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Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet and the founder of the Project V.O.I.C.E. organization, honored an inspirational teacher by crafting a piece called “Mrs Ribeiro.” The video embedded above features her performance at Inner City Arts in Los Angeles.

The poem can be found in Kay’s 2014 collection, No Matter the Wreckage. To check out more of her work, click on these links to listen to a reading of  The Type, a reading of Montauk, and her talk on the TED 2011 stage.

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Writer and researcher Oscar Schwartz gave a talk at the TEDxYouth@Sydney conference to discuss this question: “Can a Computer Write Poetry?” We’ve embedded the full presentation in the video above—what do you think?

Schwartz focused his talk on “why we react so strongly to the idea of a computer writing poetry — and how this reaction helps us understand what it means to be human.” Click here to check out Schwartz’s digital Turing test for poetry, bot or not.

In the past, several poets have spoken on the TED stage including Project V.O.I.C.E. founder Sarah Kay, spoken-word performer Malcolm London, and math enthusiast Harry Baker. What is your favorite poem?

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Miss Haze has crafted a moving poem called “For Colored Girls (The Missy Elliott Poem).” The video embedded above features her performance at the 2015 Individual World Poetry Slam.

Follow these links to listen to three more of Miss Haze’s poems: “The Help,” “Twerk,” and “Alligators.” Which musicians have inspired you to create art?

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Connor Franta has crafted a powerful poem called “New Year, New Me.” Franta has become well-known as a vlogger on YouTube.

The video embedded above features Franta’s recitation of the piece; it has drawn more than 355,000 views. Have you made any resolutions for the new year?

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Howdy, Campers--and Happy Poetry Friday!  My poem is below, as is the link to PF.

What are you thankful for? Since 2011, we TeachingAuthors have each written a thanku (a haiku expressing gratitude) every November. Join us--use it as today's writing prompt!

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‘Dear Martial’ – what a strange coincidence that Martial’s soul-mate, who leads the life he himself dreams of living, is called ‘Julius Martial’. In our selection we meet him first at 1.107, playfully teasing the poet that he ought to write “something big; you’re such a slacker”; at the start of book 3, JMa’s is ‘a name that’s constantly on my lips’ (3.5), and the welcome at his lovely suburban villa on the Janiculan Hill 4.64 is so warm, ‘you will think the place is yours’.

The post ‘Tomorrow I’ll start living': Martial on priorities appeared first on OUPblog.

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Throughout his career, writer Neil Gaiman has tackled a wide range of projects including novels, picture books, and poetry. Recently, he drew inspiration from the Greek myth of “Orpheus and Eurydice” to create a poem entitled “Orphee.”

According to Gaiman’s blog post, he wrote this piece for a BBC Radio documentary called Orpheus Underground. Other creatives who also took part in this program include novelist Margaret Atwood, author Jonathan Carroll, and musician Peter Blegvad. Click here to download a digital copy of Myths of Greece and Rome by H.A. Guerber; this eBook contains the full story of “Orpheus and Eurydice.”

Here’s an excerpt from the poem: “I would go to Hell to see you once more. There’s a door on the third floor of the New York Public Library, on the way to the men’s toilets, by the little Charles Addams gallery. It’s never locked. You just have to open it. I would go to Hell for you. I would tell them stories that are not false and that are not true. I would tell them stories until they wept salt tears and gave you back to me and to the world.”

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Benedict Cumberbatch performed Warsan Shire’s poem “Home” in front of an audience of theatergoers. Cumberbatch has been playing William Shakespeare’s famous Meloncholy Dane at a London production of Hamlet.

The Oscar-nominated actor criticized the British government for the way it has responded to the Syrian refugee crisis; he gave the spontaneous poetry recitation to honor the Syrians. Click here to read the poem in its entirety.

Here’s more from The Guardian: “The actor Benedict Cumberbatch has shown his growing frustration over the migration crisis during a speech after his Hamlet performance – reportedly saying ‘fuck the politicians.’ The Sherlock star has been giving nightly speeches after his curtain call at the Barbican in London and asking for donations to help Syrian refugees.” (via UpWorthy)

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An epigram is a short poem, most often of two or four lines. Its typical metre is the elegiac couplet, which is also the metre of Roman love poetry (elegy) and the hallmark of Ovid. In antiquity it was a distinctively Greek literary form: Roman writers were never comfortable in it as they were in other imported genres, such as epic and elegy. When they dabbled in epigram they often used Greek to do so. Martial’s decision to write books of Latin epigrams, and nothing else, is thus a very significant departure.

The post Roman author, Greek genre: Martial’s use of Epigrams appeared first on OUPblog.

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Howdy, Campers--and happy Poetry Friday!
(See below for a poem about being a writer by Richard Wilbur and for today's PF host.)

We're in the middle of TeachingAuthors' series on Summer Learning Opportunities.

So far we've heard from JoAnn--who, through her own fascinating Summer Science Experiments, is learning more about hatching monarchs in her backyard; Esther--who's learning about authors from her own fair city (Chicago), discovered four "eye-openingly insightful" blogs, learned about the "3-paragraph query," and how to "attend" the National SCBWI conference if you can't be there in person. Carla shares what she's learned about the unexpected benefits from attending an SCBWI conference, and Mary Ann inspires us with her summer Young Writer's Camp.

As for me, I'm looking forward to being on the faculty of the National SCBWI Conference from July 31 through August 2nd (with intensive workshops available for an additional fee on Monday, August 3rd). Once again I'll be critiquing manuscripts submitted by conference attendees who've paid extra for written and face-to-face critiques.

My very smart friend, author and poet Greg Pincus (who blogs at GottaBook) posted the link to this fabulous blog post on attending an SCBWI conference by art director Giuseppe Castellano...and our own Esther has written what is by now a classic essay on attending an SCBWI conference.

Esther and I come at conferences from two very different perspectives. Basically, She jumps into the fray carrying a bunch of balloons; I get overwhelmed by more than 10 people at a party.

So, here are three things I've learned about conferences (how they affect me and how I cope) in the 24 years I've attended SCBWI in Los Angeles:

1) Be kind to yourself.  This conference can be overwhelming. No--I take that back: this conference is overwhelming. This summer 1000 people are attending from around the world.

We crowd into a posh hotel over a long summer weekend. The excited, anxious, ecstatic, frightened, enthusiastic, vibrating energy of 1000 friendly/shy/talkative/mute children's book professionals and pre-professionals (thanks for that term, Carla!) can be paralyzing.  The air in any hotel over that many days with that many people gets used up. And so do I.

2) Take breaks. I usually stand in the back because there's simply TOO MUCH SITTING!  That's one way I've learned to give my body a break. I've also learned (to my astonishment) that it's okay not to attend every single session. I can actually go outside and gulp fresh air...sit on the grass with my eyes closed for a few minutes. It's amazing how so simple an action as breathing can change my body chemistry.  Ahhhhhh....


3) And I've learned that some years I just need to be VELCRO®.

Although there have been many years I couldn't wait to sign up for the conference, couldn't wait to bond with new peeps, couldn't wait to find out what everyone was doing and share what I was up to, there have been other years, too.

Years when I couldn't figure out how to write that book--the one that was going to put me on the map, years when no one had invited me to submit a poem since the Ice Age, years when I was raw, raw, raw from rejection, Those are the years when I did NOT want to attend that stupid conference.  Nope.  Not gonna do it. And you can't make me.

It's about the shame, of course. I'm judging my insides against everyone else's outsides. It's like that false fog which hovers over FaceBook where I see those sparkling photos and know that every one of my FB friends are completely fulfilled, are always at goal weight, and have (just yesterday) signed a three-book deal.  (It's true--they have, you know.)

That's when I've learned I need to VELCRO® myself to real-life friends at the conference.  Hang with them. Go into the hall with them. Choose whatever breakout session they choose--it doesn't matter. They're my peeps. My buds. The ones who believe in me...and I believe in them. They save me from the darkness every time.

So, if you're coming to the SCBWI conference, please come up and say hello!We can VELCRO® together for awhile.

And Campers--if you are going to any gathering this summer that makes you a teensy bit uneasy, a little bit insecure, maybe the following quote will help. It's helped me.

In her room at the prow of the house
Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden,
My daughter is writing a story.

I pause in the stairwell, hearing
From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys
Like a chain hauled over a gunwale.

Young as she is, the stuff
Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
I wish her a lucky passage.
click here for the rest of this poem

posted live from the floor of SCBWI's National Conference in living color and with love by April Halprin Wayland

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Children connect with songs and rhymes. This innate quality allows young readers and listeners the ability to play and experiment with sounds with ease. Not only do these lyrical stories lend themselves to a range of engaging and interactive experiences, but their audience is also given opportunities to learn the mechanics of language, sequences and […]

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Howdy, Campers--and Happy Poetry Friday (original poem and PF link below)!

This is the last of our series about punctuation and related topics. Bobbi started us off with For the Love of Comma (her post was mentioned in Quercus), Esther offers A New Mark of Punctuation (sort of)...,Carla illustrates her point with specific examples from her books in How You Tell the Story Makes a Difference, and Mary Ann pleads, Can We Give the Exclamation Point a Rest?

When my son was four, he was lying on the floor leisurely looking at a book one morning when I rushed in. "C'mon, honey--we've gotta go!"

"Okay, Mommy," he said marking his page, "lemme put it on pause."

Don't you love that?

Put it on pause.  Commas, line breaks and periods give pause; they remind us to breathe. Like Bobbi, I love commas.  My summer present to you: three things about commas to make you smile:

from signals.com

(Mom loved it.)

2) When my son was in elementary school, I read poetry to his class once a week.  I was trying to be like my teacher, Myra Cohn Livingston: I wanted to share poetry with no strings attached.  As I read, they listened, just listened.  Nothing was expected of them.  I read every poem twice.

At the end of each year, I gave them each a collection of the poems they loved; in third grade, this was one of their favs (make sure to take a big breath before attempting to read it aloud!):

Call the Periods
Call the Commas
By Kalli Dakos

Call the doctors Call the nurses Give me a breath of
air I’ve been reading all your stories but the periods
aren’t there Call the policemen Call the traffic guards
Give me a STOP sign quick Your sentences are running
when they need a walking stick Call the commas Call
the question marks Give me a single clue Tell me
where to breathe with a punctuation mark or two

From If You're Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand; Poems about School by Kalli Dakos, illustrated by Brian Karas (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1995) 

3) We're told so much about the health benefits of deep breathing; of taking time to slow down. Remember to Breathe, they say.

And just think: as writers, with our very own fingers, we have magic power. Add a comma, push the pause button.

Applause for the Pause
by April Halprin Wayland

A comma,
a breaking line
a period.

A day off,
a week away
summer.

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Writer Neil Hilborn became an internet sensation for his poem, OCD. The video embedded above showcases Hilborn reciting a new piece called Joey.

Thus far, the video has drawn more than 30,000 views on YouTube. “Joey” can be found in Hilborn’s new book Our Numbered Days; the full collection features 45 poems.

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How do you respond in a name calling situation? Poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva has crafted a response message (complete with NSFW language).

The video embedded above features Lozada-Oliva’s performance at the 2015 Women of the World Poetry Slam. Follow this link to listen to another one of her pieces.

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In honor of National Poetry Month, we’ve dug up a video of Ugly Betty actor Michael Urie performing a poetry recitation. Urie delivered a reading of William Shakespeare’s Sonnet #18 at the 2013 Sonnet Slam.

The purpose behind this annual New York City event is to commemorate the anniversary of the Bard of Avon’s birthday. What’s your favorite Shakespearean sonnet?

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Sarah Kay, a spoken word poet and the founder of the Project V.O.I.C.E. organization, recited a piece called \"Montauk\" at Inner City Arts. The Button Poetry YouTube channel posted a video (embedded above) featuring Kay’s performance and it has drawn more than 27,000 views.

Kay drew inspiration for this piece from a line found in Richard Siken’s poem, \"Detail of the Woods.\" Follow these links to listen to a reading of Kay’s poem “The Type” and her talk on the TED stage.

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Writer Clementine von Radics recited her poem “Advice to Teenage Girls with Wild Ambitions and Trembling Hearts” at the 2015 Soap Boxing Poetry Slam. The Button Poetry YouTube channel posted a video of her performance (embedded above) and it has drawn more than 39,000 views.

A different version of Von Radics’ piece can be found in her forthcoming collection, Mouthful of Forevers. Andrews McMeel Publishing will release the book on April 7th.

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इस कविता मे एक अजन्मी बच्ची और उसकी मां का वार्तालाप है. बच्ची दुनिया का हाल देखते हुए आना ही नही चाह्ती लेकिन उसकी मां उसे हिम्मत देती है और न धबराने को कहती है उसे कहती है कि वो जब इस धरा पर आएगी तो वो धरा को जन्नत बना देंगें

The post Poem.. Girl Child appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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I Love my India मेरा भारत महान … कुछ समय पहले हमारे एक मित्र विदेश जा कर बस गए कुछ दिनों बाद जब उनसे बात हुई तो उन्होनें बताया कि उनका दिल नही लग रहा वो वहां सैटल नही हो पा रहे. बेशक जब वो जा रहे थे तो हमे भी लगा था कि वो […]

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यह कविता मैने नारी जगत को प्रेरित करने के लिए लिखी है. असल में हम महिलाए, अक्सर  घबरा कर चुपचाप बैठ जाती है जबकि अगर हम हिम्मत , बहादुरी और दिलेरी से सामना करेंगें तो  मुसीबत दुम दबाती नजर आएगी .. ऐसे  तनाव भरे माहौल से  महिलाओ को जागृत करने के लिए इसे लिखा है … Continue reading Poem .. mahila

The post Poem .. mahila appeared first on Monica Gupta.

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Writer Javon Johnson (pictured, via) recited a poem called \"A Letter to My Unborn Daughter\" at The Ill List poetry invitational. Johnson weaves several nuggets of advice into this piece.

The Button Poetry YouTube channel posted a video (embedded above) featuring his performance and it has drawn more than 32,000 views. Click here to listen to another one of Ford’s pieces.

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How do you deal with sharing difficult stories? Writer Meaghan Ford (pictured, via) recited a poem called “We Don’t Tell These Stories For Fun” at the 2014 National Poetry Slam.

The Button Poetry YouTube channel posted a video (embedded above) featuring her performance and it has drawn more than 27,000 views. Click here to listen to another one of Ford’s pieces.

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College student Rene Sharanya Verma has crafted a poem called to criticize the misogynistic ways of rapper Yo! Yo! Honey Singh. Verma sat for an interview with BBC News and revealed that her “aim was to challenge the culture that rationalises the narratives of sexual violence, misogyny, patriarchy and lack of women’s consent. And I wanted to do it in the same style as Honey Singh’s.”

The Huffington Post reports that Verma’s piece tackles “everything from cliched ’36-24-36′ female figures to ‘rhyming with boob.'” The Delhi Poetry Slam YouTube channel posted a video (embedded above) featuring Verma’s recitation of “Open Letter to Honey Singh.” It has since drawn more than 1.3 million views—what do you think?

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Howdy, Campers!

Happy Poetry Friday (link at the end, original poem's in this post)!

If you follow this blog, you'll remember the day we spent with author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg and his marvelous book, Beautiful Oops! (Workman). Well, guess what?

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How do you respond to difficult questions? Writer Priyam Redican recited a poem called “Of Marriageable Age” for the second installment of the APM Basement series.

The Airplane Poetry Movement YouTube channel posted a video (embedded above) featuring Redican’s performance and it has since drawn over 108,000 views. Follow this link to hear her perform another piece entitled “Marigolds.”

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