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In October, Sunrise will spin off the storied mecha anime franchise when "Iron-Blood Orphans" touches down in Japan.

hai·ku noun \ˈhī-(ˌ)kü\ plural  haiku Definition of HAIKU (from Merriam Webster) : an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively; also   : a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference  — compare tanka I am not the best at haiku, but I do...
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This morning, around five-twenty, I could hardly tell where I was going when I walked our dog.  Rascal doesn't like walking in the dark, but today she was in the mood for forging ahead. Wouldn't you know it, we got a few blocks away from the house when I heard a rustling in the trees, followed by rain falling right on mine and Rascal's heads. If there's one thing Rascal hates more than the dark, it's getting wet. Needless to say, we headed back.

Why was it dark today, when it hadn't been a few months ago? Well, I live in Illinois. Friday is the first day of Autumn. The sun now comes up later and sets earlier. Also, with rain in the offing, clouds obscured whatever light we might have had.

What does this have to do with writing? Well, you need to check the visibility ratio for the area and Season you're writing about before you make a flub and say it's dark when it's usually light, or vice versa. People who live in that location would definitely know the difference. You might also want to research whether or not that area is prone to draughts or heavy amounts of rainfall, since clouds can also diminish light.

If you don't have firsthand knowledge, you can ask a friend who lives there, or check the Internet.

Speaking of asking friends, How early does it get light around you these days?

Morgan Mandel

Hey all. Just posting a little something I did for Clubhouse magazine’s April ’11 issue. It’s Easter-related, as you can see and was a really fun piece to pull together. I enjoy doing the busy scenes. It’s always a special challenge to integrate the “silly things” these puzzles house. In this case, the kiddos are to find things that begin with “SU”. See if you can find them too!

(Click on the image to view an enlargement)

Where the Sunrise Begins by Douglas Wood, illustrations by Wendy Popp

Wood’s poem asks the question “Where does the sunrise begin?”  He then offers ideas of where it might begin.  Perhaps the mountains?  Maybe the treetops?  Could it be the marsh, the lake or the sea?  Maybe different regions of the world?  The Middle East, Africa or the Far East.  In the end, readers will be warmed by his answer of where exactly the sunrise begins.  Written in beautiful language, this book truly celebrates our world and each one of us. 

Wood has written a lengthy poem that is ethereal and beautiful.  At the same time, he doesn’t rely on large words to convey his message.  His writing is simple yet compelling.  The use of the question as a refrain offers a necessary structure to the poem, giving young readers a place to return to and start again on another quest for the answer. 

Popp’s illustrations really make this book glow.  Each page is a powerful image, filled with light and softness.  The images are done in conte crayon and pastel that have a depth of color that is amazing.  The complex colors of daybreak are captured in the pages, with their pinks and blues that mix at no other time of day.  Popp has captured the special texture and weight of this light.

A beautiful book, this is a poem worth reading combined with illustrations that elevate.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Simon & Schuster.

Hello, friends, hope you had a creative week. I've been thinking a lot about honesty lately. Here is a thing I've learned -- if I am brave and write down the things that I'm afraid to write down, then I find that my writing stretches beyond me. Locked doors open inside me as I let the deep things I think live on the page. I find this whole bravery thing snowballs into my work. My vision clears. Writing what I think helps me. I see what is right and true. And if anything is wrong with what I am thinking that comes out to. Putting my thoughts on the page helps me get at heart of things.

I've also found all this honesty spills into my work. I am more willing to take risks. I don't feel the weight of censors or critics, and I get to the business of shaping my stories the way they want to be shaped. I'm able to make my way into the deepest water of understanding. Emily Dickinson wrote a little poem that sticks with me. "I never saw the moor. I never saw the sea. Yet know I how the heather looks and and what a wave must be. I never visited God, nor visited in heaven, but sure am I of the spot as if the chart were given." Her assurance of things unseen gives me boldness. Her truth changes me. I hope you are getting the sense of the absolute power of writing what needs to be written.

So this week, write down your secret, write down that thought you don't write down because you know it will offend others, write down your anger, your grief, write down something hidden. See what happens when you open wide the door of honesty. I'm just saying, try it. Seize the day. See you next week.

My doodle this week is a little collage. I call it "Sunrise".



The highest compact we can make with our fellow is - "Let there be truth between us two forevermore." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The world awakens after a long winter's night.

You can see more of my art at www.klbaileyart.com

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Wanted to post something new on this topic, but I guess this will have to do. Something I did a while back.

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Rebecca OUP-US

Earlier today we had a post from the other side of the ocean about their new smoking ban. In keeping with the smoking theme, we have Mitch Earleywine author of Pot Politics, Mind-Altering Drugs and Understanding Marijuana writing for us today. While we don’t endorse the use of illegal substances we do think Earleywine’s point is important, that there are ways less harmful than smoking to use marijuana. Earleywine, an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University at Albany, State University of New York has also worked for 14 years on the faculty at the University of Southern California.  He is a leading researcher in psychology and addictions. To learn more keep reading.

Arguments about recreational and medical use of marijuana often turn to discussions about the health of the lungs. Inhaling particles, toxic gases, and heat is never a great idea, but people who smoke marijuana (but not cigarettes) rarely experience serious lung problems. Theoretically, however, the potential for marijuana-induced pulmonary troubles seems high. As public service announcements consistently remind Americans, the smoke from the tobacco and marijuana plants are very comparable. Some carcinogens and irritants are more concentrated in marijuana smoke than tobacco smoke. In addition, many marijuana users inhale the smoke deeply and hold their hits for long durations, giving tars and other toxins a greater chance to deposit on lung tissue (For reviews, see Earleywine, 2005; Iversen, 2000). (more…)

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