I attended a CLN (in the picture, I've got my legs crossed and back to the camera) Nikki Grimes event a couple of weeks ago. Shoot. I'm having major computer issues this morning and am not even sure this post will be able to go live. I can't add any more links, either!
Anyway, Nikki Grimes is a fabulous poet, writer, and marketer! Hearing her speak at the L.A. SCBWI event several years ago helped me shape the poetry collection that is now coming out next year from Clarion (STAMPEDE: POEMS ABOUT THE WILD SIDE OF SCHOOL). She spoke about promotion and her attitude toward it. Here are a few of my notes. Geez, even cutting and pasting is not working properly. Trying this again. And again. And again.
To be truly successful, you have to be willing to step back and view your own work the same way that publishers do. Think about situating it in the marketplace.
For instance, she wrote 100 urban haiku and organized them by season. She kept hearing from editors, “Why are you writing haiku?” So she looked at it again. “What have I been selling? What are people responding to?” Narrative. So she redid it. She added narrative. It became A Pocketful of Poems. The rest of the poems weren’t lost, either. They’ve shown up in lots of her other works, including Praying with Daddy, and in anthologies.
Try to be flexible and objective. Ask "What has been working for me?"
“Don’t alter your vision. But let it be informed by marketplace realities.”
She thinks of promotion as theater.
Rehearse it until it sounds natural.
"I psych myself up for it. I was not gonna not write. So the question became, How do I make a living at it?"
"Great. I have to walk up to total strangers." [Which you'd never know if you watched her in action.] It’s not natural for her. It’s not her druther. “If it were my choice, I’d hang out in the corner with my writing friends and talk art…But that’s not gonna get books sold.”
"If you’re going to go to the trouble of writing a book for kids, you need to take it to the next level. Make it work."
"Or make it a hobby, which is fine and can be very fulfilling."
She works with an agent, most especially because of new media issues.
Every profession has that aspect—that part of it that isn’t what you love. Librarians become librarians because they love books and reading to kids, etc.…not because they love meetings and acquisition forms, etc. For most writers, that aspect is promotion, but it’s necessary in order to get to the parts you do love.
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By: Laura Purdie Salas,
on 7/23/2008
Blog: laurasalas (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: promotion, nikki grimes, Add a tag
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By: Cynthia Reeg,
on 6/17/2008
Blog: What's New (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: poetry, novels in verse, Nikki Grimes, poets, Harding University, narrative poetry, Add a tag
On Friday, June 13, at Harding University I had the great privilege to listen to readings and teachings of poet and author, Nikki Grimes.
Ms. Grimes stated that as our world grows more complicated nothing can prepare a child for it like poetry.
She said poetry can be a message or a massage, depending on the words used in the poem. She takes a natural, organic approach to poetry and has been a lifelong student of it. Ms. Grimes said, “I’m a poet down to my soul.” She explained that a poem tells a story or paints a picture with as few words as possible. She directed us to tune into our senses and draw on the environment—to play with the words.
She told us to begin with a simple description of a subject and then play around with a couple of the phrases we had written. We were to use word tools, like a dictionary and thesaurus. And she cautioned us about using rhyme—it should only be included when used well and with intention. But she does like internal rhyme and uses it often.
She shared with us the galley of her picture book biography of Barack Obama, which is to be released in September of this year. Her poetic voice shaped the story of the senator’s life from childhood to his current Presidential election campaign.
Ms. Grimes read excerpts from her latest novel in verse, THE DARK SONS. The story parallels the lives of two boys, one modern (Sam) and one ancient (biblical Ishmael) She also read selections from two of her narrative poetry picture books, WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING, and MEET DANITRA BROWN. Ms. Grimes explained that every poem in a narrative poetry book must be a complete poem in itself, but it must also add to the development of the story. And a novel in verse is more complicated than narrative poetry because it must have a more detailed plot, setting and time period.
Ms. Grimes wove the words of her poems with the skill of a master. She truly was an inspiration--a revelation, a celebration, pure jubilation! (And I hope she will forgive me for using these rhyming words to describe it all.)
By: Cynthia Reeg,
on 6/12/2008
Blog: What's New (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing tips, teachers, writing exercises, writing workshops, Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Nikki Grimes, Alexandra LaFaye, Add a tag
Like pifflesquat. Or acrobat. Or rhinoceros. Or fluttered. Or mesmerized.
WOW Words energize writing. They are great to use in poetry and wonderful for prose. Writers, of course, need to surround themselves with WOW Words. To collect them like dazzling jewels to make their stories sparkle.
Teachers in the classroom can help students recognize and utilize WOW Words. Ms. LaFaye suggested creating a funky jar of WOW Words which the students can draw from. She recommended introducing this topic over a five day period. At the start of the instruction, have students select 5 WOW Words and then use them in a poem or a short story. On the next day, the students may only draw out 4 WOW Words and must provide the additional word themselves. On the third day, they select 3 words and provide 2 of their own. On the fourth day, they select 2 words and provide 3 of their own. And on the fifth day, they can only select one WOW Word or perhaps even challenge them to provide all 5 WOW Words themselves.
After each day’s session, the teacher can collect the new WOW Words—written on index cards—then discuss with the class some of the new words and why they work. The teacher can add these words to the WOW jar for future writing exercises.
Here are a few highlights from Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s presentation on writing nonfiction.
It doesn’t have to be written in chronological order.
It needs to have rising and falling action just as fiction does.
Too much information shouldn't be given at once.
Ms. Bartoletti showed us a page from her book, BLACK POTATOES: THE STORY OF THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE. She pointed out the 8 literary devices she used to make the material more appealing:
SETTING (quickly established)
SCENE (a specific instance)
CHARACTERS (quickly drawn so the reader can identify)
DIALOG (which can NEVER be made up in nonfiction)
PLOT (rising and falling action)
NARRATION (mixed in with the showing)
VIVID WRITING (active verbs, sensory words)
By: Erin,
on 2/9/2008
Blog: Miss Erin (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nikki grimes, nikki grimes, Add a tag
by Nikki Grimes
Bronx Masquerade is story of many stories. 18 students share their stories, first in prose with the reader, then through poetry with their classmates.
This book is incredible. The author manages 18 different points of view, and the magical thing is the way in which they all connect. 18 teens who are so different and unique from each other, yet they all have things in common. You feel the growth in this classroom; at first no one really likes anybody else (hardly, anyway) but by the end no one feels alone anymore. They open up to each other through their poems, and there's always someone else who gets it, who gets what they're saying.
I read Bronx Masquerade all in one sitting. It grabbed me from the first couple of pages and I could not set it down until I turned the last one. The ending, by the way, was perfect. Everything about the book was perfect, actually. Highly, highly recommended.
By: Erin,
on 2/8/2008
Blog: Miss Erin (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: nikki grimes, readergirlz, nikki grimes, Add a tag
Read the February issue of readergirlz.
This month, readergirlz are discussing Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes.
Download this month's poster(PDF)
Drop by the readergirlz forum, where you may discuss the book with other readers and with the author herself! The forum is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There will be a live chat with Nikki Grimes held on Thursday, February 21st at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST.
Our February theme is Self-Worth. With this month's book and theme in mind, the readergirlz divas and the postergirlz advisory council recommend the following books:
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper
My Sisters' Voices: Teenage Girls of Color Speak Out by Iris Jacob
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Next month's featured book and author: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
By: Rebecca,
on 9/28/2007
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: blog, Poetry, oxford, A-Featured, otho, Add a tag
More poetry for your enjoyment. Below King Otho spins some words for us.
NOW IT:S SERIOUS?
by King Otho
The halls are filled with names of
winners
losers
champions
dead people
The trees calmly
EXIST
The mind reminds
of times in
-
the forest
-
clubhouse disasters
tornados of authority
Do
do words in order
actually
relate to each other
I began typing this poem
and the computer
auto-typed the rest
I read it briefly
and hit enter
to accept
Accept
accept
Is that spelled right?
Right click for a
list of suggestions
Hmmmm,
yes
it seems to be.
Doesnt look it though
One uh dem
weird words.
You know them
WEIRD words
i before e
except in
WEIRD WORDS
like in spanish
ASCIENDO
uh
yes, YES
A S C I E N D O
or did I mean
asiento?
-
The other one.
Oh lord,
I think you
for this bounty
of connections
I am received
In heaven
earth heaven
my mind
in real
always
now and
for real now
amen
Born out of the seedy underbelly of the poetry scene at the turn of the millennium - The Buffalo Poets, known for their unique energy and wit, began hosting open readings as a direct reaction to Slam Poetics and cookie cutter style poets found in New York City. Hailing originally from New York City, the Buffalo are composed of many artists throughout America including, but not limited to: Roger Kenny aka King Otho, Noah Levin, David Acevedo, Kevin Callahan, James Honzik, Michael “Molotov” Franklin, Shakuhachi Jon, the jazz band Flip, Brian Kenny and the infamous activist Rafael Bueno.
By: Rebecca,
on 7/27/2007
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Poetry, Literature, art, oxford, King, A-Featured, Otho, hooting, passerby, jiggling, falling, spinning, galaxies, bouncing, battery, Add a tag
A final post to enrich your Friday with poetry. Be sure to check back next month for another series of poems from The Buffalo Poets.
By: Rebecca,
on 6/29/2007
Blog: OUPblog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Poetry, Literature, Blogs, Oxford, A-Featured, Buffalo, wrapped, OUPblog, chomp, grasses, trampled, burn, seething, explainations, waterfronts, Otho, Add a tag
Rebecca OUP-US
Below is a poem by Buffalo Poet King Otho. Let him know what you think in the comments.
A message or a massage... love that! Thanks for sharing your notes.