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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 4/18/2013
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Today, I'm thrilled to announce an extra-special giveaway in honor of our FOURTH BLOGIVERSARY. To show our appreciation to our blog readers AND to one of our favorite independent booksellers, we'll be giving away FOUR $25 gift certificates to Anderson's Bookshops! And, as a bonus, Anderson's is generously offering our winners a 20% discount, which will help defray the shipping costs if you're unable to redeem your gift certificate in person.
In case you're not familiar with this family-owned company, in 2010, Anderson's celebrated their 135th year in business, with six generations of the family now working in their stores. Among their
many accolades, in 2011, Anderson's was named
Publisher's Weekly Bookstore of the Year. Anderson's has a long history of supporting teachers by providing educator resources like
mock Newbery contests, arranging author visits, and sponsoring special events such as their upcoming
Teacher Open House, where educators can learn about the best new releases for classroom use. And educators always receive a 20% discount off the
list price of books to be used in the classroom or library.
Anderson's also has a reputation for hosting wonderful (and numerous!) author signings, and for championing local authors. After many years of attending Anderson's marvelous author events, I was honored to have my first signing at the Naperville store when my novel,
Rosa, Sola, came out. That day, the Anderson's staff made me feel like a real star! I couldn't help getting a little teary-eyed as I addressed the crowd of family, friends, and fellow writers, telling them what a thrill it was to have my signing in the bookstore that felt like my second home.
If you're ever in the Chicago area, I encourage you to visit one of Anderson's stores. But even if a physical trip isn't possible, you can visit them virtually
via their website, where you can order print and
ebooks online. As you'll see below, the winners of our giveaway will have the option of using their gift certificates that way.
The
TeachingAuthors are fans not only of Anderson's, but of independent bookstores everywhere. For the next few weeks, we'll be sharing stories of our appreciation for independent booksellers. Meanwhile, I was pleasantly surprised by the encouraging news the
Salon article "Books Aren't Dead" had about both print books and independent bookstores:
". . . the Christian Science Monitor recently reported [you can read that article here], there are now many indications that a once-beleaguered portion of the bookselling landscape, independent bookstores, are enjoying a “quiet resurgence.” Sales are up this year; established stores, such as Brooklyn’s WORD, are doing well enough to expand and new stores are opening. Indies have been helped by the closure of the Borders chain and a campaign to remind their customers that if they want local bookstores to survive, they have to patronize them, even if that means paying a dollar or two more than they would on Amazon."
I confess, I'm one of those book buyers willing to pay "a dollar or two more" to support my local independent. I want to help ensure they'll still be around when I finally have another book signing. :-)
In addition to celebrating independent booksellers, we decided our blogiversary was a good time for a little spring
cleaning here on the
TeachingAuthors website. I've created two new pages,
which you can find links to under our logo at the top of the page:
Links and
Writing Workouts. The
Links page now contains all the
links that used to be in the sidebar, grouped under the following
headings:
- Websites of Note
- Children's/YA Lit Reading Lists
- Graduate
Programs in Writing for Children and Young Adults
- General Children's/YA
Lit Blogs
- Agent Blogs
- Author/Illustrator Blogs.
The
Writing Workouts page explains the history and evolution of our Writing
Workouts, and allows you to access all of them from one place. I've also
shortened the names of our resources pages to simply "
For Teachers,"
"
For Young Writers," and "
Visits." And I've updated our bios on the
About Us page. I hope you'll take time to explore
these revised pages and give us feedback on what you think of the
changes.
You may also notice a new button in the sidebar labeled "Follow this blog with bloglovin'." I recently learned that
Google will be retiring Google Reader on July 1, 2013, and I wanted to provide other options for those who currently read our posts via Reader.
Bloglovin' allows you to easily import all the blogs you currently follow with Google Reader. I've also seen positive reviews of the RSS service
Feedly (see, for example, this
recommendation in Jane Friedman's newsletter, Electric Speed), so I've included a Feedly link in the sidebar, too. You can read
a quick comparison of Bloglovin' vs. Feedly here.
If you don't already follow our blog, I'll hope you'll sign up to do so today via email, Bloglovin', Feedly, or one of the other options in our sidebar. (Hint--our blog subscribers automatically qualify for
FOUR entries in our blogiversary giveaway. See below for details.)
Before I explain how to enter the giveaway, I want to share a poem the AMAZING April Halprin Wayland wrote in honor of our blogiversary, which actually falls on Monday, Earth Day.
A Blooming Blogiversary
Sheaves of paper, leaves of prose
Typing wobbly rocky rows
Planting tender inkling seeds
Sowing words on glowing screens
Underground the spark is struck
Growing with some care and luck
First a shoot, then a sprout
Weeding all the adverbs out
Seedlings reaching toward the sun
Readers, writers we are one
Blooming in the blogisphere
Post by post, year by year
poem © 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved
A special "thank you" to all the readers who have stuck with us here at
TeachingAuthors "post by post, year by year."
Now, for our Blogiversary Giveaway details:
As I said at the beginning of this post, in honor of our
Fourth Blogiversary, and to celebrate independent booksellers, we're giving away
FOUR $25 gift certificates to
Anderson's Bookshops!
Note: if you're unable to redeem your prize in person at one of Anderson's stores, you will be able to do so online. AND, you'll receive a 20% discount on your purchase!
Please bear with us as we try something new for this giveaway--we're using
Rafflecopter for the first time. If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, you may want to read their info on
how to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and/or the
difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.
Once you've logged into Rafflecopter below (via either Facebook or an email address) you'll see that we've provided
four different options for entering the giveaway--you can pick one or up to all four. The more options you choose, the greater your chances of winning. While we haven't made it a requirement, we hope that everyone will choose to subscribe to the
TeachingAuthors blog. If you're already a subscriber, to enter, you need only click on that option and then tell us how you follow our blog.
As it says in the "Terms and Conditions," this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. You must be 18 or older to enter. And please note: email addresses will
only be used to contact winners. The giveaway will run from now through the end of
Children's Book Week, on May 19. Winners will be notified May 20, 2013.
I hope that covers everything. But if you have any questions about the giveaway, feel free to email us at teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.
Good luck to everyone! And don't forget--it's
Poetry Friday. When you're done entering our giveaway, check out the Poetry Friday round-up over at
Live Your Poem.
Happy writing!
Carmela
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Last year at the Perth Writers Festival family Day I got a free magnet board and enough letter magnets to spell my name. This year got a sheet of magnet words. Today I finally opened both - and wrote a poem.
Not a great photo - actually very hard to photograph because of white background and tiny size of words. But lots of fun.
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 2/27/2013
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Howdy, Campers!
Be sure to check out the Second Annual March Madness Poetry Tournament (details below!)...and welcome to today's
As I mentioned in
last week's post, my teacher
Barbara Bottner asks writing students to write about our greatest fears as if they were monsters.
So, I asked myself...if my fear of writing mediocre poems and stories were a monster, what would it be like?
It's a blob. A beige blob. With blood-shot eyes. It's as big as a
refrigerator and hunches on the rug blocking the window. It smells.
Like a wet giraffe. It has tuna stuck between its yellowing teeth and a
runny nose, and it's dropping Snickers wrappers on my clean carpet. And
it JUST KNOCKED OVER MY EDGAR ALLEN POE DOLL which was carefully balanced on top
of my stuffed dog!
And since Monkey* and I are both afraid of writing something stupid, I'm bringing back a (revised) poem
from a post about second-rate writing:
GO AWAY, BIG BEIGE MONSTER OF
SECOND-RATE WRITING
by April Halprin Wayland
You smell of ink and blood and
death
and plastics that are burning.
My hands both shake, my
headache’s back
and now my stomach’s churning.
I will not let you in today.
GO HOME!
(Hooray! I’m learning!)
poem © 2013 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
Now it's your turn.
1) What are you afraid of? Make a list of
at least five things that scare you. Are you afraid of snakes? Of flying? If
you’re a writer (of COURSE you're a writer!), are you afraid of rejection?
2) Circle the one that scares you the most…or the one that you can’t wait to
write about.
3) Make this fear into a creature. Try to include as many of the five
senses as possible--how does it sound? How does it smell? Maybe
your fear of heights is a moldy grey vulture who hides in caves, makes snarky
noises, and wears high tops…or maybe your fear of the dark is a neon green
monster with sticky skin and garlicky breath that whispers evil things in your
ear.
4) Write a story or a poem about this creature. You might want to speak to it
or yell at it. Dialogue is fun to read aloud. Wouldn’t it be neat to YELL at
your fear? Or maybe YOU'RE the creature!
5) Share your writing with someone you want to scare.
ha ha
*In case you haven't met yet, this is Monkey, who will occasionally be writing blog posts for me:
Oh! I did mention Ed DeCaria's marvelous
Second Annual March Madness Poetry Tournament, didn't I?
Ed revealed the 64 "authletes" on Academy Awards night and I'm among them--yay! As
Mary Lee says, "I'm looking forward to the fun (and the stress)!"
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: Genevieve Petrillo,
on 12/30/2012
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Today, we’re counting down Our Year in Review.
My Highlights in 2012
3. My picture was in a book! Chuck Sambuchino wrote a political humor book called Red Dog / Blue Dog, and he used my picture to illustrate one of the pages! I looked adorable.
2. I learned how to dance. Mom taught me to twirl around on my hind feet for a cookie.
1. I forgot how to bowl! I learned bowling using empty water bottles…..
But then Santa brought me a bowling set, and I have no idea how to bowl. So I just take a pin and bring it on the couch.
16. I found some bread that the birds dropped in front of my house. It was delicious!
Mom’s Highlights in 2012
3. Mom’s story Fly Fishing was in the final issue of Stories for Children Magazine in November. There was no dog in the story, but there was a trout.
2. Mom’s story Waiting for Petey was in the November/December issue of Turtle Magazine. there was no dog in the story, but there was a teddy bear (I love teddy bears).
1. NWEA bought Mom’s poem Talking Goldfish to use in their online test prep program. There was no dog in the poem, but there was a fish.
42. Humpty Dumpty Magazine is holding Mom’s story Show and Tell Surprise for possible publication in the May/June 2013 issue. There was no dog in the story, but there was a hermit crab.
67. Mom completed 3 challenges this year – 12x12in’12 (3 of her 12 stories featured a dog), PiBoIdMo (9 of her 30 ideas are about dogs), and Goodreads. (about 30 of the 214 books she read had a dog in them).
2012 is in the rear view mirror. Bring on 2013. Happy New Year!
By: ChloeF,
on 12/28/2012
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By Michael Ferber
William Wordsworth
The Very Short Introductions are indeed very short, so I had to cut a chapter out of my volume that would have discussed the aftermath or legacy of Romanticism today, two hundred years after Romanticism’s days of glory. In that chapter I would have pointed out the obvious fact that those who still love poetry look at the Romantic era as poetry’s high point in every European country. Think of Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, Pushkin, Mickiewicz, Leopardi, Lamartine, Hugo, and Nerval. Those who still love “classical” music fill the concert halls to listen to Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin, Berlioz, and Wagner; and those who still love traditional painting flock to look at Constable, Turner, Friedrich, and Delacroix. These poets and artists are still “alive”: their works are central to the culture from which millions of people still draw nourishment. I can scarcely imagine how miserable I would feel if I knew I could never again listen to Beethoven or read a poem by Keats.
But more interesting, I think, is the afterlife of the Romantics in more popular culture. Take William Blake, for instance. Almost a century after he died, Charles Parry set Blake’s sixteen-line poem “And did those feet in ancient time / Walk upon England’s mountains green” to a memorable hymn tune. It was first intended for a patriotic rally during World War I, but it was soon taken up by the women’s suffrage movement and the labour movement because of its moving evocation of a once and future Jerusalem in “England’s green and pleasant land.” It is now England’s second national anthem, and is sung in America too: a Connecticut friend of mine always sings “in New England’s green and pleasant land.” It also inspired the title and the music of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. Emerson, Lake and Palmer have recorded an acid-rock version of the hymn in Brain Salad Surgery (1973) and Billy Bragg made a more restrained but eloquent one in 1990. In 1948 William Blake “appeared” to Allen Ginsberg in a hallucination, and thus takes much of the credit (or blame) for the Beat poet’s immense poetic works. I often see Blake’s “Proverbs of Hell” as grafitti on walls or as slogans on bumper stickers. When I was an underpaid teaching assistant I joined a picket line carrying a sign I had made: “The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.” Even as a well-broken-in horse of instruction today I still see much truth in that proverb.
A major legacy of Romanticism is the environmental movement. John Muir (1838-1914), the great pioneer of the wilderness preservation movement, and founder of the Sierra Club, combined a Romantic sensibility with an outlook based on the Bible. He absorbed Burns from his native Scotland, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Shelley from England, and Emerson and Thoreau from his adopted America. Thoreau himself, who was close to the Transcendentalist group, which grew in large part out of German and British Romanticism, was the first great nature writer in America; his Walden is still required reading not only in universities but among those who are devoted to conservation and sustainability. Wordsworth himself, of course, deserves some credit for his role in preserving the Lake District; he is sometimes called the grandfather of the National Trust of the UK
It is true that the environmental movement owes much to modern science, and most modern scientists no longer consider Romanticism a useful source of concepts. However it is also true that without something of the Romantic sensibility, especially the feeling of connectedness to nature or rootedness in the earth, it would not be much of a movement. “Organic” metaphors were common among the Romantics, notably the idea that nature is not a mechanism but a living organism and that in an open and imaginative state of mind we can, as Wordsworth put it, “see into the life of things,”. It seems to me that the holistic and ecological outlook owes much to this spirit. Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), famous for his best-selling Sand County Almanac with its “land ethic,” writes of the “biotic community” and the importance of “thinking like a mountain” to understand the complex interrelationships of humans and nature. And what could be more holistic than the “Gaia” theory of James Lovelock (born in 1919), according to which the whole earth acts like one huge organism or ecological unit?
“Romantic” is often a pejorative term, used to dismiss unrealistic, escapist, woolly, or dreamy ideas. But it now seems likely that if we don’t soon become a little more Romantic, the earth will dismiss us.
Michael Ferber is Professor of English and Humanities and English Graduate Director at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of several books including Romanticism: A Very Short Introduction.
The Very Short Introductions (VSI) series combines a small format with authoritative analysis and big ideas for hundreds of topic areas. Written by our expert authors, these books can change the way you think about the things that interest you and are the perfect introduction to subjects you previously knew nothing about. Grow your knowledge with OUPblog and the VSI series every Friday!
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Image Credit: A portrait of William Wordsworth from Portrait Gallery of the Perry–Castañeda Library of the University of Texas at Austin [public domain via Wikimedia Commons]
The post Romanticism: a legacy appeared first on OUPblog.
Some years back, I came across "Buffalo Dusk" by Carl Sandburg. The poem is in
The Random House Book of Poetry for Children: A Treasury of 572 Poems for Today's Child (1983) selected by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Arnold Lobel. Here it is:
The buffaloes are gone.
And those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
Those who saw the buffaloes by thousands and how they
pawed the prairie sod into dust with their great hoofs,
their great heads down pawing on in a great pageant of dusk,
Those who saw the buffaloes are gone.
And the buffaloes are gone.
Sandburg was wrong, but is that what he thought when he wrote the poem in 1920? How many people, in 1920, thought "those who saw the buffaloes" were gone? It wasn't true then, and it wasn't true in 1983 when Jack Prelutsky chose the poem for the collection... Did Prelutsky think so in 1983? And when Lobel was drawing the buffalo herd that accompanies the poem, did he think so?
By: KC Oliver,
on 8/6/2011
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Phase two of my holidays is goin' exactly as planned. =D
The week has been awesome and busy and fun. The hubby had a blast on a camping trip with his bro, and I spent time with my amazin' daughter and some really great friends.
My daughter and I always have so much fun together, she's as crazy as I am. We spent one day mall shopping, visiting the best store on the planet; 'Teaopia' - we spent as much time in there as we did in the rest of the mall!
The next day was a museum day at the Manitoba Museum, Planetarium and Science Gallery.
In the MB Museum we hung out in a bat cave; played eye-spy in exhibits; swam with the tall ship Nonsuch; got freaked out in the creepy town when we realized we were the only people left in the museum cuz it was after hours and closing (you do NOT wanna get locked-in overnight in a museum!). (O_o) Just sayin'.
We saw a Beatles laser show at the Planetarium - a first for both of us. Good tunes, dry ice and dancing lights - awesome!
The science gallery is filled with these crazy cool things like an anti-gravity machine, a meteorite you can touch, pulley chairs, sound wave dishes, you can even build lil Kinex cars and race them! So much fun!
I spent the next day at Starbucks with my friend Sammy, catching up and talkin' shop (writin' stuff). =) She is one smart lady and a fantastic writer. She always gets me psyched to write.
Yesterday, I went poolside with my buddy Valerie and my daughter. Nothin' like hours of warm weather, great conversation and yummy goodies. Valerie has even begun to write! You go girl!
I'm still on holidays until Tuesday and I plan to make the most outta every minute! Woot woot!
For my writing exercise, I woke up yesterday morning with this first line, 'I am trapped by the darkness of my soul', running thru my head and it inspired the following poem:
0 Comments on Trapped as of 8/6/2011 10:45:00 PM
Ahem. I am a bit loopy there's no doubt, but I can't miss a post! So enjoy my crazy attempt at a poem - Ode to SCBWI LA and be sure to come back Thursday for a contest and character interview you won't want to miss!
What's incredible, amazing, and cool, even though it's a mouthful to say?SCBWI's hard enough, then they added the letters LA!But we will forgive them for making it hard because of all they do,I don't want to be dramatic but without them I wouldn't have a clue.
Helpful, supportive, and gracious only begins to describe,Between workshops and speeches, and dances that give us the chance to imbibe,we build many friendships, we learn about craft, we vent about our journey,We pitch, and critique, and grow so nervous you could cart us all off on a gurney!
So many lessons, and formats to learn. So many faux pas and rules,Thank goodness they're there to pick up the pieces and provide us with the tools.It can be overwhelming and wonderful too, with so much to do and to see,But all of those writers make it worthwhile and an awesome place to be!photo credit
By:
Carmela Martino and 5 other authors,
on 8/12/2011
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Howdy, Campers! Happy Poetry Friday!
Poetry Friday is hosted by
Karen Edmisten this week.
Thank you, Karen!
I was fiddling and with dactyls and double dactyls this week. A dactyl contains three syllables: one stressed followed by two unstressed (/ - - ). So, for example, the word
marmalade (MAR-ma-lade), which we say with a stress on the first syllable, is a dactylic word. The phrase,
"Talk to me!" is also a dactyl.
The rhythm of a dactyl makes you want to dance. It's light and suits playful topics.
Dactyls remind me of pterodactyls. But that's not where I went. Instead, I took out a handy can of Play Doh and opened it. WOWZA!
I read a bit about Play Doh's
inventor and
history and then, in honor of
National Play Doh Day, (September 18th), I wrote this poem:
AN ODE TO DOH
by April Halprin WaylandPlay Doh, invented by Joseph McVicker,
is putty that's squishy and spongy and soft
and supple and yielding and malleable colors--
its bouquet bewitches, it lingers, it wafts
across much of our planet--
over two billion sold!
There's even a
fragrance (and who wouldn't want it?)
a perfume in honor (it's fifty years old!)
The recipe's classified--
water and flour, and a sprinkling of salt?
I can fiddle with Play Doh for hour after hour
and if I'm not writing, it's McVicker's fault!
poem (c) 2011 April Halprin Wayland, all rights reserved
It’s that time of year again, when the German sun sets at 4 p.m. in a blanket of gray, and even a candlelight lunch doesn’t seem like a ridiculous idea.
In this season I always think of a poem by my friend Etta, and today she’s agreed to share it with us. Thanks so much, Etta.
MOON SHINE
I.
There is never enough light in winter.
Even in the room you chose
for its double window,
the sun barely gives enough
to read by.
*
I imagine you at your desk
scrambling to catch
what morning light there is.
II.
You have made me think about winter.
how the sun is closer to us
but its light is less:
an inverse, illogical proportion
that my science can explain but not excuse.
A tilting on the axis,
a simple change of wavelength,
hardly seems enough to cause
a melancholy season.
*
Winter’s saving grace
is cloudless night,
each star a perfect prick
in blue; midnight’s moonlight
compensates for gray noon,
bleeding cold life
through your thick curtains.
*
Etta Jensen-Barnes
Etta and I have been friends since first semester of our freshman year, when we took poetry with the late, great Robert Kirkpatrick. After that class, I became an English major and never looked back.
With so little light, I’m grateful to have the tree up and the advent wreath to light each day. Did you know German tree stands hold no water? We learned that this week. It’s traditional to get your tree on December 24th and to keep it up until January 6. Trees are cut much closer to the time of sale, so they don’t really need watering during that short period, I guess. We brought our American tree stand, so we’re watering ours anyway. Some habits die hard.
I love this idea for a children’s Christmas tree over at elsiemarley, and also check out her list of Christmas activities to do with the kids. I especially like this woven ornament idea from the crafty crow.
Also, randomly:
An editorial about amazon’s sneaky new promotion. But hey, hardcover book sales in stores are up!
Also, I’m making progress on the sleeves for this. Maybe, maybe it’ll be done in time for Christmas. But I’m not above wrapping it up in pieces. Watch me.
Also making progress on my novel and trying to get an old nonfiction writing project restarted. Back to work.
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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.
Elora Writers' Festival invites entries for their 9th annual writing competition. Prizes: $200, $100, $75 (4 age categories). Submit: Short story/personal essay (1500 words max.) and poetry (75 lines max). Deadline: April 27, 2012. Entry fee $15 (writers 20+ only).
By: yesisedit,
on 2/26/2012
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One of the, if not The, deepest questions of the universe.
You have to start with what you believe is the force that is the creator of this life I believe.
Some think of GOD as a human type creature in who’s image we are created, with long flowing hair, robes to make him modest though he needs to hide nothing from his creations as I see it, and a celestial kingdom where he, or she in some cases, sits reining judgement down upon the works he designed and gave free will to.
I can not see that which created me in such limited form. I can not even envelope the concept of never ending or forever just because I am temporary in this form at least. I do however believe I was created from and by the “GOD” that has no limits and this is exactly why I think I am made in it’s likeness, BUT not in it’s totality, there are things missing if I am separate FROM God, God did not make me GOD, God, or even god, GOD made me human, GOD made everything else what it is too I believe but I think, like one atom in my body or even smaller than that, to infinity small, that part is still a part of GOD though never “GOD”, only a part, that the smallest part of me is still me, I am made in the likeness of and from GOD, I am alive, that smallest part of me is alive, GOD must also be alive if we are all part of everlasting life.
Conclusion; Life never begins, it is never ended, It IS!
Consciousness in itself does not prove to me that I am not alive.
The fact that when sperm and egg combine and the DNA messages combine to spark cell multiplication (The spark of life if you will) and a plan is put into affect to form a body which will make a human or any other living thing would seem to be life to me.
BUT it was life even before that! The EGG and the SPERM were also alive, donated by the life forms of at least two separate beings, who were made in the image of GOD, who is also alive.
GOD talks to all of us in GOD’s own way. Some hear “Him” like “He” was talking in their language and sitting having tea I suppose. Others see the “Great Spirit” manifest as all that surrounds us and all that can not be seen or even heard but that still is. I am more from that camp I suppose but still believe all is possible.
The right to life for me is hard to conceive when I believe that life is never ending. The right to life is not for me to tell you, you may or may not have though if you threaten my life I will not hesitate to use what ever is at my disposal to protect mine and stop yours!
The question to me is more the quality of the life you give rather than just letting all life happen. If all in creation is from GOD then even the worst of it is sacred and the Jaines may be correct and may have more in line with current Christian values than most think. But if we do not take into account what we offer, if a human is brought into this world through violent action that threatens the life that brings it who is the killer here? The mother who was raped or is too young and will surely die from the birth or the entity being born who would kill it’s mother, most assuredly it would be the rapist but can we take his life either? I would say it is not my place to judge any of these unless they are me. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY LIFE! But a Mother must make the call of giving herself for another in my view. It may seem selfish or unjust but it must be hers with as much help and support from all sides as she can get. Advise and support but not Judgement and in the end her decision as final carrier of that which will always be alive to enter into this world.
If you believe in eternal life you will not be sad for the soul who returns to it’s maker but wish it return another time
The Cat in the Hat was back again last week. Mom hung out with him at her old school where she used to be a teacher. She read stories and poems to some third graders for Dr. Seuss’s Birthday. She did not read Cat in the Hat, AND thank goodness she didn’t bring him home with her. Cats are dangerous. They could scratch my nose, or I could accidentally chew them like a squeaky toy.
Mom likes reading stories to kids. She said, “It makes me feel like a teacher again.” and “Those third graders were great listeners and LOTS of fun.” and “Why does this squirrel only have three legs?”
I don’t know why Mom had to go to school to read. She reads stories out loud to herself all the time around here. Today, she read one story that she wants to show to her writing group named DavidLaurieandOtherDavid. Then she read a story that she wants to send to a publisher. Then she read another story that she is entering in a contest. Stories, stories, stories!
In a couple of weeks, Mom will go to visit some kids and librarians at a middle school. I will look out the window with my sad face on and watch her leave. She will talk about being an author AND read them stories! Soon after that, she will go to visit some 5th graders, and guess what she’ll do there. Read stories AGAIN!
I can’t wait till Mom’s story about me gets published. Then I will not watch sadly out the window. I will go with her and we will read stories to the kids together.
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By: yesisedit,
on 3/17/2012
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With apologies to my ancestors, My interpretation of Skibbereen and post script.
They say it tis a lovely place, where in a saint might dwell,
so why did you abandon it father dear, the reason to me tell?
Oh son I loved my native land, with energy and much pride
‘Til a blight came over on my prats, my sheep and cattle died,
The rent and taxes were so high, I could not them redeem,
And that’s the true cruel reason why, I left dear old Skibbereen.
Oh, It’s sure I do remember, that bleak December day,
The landlord and the sheriff came, to drive us all away
They set my roof afire, with their cursed yellow english spleen
And that’s another reason why, I left dear old Skibbereen.
Your mother too, God rest her soul, fell on that snowy ground,
She fainted in her anguish, seeing the desolation laid all round.
She never rose, but passed away, from life to imortal dream,
She found a quiet grave, my boy, in dear old Skibbereen.
And you were only a wee young lad, and feeble was your frame,
I could not leave you with your friends, for you bore your father’s name,
I wrapped you in my overcoat , in the dead of night unseen
I heaved a sigh, and said goodbye, to dear old Skibbereen
o’ father dear, the day will come, when answer to the call
all Irish men of Freedom Stern, will rally one and all
ill be the man to lead the band, beneath the flag of green
loud and clear, well raise a cheer , remember Skibbereen
PS on St. Patrick’s day
The plight of the Irish immigrants who flooded the world in the time of potato famine
was caused as much by greed and prejudice as any lack of simple peasant food.
The poor Irish were driven from land by invaders, monetary greed, by taxes and starvation,
demonized like any culture the powerful wish to wash away so they may consolidate their power.
If scattered, the poor could not rise up, if not fed they would parish and be no threat.
Drunkenness is not the legacy my father gave to me, pride in my name and ancestory
of a race that will never give up or in until death takes me kicking to what lays beyond.
That is what my Father sang to me as his Father did to him.
John Murphy
Today’s five words are about poetry.
1. Rhyme – That’s when words are kind of like each other. Kind of. I’m kind of like the dog planter. Kind of….
2. Alliteration – That’s when words start the same. Lots of Mom’s sentences start out the same. They are usually, “Cupcake…” and “Cupcake!….” and “CUPCAKE!!…” And then, “Ugh!”
3. Haiku – Bless you.
4. Imagery – That’s when words make a picture. Why can’t a picture make a picture? Like this!
5. Onomatopoeia – Thats when a word sounds like a sound. Like bow-wow, woof, ruff, slurp, meow, tick-tick-tick, and bzzzzzzz. That last one is the dreaded sound of the evil mechanical hamster. Soon, I am hoping to make the sound of CRUNCH, RRRIP, and SMUSH with that horrible thing.
For the last day of National Poetry Month, Mom and I are counting down some titles of her poems.
Poems I like:
I like these because they have animals in them.
3. Simon
2. Changing Shells
1. Golfin’ Dolphin
Poems Mom likes:
Mom likes these because they’re about school.
3. Lost and Found
2. Mad
1. My Teacher’s Grandma
…We both like this one, because it has my name in it.
Raining Cupcakes
It’s not about when it was raining on me (which I hate).
It’s about the other kind of cupcake (which I love).
Here is an acrostic poem that Mom and I wrote together. It’s about the Veteran’s Hospital that I visit in my Therapy Dog work. See if you can tell which part Mom wrote and which part was written by me….
Hospital
by
Cupcake and Mom
H – Hugging brand new friends.
O – Open doors say, “Come on in.”
S – Sick friends need cheering up.
P – People smile at Cupcake.
I – In the hallways we take it slow.
T – Take me into that room! No that one! And this one! And that one!
A – And let’s give kisses to her! And him! And them!
L – Later we’ll come back. I can’t wait! Tomorrow? Please. Please! PLEASE!!
10 Comments on Countdown Wednesday, last added: 5/2/2012
RENOIR’S RED HAT
A poem about Art History
What makes a happy heart
Is seeing modern art
The museum’s where I start
To put art in my pocket
I put art in my pocket
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
They won’t fit in my pocket so
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
From a bench I sat
And stared at Pollock’s splats
He splattered out of vats
I put splats in my pocket
Pollock splats in my pocket
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
Next I see Seurat
He painted little dots
I like those dots a lot
I put dots in my pocket
Seurat dots in my pocket
Seurat who painted dots
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
Kandinsky looks like candy
Candy would be dandy
I’d like some dandy candy
I put them in my pocket
Kandinsky in my pocket
Kandinsky looks like candy
Seurat who painted dots
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
I also like Keith Haring
I find his line so daring
Wait till the guard’s not glaring
Then put them in my pocket
Keith Haring in my pocket
Haring’s daring line
Kandinsky looks like candy
Seurat who painted dots
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
Warhol copied soup cans
Campbells is the name brand
Using only one hand
I put them in my pocket
Warhol in my pocket
Warhol’s copied cans
Haring’s daring line
Kandinsky looks like candy
Seurat who painted dots
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
Van Gogh made Starry Night
A Swirly whirly site
Makes me think I might
Put it in my pocket
Van Gogh into my pocket
Van Gogh’s painted swirls
Warhol’s copied cans
Haring’s daring line
Kandinsky looks like candy
Seurat who painted dots
Pollock and his splats
Renoir and his red hats
Those hats are always red
I put them on my head
I put them on my head
-------------
Now it’s time to go
This is how I know
My pants are hanging low
There’s no room in my pocket
There’s no room in my pocket
I’m almost down the block
That’s when I hear the cop
He hollers at me STOP!
He knows about my pockets
The art that’s in my pockets
Run!
Down the street I dart
My pockets full of art
I lose some from the start
Seruat falls out my pocket
Van Gogh falls out my pocket
I turn the corner fast
Can tell I’m running past
Not sure the art will last
Pollock leaves my pocket
Kandinsky out my pocket
I hear my heart go pound
It’s making a loud sound
I fall and hit the ground
Haring out my pocket
Warhol out my pocket
And looking up I see
The guard stands over me
And says to me with glee
I think you dropped your hat
Those hats are always red
I put it on my head
I put it on my head
.
…
shishh-shishh-shishh (in a nod to
Mary Ann's post on sound, this is the sound of shuffling through all the entry names on strips of paper in a pail with my eyes closed and then pulling one out)
Irene Latham! How appropriate for Poetry Friday—congratulations, poet Irene!
Life is what happens to you / While you're busy making other plans,
John Lennon wrote in his song Beautiful Boy.
I have been working on the election for more than a year and have put my 14-year-old-novel-that-scares-the-dickens-out-of-me aside. You know the one--the one that's supposed to be in bookstores everywhere by now. At least that was the plan.
Every day my stomach twinges; I wonder if I'll ever finish it. If I'm capable of finishing it.
Don't try to force anything. Let life be a deep let-go.
See God opening millions of flowers every day without forcing the buds
~ Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
PATIENCE
by April Halprin Wayland
.
"Come in," I say to my almost-book.
But it stays outside,
in a halo of porch light.
It will not take off its coat or paisley rain boots,
though I offer it a place on the couch
and a cup of hot tea.
It seems comfortable out there,
watching rain
dripping off the roof.
So I go about my days, my nights,
researching, running, writing.
Wrestling with wildlife.
Every now and then I tilt my head
to look out the window
at my almost-book on the wooden porch.
It's out there still,
in no hurry,
surrounded by the fragrance of tuberose.
poem (c) 2012 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved.
Writing Workout: Wrestling with Demons
In the poem above, I told an embarrassing truth that haunts me.
It's October...nearly Halloween.
I dare you to do the same.
And remember to write with joy.
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ACK! I made a mistake and published early, stepping all over Esther's post. Please take a minute to read her fab post below this one (which inludes an inspiring poetry exercise) and comment. Thank you!
Great Post, Art and writing! I bought "Pitschi" years ago for my son, but probably secretly because I fell in love with the illustrator/writer Hans Fischer. I'll have to check out "The Birthday." Thanks, Michelle
Oh so sweet - those little chicks climbing up the covers and bunnies bearing carrots for the sick kitten! I think I must buy a copy of this quickly! The cover reminded me a bit of "Kitten's First Full Moon."
Definitely spark and ember material!
Wow, what a terrific story, April. And I'm so glad your quest has a happy ending. :-)
I don't know this one, April, but now - oh, I WANT to!
So glad you found your cherished book! What a great story about finally locating it.
I remember loving a story about a King who wanted a special dessert, "as hot as summer and as cold as winter." His subjects tried to create several, which he rejected . . . until someone came up with a hot fudge sundae. Don't remember the title or author and I know somebody else out there has heard of it . . . :)
Jama...I haven't thought of that King's dessert book in fifty years. I DO remember it...I can see the illustrations...I just can't remember the freakin' name of it. I thought it was The King's Dessert...but that is coming up in any of my searches. Woe is the librarian who can't resurrect the title of a long lost favorite book. I WILL find it!
What a great story and a great poem. Those books we loved when we were young get into us so deeply.
Was it as wonderful as you remembered?
Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
Ruth--yes! It is as wonderful as I remembered!
Jama--OF COURSE you loved a story about dessert!!!! (Mary Ann will find it or no one will!)
Those stories do get into our DNA, don't they?