the track faster than it was supposed to
its feet shoulder-width apart, 90 degrees to the target
but Froggy didn't feel like getting
a lawyer for Teresa Giudice, who was freed at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Ah, changes!
Ah, the ghastly smell of salmon which spoils so quickly in the refrigerator!
Ah, Old Dresser Redo, DIY Cloud Pillows, Easy Floating Shelves.
How we each, in our own little worlds,
carrot and stick,
the atmosphere of Mars,
water overflowing sidewalks of Hermosa Beach,
how we each change the world.
It's raining again
and there are mouse parts all over the house.
What has been your lollipop moment?
Have you thanked that person?
And they lived happily
A New, Easier Method To Use A Printer For Ink Image Transfers!
ever afterpoem (c) 2016 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
TeachingAuthors hope our tips and tools will jump-start your writing year, Dear Reader.
May this be your Year of Yes!
Watch for a related post on our Wednesday Writers' Workout on January 13th ~
posted by April Halprin Wayland with help from Eli, who was tearing up Mouse as I wrote the poem.Eli swears he didn't do it
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 6/5/2015
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Howdy Campers!
I'm wildly inspired by the postings of my fellows at Poetry Friday today--see the link below.
Bobbi begins our What-Inspires-You series with Inspirations and Geniuses; Jo Ann is up next with the help of her camera: Zooming in on Inspiration; Esther offers An Inspiring Weekly Digest You Need to Know About; Carla opens our eyes to Inspiration From the Library of Congress; and Mary Ann touches us with tales about family members in Inspiration is a Blast From the Past.
So what are the top three things that inspire my daily poems?
1) Um...deadlines.
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” ~ Douglas Adams
I was inspired to write this post today when I was putting an appointment in my calendar...and saw that I was supposed to have posted this morning. Oops!
"My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a director." ~ Cole Porter, composer and songwriter
Deadlines and assignments mean that I cannot take all day cleaning my proverbial closet. I write and rewrite...and bam!--even if it's not the world's most perfect piece, I post it or send it off--done!
2) Life. Especially the sad parts. "I've had an unhappy life, thank God." ~ Russell Baker, author, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist
The difficult and/or unhappy times of my life are rich grounds for writing. I can create this richness, though, even when my life is humming along, if I listen to what's happening in my chest cavity. If I walk into the world looking for my poem, all senses open.
The last time my mom and I took a nature walk. She's the shorter one.
3) Someone who believes in me. Two or three someones is even better. "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher
My husband came with me on a quick trip to meet with my agent and two of my editors this week. I wanted him to meet these significant people in my work life. New York can be exhilarating...and it can scare the pants off me, too. It always takes me a day to remember how to use the subways and navigate the city. His presence on the subway and in those meetings meant the world to me.
My sailing-around-the-world friend,
Bruce, is a daily supporter of my work, even when he says the poem doesn't work (which of course I know he's just not reading correctly--he's clearly tired from working on the boat all day).
Every writer in my critique groups past and present and everyone in the
Kidlitosphere community: we cheer each other on; that cheering echoes and echoes and echoes inside all of us.
my team
And so? Here's today's (raw) poem written 1) for a
deadline, 2) based on
life, and with the
support of--well, all of you.
LOOKING FOR INSPIRATIONby April Halprin Wayland
bald little godsits on the pond’s rim, his feet all in
his head turning side to sidetoward fluttering leavestoward ebbing tide
below impatient cloudsthat mumble, This is going too slow
so they snap out a spiky lighting streak and Man—does little god go!
He jumps right up and does he run!He’s going, going, getting thingsDONE!poem and drawings (c) April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.Get inspired by the bounty at
Buffy's Blog today--thanks for hosting, Buffy!
posted by April Halprin Wayland, Monkey, and our always inspired dog, Eli
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 4/17/2015
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Howdy, Campers! Happy Poetry Friday! (the PF link is at the end)
Authors-anthologists-publishers Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell have written an article well-worth reading (it's brief!) for National Poetry Month in the online magazine Bookology which begins:
"We are pressed for time, so we multitask. You might be eating breakfast while you’re reading Bookology, or doing laundry, or both. “Killing two birds with one stone” or “hatching two birds from the same egg”—integrated teaching—is the best way to fit everything in, especially in the K-5 classroom." (read the whole article
here)
Janet and Sylvia's
Poetry Friday Anthology series does a LOT of heavy lifting including:
1) helping pressed-for-time teachers and librarians teach poetry while meeting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Texas TEKS for English Language Arts (ELA)/Poetry and Science & Technology,
and
2) including a “Take 5!” mini-lesson with every poem in their collection for librarians, teachers, and parents with instructions for sharing, picture book pairings, and curriculum connections.
And in their NEW collection Janet and Sylvia have added another bonus
: each of the 156 poems in this newest book appears in both English and Spanish--WOWEE!JoAnne's recent post sang out about this book (which includes JoAnne's terrific Graduation Day poem), and
Esther's post continued, including
an interview of these two visionaries and Esther's very
green Saint Pat's Day poem.
As JoAnne writes:
I’m thrilled to be one of 115 poets (and 3 Teaching Authors!) whose poems are featured in the brand-new Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations! I'm thrilled that they've included two of my poems. This one's for National Thrift Shop Day (who knew?)
(Click to enlarge )
Have a fabulous Poetry Friday...and consider donating to a thrift shop today and then shopping in one, too ~
Remember to enter our
Book Giveaway to win an autographed copy of Paul Janeczko’s 50th book, DEATH OF A HAT, illustrated by Chris Raschka. You can enter between now and April 22 (which just happens to be our SIXTH
TeachingAuthors Blogiversary!).
And...please stop by
my poetry blog where all Poetry Month long I'm posting PPPs--Previously Published Poems--from anthologies, Cricket Magazine and
my novel in poems.
.
Howdy, Campers!
It's Wednesday, and you know what that means! It's time for another TeachingAuthors
!
Do you ever feel as if your idea well has run dry? Here's an exercise that's sure to tap into ideas you didn't know were waiting to pour out.
I've taken the adult poetry class, The Courage to Write, taught by Anthony A. Lee, several times. He's a terrific poet and a kind and generous teacher.
Tony's classes are held in a building which also houses an art gallery. During one class, we wrote poems based on the following exercise...and then
came back at night to read our poems at the opening of the art exhibit.
Scary and invigorating!
Note: although the exercise below is written to inspire a poem, you can use this exercise to begin a poem or a story.
POETS IN THE GALLERY!
based on a workshop by
Anthony A. Lee
- Go to a gallery or any place where art is displayed.
- Which photo, painting or sculpture calls to you? Walk around until you find it.
- Sit down in front of it. Breathe deeply. Close your eyes. Listen to the sounds of the gallery.
- Open your eyes. Look at the art for a full minute.
- Now, begin writing. Describe an image in the artwork. Just report it; write exactly what you see.
- Once you have that image on your paper, begin a poem with the word "I." The only rule is to write in the first person.
- Write as fast as you can. Write without a plan. Whatever happens, happens.
- Describing something, as a journalist does, is the Reporting Voice. That voice comes from the lips, the mouth, the throat.
- Writing about feelings comes from a lower, truer, sometimes scarier place. This is the Deep Voice. This voice attracts readers. It connects them to your story. Be brave. Find the feelings. Go there.
- When you’re done, write it again, taking out as many words as you can.
- Write it a third time. Do you really all those “the”s, “and”s, or “a”s? Try taking them out.
- Now, take out all the adverbs.
- Next, take out most of the adjectives.
- Poetry is word music. Read your work aloud. Do you like the sound of your poem?
- Don't hide your light under a bushel—your poem is a gift to be shared. Bring someone you love to that piece of art. Share your poem with them. Bring an extra copy and leave it by the artwork.
Tony says: asking your students (or yourself) to describe an image in the artwork is better than telling them simply to write something about the piece of art, which will make some students freeze.
Try it! Have fun!
And, apropos of nothing, here's a sign I saw in Seattle recently which made me laugh:
This post was written by April Halprin Wayland. Thank you for reading it!
(Our cruel and heartless blog mistress makes us put our names here so we can't hide from our subscribers.)
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 5/16/2013
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Howdy, Campers!
And Happy
Children's Book Week!
Jeanne Marie introduced our current topic:
In honor of Children’s Book Week, share the title of
the book we wish we still had or are sorry we loaned (and never got back) or
one we (god forbid) threw away.
Heavens to Betsy! The search for my cherished book turned into a detective story.
The first thing I did was to ask God...errr...Google for the title of the book about a surprise birthday party for an old woman named Lisette. Bello, her dog, directs the other animals while Lizette is at the market--he tells the goats to get apples, the ducks to get candles, etc. He and Lisette's two cats (Molly and...Ruly?) bake a bundt cake that burns on top, so they put powdered sugar on it at the last minute to hide the burned part.
But who was the marvelous author/illustrator and what was the name of the book????
In the course of my search, I found a site called Old Children's Books which has a page called "Looking for a Book?"
I searched and searched and searched...with binoculars, with a flashlight, with a light on my miner's helmet...
(me...but my search was not as grim as pictured)
Finally, I remembered that at the end of the book was a little kitten. And I remembered that the author/illustrator wrote another book about him. In fact, the cat's name was the title of the other book. So if I could just remember the name of the cat...it was...Pitchie!
But I couldn't find a book called Pitchie. Or Pitchy. Stumbling down the corridors of the internet, bumping into walls, I finally found the other book! It was called PITSCHI (published in 1948). I now knew the name of the author/illustrator: Hans Fischer. Which meant I was close to finding the book I was actually looking for!
But first, let's take a detour. Click here to enjoy Hans Fischer's fantastic lithographs in Pitschi "the kitten who always wanted to be something else. A sad story, but one which ends well."
All the same characters are in the book I have been looking for...and now I can plug in Hans' name and come up with THE BOOK--right?
Yes! On Worldcat.org I found it--The Birthday: a Merry Tale with Many Pictures (1954)! Worldcat summarizes the story: "In a clearing in the forest lived old Lisette with her animals. On
her seventy-sixth birthday, Lisette went off to the village, and while
she was gone the animals prepared a wonderful birthday surprise for her."
This is the book from my childhood that still makes my heart sing.
With all the searching, I learned a few things about my
good friend Hans from
Children's Books and Their Creators, edited by
Anita Silvey. He was Swiss, he lived from 1909-1958 (only 49 years?). And he studied under the artist
Paul Klee who taught him how to use color. No wonder I fell in love with Fischer's style--I love Klee!
Klee said,
"It is not my task to reproduce appearances...for that there is the photographic plate. I want to reach the heart."
And isn't that what we want from books we read...and those we create? (Actually, I wouldn't mind if large corporations took that as their company motto...)
Legendary editor Margaret McElderry discovered his work, bought the US rights to Pitschi, and went on to publish his other books, including The Birthday.
So here's my song to Hans Fischer and The Birthday.
SEARCHING FOR A BOOK
by April Halprin Wayland
What's the title?
Can't remember.
And the plot?
It was so tender…
Why is this your favorite book?
It lit a spark, it fanned an ember…
The book was in her skin, her cells,
she turned each page and oh! the smell…
At every page
I looked and listened,
the little kitten on a mission,
delicately, in pastel.
He was drawn and he was written
to cast a purring lifetime spell.
What's the title?
Can't remember.
And the plot?
It was so tender…
Why is this your favorite book?
It lit a spark, it fanned an ember…
poem & drawing © 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
What's the book you wish you still owned? Why not write a poem about it?
Remember that our blogiversary contest runs through May 19th--there's still time to be a winner!
See
Carmela's post for all the details.
by April Halprin Wayland, who is grateful that you've read to the end ~ :-)
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 4/30/2013
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Howdy Campers!
Remember to enter to win in our 4 x 4 Blogiversary Celebration!
Today I have the absolute honor and (as Esther would say) knee-buckling responsibility to write the last line of 2013's
Progressive Poem. Yay! And yikes!
The brainchild of
Irene Latham,
this Progressive Poem has been moving from blog to blog, growing poet
by poet, for 29 days until it's come here for one final line. For the
poem and a list of contributing poets, see below.
.
At the end of a
month posting
rough drafts of poems about dogs, I think you could say
that this, too, is a rough draft. As Laura Puride Salas says, it's
poetry improv. Yes, and a poetry game. It's been fascinating to
read the process of those who've proceeded me.
When I got the line by
Denise Mortensen,
it's such a great line, I thought I should just write THE END. Then I
could talk about how a poet needs to know when to quit and when a good
line's a good ending. That would be funny. If only I had the courage!
But I don't. So off we go!
Here
is the list of the poets who each contributed a line (in this space, some appear to be a line and then some, but they are all really one line each), and below their
names is the (yikes!) finished poem. Take a bow, poets!
.
DAY/LINE + POET
P.T.
BARNUM'S GREAT TRAVELING MUSEUM, MENAGERIE, CARAVAN, AND HIPPODROME*
by Thirty Poets on a mission in the Kidlitosphere...see list above
When you listen to your footsteps
the words become music and
the rhythm that you’re rapping gets your fingers tapping, too.
Your pen starts dancing across the page
a private pirouette, a solitary samba until
smiling, you’re beguiling as your love comes shining through.
Pause a moment in your dreaming, hear the whispers
of the words, one dancer to another, saying
Listen, that’s our cue! Mind your meter. Find your rhyme.
Ignore the trepidation while you jitterbug and jive.
Arm in arm, toe to toe, words begin to wiggle and flow
as your heart starts singing let your mind keep swinging
from life’s trapeze, like a clown on the breeze.
Swinging upside down, throw and catch new sounds–
Take a risk, try a trick; break a sweat: safety net?
Don’t check! You’re soaring and exploring,
dangle high, blood rush; spiral down, crowd hush–
limb-by-line-by-limb envision, pyramidic penned precision.
And if you should topple, if you should flop
if your meter takes a beating; your rhyme runs out of steam—
know this tumbling and fumbling is all part of the act,
so get up with a flourish. Your pencil’s still intact.
Snap those synapses! Feel the pulsing through your pen
Commit, measure by measure, to the coda’s cadence.
You've got them now--in the palm of your hand!
Finger by finger you’re reeling them in—
Big Top throng refrains from cheering, strains to hear the poem nearing…
Inky paws, uncaged, claw straw and sawdust
Until… CRACK! You’re in the center ring, mind unleashed, your words take wing--
they circle, soar, then light in the lap of an
open-mouthed child; the crowd goes wild.
* * * * * * *
* Barnum's circus was originally called "P.T. Barnum's Great Traveling
Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome,"
which is pretty much what
our poem is. ("Greatest Show on Earth" was
added later...that's us, too!)
It never hurts to join forces...
...ask all the thirsty pooches at the dog park!
Let's play some more!
Hey--where'd everybody go???
G'bye to Poetry Month 2013! See you next year!
Posted by April Halprin Wayland
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 2/22/2013
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Howdy Campers, and Happy Poetry Friday!
PF is hosted by Sheri Doyle this week--thanks, Sheri! Poetry Friday hosting can be a big job, folks, so make sure you help Sheri put away the chairs and stack the dishes before you leave.
I'm continuing the
TeachingAuthors thread we're calling
Books We Recommend On Writing which
Esther began, reverently offering M.B. Goffstein's
A Writer...(which I, too, have on a golden altar in my bookshelf!) On
Poetry Friday, Carmela continued with her
top three books on the art and craft of writing poetry, and then Mary Ann offered
her favorite one or two books in three categories:
Inspirational Books,
Craft Books and
Craft Books for Kids. Jill gave us
three writing books packed with great information and inspiration, while Jeanne Marie focused on
books about plotting...and one on writing "Hit Lit."
I'm going to recommend one of Monkey and my favorite books on writing poetry,
POEM-MAKING ~ Ways to Begin Writing Poetry by Myra Cohn Livingston.
We like it because it's written for a ten year old--just about my level. For more on this book, read
Elaine Magliaro's really excellent review of it on The Wild Rose Reader--I couldn't review it any better.
Myra Cohn Livingston was the "Mother of Us All," as
Janet Wong writes. She was Poetry Mentor/Mother to me, Janet,
Ann Whitford Paul,
Sonya Sones,
Hope Anita Smith,
Alice Shertle, Kristine O’Connell George,
Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora,
Joan Bransfield Graham,
Tony Johnston,
Monica Gunning,
Karen B. Winnick,
Anita Wintz,
Ruth Lercher Bornstein and many, many other children's poets (Who am I missing? Let me know!).
I have
previously talked about two books I require in
classes I teach through the
UCLA Writers Program. One of the books is
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, about which several TeachingAuthors have waxed poetic in the past.
Here's a poem from that blog post inspired by Lamott's chapter on jealousy:
ANYTHING I CAN DO YOU CAN DO BETTER
or
CAN OF WORMS
by April Halprin Wayland
Varda once told us
we were all cans on a shelf.
.
Cans of chili, kidney beans, split pea soup.
I decided that I was a can of apricot halves.
She said that the shelf was only one can deep
but that it stretched out forever
.
so there’s always room
for one more.
“You don’t have to be afraid that adding another can
means
there isn’t enough room for you,”she said.
.
“You can even help a new can
onto the shelf next to you.”
.
And she never talked
about jealousy again.
.
poem (c) 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
My brilliant teacher
Barbara Bottner taught me to write about my greatest fear...because chances are, we all share it.
Monkey is writing about his fear
of writing something stupid in a blog post.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 1/16/2013
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Howdy Campers! Welcome to...
My mother says that everyone remembers the trees of their childhood.
I recently attended the annual
FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature) Luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Public Library Children's Literature Department. Each year, FOCAL gives an award to an outstanding children's book with California content. This year's award deservedly went to my friend
Joanne Rocklin for her wonderful book,
One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street (Abrams).
Joanne's acceptance speech was thoroughly
Joanne: full of enthusiasm, aware of her audience, bursting with love.
Each detail of this inspired centerpiece references her book.
Joanne's memories of her beloved orange trees inspired my poem that day (I write
a poem a day); I thought perhaps a memory of a tree in your life might inspire you, too.
I wrote about our Meyer Lemon tree and how incredibly generous it is. See for yourself:
I want to share my lemon tree poem with you...but here's my dilemma: dozens of my poems have been published in poetry anthologies...but recent contracts specify that poems can never have been published--even on a blog. ACK!
WINNING
by April Halprin Wayland
I sit under this tree
to sit under this tree.
Not to win anything.
Just me and tree.
If the wind happens to drop
a sweet plum in my lap, though,
I would never say no
to a plum.
poem © 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
Now it's your turn.
1) Close your eyes. Think of a tree from your childhood...or any tree of significance to you.
2) List details of that tree that cover all five senses, or write snippets of your memories of the tree.
3) Or you may want to simply plunge in, and see what memories sprout from your pen or keyboard.
4) Consider putting your poem (or was it a story that emerged?) into a
form...or not.
5) Consider sending your poem to someone who would remember that tree.
6) Leave a comment about this exercise. :-)
poem and lemon tree photo © 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 12/14/2012
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Howdy, Campers ~ Happy Poetry Friday!
...and if it's at Jama's it's sure to be tasty!
For my last post of 2012, I'm going to break from our series on publishing opportunities (see
Esther's last
two posts and
Carmela's post, with more to come!)...
I've been thinking about my family and our, well,
interesting year (especially the part about
my husband dying of a heart attack and being brought back and now being completely and miraculously fine); about hard times and hope, about sunrises, candles, glowing kitchen windows at night, and about the dark of winter and the glint of winter sunlight.
WINTER SOLSTICE: GIRL TALKING TO THE SUN
by April Halprin Wayland
On a hard day's chill,
when my heart stands still,
Sun, oh, Sun, where do you disappear?
Then Sun answers me,
answers quietly,
Look around, little girl, I am here, I am here.
© 2012 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
I am Jewish; I just recently learned that the fifth night of
Hanukkah (which can be
spelled many ways) is the first night in which there are more flames than darkness, more candles lit than unlit, and represents the triumph of light over darkness.
I love that.
Okay...ready for today's writing workout, Campers?
WRITING WORKOUT: A Light in the Darkness
1) Take a cozy moment to scribble ten ideas triggered by the phrase, "a light in the darkness" or by the 1:06 minute video above. Jot down memories, images, or the name of someone in particular who helped light your way in a dark time.
2) Consider imitating the rhyme scheme of the poem above:
A/A/B
C/C/B
3) Or write a 100-word story.
3) Or write forget #2 and #3 and write the poem or story you were meant to write today.
4) Write like a little kid who is so jumpy-excited to get a piece of paper and a pencil she can barely sit still. Give that little kid a chance; let's see what gift she creates for you this holiday season!
And speaking of gifts, don't forget to enter to win a gift for yourself or for some lucky teacher in your life: an autographed copy of JoAnn Early Macken's, Write a Poem Step by Step. I have her book and it's terrific! See JoAnn's guest post for details.
Not actually in Southern California where I live,
but in Phoenix, several years ago.
Still, a pretty note of light and hope
with which to end the year...
Happy Holidays One and All!
Howdy, Campers!
Happy Poetry Friday! Today's poem is about making a decision and so is your poetry writing prompt, below.
So we've been discussing going for an MFA. Mary Ann posted that it was the best two years of her life. Carmela posted that one of the biggest pros was that it definitely made her a better writer and forced her to make writing a priority.
So...should I go for an MFA or shouldn't I?
It's complicated.
When I was seriously looking into applying to one of the low-residency MFA programs, our only child was a sophomore in college.
I was worried, mostly because I'm a sloooow reader and didn't know if I could keep up with the evil and overwhelming reading assignments I'd heard about. And worried because I finally had the quiet time I'd craved for years. Was I crazy? Was I rushing to fill up the space before I'd even wallowed in it for a bit?
Was I was just raising my hand, signing up, because I had no other plan? Did I need to sit in the hallway surrounded by closed doors a little longer and wait to see which one opened on its own?
I decided to go for it. (Well, 89% of me did.) Now it was just a matter of deciding where I would apply. I asked lots of MFA grads. I got lots of advice.
Meanwhile, it was a gentle, blossoming time in our lives. My son, who had been nearly absent from the family, hanging out with a girlfriend since he was 14, was suddenly single and actually calling and texting us.
We were making up for lost time. It was delicious. It was thirst-quenching. My mother roots were taking in all the rain they could soak up for as long as it lasted.
Even when my husband could not come with me because of work demands, I would use our frequent flyer miles to fly up to Berkeley now and then, if only to sit in on one of my son's cognitive science classes, share a pizza with him and his friends at the Cheeseboard Collective, and fly home.
I knew that if I added an MFA program, this extra layer, to my life, it would be, well, an extra layer. How would I balance my aging mother who lives alone, my aging uncle in a senior residence who needs my attention more and more, my writing career, my political activism, and, oh yes, family and marriage?
My stomach hurt thinking about it.
Here's what turned me around. My friend Julie. She knows me. This is what she said:
Oh, April. Don't do it now. Not now when you finally have such a warm connection with your boy. You'll have time later, Dear. Do it when he's in medical school, when he's in residency, when he's married. Do it then. Enjoy him now.
Hmmm. MFA. Family. MFA. Family.
For some, it's not this simple. It's not either-or. But for me, it suddenly it was that simple.
Two years later, I have my golden boy, my best friend husband, my teaching gig, several new manuscripts and no regrets.
Okay, look—it's not all tied up in a bow. I've had lots of rejections. I have self-doubt. but I have the morning glories in my garden and space to breathe.
Writing Workout: Decisions, Decisions.
There are thirty inspiring ideas about how to make a decision on
this blog post. Choose one as a jumping off point for your poem.
(Of course, you'll have to decide which of the thirty to use, won't you?)
I chose this one:
Imagine having made the decision. If you get a feeling of relief, that’s the way to go, even if it’s coupled with sadness. -Emma GildingMAKING A DECISION
MAKING THE BED
by April Halprin WaylandPull off the sheets
slip pillows out
pile in machine
then shut the door
hear it click shut
pour in the soap
hit button hard
watch the sheets whirl
sheets swirl in soap
just like my thoughts
round they go round
now they are warm
now they are dry
now they are clean
spread them out wide
pull them on tight
now I lie down
how do I feel?
Fresh. Clean. Relieved.
poem © 2012 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 8/3/2012
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Howdy, Campers! And...surprise! Following the success of our first Mystery Guest TeachingAuthor which Carmela Martino posted last Friday, here's our second ever Mystery Guest TeachingAuthor (MGTA)—complete with his/her Writing Workout and a fabulous Book Giveaway! OMG. I'll bet you can barely stand the excitement. The details about the giveaway are below, but DO NOT GO THERE YET. If you do, you'll find out who our MGTA is and blow the whole deal. Here's how we play the MGTA game: I'll share our MGTA's bio before giving you his/her Writing Workout [listen...this his/her thing is getting awkward...I'll give this to you: it's a her]. You try to guess who our guest author is before I reveal the MGTA's identity at the end of the post. (And even though it's going to kill you, no fair clicking on the MGTA's book links to find out the author's name!)
Then let us know if you figured out who this most amazing lady is, either by commenting below, or an email.
Ready? Okay, let's go!
Today's MGTA is a Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University and has taught graduate courses in children's and young adult literature at various universities since 1981. She has published extensively, including five books on literature for children [including—remember, no clicky-clicky—Poetry Aloud Here! Sharing Poetry with Children in the Library (ALA, 2006), Poetry People: A Practical Guide to Children's Poets (Libraries Unlimited, 2007), and Children'sLiterature in Action: A Librarians Guide (Libraries Unlimited, 2008)], as well as over 20 book chapters and 100 journal articles; she's recently co-edited several ground-breaking e-anthologies of poetry for children. In addition, she edits for Librarians' Choice. Is this woman is making you tired, just reading about her? And there's more: her blog is full of tips and news (and poems) that help spread enthusiasm for poetry, and it has become a touchstone—the go-to blog in the field of poetry for children.
Have you guessed our guest yet? No? Well,
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 3/23/2012
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Howdy Campers--and happy Poetry Friday!
Thanks to wonderful Mary Lee and Franki
This round, each
Teaching Author (so far
Carmela and
Mary Ann) will be sharing one of our favorite posts by blogmate
JoAnn Early Macken, now on our Blog Advisory Board (or BAB). Just kidding. We don't actually have a BAB, although maybe we should. We're saying goodbye to JoAnn who is so busy teaching, writing and running
Wisconsin's SCBWI chapter, she can scarcely breathe.
JoAnn's poetry and photos sing. Though we had hoped to talk about
different posts from JoAnn's tenure, I was so struck by her poetry in the same post Mary Ann chose, I have to share JoAnn's photo and poem, "Landscape with Dog Nose":
Landscape with Dog Nose by JoAnn Early Macken
I wanted to capture the crisp horizon,
gradations of shades,
mountainous clouds,
but she insisted on
stepping into the shot.
Well, why not?
She’s always part of the picture.
photo and poem (c) 2012 JoAnn Early Macken, all rights reserved
I'll miss blogmate JoAnn's unique view of the natural world, her kindness, her beautific smile, her poetry...and so much more.
If you missed her post with this poem, you'll find it here. Because it's an old post, you won't be able to comment on it, so share your thoughts below, or email them to the TeachingAuthors via this link.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 1/27/2012
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Howdy, Campers! Author and illustrator Barney Saltzberg is a generous soul, and in his Friday the 13th interview, he offered an autographed copy of his fun and amazing book, BEAUTIFUL OOPS to one of our readers.
And the lucky, randomly chosen winner is...
Sarah Albee--yay, Sarah (who's an amazing author--check out her
website)!
Here's Sarah's
Beautiful Oops:
My oops moment happened when I was a very junior editor at Sesame Street. I was editing my first big book, a SS songbook (because I was the only editor in my dept who could read music and play piano). I went over to Jeff Moss's house (composer of Rubber Duckie) to show him some song arrangements, and when we got to People In Your Neighborhood (his song) we both stared at the composer credit, which read Joe Raposo (his long-time rival and writer of Bein' Green, among many others). Jeff was notoriously curmudgeonly, and I knew there was a good chance he would flip, even though of course it was just galleys and there would be plenty of opportunity to change it. So I quickly made a joke about it (along the lines of how interchangeable he and Joe were, whatevs). After five tense seconds, he grinned broadly. And we became fast friends.
So...drawing the winning name, watching the exciting
announcements of the ALA awards (I felt as if I were in the audience!) and reading
Carmela's,
Mary Ann's,
JoAnn's,
Esther's, and
Jeanne Marie's fabulous and thought-provoking posts about awards, got me to thinking about winning...
...which inspired this poem for Poetry Friday, graciously hosted today by Jim at
HeyJimHill!
WINNINGby April Halprin Wayland
I sit under this treeto sit under this tree.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 9/23/2011
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~
Howdy, Campers--Happy Poetry Friday!
Nikki's accumulated more honors, and has written more books and more articles than we have space to list, but it's too interesting not to mention that she's also a performing artist, a fine artist, a fiber artist, a jeweler and more...as she says, she's a Jane-of-all-Trades. I've known Nikki for a long time and have always been moved by her unfailing generosity. Toda
x
Howdy, Campers! Happy Poetry Friday!
Poetry Friday is hosted by Secrets and Sharing Soda this week.Thank you, Katie!
Our topic this week is REVISION, inspired by The International Reading Association (IRA)'s "Revision Week"--September 5-9, 2011. Visit the IRA's Engage: Teacher to Teacher Blog this week to read/hear comments about revision from several well-known children's authors, including Cynthia Lord and Kate Messner.
We've written LOTS of posts on revision, because, of course, we're always revising. ALWAYS. Also, ALL WAYS.
Oy.
12 Comments on Revision! A LINGO poem! Poetry Friday! and a Play Doh exercise!, last added: 9/10/2011
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 8/26/2011
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Howdy, Campers!
Before you read today's post, be sure to check out JoAnn's interview with Donna Gephart last Friday. You'll want to enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Donna's acclaimed (and funny!) novel, How to Survive Middle School. The entry deadline is tonight, August 26th at 11 p.m. Central Standard Time.
The topic rumbling around TeachingAuthors lately is, What Are Your Writing Fears and What Do You Do About Them?
Fears? Who me?
Okay. I do have a fear. But only one. And it's a teeny-tiny, gentle, kindly, whispering voice in my brain: ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU COULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS DO THIS! YOU ARE A COMPLETELY INCOMPETENT IMBECILE WHO DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO SPELL THE WORD IMBECILE WITHOUT ASKING GOOGLE "HOW DO YOU SPELL IMBOCILE?"--NEVER MIND WRITE A POEM OR A STORY OR A BLOG POST!
Er...what I meant to say is that I respond well to deadlines. (We've written about deadlines
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 7/29/2011
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Happy Poetry Friday--see my poem and poetry exercise below!
~ thanks, Kate!
I am writing this as we wait in the airport for our return flight from our summer vacation in...
Fiji! The best part of this time away from our real lives was the incredible beauty...and slooooowing down. No internet. No texting. No telephone. No multitasking. I woke up and made my bed without turning on NPR. I poured hot water over ground coffee beans without simultaneously calling my mother to see how she was feeling.
I'm embarrassed to say that at first it was hard to have fun, even though, intellectually, I knew that lying on the deck of
Bruce Balan's trimaran was fun...snorkeling was fun, being with my family was fun.
It took a few days to wipe the seriousness, the purposefulness, the To-Do list from my brain. And then, one day, I was there. I was snorkeling in turquoise water over neon tetras and parrot fish and all the fish you see in those wonder-filled tanks at the pet store. I was hiking to the waterfall slides on a red dirt trail. I was biting into an orange paw paw (papaya), or a passion fruit, or a
soursop (which looks like a prickly green dinosaur egg and tastes heavenly--sort of strawberry-pineapple-sour-citrus-creamy-banana-y.)
A man biting into a yummy soursop.
I devoured a mystery series, gobbling each book like potato chips. I wrote a poem each day, as always.
So let's keep summer's sense of fun in our writing. Let's pass it on to our students. I'm teaching my
summer class at UCLA Extension again. It's the one I call my no-homework-for-the-students-no-homework-for-the-teacher class...but its official title is:
The Children's Picture Book Writers' Bag of Tricks: A Six-Week Workshop. The key to this class is to create writing games and prompts which get these adult students out of their chairs, doing spirited hands-on activities before they settle down to write.
WRITING WORKOUT ~ Here's an ice-breaker writing exercise I use in the first class.
- Collect keys. Keys of all kinds—house keys, hotel card keys, skeleton keys, car keys, skate keys (remember those?), boat keys, storage shed keys, jewelry box and diary keys.
- If you're a teacher and don't have a stash of keys, ask eac
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Great exercise, April!
And I'm sorry you have to put up with such a "cruel and heartless blog mistress." :-)
I love writing in a gallery. We usually take our writing camp kids to a local gallery. I'll have to add this exercise to our program. But as all good writing teachers do, I'll have to try it out myself, too.